Day 82 Dubai, U.A.E.

Terrific day today!!! I sat out in the sun this morning awaiting our noon arrival into Dubai. After the ship cleared immigration, Sandy, Grace & I rented a taxi for the day and headed out on our way to Abu Dhabi…. On our way we made a stop at the Burj Al Arab hotel…. Simply amazing!!!! We made our way to Abu Dhabi (90 miles) and went to the Corniche (beachfront promenade) first. Our next stop was to be the magnificent Emirates Palace Hotel which rivals the Burj Al Arab. Unfortunately there were governmental activities going on and we were promptly ordered to leave… bummer. The place is extraordinary. We then went one of the most beautiful mosques I have seen, the Sheikh Zayed Mosque…. Wonderful. It was getting late so we headed back to Dubai. We decided to first go to the Burj Dubai (the world’s tallest building) to see the testing of some mega fountains… fun time. Then it was back to the ship to recharge for a big day tomorrow…. Here is the description of my tour: East Coast Tour
This full day tour takes you northward from Dubai via Sharjah, through the mountains and towards the east coast. Departing from the pier, your drive takes you through the lush oasis towns of Al Dhaid and Masalfi, renowned for their fruit and vegetable plantations. Continue on to the picturesque Hajar Mountains for a photo stop. Arriving at the fishing village of Dibba, you will have time to wander around the small and scenic port. Your drive will then continue along the coast, through bustling fishing villages and past Al Badiyah--the oldest mosque in the Emirates--to stop for a short break at Khor Fakkan market before stopping for lunch. Continue your tour through Fujeirah with a stop at the ruins of the Old Fort. Before returning to the ship, your last stop will take you to the old citadel of Bitnah with time to browse around the "Friday Market" in Masafi.

Day 81 At Sea

Great day today! The weather lately couldn’t be better. Tomorrow we arrive in Dubai, United Arab Emirates around noon. The current plan is for Grace, Sandy & I to get a taxi for the day and drive around 100 miles to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the U.A.E. It should be a nice adventure….

Day 80 At Sea

Back at sea…. It was a very nice, relaxing day at sea today. We had the Indian Coastguard flying around us for a while today. They made several passes. The Captain came on the intercom and talked some more about security measures going forward. For the next couple of weeks there will be heightened security onboard as we sail into “unpredictable” waters…. Anyway, things continue to go well. The service onboard continues to shine.

Day 79 Mumbai, India

Today was great! My trip to Elephanta Island was very nice. The boat ride took about an hour and then I climbed the 120 steps to the top and started sweating like crazy…. Anyway the caves are great too bad the Portuguese used the statues for target practice back in the 16th century. It is tough to take photos, after all it is a cave….. After returning back to the Gateway to India, I decided to leave the tour and just wander around Mumbai and take photos. I got a bit more than I bargained for when I ended up in an area which wasn’t probably the best place to be…. Anyway, I wandered back into civilization and continued my photo journey. I successfully found my way back to the ship and relaxed by the pool for a couple of hours before going out again to use this cheap internet (reliable & fast too!). I think after today we have two days at sea on our way to Dubai, UAE.