sharjah after the storm

The winter months in the UAE bring relief from the 120°F summer. Winter is also the "rainy season." I say "rainy" because the average annual rainfall in the coastal region of the UAE is less than 5 inches. (A south Georgia thunderstorm laughs at the puny rain clouds of the Emirates.)With hardly any rain, there is little reason to invest in a proper drainage system. When it does precipitate, the rain amounts to a light drizzle. After several days of on again, off again drizzle, Mother Nature opened up on January 28.Tophi and I were just about to head out for a walk to neighboring emirate Ajman when the storm hit. The power was knocked out, and our hotel's restaurant was leaking badly around the doors and windows. We were trapped in the restaurant...

Read more »

Posted in: ajman,leisure photos,sharjah,weather

tour dubai: part 3 - the dhow wharves and souks

There are a few sites that I always take my visitors to see. This post is the third and final in a series that covers those locations. And while my Nikon D5000 provides stunning images of the environs, you really have to see all of the glitz and sand to fully appreciate where we are. So come visit! (Or at least read the blog.)It has been unusually wet here in Sharjah and Dubai for the last week. It has also been quite chilly, even during the day. I'm not sure what's going on with the weather, but it has put a damper on going places.Our new hotel has also put a damper on going places. We're on the other side of Sharjah now, closer to Ajman, so it's more expensive to catch a cab to Dubai. This will be the final part of the tour dubai...

Read more »

Posted in: dhow,dubai,leisure photos,sharjah,tour series

posting delays

I realize that it's been over a week since I last updated you on Haida or showed you another stop on the tour dubai series. Last week, the company moved Chris and me from the Al Seef Beach Hotel to another place farther away from the port that had lower rent. Since the move, I have had trouble connecting to the internet, along with a myriad of other "difficulties."I've got more stories to share, so stick around. In the meantime, you could always take a look back through the archives or browse the gallery of pictures on my Picasa album.Scott has a new kite surfing board, but the wind here in Sharjah hasn't given time to play with ...

Read more »

Posted in: announcements,procrastination

sharjah desert park

After multiple trips to the UAE, I finally made it out to the Sharjah Desert Park home to Sharjah's Natural History Museum, Children Farm, and Arabia Wildlife Center. (I skipped the Children Farm... I don't want to know about that.)The Desert Park is a hefty drive out of Sharjah, so the distance has been cost prohibitive in the past. This weekend Scott is away, and George told us to take the car and see some of the sights. The car was useful for getting to part 2 of our tour dubai series, and we would not have made the journey out to the Desert Park without it.On to some pictures.The less than full parking lot for the Sharjah Natural History and Botanical Garden.The first hall within the Natural History Museum is filled with marine life suspended...

Read more »

Posted in: culture,leisure photos,sharjah

tour dubai: part 2 - the mall of the emirates

There are a few sites that I always take my visitors to see. This post is the second in a series that covers those locations. And while my Nikon D5000 provides stunning images of the environs, you really have to see all of the glitz and sand to fully appreciate where we are. So come visit! (Or at least read the blog.)Stop. Before you start making remarks that my tour destinations consists solely of malls, let's stop to consider what other tourist destinations Dubai has to offer?  ... Can't think of any? Right. This emirate is based on a commitment to become a shopping mecca.Eh... word choice. I'll glaze over that by introducing you to the Mall of the Emirates.The Mall of the EmiratesWhile the Dubai Mall may tempt deep-pocketed travelers...

Read more »

Posted in: atlantis,dubai,leisure photos,ski dubai,tour series

haida: now served with working engines

It's been a while since Haida has stretched her sea legs -- 10+ years. While sea trials may still be in the (very) distant future, the engineers gave a preview this week of what's waiting to roar to life.M.Y. Haida has been moored in Port Khalid, Sharjah during an extensive overhaul and refit for the last several years.Haida is powered by two Enterprise medium-speed diesel engines that produce about 1000 hp each. She's been reported to reach almost 19 knots, but sea trial data from 1947 report a speed of 16.7 knots at max engine RPM. Over the last year, the refit support team has been working to locate replacement head gaskets for the Enterprise engines. As you can imagine, it's not easy getting parts for an engine built in the early 1940s....

Read more »

Posted in: Enterprise,haida,haida photos,work photos

tour dubai: part 1 - the dubai mall

There are a few sites that I always take my visitors to see. This post is the first in a series that covers those locations. And while my Nikon D5000 provides stunning images of the environs, you really have to see all of the glitz and sand to fully appreciate where we are. So come visit! (Or at least read the blog.)Last Friday, Tophi and I worked until lunch time and finished the day around 3:00 pm. Scott suggested that we use the rest of the afternoon to go see The Dubai Mall and have dinner. I have been to Dubai's crown jewel at least five or six times. I have walked every square meter of its spacious 4 floors, watched numerous fountain shows, gazed up at the Burj Khalifa, and enjoyed fresh fro-yo at Red Mango; however, there is always something...

Read more »

Posted in: dubai,leisure photos,tour series,world's greatest