United Arab Emirates Trip from Feb. 18 to March 01, 2006 & March 04, 2006 (Transit)

To return to the UAE Pictures.

Country: United Arab Emirates

Duration: February 19 to March 01, 2006

Distance Traveled in the Country:  ~ 3000 km

Memorable Impressions of the Country:  Modernization of the country is in process to a scale that is unexplainable and unimaginable if not seen with your own eyes. Every road, every overpass, every gas station, every new building is built with no limit on the amount of money spent.  Looking back at history, one can compare this to the ancient Romans or Greeks and the grandness of their empires.  The scale of the projects can be compared to the ancient Egyptians, who built massive structures that truly amazed the people that saw them.  Even in our modern world it is possible to still be amazed by the ability of people to build things that, even when you look at them, it's hard to believe that they actually exist.  The sheer number of construction projects is hard to comprehend.  It is difficult to believe that they can build so many large construction projects all at the same time.  "Rome was not built in one day", but it does appear that the grand city of Dubai will be built at a pace never before seen in history.  We plan to return to Dubai when it is finished, to marvel at what was created.  A high priority is placed on English education.  Education in general is very important to them in respect to their history, country and environment.  A new generation is emerging, exposed to the western life through education, TV and internet.  Soon their will be not much left of the old world.

The last week before our departure was frantic.  We got to a point were we knew that the most important issues had been taken care off and that anything we forgot wasn't important enough to worry about.  On February 14 the motorcycles were picked up by Monarch Messenger in Calgary and delivered to Air Canada Cargo.  Due to the complexity of the Dangerous Goods Declaration Form we had our freight forwarder take care of it.  The crates were booked to leave February 15 over to London and on to Dubai for February 17 arrival.  What we didn't anticipate, or the freight forwarder for that matter, was Canadian Customs.  I guess it is government, even with all our paperwork in order, they did not seems to see the urgency to process the approval for shipment.  Our 2pm deadline for Air Canada flight came and went without the Canadian Customs even looking at our cargo.  We rebooked the motorcycles for February 16 departure and now being concerned that we might have to miss our flight to ensure that the motorcycles will actually ship, Mike and the freight forwarder Rob decided to visit the Canadian Customs office in Calgary first thing in the morning of February 16.  Trying not to get frustrated, it was clear within minutes that they didn't care about us or our schedule, or the one (1) year planning that had gone into this trip.  Needless to say that we missed the 2pm cut-off for Air Canada again.  But late that day we finally got clearance from Canadian Customs and Air Canada inspector.  The freight forwarder tried to book the motorcycles for February 17 departure but the cargo plane was already full.  Arrival was now schedule for February 20 at 8pm in Dubai, three days later than the original schedule.  We had to leave Calgary without knowing if the motorcycles actually went, not a reassuring feeling.  Officially as of February 17 we were on holiday, a very long holiday.  Calgary had gotten it first real winter day of the new year and temperatures plunged to -27Deg Celsius.   

Our flight left Calgary and we changed planes in Frankfurt to Dubai.  Due to the delay of the motorcycles arriving in Dubai, we decided to rent a car for a couple of days and enjoy the touristy spots.  Our journey to Jessica and Brent's place was speedy and we only got lost a couple of times. 

February 19, 2006. Our first real day in United Arab Emirates.  Staying with Jessica and Brent gave us the opportunity to get oriented.  Both of them are Canadian teachers and work for a private American school.  Their home is located at the Lakes, which is a gated townhouse/condominium complex for foreigners working in UAE.  The location of this complex is close to the Mall of Emirates and the indoor Ski Hill.  As they left for school, we walked to the bank machine, under Palm trees and blue sunny skies.  The temperature was in the low 20's in the morning with high humidity.  A quick stop at the supermarket and we picked up some breakfast.  By 10 am we were on the road to meet with the lawyer at City Tower 2 downtown Dubai.  It is unbelievable the amount of new construction in Dubai.  There are new high rises every 100meters and the designs are over the top.  After the lawyer we met with Ann, our wedding coordinator, at the Crown Plaza hotel which took all of 5 minutes.  Everything seemed to be organized for tomorrows wedding.  We decided to visit Bur Dubai for the afternoon, which is the old town of Dubai.  Parking the car just outside the old Al-Fahidi Fort, which was build in the early 19th Century, and thought to be the oldest building in Dubai.  We went on a walking tour through the old Dubai souq, which  specializes in textile, to Dubai Creek. For 40 Dhr we were chauffeured along the river by an abras (water taxi) and had an amazing view of old and new structures and cultures. The Creek shore was lined with dhows from every port from Kuwait to Mumbai loaded with cargo.  Back on the waterfront we checked out the Bastakia quarter which has some old windtower houses that were once the homes of wealthy merchants from southern Iran. Our last stop for the day was the Dubai Museum in the Al-Fahidi Fort, which is very well done and definitely worth the 6Dhr (less than $2CDN) for both of us.  Traffic is the usual chaos, where everyone wants to be in your lane and aggressive driving a must.  Once you know a couple of main buildings and roads it is not hard to get around Dubai.  U-turns are very common here and the only way to get to the left side of the road for turn offs.  Returning back at Jessica and Brent's place we went for a late evening snack and called it a night.  The jet lag was catching up to us. 

February 20, 2006.  First stop was the souk Madinat Jumeirah, which is lined with little shops for the rich.  A canal winds it way through this souk lined with palm trees and in the background in contrast with the windtowers of the old times, towers the famous Burj Dubai Hotel. Most of the beach access is only for guests staying at the hotels and heavily guarded.  West of the souk Madinat Jumeirah is the Le Meridian Hotel, were the wedding was supposed to take place.  On our way there we stopped at the Palm Sales Office.  Most people are now familiar with Dubai's amazing construction projects like the Palm 1 and World Island development in the Persian gulf.  Just around the Le Meridian Hotel another outrageous highrise development of 20 new 50 to 60 story towers all going up the same time.  A sea of cranes as far you can see.  Getting back to Jessica and Brent's place around 3pm we changed into our wedding attire and left for the Le Meridian Hotel.  By 4:30pm we were standing under a palm tree facing each other with Pastor Daniel exchanging our vows.  Jessica, Brent and Marina stood by our side as witnesses and Ann and Angela the wedding coordinators looked on.  A strange coincidence that our Pastor was actually originally from Calgary, Alberta, Canada.  After the ceremony we had pictures taken by a professional photographer by the fountain and on the beach.  We celebrated the happy event with Margaritas and dinner at the La Viva Restaurant.  Thank you Ann for organizing the event and making it run this smooth. 

February 21, 2006.  Ann needed our passports for the next five (5) days to get the marriage certificate legalized.  Since the Arabic weekend falls on a Thursday and Friday the earliest we would get our passports back is February 26, 2006.  With anticipation we checked the internet to see if our motorcycles had made it to Dubai and yes they were at the Emirates Cargo.  We made our way to the Cargo Village by 9am and started the process of importation.  First stop was the Emirates Air Cargo Import desk, which was 85 Dhr, second stop the Customs desk, where the Carnet de Passage were signed, third stop physically getting the crates delivered to the dock.  As the crates pulled up we were armed with the Robertson screw drivers, ready to unpack.  After taking off all the plywood we had an inspector check the serial number of each bike and sign/stamp the inspection report.  This report we took back to the customs desk were it was entered in the system and we had to pay another 30 Dhr.  With the receipt of the 30 Dhr we walked back to the import desk and received a gate pass and that was it.  It was very easy, and well organized.  Back with the bikes it took us another couple of hours of installing the handle bars, wind shield and mirrors, check the tire pressure and loading up the gear.  During all this time we had a steady stream of people watching on and asking questions.  As we rode out the whole office of about 30 people were standing outside to give their farewell.  No pressure at all of not dropping the bike.  By now we knew the main route through Dubai and were back at Jessica and Brent's place in no time.  For supper it was beer and pork chops, since we wouldn't see that for a long time in our journey ahead.

February 22, 2006.  Finally on the road.  For excitement we were both awake by 5pm.  Fully packed we headed west towards Abu Dhabi.  Nothing amazes us anymore, every road, every overpass and every building is over the top on a scale that is hard to phantom. By Tarif we turned south to the Liwa Oasis, passing through the oil and gas territory, which also was to a much bigger scale then what we were used to.  As we headed south into the Empty Quarter Desert the temperature started to climb to 42 Deg Celsius.  Passing through little towns along the way, we were approached by several Arabs asking us were we are going and where we were from.  The interest into our journey has been amazing and somewhat unexpected.  As we reach the Liwa Oasis, which lies on the edge of the Empty Quarter Desert, its main attraction are its 350m-high, salmon-tinged dunes.  We followed the sign for the great dunes, which took us 30kms through the desert, with its truly amazing views.  We set up camp in the middle of the desert surrounded by these huge dunes, the scale was not easy caught in pictures.  We cooked our supper and watched the sun set.  

February 23, 2006.  In the morning we watch the sun rise over the sand dunes.  The night had been pleasantly warm. As we take down the tent the winds pick up and the sky turns dark.   Riding back to Meziyrab the peaceful scenery of the day before disappears into blowing wind and sand, reminding us of Canadian winters and blowing snow.  Riding the motorcycle is getting more difficult as sand is drifting across the road and visibility decreases.  Only five (5) days in UAE and we are exposed to our first sand storm.  In Meziyrab we decide to stop for breakfast at a local restaurant.  As we pull up we have an instant audience, we walk into the very small restaurant and I realize I am the only woman.  To ease the situation I seat myself facing away from everyone.  The waiter, is not used to having a female in the restaurant, he addresses Mike only.  His English is limited and our Arabic even more.  We wanted breakfast and got chicken with curry sauce on rice and a salad, we had a good laugh.  The storm is closing in and we head east toward Hamin passing several plantations.  The blowing sand and wind is getting stronger.  At Hamin we head north toward Abu Dhabi with the hope to short cut across the desert to Tarif.  But the short-cut across the desert is restricted by the local oil and gas companies in the area and its strict security.  We decide to go back to Abu Dhabi and re-track on hwy 11 to Tarif.  The black clouds finally catch up to us and it starts to rain heavy in the desert.  People here are not used to rain and it is comparable to the first snow fall in Canada.  From Tarif we followed hwy 11 all the way to the Saudi Arabia border, the rain did not let up and we decided to take a room at the border 10km west of Ghewefat for 100 Dhr ($33CDN). 

February 24, 2006.  This is as close as we can get to the Saudi Arabia border, we take a picture to prove we were actually here and turn around heading back to Abu Dhabi.  It started to rain again.  We are both surprised at the continuous rain, which seems to flood most of the ditches and intersections. At a gas stop we talk to the locals, who confirm that this only occurs once every 10 years in UAE.  Luckily Mike decided to bring his rain suit on this trip.  At Abu Dhabi we turn inland again toward Al Ain.  Totally soaked to the bone we decide to take another hotel in Al Ain.  Al Ain seems to be a pretty town with lots of parks, fountains, and green spaces.    

February 25, 2006.  Blue sky greeted us in the morning.  We set out for Buraimi, which adjoins Al Ain and actually is part of Oman. Al Ain and Buraimi used to be separate oasis villages that were major crossroads for caravans traveling from east to west and from north to south, between the Arabian Gulf.  Our first stop was the Buraimi souk, located along the main street.  Pulling up on the motorcycles aroused the usual crowd of people.  We leave the bikes with gear and all unattended and start exploring the souk.  It is definitely a step back in time.  Just adjacent to the souk is an old fort and old oasis.  We take a stroll through the old oasis, winding our way through shaded palms, citrus, fig, banana and mango trees.  The oasis is full of cisterns, wells and mud walls, where locals take the occasional bath. As we return to the motorcycles in the busy souk area I realized I had left the keys in the bike.  The first real test for the middle east people, no theft and the bike was still there.  From Buraimi we head north to Al Madam, in search of the famous sandfall.  On our way we encounter our first free wandering Camels.  The road into the sandfall was more difficult then we expected.  Due to the rain the sand had turned into a slurry of a mess.  We decided to go for it anyway, there was a few close calls and a lot of pushing and spinning tires.  Our first picture opportunity arose for leaving footprints in the sand dunes as we walk up.  It was time to head back into Dubai.  Stopping off at the BMW Motorcycle dealership we inquire about some K&N filters, no such luck.  Chris Green of BMW, reasoned was that since the filters are soaked with oil the sand sticks to them and plugs them even faster.  Regular removal and cleaning is the only answer.  He also drew us a map of some must ride roads.  Back at Jessica and Brent's place we clean up, wash some laundry and go for a last good-bye drink.

February 26, 2006.  Brent had lined us up for a one hour presentation at his school.  90 Grade 5 students joined us and we talked about our trip and how to design a webpage.  After the presentation we all went outside to look at the motorcycles and then everyone wanted autographs.  We did feel a bit like Euene McGregor and Charley Boorman on the Long Way Around.  It was a great experience to see how their faces lit up with excitement. We did a group picture, which turned out great, but are not allowed to share on the website due to some parents restrictions.  It makes us sad, but we respect their wishes.  We actually returned to Dubai to pick up our passports, since they were required to register our marriage license.  All legal requirements were supposed to by complete by February 25, 2006, but we were unable to reach the wedding coordinator, which was very frustrating.  After several hours of unsuccessfully trying to contact the wedding coordinator we decided to head toward the Musandam Peninsula, Oman.  This is the northern most tip of the Saudi Peninsula.  Several reports had indicated that we didn't need a passport to enter, but they were wrong.  The day wasn't going good, we decided to return to the outskirts of Dubai.  Fueling up with gas on the east side of Dubai a guy on a Harley Davidson Sportser stops beside us and introduces himself as Richard.  Within a couple a minutes we realize that we both know Dirk from Duesseldorf, Germany and Richard invites us stay with him.  Richard is the best Harley Davidson Rider we have ever met, it was a pleasant surprise.  At his place we pull the bikes in the front yard, joining Richards BMW R1150GS fully rigged out with Touratech panniers.  In his living room are parked two very shinny Harley Davidsons (1 VRod and 1 Custom).  Going to the guest bathroom the shower has been turned into the bike shop, wheels, tires and Trophies are stacked to the roof.  With interest we read the Trophies.  Several winning trophies for the Dubai Desert Rally, we both look at each other with awe and know that this guy knows how to ride.  Unfortunately Richard was working nights and had to leave quite soon after introducing us to his mom, visiting from England and his wife Shijang. A friend, Mai, was also staying with them to complete her research studies for her PhD.  She will be returning to England in three (3) weeks.  We decided to lay out our thermo rests and sleeping bag under the front yard Canopy and call it a night.

February 27, 2006.  We finally reach the wedding coordinator and get told the bad news that the passports are stuck at the Canadian Embassy and that the earliest we would be able to pick them up is February 28, 2006 at 4pm.  Richard was stuck with us for another couple of nights.  As Richard got home from work he would make us a healthy breakfast and we would chat about days gone past and great places to see.  Unfortunately I had caught one of my famous sore throats and we decided to take a rest day to recover.  Shijang and Mai made us a traditional Chinese dinner, which was awesome (it seems that I use this word quite often).

February 28, 2006.  After another great breakfast with Richard we went to Sharjah Desert Park.  It introduced us to all the different poisonous snakes and spiders living in this area of the world.  The parking lot was, as always, huge and empty.  Entry was only 30 Dhr. In the afternoon we headed to City Center Mall to meet Angela the wedding coordinator to pick up or marriage certificate and passports.  We finally had all our paperwork in order and were ready to head toward Oman.

March 01, 2006.  Richard exposed us to traditional Middle East breakfast of Keema (mince-meat and peas in a heavy oil) and Dhal (lentils and onions in a spicy sauce) with Paratha (Omani bread).  Both dishes are excellent, but make you release a lot of air.  We could tell that Richard wanted to come along with us as we got ready to leave.  Richard's Mom was amazed that we had actually met by coincidence.  We believe that we are supposed to meet certain people, which will turn into a lifelong friendship.  We are sure to see Richard again on our travels or in Canada.  We can't thank him enough for taking us in and for making me peppermint tea every day.  A final wave good-bye and we are off to Oman on the scenic route through Hatta.  After Hatta we encounter our first twisty road and get rid of the little "tits" on our tires.  But the road is only short lived.  By early afternoon we are back at the Musandam Peninsula - Oman Border and start the border enter procedure.  Leaving the UAE cost us 40 Dhr, next stop is entering Oman which was 120 Dhr, and the final stop was checking our luggage.  It took us about 30 minutes and we were in Oman.  See Oman Journal for more detail of a great country.

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