Alex and Al Ain

Ali Majed, Alex and Eid Al Mansouri

Alex and the 2 seat dune buggy. At the end of the day Alex was whipping this buggy around the dunes like he had been doing it for years.

Alex getting ready to take his Dad out and to give him a heart attack.

The BIG sand dune - about 100 feet tall - you get the scale with the size of the SUV climbing the hill.

Ali and Alex going forward - sideways - in Ali's SUV.

If you haven't read the blog ' Alex's Visit" prior to this, do so then come to this one

Hi All

Sat 9 Jan 2009

Well as you could tell , the wedding was really interesting. Sure do wish I had taken a camera.

Thursday Dec. 31 , Alex and I got out of the house for the drive to Al Ain - which is about 2 hr's though the desert. Christine and I were there before so I tried to go to different places with Alex. We checked into the Intercontinental Hotel, and went out for a swim. Alex laid by the pool reading but finally got tired of fighting the flies. Here in the UAE, the winter time is like early summer - absolutely beautiful weather - but the downside is the flies. I guess you get used to them after a while - but not us and they do swarm - so we got in the pool and took advantage of the swim up bar and had a beer. well it was still early so we went out to Sheikh Zayed's palace and toured it. We drove around town trying to find another museum but got thoroughly lost and headed back to the hotel. We had reservations at 7 for dinner so we got cleaned up for that. Since it was New Years Eve, they had a set menu - basically steak /potatoes - nothing fancy in the English pub restaurant. Alex and I were not that impressed - they did have Guinness so that was a blessing. We both could really care less about staying up till midnight so we went back to the room, relaxed, watched some TV and fell asleep long before midnight.

The next day we both got up and worked out. I swam and Alex was in the health center. We got cleaned up and out the door to drive about 50 km to meet with one of my friends from the hospital, Eid Al Mansouri. Eid had arranged for a friend to bring his dune buggy to the desert so we could go riding. It just so happens that his friend also works for me - Ali Majed.

There Alex rode with Ali in the dune buggy and in Ali's SUV as Eid and I watched. I'm not keen on going forward while at the same time fearing that the vehicle is going to tumble down the side of a dune - I must have gotten old somewhere along the line. - but Alex loved it. Ali invited Alex to drive the dune buggy and after 15 min, Alex was ripping up and down the dunes like an old pro. Then it was my turn to ride with Alex - Oh Joy - now I'm at his mercy as he careens madly up down and sideways over these dunes. luckily the passenger has a handlebar to hold onto as I'm sure without it, I would have been even more terrified. - BUT it was a lot of fun when he was less daring.

Eid had built a fire and as Alex and I returned - it was almost dark - in fact we had turned on the buggy's lights- Eid and Ali were roasting chestnuts. We sat there in the dimming light watching the other dune bashers climb the huge 100' dune and the stars come out in the desert night. Quite memorable and as Alex put it , the highlight of his trip.

One side note, as we entered the desert, I had to park my car and we got into Eid's SUV as the car would have bogged down in the sand. We were about a mile into the desert - and although there are no "roads" there is is well worn path. Suddenly to our left is a camel - sitting on a small dune just hanging out. We then looked left and there is a dumpster - yes an odd sight to see in the desert , but odder still were the 6 -8 camels - dumpster diving. I've seen bears in dumpsters but never camels.

Eid told me that they usually run the dune buggy's till late, camp out in the desert over night and then run them in the early morning and come home after that. We did see many people setting up tents during our runs in the dune buggy.

It was dark and we loaded up and headed back to Al Ain.

Our plan was to get back to the hotel, get cleaned up and to eat in the hotel's Asian themed restaurant - both Alex and I like sushi and we were looking forward to availing ourselves to their fare. However, a week earlier, I was speaking to the materials manager at the Al Ain hospital and I asked him where any good local restaurants were as the hotel ones are always over priced and not "local". He told me about 'The Golden Sheep'. Well I spied it as we were on the way to the hotel and although dirty and dusty, we turned around and headed for it. It was a wise choice. Nothing fancy but the food was good and much less expensive that the hotels would have been. We ate lamb chops, and lamb kabobs - the kabobs were better. We also had an appetizer of humus along with the platter of fresh carrot sticks and the traditional olive plate with pickles and peppers. Alex had mango juice and I had water - all for $20 US - yes $20, We would have spent at least $120 US at the hotel.

One side note to this - as your sitting there eating, there is a regular honking of car horns. Although Alex didn't pick up on it, I told him that the car horns are by locals who come to the restaurant but don't want to come inside - it's a car hop service. The restaurant stations waiters outside who go and collects the orders and then delivers to the car. - I've read that in Abu Dhabi certain late night stores - even "7- Eleven's " have this service as well. - The neighbors hate them as the honking can be and is persistent and at 1 a.m. is awfully disruptive.

We returned to the hotel, went to the Pub where each of us had a beer and then up to the room and asleep by 10p - exhausted from a wonderful day.

The next morning up to work out again and then packed and out the door for our drive to Dubai.
Dubai is the next blog.

Love you

Scott