Trip Journal: Desert Safari in Dubai

Have you read my other Trip Journal entries about Dubai?

I had to take a break from sharing the rest of the trip, but now I’m back to share the details from our desert safari:

We arranged the trip through Arabian Adventures and our guide came right to our friend’s home to pick us up in the car we would be using to traverse to desert. We even tucked away Flat Stanley and Traveling Tracy for the adventure:

I expected some high-powered SOMEthing, but this was it. We climbed inside and drove away from the city and into a nature preserve.

Once we arrived, we got out of the car, played in the sand and had our pictures taken with camels while we waited for the cars to get ready. The drivers let some of the air out of the tires and loaded up drinks.

The sand was much finer than any of us expected. Because it was completely dry, unlike beach sand, it was slippery and not sticky at all.

Once the cars were ready (and lots of photos were snapped) we headed deeper into the desert.

There were a lot of cars and we zig-zagged our way over the many dunes.

At more than one point, I felt as though we could be in a car commercial for 4 wheel drive:

I kept thinking to myself that the cars HAD to have steel cages, as I was convinced that we would roll at one point. But, alas, our driver was very skilled and we didn’t.

As we were going over one dune and almost on our side, my son said “They should have a ride like this!”

“Umm, honey, this is like a ride… but it’s the real thing,” I said.

“No, they should make a ride like this at Disney World,” he countered.

“This is better than Disney World,” my four year old lover-of-princesses said. “This is even better than lunch with the princesses!”

I couldn’t help but gasp. She talks about lunch with the princesses all the time. She even wanted her hair like Jasmine for our trip into the desert! Better than meeting the princesses? WOAH!

My husband and I smiled and the ‘ride’ continued.

We pulled off to watch a beautiful sunset:

And then we continued on to ‘camp’ for camel riding:

Falconry:

and a traditional meal:

There was also a market for purchasing souvenirs and photos (of course!) and belly dancing, which really entertained the kids.

At the end of the night, our guide drove us back out of the preserve, filled the tires back up with air and delivered us back to our friend’s home for a long rest after a full adventure I know we will never forget!

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Legoland Windsor near London

Yesterday  I posted about the FREE Lego Mini Build events and download. If your kids are into Legos, click over and download so your child can make a Lego bouquet this weekend. We’ll wait.

Now that we’re all here, I can tell you all about our last visit to a Legoland park.

I have to say that I’m not sure who loves them more, me or my kids. We took our first to his first Legoland visit when he was 15 months, so you know he wasn’t the one doing the asking. But we were in Denmark… how can you NOT go to Legoland if you are in Denmark… right??

Today I’m going to share some pictures from Legoland Windsor, though, which is just a bus-ride away from London and a perfect day trip. We took our kids in the summer of 2009, when they were 3, 5 and 7.

We got there soon after the park opened and maximized every second.

The boys, remembering Legoland trips from the past, (We did go back to the one in Denmark later. And we’ve been to the one in California, too.) made a beeline for Lego Driving School and my daughter, who was three at the time, wasn’t too far behind them. Once they told her all about it, she couldn’t wait for her turn.

On the way there, we zipped by this guy, who was breathing smoke:

and stopped to check him out for a bit.

And being the cool parents that we are (sometimes) we stopped at the candy store to begin our day with candy. Um hmmm… we loaded ‘em up with gummies and treats right from the start.

(Do I still have any readers left after that confession?)

We continued our trek to the Driving School and the kids took the slides while my husband and I took the steps.

 

The Driving School is actually divided into two parts by age. But they both do the same thing.

First the kids learn the rules of the road:

Then they get behind the wheel of a Lego car:

Then get their own Lego Driver License complete with their photo as a souvenir. Of course I had to buy the little plastic lanyard so they could each wear the licenses with pride.

After that, we took in a great puppet show that kept all the kids laughing.

And then headed into a  VERY Indiana Jones-like ride:

 

Although there was quite a wait for this ride, the waiting area was filled with Lego creations, so it wasn’t too bad.

 

And the ride was fantastic, with lots of great Lego characters and an opportunity to blast the bad guys… does it get any better than that?

Later in the day we did a little different version of driving, this time on-screen:

First you ‘build’ your car and driver on screen, then you move into another room and race:

 

We all LOVED Miniland, wehere you can see just about any of the world’s icons recreated in Legos. Seeing as we were visiting London, we especially enjoyed this scene featuring the London Eye and Big Ben.

And we got a preview of the Edinburgh Castle, which we visited later in the week:

These creations are so intricate and lifelike… just much, much smaller. In Miniland you’ll see working water ferries, trains, buses, lights and a cheering crowd in Wembley Stadium.

We also saw the Crown Jewels.  (Well, sorta.) Here’s a preview:

I am still amazed at how truly family-friendly every one of their parks is. Legoland goes beyond what is expected in terms of helping families feel comfortable in their parks. Yes, the staff is friendly, yes they have good, non-fussy food, and yes, they have special mom-relief and nursing rooms, but they have so much more. I couldn’t resist taking pictures of these kid-sized sinks in the bathroom:

(The LegoLand hotel in Denmark also has kid-sized sinks, changing tables, a Lego play table and kid-sized showers in the rooms!)

The signs to get to the bathroom take into account EVERY language by using clever icons:

 

And, of course they have a massive Lego store for bringing home the best souvenirs:

This is just a tiny taste of what we did that day. We also rode the rapids of the Viking’s River Splash, got lost and found in Loki’s Labyrinth, enjoyed the Fairytale Brook and let the kids run off some energy in the Pirate Training Camp.

Legoland Windsor is arranged by theme, and and also has a special area for the younger set. But the whole park  is built for all ages.

If you are planning a trip near London with the kids, take a day to escape to Legoland Windsor and let their Legos come even more to life. Your kids will thank you. And you’ll have fun, too.

Filed under England, London | Tags: England, family travel, Legoland, LegoLand Windsor, London | Comments Off

Trip Journal: Snow Skiing in Dubai

Today we went skiing in the desert. Well, sort of.

Actually, we went skiing in the mall.
We arrived at the Mall of the Emirates near the Hotel Kempinski and walked through a hotel cafe on the the way to Ski Dubai.

We caught a glimpse of the slope from the restaurant:

Even though I was standing right in front of it, seeing an indoor ski facility was pretty unbelievable! Our host told us we could show up to the mall in flip-flops and shorts and be ready to ski. He was right.

We had dressed in jeans to be safe, but would have been fine without them, as the ski facility provides everything you need, including new socks.

Our kids had never been skiing, so we signed them up all together for a private lesson. There was also a group ski school option in all sorts of ages and all ages, but we thought this would work best.

The last time I went skiing was for a few hour stint in New Zealand in 2000, so, the be honest, I was wondering whether I would need a lesson, but I decided to give it a go on my own. I made sure I had a credit card with me, though, in case I opted for a lesson for myself.

We geared up, which was more than half of the battle of the experience, and headed for the escalator to the slopes, carrying our skis.

Walking in ski boots is quite the challenge, but I just had to laugh about it. I would lean as far forward as I could and pull my arms forward to help me go.

At the top of the escalator we grabbed ski poles and then went through the doors to the slope. The kids’ ski school was just at the base of the slope, so we could catch glimpses of them each time we skied down the mountain or rode the lift up.

Everyone in the place looked exactly the same in the Ski Dubai-provided blue and red pants and jackets. I could only pick my mother-in-law out by her white gloves our hosts had provided.

Our lift tickets were cards we stuck in our sleeves and, as we passed through a gate, the pass would activate the turnstile to let us through and let us know how much time was remaining on our pass.

I trudged up to the ski lift and hoped not to fall off or fall into a heap just after getting off. Surprisingly, I found it easy to sit on the bench as it came and then, amazingly, I pushed off without falling when I reached my slope! (Woo-Hooo for little victories!!)

The lift took us to one of two spots with three different runs. There was a lower, easier run, where I hung out for awhile, and two higher runs, one a bit more challenging than the other.

I slid off the lift at the first stop and looked down.

And looked down. And looked down. And watched my mother-in-law glide down effortlessly.

Finally I got a little bit of courage up and slid to the other side of the run and stopped. I had no idea how to turn my skis. I was so afraid they would end up pointing down and I would whiz down the mountain. And break my collar bone like my dad had once done.

“Okay, Amy, you can do this,” I thought to myself. “Turn your body and glide.”

I couldn’t go anywhere. I was stuck.

Finally, a very nice employee came over, grabbed the tips of my skis and turned me. And that was all that it took. Soon I pushed off and then the adventure really began. I was snowplowing (That’s when you ski with your skis in a bit of a wedge formation when you want to slow down.) this way and that, skiing down the mountain! Woosh. Wooosh. WOOSH!

Okay, maybe I wasn’t that good, but I was SKIING!!! And I liked it! And I wasn’t falling down and breaking anything!!

I went down that run a few more times and built up my confidence. Then I decided to take the lift up to the next level and give the longer run a go. And, again I wooshed down! Yeee-Haw! I was so excited to be skiing and gliding this way and that way down the snow.

I will admit that I did take one tumble on the longer run. As I was going down, I was again terrified I would break something. Of course I didn’t. And then I surprised myself by pushing myself up pretty easily and jumping back into the action.

Not having much ski experience, I asked my husband and his mom if skiing at Ski Dubai was comparable to skiing on an outdoor run. They said that it was and that if I could ski there I could definitely ski outdoors. Of course skiing in controlled conditions meant perfect, smooth snow without any ice and without the wind blowing in our faces. They said, other than that, the terrain and experience was surprisingly similar. And that the routes offered at Ski Dubai were comparable to a green, mild blue and a mild black run.

All in all, it was a great day and definitely a unique experience. And I think it has given me the courage to consider a family ski trip much closer to home.

**This post was recorded last week. We are now back home. More stories to come! Next up: The Jumeirah Beach Hotel and Wild Wadi Waterpark!**

Related posts:

• Trip Journal: Dubai-The Plane Facts
• Trip Journal: Traveling to Dubai
• Trip Journal: Getting Ready for Dubai
• Trip Journal: Our First Full Day in Dubai
• Trip Journal: Our Second Day in Dubai
  

Filed under Dubai, Trip Journal | Tags: Dubai, family travel, Long trips, Trip Journal | Comments (3)

Trip Journal: Our Second Full Day in Dubai

Last night I stayed up with our hostess drinking champagne, eating cookies, watching Modern Family and chatting until 2:30 when our oldest woke up and had trouble getting back to sleep. We made him toast with Nutella and then decided to call it a night.

This morning I was expecting to pay the price of the champagne, but I am feeling fantastic, not even jet lagged! Yippee!

Later today we are going snow skiing. In a mall. In Dubai.

I haven’t been snow skiing since 2000, and that was a one-day experience while we were in New Zealand. The time before that was in 1993, and I had two runs down the bunny slopes before my dad broke his collar bone. The time before that was in eighth grade.

My point? I don’t think I’m going to be that great on the skis, but I am determined to try. We have already signed the kids up for lessons, so they won’t get to experience my miserable failure if it happens because they’ll be busy whizzing by me… Or a least that’s what I hope!

Gulp.

I promise to report back.

Much Later in the Day…

Jet Lag

I have a sheet pulled over my head, containing the light from my iPad as I type. I’ve heard stirring from the boys and don’t want them to wake. It’s the middle of the night, or very early in the morning, depending how you want to look at it. G and I woke up, chatted a bit and he decided he couldn’t get back to sleep so he’s in another room reading. I know I should sleep, but I also felt the urge to write. So, here I am, dealing with jet lag in a way.

As a group we seem to have fared quite well in terms of jet lag, with a few snags here and there.

Just to set the stage, our flight lasted nearly 15 hours and we are in a time zone which is 10 hours ahead of our home. So, by the clock, we arrived 24 hours after our flight took off from Houston. Our bodies and minds are not quite together on what time it is.

We arrived at night, stayed up later than we normally would at home and then went to bed. The next morning my husband (G) was up early and he started to get the kids up early, too, but I discouraged that in favor of a longer, more solid sleep for them and me. We got up at about 11 am and then did pretty well all day.

That night we got the kids to bed at about 9:30 pm, and the adults stayed up visiting for quite awhile. Surprisingly, though, my husband went to bed before I did, which rarely happens. I stayed up until 2:30 with our hostess. This also very rarely happens. Actually, I was reminded to go to bed as my nine-year-old son woke and came to find me. I explained that there was still quite a bit of night yet and that he needed to go back to sleep. I gave him a snack, put him to bed and tried go to sleep myself.

For the next several hours, though, he made noises and simply could not get to sleep.

I heard him whisper. So I got up, walked over and whispered back, explaining it was time go go to sleep.

Then I heard him tapping on the bed. I got up, walked over and whispered for him to stop.

Then I heard him whistling so I sat up and hissed at him to go to sleep.

Then he made more noises and I told him he didn’t have to sleep, but he did have to sit there quietly in the dark on his bed. I’m not sure if he ever fell asleep or not, but I did. Or at least I mostly did.

He was a little cranky later in the day, and I grew more tired in the afternoon myself. After our mall/ skiing adventure I took a bit of a nap.

That evening, G and his mom went out for dinner. I got the kids to bed and they immediately fell asleep. Soon after G and his mom returned, G went to bed which, again, is not like him, and I stayed up to visit.

But now here we are, 4:30-ish in the morning and he cannot sleep. And so I’m awake, too. And I hear my son stirring again. We have got to finish nipping this jet lag in the bud. We have done so well, and we are almost there and it has to go.

So I’m off to try and close my eyes and sleep and not think about all the things I’d love to write.

You might have noticed that I haven’t shared about the snow skiing yet. But I had to nap today. I hope to share about that later. It was a scream to be snow skiing in general, but especially in a mall. With other skiiers in traditional Arabic dress. More later.

**This post was recorded last week. We are now back home. More stories to come!**

Related posts:

• Trip Journal: Dubai-The Plane Facts
• Trip Journal: Traveling to Dubai
• Trip Journal: Getting Ready for Dubai
• Trip Journal: Our First Full Day in Dubai
  

Filed under Dubai, Trip Journal | Tags: Dubai, family travel, Long trips, Trip Journal | Comment (1)

Trip Journal: Our First full day in Dubai

Arriving in Dubai was simple and amazingly hassle-free. The airport was spacious and going through passport control, collecting our luggage and getting on our way was amazingly simple. I expected to see people covered in abayas (women) and dishdashas (men) everywhere, but there were many more people dressed as we were.
R, our friend for many years and our host for the week (along with his family), met us at the airport and drove us to his house. We decided that my husband and the luggage would ride in one taxi and the rest of us would ride with R. Just before heading for the taxi, my husband grabbed my hand and gave me a quick kiss. I bristled, as I had heard that public displays of affection were forbidden. I know it was just habit for him, but it made me a bit nervous for a minute. Then he was off.
We made our way to the car and because  it was dark,  we couldn’t see much as we drove through, but what we did see plenty of buildings and caught a glimpse of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. (We have plans to visit that on Saturday.)
R was a great tour guide, pointing that out, as well as giving us a brief history (The country is only 39 years old, just one of the reasons the roads are immaculate.) We drove by the mall where we will be snow skiing on Monday. (We can show up in shorts and flip-flops and be completely suited up and ready to go!)
It didn’t take long for us to arrive on Palm Jumeirah Island, where R and his family lives. Their house is on one of the fronds of the island, right along the beach, and complete with a pool, trampoline and 9 bathrooms! Our guests get such a kick out of the opulence of their own home, recognizing that they a living in sort of a fantasy land. They explained that their younger daughter used to ride her scooter from one end of the house to another until they asked her to stop.
The kids love staying at a house where other kids live and our daughter is in heaven with all the Barbies, Hello Kitty, art supplies and more. The boys don’t mind the Wii and comfy chairs, either. This might be the best ‘hotel’ we’ve ever stayed in!

When we got here, we let the kids stay up awhile and, once it was time to sleep, it took some settling to get them to sleep. I’m not sure if that was jet-lag or excitement, though.

In the middle of the night one of our sons recited his 3 multiplication table. I wondered what else I would learn sleeping in the same room as him for a week!

Today they slept until about 11, so I’m hoping we’ll be somewhat acclimated to the time soon.
***Break***

We have just returned from a bit of sightseeing.

We took a taxi to the Jumeirah Beach Residences and wandered around outside of the stores and down to the beach for awhile. I didn’t feel as different as I expected to feel. Most of the people around us spoke with British accents and wore clothes very similar to us. The stores we passed were stores I have visited here at home or in Scotland. There were a few images that were new to me, though. And walking without holding my husband’s hand felt strange to me.

We stopped to get coffee at a familiar spot.

Our host glanced at a lady in an abaya outside of Starbucks and explained that women who are covered often express their individuality with shoes, handbags and sunglasses. Of course I wanted to take a picture to show you, but I didn’t think that would be appropriate. Just imagine a very classy-looking 26 year-old with beautiful accessories.. just covered up.

After that we visited the Gold and Diamond Park, a mall of jewelry store upon jewelry store and had lunch at More. The menu at More was plentiful and the portions were hearty. Three of us split a massive pot of delicious tomato soup and my daughter had a Green Fairy to drink. (A smoothie of pineapple and mint.) There were sandwiches, pastas, heavier meals and even breakfast items to order all day.

We did visit two jewelry stores and, even though the prices were fantastic, we still left empty-handed. (I’m really not much of a jewelry girl, even if it was fun to look.)
We took a train to get closer back to the Palm Island and, while we were waiting on our train, I noticed a sign for a women and children car. We were a group of mixed company, so we boarded the next car, which was mostly men.

Now we are back at our friend’s house relaxing before dinner with another family we know from our travels to Scotland from years passed. The guys are watching Scottish soccer and we are snacking on chips and queso. Where am I again?
I had to laugh when I found out we would be having fajitas.
But there isn’t any humidity, so I cannot be at home.

**This post was recorded last week. We are now back home. More stories tomorrow!**

Related posts:

• Trip Journal: Dubai-The Plane Facts
• Trip Journal: Traveling to Dubai
• Trip Journal: Getting Ready for Dubai
  

Filed under Dubai, Trip Journal | Tags: Dubai, family travel, Trip Journal | Comments (4)