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
  

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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
  

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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
  

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Trip Journal: Dubai- The plane facts

I’ve already shared a bit about why we are going to Dubai and what the week was like getting ready. In case you are interested, I thought I’d share a bit about our flight. (I’ve got lots of free time to write and have already watched two movies, so why not?!)

We got to the airport at about 3:45 this afternoon for a 6:30 flight. G and I brought our daughter and G’s dad brought my mother-in-law and our two boys. (And yes, the idea of traveling with my mother-in-law, is in fact, a good thing. )

I think that by arriving at that time we missed the rush of everyone else checking in. The lines were short, everyone was pleasant and even getting through security was a breeze. Of course it helps that our kids know the drill. (Jackets off and in backpacks before reaching security. Shoes off and in bins with backpacks quickly. No goofing off or chit-chat as we go through security. Then grab your shoes and backpack and move out of the way to put your shoes back on.)

G and his mom were selected to go through a body scanner, but I missed that while I accidentally dumped the contents of our larger carryon on the floor. Yep. It was Mom who made the mistakes in security this time. I forgot to zip my suitcase closed and pulled it off the table, sending everything in it out out onto the floor. Oops. Again, I was thankful we were early and not in a rush of travelers!

A note about carry-ons:
When we fly, each child carries his or her own backpack with snacks, treats, books and other things to keep him occupied. I also carry a backpack to keep my hands free, packing an empty purse in my checked luggage for later. On long-haul flights I pack a small rolling suitcase with extra clothes for the kids (incase of spills or lost luggage), a few extra books and diversions, medications with notes from the doctors for any prescription medications, back-up snacks and breakfast bars.

Although we got there early, it still wasn’t long before it was time to board the plane. Typically longer flights board earlier and this flight was no exception.

We made our way to our seats, the last row before the first bank of bathrooms. (Unlike most travelers, we try to book seats near the bathrooms so the kids can go by themselves.)

The seat configuration was three-aisle-four-aisle-three. We took the first six seats from the window. At first we put the three kids together, then three adults, but switched when it became time to sleep. On the way back we’ll sit two kids, adult, aisle, adult, kid, adult to make it easier to help at mealtimes and to encourage sleeping at the right time.

We flew Emirates and, as most long-haul flights, the in-seat entertainment system is robust, even in Economy, where we sit. They call their system ICE for Information (where you can check out your flight status, see what cameras mounted outside of the airplane see and more), Communications (Where you can send emails, call someone, charge devices using a USB port or electrical plug or view your own photos using a USB.), and Entertainment (This tab has music, movies, including new releases, nearly every Disney movie, classics, international cinema and more, and television shows. You can even pause and scan through the entertainment and build your own playlist from the music! This tab also has games galore. The kids barely touched their own DSi’s in favor of the games on the plane.)
Did you catch that you can charge your electronic devices right at your seat? We didn’t need to, but it was a nice to know it was an option.
Pretty soon after takeoff the kids were given special bags from the airline with a plush camel puppet, a stuffed animal and clothes to dress it, a kid-sized eye mask and a small Dr. Seuss book. After that everyone as given a smaller pouch with an eye mask, toothbrush, and socks.

Next the kids were served their meal, which was nice because we could get them settled before our food arrived. Their meal offered a lot of options with hot food and snacks, which was great for everyone’s taste buds. Plus they loved watching their own movies as they ate.
Soon our food came, which we enjoyed with a glass of wine, also while watching movies.

I thought the dinner was quite good, but I also try to never expect anything too fabulous on an airplane. And I’m the type who can find something to eat on almost any menu.
After dinner we were offered tea or coffee and then the trays were cleared and lights dimmed for those who wanted to sleep. After another movie, I gave the kids a warning that sleep time would be coming soon. They finished up their games and and we all rested.

I just woke up a bit ago hungry as the flight attendants walked by with turkey wrap sandwiches, water and juice. As we get closer to our destination they will serve breakfast and then we will be there.
I guess until then I better try to catch a bit more rest… I’ve got a full week ahead!

Here are a few shots of our breakfast, which was served about 2 hours before we landed:

The kids meal:

And for the adults:

Not bad, huh?

**This post was written last week while on vacation. We have since arrived back home.**

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Trip Journal: Traveling to Dubai

I am flying to Dubai. Can you believe that? I can barely believe it myself!

I am on an airplane over Spain, my daughter (in her Hello Kitty slippers) and son wiggling and mostly asleep on one side of me, an aisle, my husband, other son and mother-in-law asleep on the other side of me. We have been flying for 8 hours and still have nearly 7 more hours to go.

So far, all is good. The kids love the personal entertainment system with each seat. And the higher ceiling of the plane makes things feel not as cramped as on shorter flights. We are definitely on our way!

If you read yesterday’s post, you know this week had its wrinkles. But I knew that, as I plodded my way through my to do list, and made my way around the surprises, the end would come and I would in fact be on an airplane at the end of the week on vacation. And here I am, on the way to Dubai.

Why Dubai?

Because we have heard it is amazing to see and we have friends who live there and we have talked about it for years. My husband has wanted to go for quite some time and I have been the apprehensive one. At one point we had the trip scheduled and I convinced him to reschedule.

Yes, the unrest in the Middle East has me a little rattled, but I feel as though we will be safe. And it is time to hand that anxiety over, jump in and have faith.

Of course I must be honest here and admit that as I buckled my seat belt on the airplane, I did take a deep breath to calm all those butterflies in there. I felt a bit like I was buckling up for a roller coaster… I had faith it would be a good trip, but still was a little uneasy about the unknown adventure ahead. But God has me. And He is in control.

I know I’ll get a little razzing from our friends once we get there. I bet they have been wondering if I ever would get on a plane and actually visit. I have now!

So what’s ahead?

We plan to snow ski (yes, you read that right, snow ski) take in the beach and water parks, go on a dessert safari complete with a dessert barbecue, belly dancers (although I am pretty sure belly dancers don’t have anything to do with the heritage of this area) and camel rides (our seven year-old has been giving us advice concerning camels and spitting for two weeks now) and take in the culture of the city.

I have no doubt it will be a full week of sight-seeing and enjoying long-time friends and taking in something very different than anything we’ve ever experienced.

First, we gotta get there, though. Only 6 and a half more hours to go.

**This was post was written last week. We are now back home and adjusting to reality.**

Filed under Dubai, Trip Journal | Tags: Dubai, family travel, long flights, Trip Journal | Comments (2)