I wonder if this non blogging month is a result of the infamous ‘writer’s block’!!! This morning I made up my mind to undo the block and figure out ‘WHAT TO WRITE’.
That’s when I realized that there indeed is something to be shared with all of you!
For more than a year my SIL (Sister-in-law) had been making grands plans for her father’s birthday because it’s not every year that one reaches a milestone. This June he turned 61. After a lot of brainstorming, we decided to celebrate his birthday in Dubai! So six of us with a four year old set out to experience Dubai’s summer! As if Mumbai heat wasn’t enough for us! Also, it happened to be the Ramadan month so we were warned about food issues during the day. But… right from tickets to food the whole trip turned out in our favor!
On May 29th, I set foot on Dubai soil (‘sand’ to be technically correct :P) after 19 years. I was also excited because I knew I’d find a mallu around EVERY corner, which I did! Cheers fellow-mallus!
Before I start with the trip, a quick weather update. It was hot throughout the trip but apparently that was winter! 😛 It was just going to get worse! To be honest, I’d take the Dubai heat rather than this horrible Mumbai humidity.
May 29th: Desert Safari.
The ride over the sand dunes could beat a roller coaster hands down! The little one rightly called it a ‘Monster ride’ and kept screaming for more!
May 30th: Palm Jumeirah, Gold Souk, Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa.
That night we witnessed two spectacular performances by the famous Dubai Fountain;
1) Mission Impossible – From the Top of Burj Khalifa
2) Skyfall – Adele – At eye level
May 31st: A trip to Abu Dhabi. Nostalgia! After all it’s the place I spent the most crucial two years of my life doing nothing much but lying around and being fed, entertained, monitored and diaper changed 😛
Places visited:
Grand Mosque, Ferrari World and Corniche Beach. Also a quick drive through the Palace grounds.
June 1st: FIL’s birthday. Spa, pool and relaxation time! Dinner in a Luxury Cruise with Fine Dining (where, if you ask me, they spend less time and efforts on preparing the food and more on presenting it on the plate!). Of course the food was a class apart! It was a delightful evening with family, food and broken heels! (I could never be Cinderella!)
June 2nd: Back to India after a memorable morning at the Kite Beach where the waves took great pleasure in toppling me! The waves came charging at me like a wild bull! I was no Bhallaldeva so I got thrashed by them! My MIL safely standing on the shore saw my legs in the air 7 times!
List of Dos and Don’ts for a Dubai visit:
– DON’T run down a sand dune with your phone in a loose pocket! You may not get as lucky as me. I almost mourned over my Moto that was buried neck deep in the sand before my BIL(Brother-in-law) found it!
– DON’T tag along kids on a visit to the Gold Souk. It turned out to be most boring for my nephew and me 😛
– DO stay together while in the Dubai Mall lest you get lost which is quite possible!
– DON’T forget to empty your tummy before you head to the Dubai Mall Food court!
– DO realize that choosing a life partner could be easier than choosing an option at that Food court!
– DON’T be sad if you couldn’t buy anything at the Dubai Mall! You could definitely be happy about burning a whole lot of calories by covering each store there. That’s way better than burning a hole in your wallet! so, DO put on your Fitbit and walking shoes!
– DO remember to double check that all your luggage is with you BEFORE you board the flight. Else, you’ll find yourself in a situation like us! Thanks to all the duty free shopping, Indigo had to announce for the Patils to hurry up. They forgot to add a reminder though; “Please ensure you carry all your luggage with you!” Any guesses on what the incident was!? After an hour into the flight journey, my SIL suddenly asks “Where’s Chikkoo’s Winnie the Pooh suitcase!??” 😀
Some lucky fellow at the airport who found the suitcase didn’t bother reporting it because he couldn’t resist stealing the cute suitcase with a 4 year old’s Starwars blanket and a change of clothes inside it!
There you go, that was our Dubai trip! Hope you guys enjoyed reading about it as much as we enjoyed experiencing it! 😀
Cheers!
C.A.: Confused Aquarian 