Hebitch in the Middle East

Arabian 'Holy'-day

2007-06-22T04:59:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, I just wanted to share with you a little something from my 2 weeks long vacation...

The pictures.

I think the pictures best explain themselves so I won't be writing much, just maybe a few annotations here and there.

And, if you're wondering why there aren't many of my cam-whoring pictures, two reasons: its seems wrong to be cam-whoring in the Holy Land (somehow, cam-whoring sounds sinful), and, I was given a limit by my friends to how many pictures of myself I could take (for every 4 photos, only one could have me in it). Sob sob...

And lastly, I know that the title is kinda lame, but I got the inspiration from a certain globetrotting hobbit.

So sit back, enjoy and do write down your comments.

All the pictures can be found here.

Dubai, the 21st Century Middle East.

2007-06-22T04:55:00.000-07:00

Dubai is one of the seven emirates that constitute United Arab Emirates (UAE) in the eastern Arabian Peninsula. While Abu Dhabi is UAE's state capitol, Dubai is just as important especially commercially.

It is one of the fastest expanding city in the world. It has 30% of the world's cranes (mechanical ones, not the birds). Everywhere you go you would see construction sites. 2 years from now, the city would have transformed itself drastically.

It is home to many of the world's first, finest, biggest and tallest. For example, the Burj al-Arab (above; source: internet) is the world's tallest hotel and it boasts the finest and most opulent hotel rooms in the history; it has rightfully earned its 7 stars. It stands on an artificial island 280 metres out from Jumeirah beach, and is connected to the mainland by a private curving bridge. It is an iconic structure, designed to symbolize Dubai's urban transformation and to mimic the shape of the sail of an Arabian boat dhow.

Just a peek into the hotel will cost one 60 pounds.

And one night can set one back to between $7,500 to $15,000; the panaromic suite costs $8,250 per night, and that doesn't include the fine dining in the many posh restaurants (like the underwater restaurant for one) or the other amenities (the tennis court, see below; source: internet).

Another tallest in the world is the Burj Dubai (above, source: internet). Due to be completed in 2009, it will be the world's tallest building, the tallest freestanding structure, and the world's tallest land based structure in the world, beating current title holders Taipei 101 in Taipei, the CN Tower in Toronto, and the guyed KVLY-TV mast in North Dakota, respectively. Holy shit.

Soon, in July, and slightly more than half completed, it will overtake Taipei 101 as the world's tallest building (refer above). No shit. It was monstrous when I saw it (half built, see below).

Other interesting must-sees of Dubai are definitely the interesting man-made (not one but three) palm tree-shaped islands and the world-shaped archipelago of reclaimed islands (see pictures below, source: internet).

It is hard to imagine that all this happened within the past two decades. Prior to this, Dubai was just a small trading port, clustered around the mouth of the Creek (see picture of the modern-day Creek below).

Dubai has been so successful in its transformation that it has attracted thousands of foreign traders, merchants and later businessmen into its shores over the decades. Currently, 20% of Dubai's population consists of the natives (called Emiratis). And the other 80% are foreigners (expats) who are mainly from India, Pakistan, the Phillippines, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and other Arab nations.

Okay, enough of the info, its time for the pictures....

Dubai I

2007-06-22T04:54:00.003-07:00

Pictures from the first day of Dubai tour.
Lets start with a camera-whoring picture on the bus, shall we?

Something worth taking a shot of. Some clock tower given by some British Queen some time ago. Bad angle. I was on the bus and it was moving... So there.
One of the many palaces. One prince has one palace (and I mean PALACE; with a huge plot of land). The king has like 17 sons. You do the Maths.

Peacocks, peahens and peachicks guard the palace. The peachicks are sooo cute!A view of the Creek (the older and eastern part of Dubai). I love the building with the huge reflective surface, the National Bank of Dubai. It looks really nice at sunset and sunrise (I know cause my hotel room has a lovely view of it). Again, it is supposed to look like the Arabic dhow.

Boat ride on one of the quaint boats along the creek.

Stopped at the old Spice Market and Gold Souk for some shopping.

Next, we went to the Dubai Museum.
Hot!!!!
Thank God for the underground air-conditioned part of the museum.
Yes, camera-whoring runs in the family. ;)
Next we headed off to the western areas where a lot of the developments are taking place.
The Burj Dubai (soon to be the world's tallest building).
Dubai's Emirate Towers. The shorter one is a hotel and the other houses offices.
Then it was off to Jumeirah Souk. Its a beautiful replica of an old Arab market with air-conditioned covered streets. Really beautiful and really fake. And its beside the Burj al-Arab.
I kid you not when I say this, but my camera died after taking this shot.

ARGH!!! I came all the way from Dubai to see the Burj al-Arab this close but my camera battery had to die on me...

Beside the Burj al-Arab is another beautiful hotel known as the Jumeirah Beach Hotel Dubai. The hotel is built in a startling shape that mirrors a breaking wave.

And they have a water theme park called the Wild Wadi. It was like 50 Degrees Celsius. Do you think we are crazy like those angmos to go there for a swim?

More pictures of the hotels can be found in the next entry on Dubai and Abu Dhabi (last few entries).

Next it was off to Saudi Arabia to perform the umrah. We would then return to Dubai (plus Abu Dhabi) after a week and a half in Saudi Arabia.

More pictures can be found here.

Madinah and the Prophet Mohamed (SAW)'s Mosque

2007-06-22T04:54:00.002-07:00

Then, we flew off to Jeddah and took a bus to Madinah, Saudi Arabia.

The second most important city in Islam, Madinah (also known as Medinah, Medina or al Madīnat al Munawwarah) is home to the Masjid-e-Nabawi or 'The Mosque of The Prophet'. Muslims believe that praying once in the Mosque of the Prophet is equal to praying at least 1000 times in any other mosque.

A shot taken from the front of the mosque with the famed green dome (below), called 'Dome of the Prophet'. It was built in 1817 and painted green in 1839. The area around the dome is the the site of the original ancient mosque. The mosque was then extended all around over the centuries by many Islamic rulers.

An aerial view of the gigantic mosque. Gigantic. And I mean GIGANTIC. (Source: Internet)

It is so huge that taking a shot of just one elevation of the mosque is impossible!

Day shot of the back entrance. The large square before the mosque can get quite hot but it gets cooler as you approach the air-conditioned mosque.

Night shot. Breathtaking...

The Mosque was built on a site adjacent to the Prophet Muhammad's (SAW) home. The site of his home, which is at the front part of the mosque, is also where the final resting place of the Prophet is located.
Tomb of the Prophet (above, source: internet). Muslims who are performing the umrah and hajj are required to visit the tomb and mosque before heading off to or returning from Mecca. Prayers (salaam) are offered at the tombs of the Prophet and his two closest friends (also the earliest Muslim leaders), Abu Bakar and Umar ibn al-Khattab. Other tombs of the Prophet's family members and friends can be found in the graveyard beside the mosque.

Note: cameras are strictly not allowed into the mosque (especially for women; somehow, they are more stringent towards the female visitors and will do a thorough search through the bags. Probably because it is to protect the other female counterparts' privacy).

However, my dad took shots of the interior with his camera-phone though. The interior of the mosque is extremely grand and beautiful, plus its entirely air-conditioned. High ceilings with gravity-defying huge domes and labyrinths of long corridors with wide arches will astound you and overwhelm your perception of grandeur.

Numerous large open courtyards greet you as you walk from one end of the mosque to the other (it hardly rains there, so courtyards are feasible). If it does rain, large contractable umbrella-like structures can automatically open up to provide the necessary shelter.

A shrewd eye can observe that different parts of the mosque have been built in different styles due to the different time periods the extensions were built. The area near the tomb is the oldest part of the mosque and has a large concentration of significant monuments and pillars.

A small site stretching from the Prophet's tomb to his pulpit, for example, is named ar-Rawdah an-Nabawiyah. It is a highly holy as the Prophet himself has proclaimed that the area there is as close you can get to the heavens and that supplications and prayers uttered here are never rejected. It can only accomodate less than a hundred people (I got to squeeze there to pray, not once but twice).

Note: Ladies who wish to visit the Prophet's tomb need to abide by the visiting hours (9-11am daily) as they will shut off the area to any male visitors or security guards. So it can get a bit violent and 'havoc' when the gates are opened for the female visitors (mad rush as my Mum and my cousins found out). Plus, they had a few 'racist' stories to share when they came back from the first visit too. It took them two trials in two mornings before they finally got to see the tombs. Plus, praying at the ar-Rawdah for the womenfolk can be extremely hard and close to impossible as the space opened to the female worshippers is extremely narrow...

To learn more about the mosque's rich history, see here.

Our hotel was very close to the mosque so most of my relatives and I didn't miss praying any of the five prayers at the mosque daily.

The second holiest mosque in Madinah is the Masjid Quba (Quba Mosque). What's so special about it? Try, it was the first mosque to be built, ever.

Of course, the mosque you can see now has been the renovated and rebuilt since the Prophet's time over the centuries. Its first stones were positioned by the Prophet himself on his emigration from the city of Mecca to Medina. It was also here where the calender of Islam was created.
It is said that offering two Raka'ahs of nafl (sunat) prayers in the Quba Mosque is equal to performing one umrah. So you can offer the prayers in the mosque on behalf of someone else to present them with the pahla (grace) of performing the umrah.

Another mosque to visit is the Masjid Jumaat (Friday Mosque). It was here where the first Friday prayers were performed.

Madinah's rich history

2007-06-22T04:54:00.001-07:00

Madinah (Medina) and Mecca can be both said to be the cradle of Islam civilisation. That is why the land is regarded as holy to many. The Prophet had once said that the soil and water from Madinah can cure any diseases. With its mystical charm and religious significance, its not surprising to learn of the many colourful and even bloody history of some of the areas in the city.

For example, did you know that the city of Madinah was (and still is) surrounded by ranges of natural black volcanic rock? It was hard for invaders to enter the city through all but one opening in the north. Therefore, most of the battles (and the most ferocious battle of them all, the 'Battle of Uhud') were fought there.

'Battle of Uhud' is an important battle as it was here when the Muslims suffered their first defeat. Story goes that after the Muslim forces had successfully stopped the invading forces from entering the city, the Muslim archers on top a strategic hill defied the Prophet's orders and came down to collect the treasures of the dead and wounded. This caused the hill to be lost to the invaders who had then swooped in from behind the Muslims. The Muslim army was defeated and the Prophet was injured; he was then brought into hiding by some of those who survived into the neighbouring mountain ranges (see below).

Muslim pilgrims who come to the site are reminded of the battle; the foolishness and greed of several Muslims who defied the Prophet's orders, which then resulted in the Muslims' first defeat.
This is the strategic hill where the archers came down from...

Later, we went to a museum where we learnt more about the battle and 'saw' for ourselves the transformation of the city of Madinah from the Prophet's time to present (with the aid of models of course...). See the smaller group of white figures (above), these are the archers, the other group is the rest of the Muslim troops and the red figures are the enemies.
We also saw the huge site model of the city and the original size of the Prophet's mosque in relation to the rest of the ancient city.
This is a rendering of the Prophet's house and mosque (the open courtyard) many centuries ago before the Prophet's mosque was recontructed.
They say that the best gift from Madinah is a bag of dates (korma). We went to the dates market after that. Bet you didn't know that there are a lot of varieties of dates. I was happily munching on a lot of the 'samples'...

After a few days in the ancient city, it was now time to perform the umrah.

We wore umrah clothings and headed down to Bir Ali to start the pilgrimage.

On the way to the Mecca, we were wearing the ihram clothing. And this is my last picture with hair...
The beautiful architecture of the Bir Ali Mosque.

It is an hour drive from Madinah. And 6 hours drive to Mecca. This is where umrah starts.

More pictures can be found here.

A Crashcourse on Umrah

2007-06-22T04:53:00.002-07:00

What exactly is an umrah?

It is often known as 'minor hajj or pilgrimage' (to the holy city of Mecca, also known as Makkah). Unlike the hajj which has to be performed during the sacred month of the Islamic calender, Dhu al-Hijjah, and lasts close to a month, the umrah can be performed at any time of the year and lasts for a few days (or even only a day). Umrah is usually less crowded than a hajj (see picture of during the hajj below).

What is done during the umrah (rukun-rukun)?

Niat
Tawaf
Sai'i
Tahallul

What is necessary for and during the umrah (wajib)?

Niat at the Miqat Makani
Abstaining from the prohibitions of Ihram

And, what in God's name was all that I have just said?

Okay, I was probably as clueless as you in the beginning (that's why they have courses for those performing the hajj and umrah in local mosques).

So allow me to explain the different terms.

Niat is kind of a prayer said (aloud or otherwise) before the actual act of praying or performing other religious acts. So an umrah has its own niat. Its more like invocating the intention to perform the umrah.

This niat has to be offered or said at the specified Miqat Makani. Miqat Makani means the boundaries and places predetermined by the Prophet Muhammad (SAW) to be tanah halal (the halal soil) such as the surrounding areas of Ji'ranah and Tana'im. The soils surrounding Mecca (and Mecca itself) is deemed as tanah haram (or haram soil). So the niat cannot be offered within the tanah haram. Even if one is on the plane who is performing the umrah as soon as the plane lands, one has to say the niat before the plane flies over the holy land.

The Miqat for myself and those travelling to Mecca from Madinah is at Bir Ali (Zulhulaifah). See below, the beautiful minaret of the mosque at Bir Ali.

Also, it is necessary to perform the solat ihram (Ihram prayers) and mandi ihram (Ihram shower/cleansing ritual) before saying the niat umrah at the Miqat. This can be done (in my case) at the hotel in Madinah before leaving for Mecca.

Being in Ihram means to be in a state ready to say the niat at the Miqat and eventually perform the umrah. The pilgrim must be in this state by performing the cleansing rituals and wearing the prescribed Ihram attire. See below, my family picture; yes, I know, I am 'sexy'.

The male pilgrim has to cut his nails, trim the hair and beard, and wear Ihram clothing. Ihram clothing, for men, is usually two pieces of seemless white cloths wrapped around the body. One covers the shoulder(s) and the other goes around the waist. The men is forbidden from wearing any other daily clothing which has been sewn (and this means pants, shirt and yes, even underwear).

This is to avoid any visual forms of distinction of class, status, race or culture. This symbolises the spiritual releasing of oneself from any forms of individualism and being in the state of how 'man' is originally created. Everyone is seen as equal in the Almighty's eyes; king or pauper, saint or sinner.

For the female pilgrim, she too cleans herself and wears white; although no particular dress is prescribed. The women usually would wear long robes or hijabs and stockings or socks exposing only the face and hands.

After being in the state of Ihram and offering the niat, there are many additional don'ts:

Do not shave (hair or beard) and trim one's nails
Do not use nor smell perfume and do not use make-up
Do not cover your head with caps (males)
Do not cover your face with burqas (females)
Do not harm and hunt animals or insects and do not break or uproot plants
Do not engage in any sexual activity
Do not marry or participate in marriage ceremonies
Do not quarrel or lose one's temper

A lost of a strand of hair (or many strands of hair) through conscious acts, like scratching one's head or combing the hair, will also result in the pilgrim paying a fee (sincerely and truthfully) which is used to pay for the meals of the underprivileged there (depends on how many strands).

Once having reached the mosque in Mecca (called Masjid Al-Haram, where the Ka'bah is housed in), we perform the Tawaf. This means to circumambulate the Ka'bah seven times, in a counter-clockwise direction. This symbolises the seven times that Prophet Muhammad (SAW) circled the Ka'aba hundreds of years ago. The circling is believed to demonstrate the unity of the believers in the worship of the One God, as they move in harmony together, each reciting an individual verse of the holy Al-Qur'an.

The starting point of the tawaf is marked by the black stone, the Al-Hajar al-Aswad, see above. The pilgrim starts his tawaf, by kissing, touching or gesturing to the stone (give a 'flying kiss' to the stone) and saying the Takbir (Allahu Akbar). The pilgrim repeats this everytime he approaches the stone after before every round. Kissing or touching the stone is almost impossible (but I got to touch it and my cousin got to kiss it though) as there will be a lot of people (imagine during the hajj where there would be millions of people) who wish to do the same too. You will have a less than 1% chance to kiss the stone and maybe 3% chance to touch it. It is very hard with all the pushing and shoving. So gesturing to it from a far would suffice. Another marker for the starting line of the tawaf is marked by a green light (opposite to the black stone).

A picture of the black stone (see above) and no, there will not be a nice person carrying an umbrella over your head as you kiss it. Try a security guard pulling away those who take too long and add to that dozens of other people (mainly male) trying to kiss the stone too. If you are female, the chances of you even touching the stone is less than 0.05%.

After the tawaf, the pilgrim will go to the Station of Abraham (anywhere behind the Makam or Tomb of the Prophet Ibrahim or Abraham) to pray.

The pilgrim is then encouraged to drink Zamzam water (water from the Zamzam well). They are to face the Ka'bah and say the Takbir before they drink in three gulps.

The next most physical aspect of the umrah or hajj is the Sae'i or Sa'i. It means to walk seven times back and forth between the hills of Safa and Marwah (now enclosed in the Masjid al-Haram, circled). This is a re-enactment of Hagar's (Abraham's wife) frantic search for water, before the Zamzam Well was revealed to her by an angel sent by God.

This can be quite physical cause the distance between the two hills is approximately 450 meters, so that seven trips amount to roughly 3.15 kilometers. However, the hills are not really that high up. Pilgrims start on top of Safa hill and will be reciting Quranic verses as they perform the sa'i. There will be portion (marked between two green lights) where the male pilgrims will have to jog across.

At the end of the Sa'i (on top of the Marwah Hill), pilgrims will mark the end of their umrah by doing the Tahallul. This means to trim one inch of their hair (both male and females). Some males would prefer to shave their head bald (I did a 'skin-head', see picture below)

The pilgrim is now released from the prohibitions of the Ihram and can now wear normal clothes, etc.

Mecca, The Holy Land, and the Kabbah

2007-06-22T04:53:00.001-07:00

Note: Cameras are strictly not allowed into the Masjid Al-Haram (Al-Haram Mosque) but a lot of people sneak in the cameras and I was one of them...

Who can't resist taking a shot of the famed Ka'bbah?

The side of the cube-like Kabbah with the door. You can make out the Tomb of Prophet Abraham to the left of the door. Behind the tomb, on the Kabbah is the Black Stone. I was squatting down when I took this shot, hence the head blocking me.
A bit blurry. I was a bit shakey when I took this shot. Cause if I was caught, they would confiscate the camera (or so I have heard, but I have seen those caught let off with just a warning though).
The main entrance to the mosque. HUGE. And beautiful... It was said by the Prophet that praying at the mosque equates to praying 100 times at Nabawi Mosque in Madinah (i.e. 100x1000 times of praying at any other mosques).
A shot taken from the streets (a lot of street vendors and beggars). Its very disheartening and extremely disturbing to see all these beggars. Who wouldn't feel disturb to see so many young kids (mainly from Africa) with amputated or deformed arms or legs (or even both) who have been left on the streets crying for attention?

But I bet these children along with some of the African women who wear full-burqas begging there (who might also be acting as their 'guardians') are part of a syndicate. Like come on, the number of these kids who have lost their limbs are suspiciously over-the-top. Probably, these kids were forcefully taken away from their homes or were sold by their families, had their limbs amputated and deformed, to be left on the streets to beg. Its very sad. The first time I got there and saw these kids, I was extremely disturbed and saddened.
Shot taken from Hilton Hotel. Yes!!! They have Hilton hotels in Mecca and Medina!!! And other famous chains of hotels like Le Meridien and Intercontinental.
Shot taken from inside the awesome shopping centre in Hiltons. They have almost everything there. Even Baskin Robbins!
My parents. :)
Shot of me taken at the rear entrance of the huge mosque.
This was where I shave my head bald (after the Sa'i).

Shot of the Hilton Hotel and the towering Arab Towers (left).

We went to other historically important places in Mecca (also known as Makkah or Makkah al-Mukarramah). Such as Jabal Al Sur (above, jabal means hill or mount).
Sermon at the base of the hill (above).

Next it was off to Jabal Rahmah (above) at Arafat. It is said that the Prophet Adam and his beloved Eve were reunited here after they were banished to earth from heaven.

Many believe that praying there would help the person (or the person she or he is praying for) to find his or her better half sooner. Some have even went astray (in accordance to Islamic teachings) as to write the names of those still single on the stone monument at the peak. This bothers on idolatry or shirk.Camel rides and motorcar rides are abundant at the base. But here's a tip, some of these camel handlers and their photographers can cheat you of your money. They will take multiple and similar shots of yourself and demand you pay (often ludicrous amounts) for the pictures! So be wary and avoid these photographers altogether or assert that you will only have one shot taken.
Next it was Jabal al Nur (The Mountain of Light). While its not part of the hajj ritual this is still an important site; since atop this mountain is the famous Her'aa grotto, where Muslims believe Prophet Muhammed first had the Quran revealed to him. We were to supposed to climb up but my Dad got sick so I didn't do it either.

We also went to the camel farm in the desert.

It was very windy there and sand keeps getting into the eyes...I drank camel milk for the first time too. The farmer perparing the milk fresh from the camel (above)... Ruins of a mosque built during the Prophet's time (over 1400 years ago).
My cousins and I look like terrorists, don't we? My birthday is on September 11th. Coincidence? (kidding...)

Next stop was the Museum of the two holy mosques: Masjid Nabawi and Masjid Al-Haram. It has all kinds of artifacts from many centuries ago.
The cloth that was once hung on the door of the Kabbah (many decades ago).
Drawing of the exploded-view of the Kabbah. Note the Hajar Aswad (Black Stone placed in the silver casing) at the corner facing us.
The original well of the Zam Zam well (its a few centuries old).
My parents with artifacts (thousands-of-years-old).
The minaret top of the old Al-Haram mosque. And the old tomb of the Prophet Abraham (right).
Door to the Al-Haram mosque a thousand year ago.
My parents again. :)
My cousins and I posing in front of the old door to Al-Haram mosque.
The old pulpit in Nabawi Mosque.

Its really interesting to see the artifacts up close. Some of these artifacts are up to a few thousand years old! And to learn more about the Hajar Aswad (Black Stone) and the Kabbah itself has been really enlightening.

After many days spent at Mecca, it was time to leave Saudi Arabia, and head down to the United Arab Emirates. But before we leave, we had to perform another tawaf to bid farewell to the Kabbah, the holy mosque and the city of Mecca.

I miss praying at the mosque right in front of the Kabbah. I mean its so surreal! You pray towards the kiblat (direction of Mecca) back at home but here you pray towards the Kabbah! You can see it, I did. Up close. The door, the black stone, the cloth, the brick wall of the Kabbah, everything. Its simply amazing... And if you are observant enough, you will see many hawks (or eagles) flying and circling over the Kabbah (maybe doing the tawaf?) every maghrib (sunset).

Its true! Maybe they are Angels in disguise?

Note: Non-muslims are not allowed into the city of Mecca (but that didn't stop a few Western writers over the decades from disguising themselves and sneaking into the city, risking deportation from the country).

More pictures can be found here.

Dubai and Abu Dhabi

2007-06-22T04:52:00.000-07:00

Back in Dubai again! Longer this time round!
Got to see more of the architecture and the famous landmarks.

Emirates Tower glistening during sunset.
The rear elevation of the National Bank of Dubai (the one with the huge convex glass facade).
Got to visit Burj al-Arab again. And the Jumeirah Beach Hotel Dubai (left). The front facade of Burj al-Arab. It was a bit hazy. Temperatures had risen to 50 degrees celsius.The Jumeirah Beach Hotel Dubai. It looks like a crashing wave with one side convex and another concave.We went crazy shopping in the world's largest shopping centre, the 'Mall of the Emirates' (above).
It is mind-blowingly huge! This is just the interior of the central atrium. But big doesn't mean lots of shopping space (i.e. a lot of wasted spaces). I bought two glass lamps (for my sister's new home). They are so cheap compared to those sold along the streets of Arab Street in Singapore. Like less than half the price of the lamps sold here.

The huge mega structure you see beside the mall is the famous Ski Dubai. It is the world's largest indoor ski and snow city. The slope itself is 400m in length (that's like a round around an olympic-sized track)!The interior of the Ski Dubai seen from the Mall of the Emirates.
Not to be missed is the Islamic Art Centre. It showcases and sells Islamic arifacts and artworks (pottery, tapestry, paintings, marble works, clothes even) which can cost you a bomb (when I mean a bomb, I mean like a car or a house...). A small cushion cover costs US$300. A huge 2m high ornate vase costs a whopping $50,000.

Of course we didin't buy anything...

Now, to my most favourite part; the most 'must-see' and 'must-do' thing in Dubai is going on the desert safaris!

For $200 per person (or less), you can have the opportunity to see the Golden sand Dunes of Western Dubai in a four wheel drive. You will experience the thrill of a lifetime on the jeep as it travels like a roller coaster ride on the sand dunes. You will then stop on multiple high sand dunes to view the beautiful sunset and take some breathtaking photographs.

That's not all, we then continued our journey to the Bedouin Campsite in the heart of the desert, where henna design, local dresses to try on, soft drinks, water, tea or coffee are all free-of-charge. Camel rides and Hubbly Bubbly on different flavors (shisha) are also ours to try. Adding to the atmosphere of the night, an enchanting belly dancer showed us fascinating dances to the rhythms of Arabic music. While we relaxed and reclined in the tents with carpet and pillows a delicious BBQ Buffet Dinner was served under the starlit sky.

Before we went onto the sand dunes... We didn't think that it would be that bad... Hell yeah, it was soooooo crazy!!! I took a video of our experience in the jeep (I will show it once I know how YouTube works). We were all screaming like we were on a roller coaster ride lah. Insane!!!

Note: Its definitely not for the faint-hearted or those with neck or back problems!

At the first high sand dune we stopped. Our legs were like jelly!!! Haha!!!
My dad and what he thought of the drive (for your info, there are trained drivers, more like sadistic drivers, who take the jeep for a spin or two around the dunes).

It was simply breathtaking... The view just goes on and on forever...
Me running around the dunes... The sand was so fine and reddish.... My footprints. :)We finally reached the Bedouin Camp (bedouins are desert people).
My parents and I seated on the comfortable cushions, with the low table and there's also the stage behind us (above). Free camel rides!!! So fun! My first time on a camel! It was kinda scary when the camel was about to sit or stand up.
Buffet spread! So many varieties! Like really!!!! Plus all the BBQ stuff fresh from the grill!
I dunno what I took. I told the people serving I would have one of everything... lol...
We were entertained with a belly dancer. I couldn't get a closer picture cause I was busy doing this:
I was flipping high. Never in my life have I been that 'drunk' on shisha or anything for that matter.
The cresent moon and a star (try squinting your eyes). Looks like the symbol of Islam (is this natural occurance the inspiration for the symbol?).

It was one hell of a night (I was very very high... stoned even... lol).

The next day, we headed west to Abu Dhabi, the capitol of the UAE.

Like Dubai, it started off as a small port which later became an entirely metropolitan city it is today. Abu Dhabi is relatively older than Dubai (it was developed much earlier). So, it has a lot of skyscrapers (though not as nice as the ones in Dubai). And sadly for shoppers, it is definitely not a shoppers' paradise. There are only two malls in the entire city of Abu Dhabi (compared to Dubai's 40 over and counting) and this despite Abu Dhabi being larger in land area than Dubai.But don't worry, there are numerous quaint markets selling things like carpets (above) at very reasonable prices. Fruits and vegetables market.
Some of the many buildings in Abu Dhabi.
While Dubai has its Burj Al-Arab, Abu Dhabi has the Emirates Palace Hotel. Its also a 7-stars hotel with huge domes and wide gardens and a long stretch of the beach at the rear...

We later went to the old palace which has since been unused for centuries.

Simply beautiful, no?
These two shoots above were taken from the museum beside the old palace.
This is a shot of the largest mosque to be built in the Emirates (above; they had wanted it to be the largest in the world but the Saudi Arabian officials were against it). But it has the world's largest carpeting though... Unfortunately, the Sultan who had wanted the mosque to be built in the first place, passed away without seeing the completed mosque.
One of the two malls in Abu Dhabi (above), the 'Abu Dhabi Mall' (creative name, no?).
The Marina Mall (above). Things there are expensive as hell. Its even cheaper in Dubai than here...
A view of the skyline of Abu Dhabi from the reclaimed part of the state. The water is amazingly blue!

We bided farewell to Abu Dhabi and headed back to Dubai. The last day was more or less a free day for us to go shopping on our own.

The last night before we flew off back to Singapore, we took a night river dhow cruise along the beautiful creek.My parents taking a picture in front of the dhow.

A river dhow.

A river dhow with a sail.

Dinner on board the cruise was once again sumptuous. I had no idea what I was eating again (above). Greedy greedy me...

The Venice of the Emirates... Mosques and old markets... Beautiful. :)

Some of the beautiful shots taken along the river (like the National Bank of Dubai; it looks so different at night).The breathtaking views of the modern city at night.

The final family shot before we went back to the airport and flew back home.

Till the next time!

More pictures can be found here.

I miss Singapore!

2007-06-22T04:51:00.000-07:00

Yes!
I know! I can't believe that I said it too! Just a few weeks back I was gushing so much about going overseas.

But after almost 2 weeks there, I couldn't help but to feel very homesick (yeah, its just 2 weeks...). But I was missing home quite badly.

I missed my home, my two sisters and my bro-in-law. I missed my friends. I missed school (gasp! thats a shocker...).

Other things I missed most while I was there (not in any order):

Rain (and clouds for that matter, no wonder all the places there are air-conditioned)
Chicken Rice (I have had enough of kebabs and beryani rice)
Gyming (I gained so much weight!!!)
Breathing properly (because of the extremely dry air there), inhaling can be quite hard and painful; and that can result in a bloody nose and even bloody nose boogers (yucks).
Surfing the Internet
Polite Singaporeans (we might be kiasu, but we have manners). The Saudis' services really need a makeover while Dubai's are top-notched!

Things I didn't miss while I was there:

Humidity (my hair then... well at least before I shaved my head bald, was for once decently straight)
Bugs (no sighting of any cockroach or lizard)
The sticky sweaty feeling you have when you are outdoors in Singapore. The weather there is hot, yes, but you hardly sweat.

Things I worry while I was there:

My Freshie Camp preparations. Trust me when I say this: there wasn't one day that passed without me worrying about what's happening so far and me feeling guilty about leaving it behind. I even dreamt of the 'actual' camp on one of the nights... it was more like a nightmare.
My emails... I have 3 email addresses - my hotmail's, gmail's and school mail's. Added together I have close to 150 unread emails when I came back.
My weight. I'm vain. Yes, I admit it. But who wouldn't worry too when you find yourself 8kgs heavier (I swear its true). Plus, you would feel just as crappy to have the first thing told to you by that someone picking you up at the airport, "You looked fatter". Grrr...
My hair. I miss my hair. I'm bald. And my head is round. So I look like an egg.

I'm so glad to be home.

As cliche as this sounds, there really is no place like home!

Till the next time!

Assalamualaikum. Peace be upon you.