Winter in Dubai is unlike winter anywhere else I have lived! I can still doze by the pool in the afternoon...what a blessing! Even though it is slightly cooler...60’s for lows, and 70’s for highs...Larry is still wearing short sleeved shirts and shorts! I have forced myself to wear jeans, and my “Toms” as I do not want to wear the same clothes year-round! There is an occasional need for closed-in shoes, and a jacket.
We arrived back to Dubai just before New Year’s Day. Everything seemed about the same as when we left. There was one big change! It was dark when we got ready to walk in the mornings! That was different! There was also a good chance most days, that there would be a sturdy wind blowing.
New Year’s was magical! We were surprised to receive from the hotel management, beautiful flowers and a wonderful fruit tray in celebration! When it was almost midnight, we walked down to the beach. There were fireworks all along the beach, both directions, from the Hilton Hotel down to the Atlantis. They were beautiful! When they were over, we simply walked up the street to our apartment...wonderful!
We were able to watch the ball drop in Time Square the next morning! When you were celebrating New Year’s in the States, it was 10:00 the next morning here! Very odd!!!
It is very difficult to get used the transiency of people in Dubai. I have a friend that I call my “imaginary friend.” She has lived in the States for 20+ years, but is from Egypt. She has four children, and she and her husband are about our age. She spends much of her time in the States and in Egypt, with relatives there. So, with our traveling as well, I see her once-every-three-months or so! We also had some very good friends that have moved back to Australia. They were the first couple to befriend us when we arrived. They moved in January. We will miss them greatly!
When our friends were about to leave, they stayed with us for two days. They have a car, so we were able to do some extra running around. We went to the Meydan! It is said to be the largest racetrack in the world! The grandstand will hold 60,000 people! It is beautiful, with an amazing hotel attached. You can watch the races from your room, as all of the rooms have patios facing the racetrack. It was absolutely beautiful with green, green grass...something that is unusual in Dubai! We went for High Tea at Jumeirah Beach Hotel, and were able to get a spectacular view of the Burj Al Arab. It is one of Dubai’s landmarks that is said to be shaped like a sail. We also went to the Madinat, an area with many restaurants, hotels and souks. We enjoyed just exploring the hotels there...BEAUTIFUL, complete with private beaches, gorgeous patios, and delightful pools. Amazing!
I also took a picture of the KFC advertisement. It, like most things in Dubai, is “over the top.” It is huge and sits in the middle of a “round-about.” Notice the size compared to the cars in the picture.
We are looking forward to the new year...going to India with Emily, and Luke visiting us here. We know that God will lead us One Step at a Time as we go! Thank you, God, for that!
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| Happy New Year from the Hotel! |
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| Fireworks at the Atlantis |
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| Fireworks on the Beach |
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| Burj Al Arab |
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| Meydan Hotel |
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| "Winter" Clothing! |
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| KFC! |
