Part II of Dubai/Abu Dhabi Trip

Happy New Year again! Welcome to the year of the mouse-- "nezumi." :)

This is part II, a continuation of our trip to Dubai/Abu Dhabi. Here it goes...

In Dubai, we saw the "Burj Dubai"--soon to be the world's tallest building. Dubai is a city of superlatives-- for the fastest, tallest, longest, highest, you name it.



I'm not sure when this building will be finished, but once it's complete, it really will be a sight to see.

My parents live in Abu Dhabi, which is about a 2 hour drive from Dubai. In contrast to Dubai's desert environment, Abu Dhabi is relatively "green." The city has made an effort to plant trees and shrubs to give the city a "green" look. Here's a view of Abu Dhabi's skyline.



For Christmas eve, my parents took my brother Julian, Kev and I on a "desert" safari tour. We all got into a 4x4 and took a ride over desert sand dunes.

Let me warn you: This is not a trip for those who get motion sickness. Trust me.

It was fun and exciting for the first 15 minutes, but after that I really wanted to get out of the jeep. Unfortunately for me, our driver kept driving over sand dunes like a madman...



Despite feeling ill, I have to say, the highlight of the safari was definitely the camels. I even got to ride one!



They are so cute!!!

Even my Mom got in on the action.



After the camel ride, it was time to enjoy the sunset.

The sunset from our camp was absolutely beautiful....



I think this says it all....

Once it was dark, we enjoyed a Middle Eastern meal under the stars. The food was delicious! We had hummos, grilled lamb, chicken and beef, saffron rice, roasted vegetables, and baklava.

Here's a photo of all of us at dinner. My brother Julian took the photo, so he's not in it. :(



Here we are dressed in traditional Middle Eastern garb.



That's me, my brother Julian on the left, and Kevin on the right.

Later, we all sat around a fire and smoked from a "hookah" pipe. What an experience! It took me a bit to get the hang of it. You have to suck on the pipe really hard to get the water at the bottom of the hookah to bubble.



Ha! Looks like I'm having a good time. By George, I think she's got it. :)

Sitting by the fire in the middle of the desert was awesome. Some of the other people in our tour group were from Slovakia so they ended the night by singing Christmas carols in Russian.

I never imagined, I would be sitting under the stars in the Arabian desert on Christmas eve. It made me think about the Three Kings and how they used the North Star to find the manger where baby Jesus was born.

It was truly a beautiful night, complete with a full moon.

Part I of Dubai/Abu Dhabi Trip

Happy New Year!!!! Hard to believe, but it's been 3 months since Kev and I moved here to Okinawa. We have both fallen in love with the island. We are always finding new things & sights to discover each day. The island is absolutely beautiful and we are so thankful we will be here for the next few years to explore all that Okinawa has to offer.

Anyway, since it's been awhile since I've posted to the blog--here's an update from our trip to Dubai/Abu Dhabi. Kevin and I flew to Dubai to visit my parents for the Christmas holiday. We had a blast on our 10 day trip.

We left Naha on December 20th and flew Asiana Airlines into Seoul, Korea for a layover. We had about 8 hours to kill and thought we could take a day trip into the city. Unfortunately, we failed to pack any "warm" clothing so when we landed in Seoul, we were not prepared to hear that the temperature was a freezing 34 degrees! All I had on was a light cotton sweater and Kev only had a sweatshirt. We didn't want to have to spend hours hanging out inside the airport but since we didn't have the proper clothing and knew we would freeze out in the cold, we had no choice but to stay indoors. Note to self: Korea is cold in the winter. If you plan to go outside, pack accordingly.

Thankfully, our layover in Seoul wasn't a complete bust. We were able to pass the time wandering around the airport. We eventually found a great little restaurant where we had some Korean hotpot soup. I had some spicy oxtail soup and Kev had seafood soup. The key ingredient of course was kimchee. :0

After the long day in the airport, we finally boarded our flight to Dubai on Emirates Airlines. Although we sat in Economy, we each had our very own personal touch-screen entertainment console with over a thousand movie titles, TV channels, and games (Imagine trying to get that in Economy on United or American Airlines!!) If you fly to the Middle East, definitely fly Emirates. They are a good airline with outstanding customer service.

Dubai is an interesting place. No where in the world can you see so much construction and building going on in one place. Day and night, construction goes on. It seems endless--they are literally building the Dubai skyline around the clock.

My father took my brother Julian, Kev and I into the city for a day to see the sights. We, of course, wanted to visit the infamous "Burj Al Arab" (It is afterall the only 7 star hotel in the world.) We didn't think we would get in, but my father used his charms to convince security to allow us in.

Here is a photo of my father, brother Julian and I at the entrance. If you look at the top of the Burj, you can see the helicopter landing pad.



This is a photo of the fountain inside the main lobby. There are multiple lobbies in this hotel.



And here is a view of the ceiling in the main lobby.



While in Dubai, we also visited the Jumeirah Palm Island(s). These are the man-made islands that are being developed off the shore of Dubai. Security here was tight so we were doubtful we would be allowed in, but we managed. We drove down the main "trunk" portion of the Palm and onto one of the "fronds".

Here's a view of the main "trunk". A luxury hotel is being built here, this is the building you see in the background.



This is just one of the many "mansions" being built on the "fronds." Each house is going for about $4 million dollars. Geez...what a bargain.



We also went to the Mall of the Emirates. Once inside, you can see why tourists like to visit this mall. It really is a shopper's paradise.

Can you tell I love to shop???!!! :)



The Mall of the Emirates is also home to "Ski Dubai"-the world's largest indoor ski slope. Hard to believe you can ski in the desert city of Dubai!



If you don't have ski pants or a jacket, don't worry. Everything is available for rent here.... :)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!!!

Well, it's Thursday, the 20th. Kevin and I will be leaving for Naha airport shortly for our trip to Dubai to visit my family for Christmas. Hope to have a bunch of great photos to post later when we return. Happy Holidays everyone!!!!

Love, Chrissy & Kevin

Update....

Well as some of you know, I've applied for a broadcasting position with a military organization here on the island called MCCS (The acronym stands for Marine Corps Community Resources). I've applied for a job as a video production assistant in their broadcasting studio. I'm hoping I can put my TV producer skills to work and help them with their weekly magazine show called "Hai Sai Okinawa." This is a great opportunity for me to keep my fingers in the TV biz...

After waiting almost a month and half since my initial interview, I've been called for yet another one! Woohoo. Yes...I know this is just another interview, but at least I feel like they are close to making a decision on a candidate. Hopefully it will be me. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

On another topic, I'm pleased to say that I've been cast in a production of the musical "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" with a local community theatre known as the Pacific Okinawa Players. I had my audition on Monday and just found out that I've been cast! The show will go up in February just in time for Valentine's Day. This is an off-Broadway musical that celebrates the modern day suburban dating game. It's a musical comedy about dating, marriage, divorce, sex...you get the idea....



I can't wait to get back on the stage!!!!

Okuma & Cape Hedo

Today Kevin and I went to Okuma, which is an U.S. Air Force owned recreational facility on the northern part of the island. Okuma has camping sites, nature trails, cabins, beach cabanas, a private beach, a small golf course, and a tennis court.

My sister and brother in law (Denise and Greg) will be visiting us in Okinawa in January, so Kev and I thought it would be a good idea to check Okuma out before we take them.

The drive to Okuma is about a hour and half from our house. We took Route 58, which hugs the coast. You can get some amazing views of the ocean right below you. The road is built on cliffs overlooking the ocean.

Here's a photo we took when we pulled to the side of the road:




And this is a photo of my crazy *ss husband getting too close for comfort. The things he is standing on are cement tetrapods. The cement tetrapods break ocean waves to prevent waves from coming inland. Guess waves have been known to come crashing over the cement pods, over the seawall, and onto the road before....




After Okuma, we headed to the very northern tip of the island to a place called Cape Hedo. The cape is a known tourist spot (apparently some people think it's a good idea to jump off the cliffs into the deep Pacific below for fun). It was real windy and the ocean spray was a bit much at times. Even so, it was cool to see the cliffs and the clear ocean below.

(Disclaimer: I think my husband is not happy that I am taking his picture. Don't ask me what the sign behind him says.)



We did notice a few English signs warning Americans to avoid doing aquatic activity at Cape Hedo. As I mentioned above, some people have been known to jump off the cliffs and drown.

I had to keep an eye on Kevin....

Here's a photo of some cliffs at Cape Hedo.



After we enjoyed the sights at Cape Hedo, we headed home, but not before we stopped at a roadside stand to buy some fresh fruit. Okinawa's subtropical climate is so warm that pineapples grow very well here!

Not only do they grow well here, they are SOOO cheap! Kev and I bought two pineapples for 200 yen. For those of you who are wondering, this is under $2 U.S. dollars.



Think I'll make some pineapple muffins with these! :)

Christmas vacation...

This Christmas, Kevin and I will be visiting my parents in the United Arab Emirates. We will be flying from Okinawa, to Seoul, Korea, and then to Dubai. Both of us have never been there before, so we are really looking forward to it.

My parents live in Abu Dhabi and the city of Dubai (the "Las Vegas" of the Middle East) is about two hours away by car. Dubai is a rapidly growing city, right on the mouth of the Persian Gulf. The city has seen a major transformation in recent years with new infrastructure sprouting up everywhere. There is so much oil money here, the city has built its own beaches and islands (they have already built islands resembling a palm tree called the "Palm Islands'). Now they are working on the "World Islands" said to resemble the globe.

Should be an interesting trip. :)

Yesterday, we had some nice weather, so I went down to Toguchi Beach to take some photos. This beach is across the street from our house and has some great sunset views. When the tide goes out, you can see marine life collected in tidepools. You can often see local Okinawans fishing and netting. The beach also offers pavilions for BBQs. There are walking paths, gazebos, and a park with a slide for kids to play.






We even have two wild cats who live on the beach. They are pretty friendly and don't seem to be too afraid of people. I have noticed that someone gives them food to eat so they don't go hungry. One cat is really thin, (seen pictured below) I think he may be the "son" of the other cat. Hard to tell...



Kevin tells me not to "pet" them but it's hard not to....



Aren't they cute?

Since coming here, I've noticed that Okinawa has a big problem with stray cats and dogs. It's sad to see so many animals on the streets. Most people don't pay attention to them--but I can't help but want to help them out in some way. There is a local organization here on the island (OOARS-Okinawan American Rescue Society) that tries to help these animals. I've seen members of OOARS at events on base. I think I may sign up to volunteer....

I may not be able to do much in controlling the population, but it's the least I can do.

Kin Blue

The advantage of living on an island is that there are always beautiful beaches to go and explore.

Today was a lazy Sunday so Kev and I decided to go for a drive and explore Kin Blue, a beach near the town of Kin. Kevin usually goes golfing on Sunday mornings with his buddy John, but when he came back today, he was eager to go out. We drove about a half hour when we finally reached the beach. It's completely isolated and perfect for snorkeling. What you say? Snorkeling in December??!! Yes, it IS possible here in Okinawa. :)

Anyway--as we were snorkeling, we saw some interesting marine life. Cuttlefish, reef fish, sea urchins, and a LIONFISH! Lionfish are normally seen when deep sea diving, but I guess we were lucky.

Of course, we admired the lionfish from afar as we were concerned about getting stung. Lionfish are considered quite dangerous. If you try to pick one up, it can sting you with venomous spines in its dorsal fin (apparently, the venom can't kill you, but it can make you sick). Scary. Despite it's bad reputation though, it's absolutely beautiful. Here's a lionfish photo I found on the Internet:



(Don't Touch me!!)

Here are some photos of Kin Blue. The beach is covered with sea shells and coral so we picked a few up for our collection. I have a feeling during our time here in Okinawa, we are going to be collecting A LOT OF SHELLS.



The beach also has some interesting rock formations. Most of Okinawa's beaches have volcanic rock, but not Kin Blue.




After our day at the beach, we headed home and stopped at a neighborhood ramen noodle shop. A perfect end to our day.

Unfortunately, by the time our miso ramen and gyoza came, we were both so hungry we completely forgot about the camera....Sorry no photos. Maybe next time.:)