Some great islander friends - sisters Leah and Laurie - are currently in the U.A.E. Leah has been teaching English for a couple years, and Laurie is visiting Leah for two months. I heard about some of the fun they were having in the U.A.E. and recalled an open invite to visit that was previously extended by Leah, so I sent a message to ask Leah if I could come for a visit. I quickly received an enthusiastic yes, got approval for a 1 week vacation from work, and booked my flight. I'm always happy to take advantage of these opportunities when they present themselves!
Leah and Laurie picked me up at the Abu Dhabi airport around 9:30pm and we drove to Leah's place about 1.5 hours away in Al Ain. We spent a good couple hours out on Leah's porch overlooking the sand dunes; catching up and talking about some of the activity plans for the week. The next morning Laurie and I went into town to rent a car. It's the best way to get around here and costs about $160 for the week; with gas at $0.50/liter it's convenient and economical! The only downside is that some drivers are a bit crazy here, so we really need to watch out and drive defensively here. It helps having a navigator with you to say "wo, wo, WOOO" when a truck is about to hit you, and we quickly found out that Laurie is good at that job.
Laurie and I drove back to Leah's place, packed a bag, picked up Leah and headed for Dubai - approx 1.5 hours away. I found out on the way there that they had some big plans for the afternoon involving a wakeboarding boat! We arrived in Dubai, walked around for a bit, then met up with Leah's friends and boarded the boat in the port of Dubai. I pleasantly surprised to find a proper Malibu wakeboarding boat with all the gear, ready to ride! The boat ride along the Dubai waterfront was already more than enough to blow away any expectations that may have existed for a day in Dubai, when I found myself actually wakeboarding there I was overwhelmed with excitement about what was happening. Leah really set the bar high for my first day in Dubai!!
Once the sun started setting we wrapped up the wakeboarding, and the drivers asked if we wanted to go for a swim. It got dark fast, and we quickly found ourselves swimming in perfect temperature water with the lit up city of Dubai in the background. After swimming we headed to a restaurant patio in downtown Dubai for dinner. The patio was on the water with a beautiful fountain show with music and the tallest building in the world as the backdrop. I sat back and reflected on my first 24 hours in Dubai and was blown away by how much fun and smiles we managed to fit into 1 day!
Once the sun started setting we wrapped up the wakeboarding, and the drivers asked if we wanted to go for a swim. It got dark fast, and we quickly found ourselves swimming in perfect temperature water with the lit up city of Dubai in the background. After swimming we headed to a restaurant patio in downtown Dubai for dinner. The patio was on the water with a beautiful fountain show with music and the tallest building in the world as the backdrop. I sat back and reflected on my first 24 hours in Dubai and was blown away by how much fun and smiles we managed to fit into 1 day!
