Red backs and Waterfalls

WILD WADI !

Dubai has a most excellent water park. It almost scared the pants off Dim. The "Jemeirah Sceirah" was particularly popular amongst the crowd that had gathered at its base. My loving wife joined in whole heartily as well, laughing her head off. Whilst I required medical assistance to remove the shorts from my Bum crack. There was an intriguing cultural mix, with the skimpiest of bikinis ridding the same rides as women dressed in full length burkas. I think the multiculturalism and tolerance exhibited in the UAE is magnificent.

AUSTRALIAN NATIVES

There is a red back outbreak in town. I have been warned by locals to be careful around town, for a venomous spider of infamous proportions is lurking, waiting to pounce. The hysteria generated by this little critter is impressive. It has lessened somewhat now that the antivenom has arrived in local hospitals.

DRSC

I have joined a rowing club. The Dubai Rowing and Sculling Club has taken me into there fold, and I have been training on the water every morning since Sunday. They have a nice collection of boats, but are currently homeless. Their temporary digs can be found at the marina, and a beautiful section of navigable water that extends into the city. It makes some change from the slippery and muddy Yarra. Each day we launch straight from the beach onto crystal clean, warm emerald green waters. It was wonderful to feel the sand squirm between my toes as the tiny fish dart away from the boats shadow. This weekend I will be coaching the squad from a motor launch.

THE SOUK

We visited one of the cheap souk (market). Many souk exist around town, each specialize to a particular market. E.g. gold, textiles, or in this case: cheap pirate rip offs and fake goods. Although our pirate spending spree was cut short by the immanent arrival of a government inspector. Frantic tradesmen were scooping there wares of prada sunglasses into sacks; we were ejected into the street as our store shut up shop. "Come back in 30 minutes" was all we heard. It did give us some respite from the Rolex dealers who vanished into the night. The sporting goods store had already been closed, with large government posters pasted across the main entrance.... no cheap rugby jumpers for me. Apparently there is a big push on the protect those who purchased the rights to the soccer world cup. Looking forward to the contest, but no one here seems to think we have a chance......

Can't believe the walabies are playing England in Melbourne, and I am bloody well here!

The smuglers cove

COAST of OMAN

drove north to the tip of Oman over the weekend. Border crossing was interesting. ermm.. Luckily I did the man thing and let my acompanying women travel under my protection. Its all in the way you wrap that tea towel around your head.

Oman is desolate, and mountainous, and dry, and desolate, and mountainous, and dry.. did I mention Hot! A thin venner of land that is not mountainous has been pasted to the coast, and that width is soley devoted to the roadway. Talk about inacessible. there is not a scap of moss, nor blade of grass, or even a tree to be seen. Just bare sedmentry rock. I am sure that a Geologist would be going ga ga... But there are goats!.. I have no idea what they find to eat, they seem to rule the land, wandering across the mountains/beaches/checkpoints/villages.

The locals are wonderfull. They smile, they joke. A rather different breed to the Emeratises. Prehaps it is because they work for a living, rather than pump it from the ground.

TWO BY DHOW

we took a Dhow (arab boat), and toured the fjords. scraps of human habitation cling to the rock faces, camoflaged against the rock. (aperently for protection). A booming smugling trade exists, and the regular wine of a small gray tinny, with a 250hp outboard on the back, can be heard around the clock. The drivers seem fearless as they bounce airborn for most of the journey. Aparently they are delivering cigerates and alcohol to iran. Each turn in the fjord reveals another nest of speedboats, or the remanant of a village, or someones stash of fishing gear. There is no colour but that of the stone mountains. Dry red, dry grey.

Wish I had more time in Oman. Aparently the turtles will be ariving on the beaches to the south, and will be laying their eggs in the sand tonight.

Sent an email to mum, told her I was talking up Islam....

she is probably freaking out right now...

operation sheik's highway

arived in Dubai via Singapore yesterday morning. Exit from the plane was acompanied by the emrging sunrise. The orange disk straining to be seen through the desert haze.... hopefuly dust not polution.

The city is still undergoing heavy construction, with a tentative completion date being set in 2028. Roads are all diveded highways, but pedestrians fare a little worse. ped crossings are few in number, our walking excursions have been limited by the boundary of the major roads. We met with some gruesome road kill on the way in from the Airport. Hopefully it was not human, but it was naked and fleshy. Life is cheap here, epesialy if you are a itenerant worker. Pay is meager, and to strike is against the law. Although there was a strike that lasted a week just recently. The locals are all in fear of the undertorent of migrant workers. they make a serious underclass, and are only inches away from a good riot..... on the other hand they all look like very politely behaved indians, and pakistanis to me.

Have located a rowing club..

will attempt get on the water durring the week. They call themselves "Dubai rowing and sculling club". Not sure why they make sculling sound unusual. they row on the "Dubai Creek".

have strated training. Went running across the desret this morning. Still adjusting to the time shift, and was up and away by 5:30am... ermm thats about midday in melbourne. Got many a startled look from the locals. the temperature rarely gets below 30, even during the night, and reaches a peak of about 38 - 40 degrees later in the day. The air is humid, and our coctail glasses rune with condesation....

oh its a hard life.