Bill and Terry's Excellent Adventure

         

Welcome Grandma and Grandpa!  We are so excited to have our very first visitors!  Grandma Terry and Grandpa Bill arrived for a 10 day visit!  Everyone was thrilled, and poor jetlagged Grandma and Grandpa got sucked down into the Halloween Vortex, which lasted the first four days of their visit! They arrived on October 28 at Casa Sasso Dubai - where the (almost) ripe dates were definitely waiting!

First order of business?  Beachcombing! The girls have been waiting to share all the treasures they find on our beach. 

And of course, since it is Dubai, you must do lots and lots of eating.  Friday Brunch is an Expat tradition - you go and eat for hours and hours every Friday afternoon!  There is live music, activities for the kids, and enough food to stock 10 Vegas style buffets.  We went to the Madinat Jumeirah - a resort right down the beach from the Palm. 

We explored the older areas in Dubai, including the traditional "Souks" the Souks are essentially open air marketplaces, and are located on either side of the Dubai Creek.  We saw the Spice Souk:

 

                                   

Checked out the Textile Souk - where I was much entertained when one of the shopkeepers spied my Dad standing, arms crossed, and tried to convince me that "Big Boss needs Dishdasha".  My Dad disagreed.

                      

You can cross the creek on a traditional Dhow (large boat) or an Abra (small taxi boat). 

We adventured to the city of Al Ain - home to the Wild Animal Park and the Camel Market.  The Camel Market is located in the middle of the desert, and is where camels are bought, sold and traded.  You drive out into the sand and you can check out all the camels and buy camel goods.

We spent one night at the Bab Al Shams - an authentic Arabian resort in the desert- just to get away from Dubai and experience some Arabic traditions.  Everyone finally got to ride a camel and witness a display of Falconry.  Falconry is the ancient practice of training Falcons to hunt prey.  The trained falcons are tame, but they have to wear masks at all times or they become very agitated. 

                                 



Our adventurous Grandparents departed, not for home, but for a Safari in Kenya!  We had a wonderful time on their visit, and we hope we gave them at least a little time to relax!  Love to all at home!