It's that time of year for Standard Chartered Dubai Marathon .  For the last several years, I was present as a spectator, patiently waiting at the finish line, cheering as I watched my husband successfully cross it beating his record the previous year. 

We're celebrating a long weekend in the United Arab Emirates.  Today is a religious non-working holiday, Prophet Mohammed's birthday. It's going to be a long weekend.  For those stuck at home craving for adventure with no idea how to spend their Friday tomorrow, try Wadi Driving.

Wadi is an Arabic term, meaning valley. Wadi is a dry riverbed that becomes a stream during heavy rains. January is the best time to try off-road driving.  Explore the rocky paths in between large boulders and mountains during cold season  in a big group of 4X4s.  We drove close to the UAE-Oman border.

Source - Dubai This Morning

We're experiencing a sand storm all weekend.  No worries, nothing like the Mission Impossible 3 kind. I think a strong one like that happens in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Luckily we've not experienced it here.  Driving on a highway means very low visibility and yes, a lot of sand. Wearing shades or glasses or goggles if you must to protect the eyes would be helpful.  

The past decade, I spent all my life looking for that perfect feeling of home. This quest motivated me to start traveling. At a tender age of 4 when I grew fascinated by a book that my Mom gave me, the fire in my heart to leave my country burned so bright.  Somehow, I felt I didn't belong there.  It is a beautiful country to see as a tourist, but at a young age I felt like an alien. I  remember looking up at the night sky wondering if  before we were born,we were given a choice, maybe there was a mistake. There was something missing. So this search for home and peace, wherever that may be, became a distant goal.   

Last weekend,  we had a visitor from Lebanon who's here on business.  He had 5 hours  in the morning to spare, before his 5 PM afternoon flight back home.  Since he's staying not very far from the airport, we -( my husband and I) think it's sad to spend the remaining hours within the confines of a hotel room. He was already done with his shopping and has already been to all the malls in the city, so we picked him up for a different scenery.

What to Do in 5 hours?   Head off to the Big Red!

The Big Red is a 300ft high sand dune along Hatta Road. There are tourist stops on the right side opposite the gigantic dune.  Drive: 40 Minutes - 1 hour  from the Dubai Airport

The once eyeglass-wearing man, my Clark Kent, transformed. He stopped wearing glasses (laser eye surgery).  Cape-less, wearing an engine behind his back (like a gigantic electric fan) holding on to a glider, he took off.

"Seriously?"  --  That was my first reaction when I first heard of Ice Land, followed by , "Why would they do that?"   My curiosity led me to look for it on Youtube. Thinking out loud, "No way.."  That evening, my husband returned home with entrance tickets for some deals he found on Cobone.  

I'm getting forgetful lately.  Is it old age?  I hope not.

I forgot my wallet  inside a busy food court.  I went about my planned activities and drove to another place 10 km / 6 miles  away. Two hours later, when I was about to enter the supermarket,  my wallet was nowhere to be seen inside my huge bag. I hastily returned to the parking lot and sat in the car for the next 15 minutes searching around and retracing my steps. To cut the long story short, I drove back to the food court with a faint idea that that might be the last place where I left it.   I asked the man at the fast food counter if he had seen a small black leather wallet.  Luckily, I didn't sit far away and he pointed out that the nice young couple  sitting next to me that afternoon found and handed it over to the security control (all valuables in tact). That was a great relief because all identification cards (resident ID, driver's license, health cards etc) would have been a nightmare to re-apply.


This is the second time it happened to me.  I lost my work mobile phone once inside a cubicle in a public toilet at the mall.  The woman who found it, returned it to me.  Lesson learned: I should be more attentive and careful.  These experiences, however, strengthened my belief in the goodness of people.

Such a beautiful day!  I'm heading to the beach today. One of my goals this year is to seize the moment and appreciate the present.  Living in Dubai means a 20-minute drive to the nearest beach.   When was the last time I have been to this one?  I honestly can't remember.   It's such a shame that we have the beach within our reach and we never go.  Well it's never too late.

Last week, my husband, Yohann submitted one of his edited paragliding video and together we invited friends to vote. We were touched by the warm response we got from all of our family, friends and colleagues who willingly supported his entry.  This led to one morning live radio phone call on Dubai 92 where Yohann was announced as a winner!  I was privileged to have been invited to join him in his prize-  A full fun filled day of white water rafting, kayaking and adventurous thrilling rides at Wadi Adventure.

For us, whatever happens later is a bonus.  Yohann confirmed, "We already consider ourselves winners for having won this week." Through this, we have met amazing and really cool people for an unforgettable weekend.  I, for the very first time, attempted to kayak. Though I didn't go through the rough waters, it already felt liberating to be able to handle a paddle, being under water and balancing myself on my own.  I've never really imagined I would go kayaking in my entire life. 

Let's all live Wild this weekend!

Have a great Sunday!

XOXO,

Arni

Have a great weekend!

View of the sea from the Palm

Saturday

Chillout morning.  We're planning to have lunch to meet up her other friend in case she calls. 

Otherwise, we'll have a quiet lunch at home before heading to the airport.

Have a great weekend everyone!  I missed you all!

It was unique and original indeed.  Something we have never done before.

It is also renowned for its superb customer service.  The menu includes Italian selections from pasta to freshly toasted panini and tostati with a sweet tooth selection of cakes and pastries that complements the coffee.

As for me, I gave in to my carb cravings of penne arabiatta for brunch.  Coffee and pasta may not really be  ideal together, but what can I say, I'm a gourmande and I eat absolutely anything with everything all the more when Vivaldi is playing in the background. :)

Sheikh Zayed Road (Left) and Dubai International Financial Centre (Right)

Dubai Mall Aerial View

Us at the Observatory Deck

Souk Al Bahar

Downtown

Dubai Mall (Left)  The Address (Tower)