I want to apologize for neglecting to write, but I wont!
We have been enjoying ourselves, yet staying very active.
We purchased tickets for the Big Bus tour. 10/10 would recommend this tour. We purchased delux tickets, which were reasonably priced, and offer so much.
The tour is broken into 3 lines, each line covering a different part of Dubai. One line covering the Marina, one covering the downtown and newer parts of Dubai, and the last line taking you to old Dubai.

We spent a day riding all of the lines in succession. We made minimal stops, thought the line allows you to hop on and off at will. We were anxious to take in as much information as possible so we stayed on the bus.
We did choose to hop off the bus in Old Dubai at the Dubai museum.
It was a very clever Museum with so much information. None of us were expecting it to be as expensive as it was. THe museum is mostly underground and is air conditioned for those hot summer months.
I am excited to see more of this area. This is the area where you will find the old Dubai Souk, as well as the spice souk, and gold souk. It is a solid area for taking in the traditional culture.
Near the end of our day, we realized that we would not want to ride the circuits of the bus tour back to our starting off point, so we jumped off the bus at Deira City Center, and took the metro to our destination.
I am a huge fan of the Dubai Metro system. It follows along Sheik Zayed, which is the main artery of the UAE. The metro system and trains themselves are clean, easy to navigate, and very affordable. THe spacing of the stations do require you to do some walking, depending on your final destination, but I find with the weather as lovely and relatively cool as it is now, I have no issues with any walking.
When we finally made it back to our flat, we Were pretty beat.

We have decided to be kind to ourselves. We typically start our morning slowly, which coffee and tea, and lounging around the flat. When we finally leave, we casually walk to a cafe and have a drawn out breakfast/brunch. Today we visited Shakespeare and Company located in the Marina Mall. What a lovely times. We sat outside and feasted on our giant breakfast and just enjoyed being outdoors and with family.
We made plans to then go to the Aquarium in the Atlantis Resort, located that the top of the Palm Jumeriah. (The entry was free with the Delux Big Bus ticket)
THe Atlantis is lovely, and larger than life. We enjoyed the aquarium, and browsed shops within. The shops had some items that were a bit more unique than many of the things that we have seen all over.


My friend MOMO finally arrived back in Dubai after being in Abu Dhabi since we arrived. MOMO is a friend I made in Savannah. He would frequent Foxy, where I worked. He is an emirati, meaning he is one of the natural citizens of the UAE. Meeting the natives is actually quite rare as the population is actually quite small with much of the Dubai population consisting of expatriates.

We met up with MOMO after leaving The Atlantis. We stopped by LULU’s hypermarket, then picked up his girlfriend Alice and went for food.  THey took us to one of Dubai’s oldest Restaurants. THis establishment was opened in 1978. It has been busy ever since. The owner originally came to Dubai from Iran as a child. He was an orphan and came here and worked until he could open this place. He passed away a few years back, and his sons took over the restaurant. The food was incredible. This may have been one of the few meals I did not photograph. THe place was really extraordinary. SO crowded. So wonderful.

We ate, then went out for drinks and Shisha.
We sat at a rooftop bar and enjoyed each other. Before we knew it, it was after 1am and we were closing down the place.

One interesting thing for me is the difference in going out in Dubai with an Emirati versus not. The added level of courtesy given to an Emirati is remarkable. For me, MOMO is just my friend. I think little of it. He is a person I would brunch with and speak loudly in the cafes, and would chat with across the counter at work. Here, he is treated with a higher level of service. Truly remarkable. What a treat to have this friend here. THis friend whom I met in Savannah, after having lived in Dubai some 6 years earlier. Yet here we are, in his home, enjoying ourselves.

Let’s see what adventures tomorrow may bring.

Imma have to add photos at a later time.

1.26 and 1.27

We’ve been out here taking in the sights! 

Yesterday I woke up early and walked the marina walk. 

Once all were awake, we took on IBN Battuta mall. This mall has grown significantly in the last 7 years. It still remains one of my all time favorite malls. It is absolutely breathtaking. One thing we all remark on, is how lovely places are harder to find in the US. It’s as though allowing ourselves to live in lovely spaces isn’t a thing we seek out any longer. I was spoiled in Savannah and was used to well decorated and designed Public spaces, but that does not speak to so much of the rest of the US. 

By the time we walked the mall, and made our journey on the metra back to the Marina, we were pretty tired. We then had to walk about 15-20 minutes to the flat. We were all exhausted to say the least. 

Today was a Karama day. Karama is your local shopping area to buy souvenirs and knock off designer items. I’ve done Karama enough to know better with many of the products and prices. Though I always give into temptation and barter for something. My family loves to go to this one particular shop. They sell all sorts of women’s clothing. We always go and buy an insane amount of harem pants. Today we walked Out with probably 15 pairs of these pants. I bought a dress. I feel like we paid that shopkeepers rent for the month. 

We napped, before heading out to stroll JBR walk. More street vendors. Countless restaurants. Attractions and sights. Dubai is just so extra in every sense of the word. It is an incredible thing to watch as it grows over the years. 

1.26.2020

So the last 24 hour or so have been weird. It’s been dark outside the whole time. I got off of my first flight at JFK and it was dark. I waited about 4 hours, then took my 12 hour flight. I arrived in Dubai at about 9pm. At that point my body thought it had been night for about 16 hours already.  It is now 545am and the sun is coming up.

  I hardly recognize this place. So many more buildings. So much more life!
I arrived to my Air BNB by car. My friend Momo sent a driver to fetch me at the airport.
I dropped my bags in the BNB. Changed my shirt and reapplied deodorant and Scurried out the door to the currency exchange.
THe weather was perfect. 70 some degrees...no humidity....just the fragrant smell that my nose immediately recalled floating through the air.
 I made it to the currency exchange 10 minutes before they closed. After, I decided to walk The Marina a bit.
When I was last here, The Marina was relatively Bare. I was delighted by my experience.
When I was last at the Marina, some 7 years ago, they were still doing so much work on it. The walk itself was lovely but had very few things to see.
It is now a booming area peppered with restaurants,  shisha bars, kiosks, and bike rentals.
The retail kiosks sell anything from jewelry, robes, traditional dress, skin care, and souvenirs.
After a good walk, I made my way to the Carrefour grocery that is right by the Air BNB.
Here is the thing about vacationing in an area where you have previously lived. You save money on eating out, because you already know what exciting things await you at the store.
I bought bread, I bought cheese, I bought  yogurt to drink, Moroccan mint tea, I bought Labneh, and my favorite juice!!
My body is so happy. Bread and Cheese for dinner, and bread with Labneh for breakfast. What a rough life.

I’m waiting for my Dad and Grandma to wake up so we can start out our day. We are thinking Ibn Battuta mall today, and securing NOL cards for the Metra.

Things I am happy to see upon returning to Dubai:
I was given a free SIM card for my cell phone upon arrival. Though I’m not sure how much this helps US visitors as our phones no longer take SIM cards. YET, It is really thoughtful.
I am excited to see continued growth. I am excited to still receive a Visa upon arrival.
Overall, It is good to be back.

Counting down!

We are less than 2 weeks out. Are y’all ready??
Uhhhh same, I think.

I’m excited yet nervous. Ive never navigated an adventure this big on my own.
Yet, here we are.
It’s bitter sweet. Im sure going to miss my sister, and my little nephews!
I like my jobs here in Wisconsin as well, so leaving them stinks.

My greatest challenge at the moment is packing for both hot weather, and cold eauropean weather, all in a carry on back pack. Wish me luck!
My current plan for the trip is as follows.

-Drive to Savannah.
-Fly out of Atlanta with my Dad and Grandma.
-Arrive in Dubai. See my friend Momo and enjoy the old Dubai stomping grounds.
-Depart Dubai for Sri Lanka.
-Meet my cousin, Christy in Sri Lanka.
-Spend 15 glorious and wild days on the island of Sri Lanka. We plan to eat, drink tea, eat more, drink more tea, go on a safari to see some elephants and maybe some leopards, and hike some incredible paths.
-Leave Sri Lanka and go back to Dubai. (Late February)
-Hang out with my friend Momo and his GF while I recover and plan my next step.
-Fly to Munich Germany.
-Connect with my Girl Kelsey in Munich.
-Hit up some museums, take in architecture. Eat some food. Drink some beer. Try to speak some elementary German.
-Take a Train or plane to Amsterdam.
-Meet up with my friend Thomas. Maybe try and see my old high school friend Dominica.
-Enjoy Amsterdam. Eat some Apple Tart, Boche Bolen, Stroop Waffles, and poferches. As per the recommendations of a Netherlands native I met at Foxy.
-From Amsterdam, funds and time dictating, Fly to Scotland.
- Visit Edinburgh,  and Aberdeen.
-Fly home and sleep, and blog, and hug my dog.
-Back to WI to be with my sister while she has a procedure.
-Hug my nephews.

Ill try and blog as much as possible. Y’all know that I keep a good journal and blog after trips. So get ready!!