The Final Trip... the return home. Part 1.

The Final Trip - the return home.

Departure

With the contract finishing in the UAE Joy and I, along with our colleagues, began to pack up and ship our furniture and possessions home. Joy got really enthusiastic so that every time I came home there would be more and more of our stuff bubble wrapped and stacked ready for the packers to box up and ship off back to NZ.

While Joy & I were preparing to return home several of our friends got enthusiastic over a contract as advisors in Khasakstan. The initial contract was to be four months with possibilities of extension for two to three years which was very attractive to those who applied and were accepted. Now, once they're back home, the contracts appear to have been held up, altered and somewhat vague and the initial four month time cut back to three months. For us the process of settling back home has begun as we wait for the tenants to move out and we can redecorate the place before moving our furniture back in.

Anyway, before coming home Joy and I decided that we should take the opportunity to do a tour of Eire, England and northern Italy as a sort of swan song to our Middle East experiences. There were good reasons for the tour, apart from the tourist thing, as I wanted to add more information to the Bates side of our genealogy as well as building up a file of family photographs that would illustrate the Irish side of the history.

With all our worldly goods dispatched to New Zealand we were basically camping in our apartment until the last day of the contract so quitting Abu Dhabi was easy. We simply closed the door, left the key for Cognition to access the flat and headed off to Dubai for the evening to be ready for a 3.00am start and the flight to Dublin.

We had booked a room in an hotel close to shops, restaurants and the airportso we wouldn't have too many hassles for our early morning start. Unfortunately, we had booked into The Royal Falcon Hotel which looked OK from the website and had had reasonable reviews on the booking site but now had started the decline towards an inevitable restructuring and possible disappearance. ( The link gives reviews from Trip Advisor which weren't on the booking site for obvious reasons.) On arrival we discovered that our room wasn't ready but a temporary room was available as a transit until "our room" woud be ready. Fat chance!!

Despite several requests and promises of a better room than Room 210 with its solid hard wood mattress nothing happened. Joy and I decided to make the best of it - after all we were leaving at 3.00am the next day - so we went looking for a meal at the restaurant advertised on the hotel website and reception board only to be told that it had been transformed into a Bollywood nightclub and no longer served meals. We weren't told that it was directly below room 210 and would begin its throbbing at 9.00pm and would not stop its beating until 3.00am.

A later review of the hotel we read on Trip Advisor said:
"The Royal Falcon Hotel is a two star Dubai Hotel which has obviously seen better days in the Dubai sun. The Restaurant no longer trades, except as room service, and appears to have been converted to a Bollywood nightclub.
Why anyone would choose to stay here would be a decision based on a masochistic desire to be deprived of sleep on a bed as solid as a bed of marble while being subject to torture by cacophony of what passes for music from the nightclub on the mezzanine floor.
The nightclub throb and crash began at 9.00 pm and ended in a crash of cymbals at 3.00am with crescendos of desperate drumming every hour between which, if one has an early morning flight and wants a modicum of sleep before heading to the airport, doesn't make for a restful night.
The plumbing in the bathroom was a prime example of botching to ensure the pipes remained in place and smelt as well and the room lacked any accessible electrical plugs to recharge phones and computers.
The only advantage to a traveller is that it is on the metro green- red lines to the airport and across the road from the Reef Shopping Mall otherwise avoid this hotel. There are better and more comfortable two star hotels in the area." 

 Needless to say we won't ever be booking into the Royal Falcon again!!!

 Still shaking from our experience Joy and I quit the hotel, found a taxi and headed for the airport where we could find breakfast and some quiet before our flight to Dublin.

EIRE & ENGLAND:

 When Joy and I first went to Ireland, 15 years ago, the days were overcast and distinctly damp, at least that's what our photographs of the trip show. This trip was at the height of the Northern Hemisphere summer so we expected to experience some sunshine. However, the adage that while the Bible called 40 days and nights of rain a disaster the Northern Hemisphere merely shrugs and declares it to be a summer shower proved to be true. Although we did discover that there could be sunny spells breaking out in occasional protests.

We had booked into a B&B in central Dublin for three nights which allowed us to explore the city and discover a bit more of Ireland's history. 

James Joyce statue

The B&B was well run and very comfortable and in walking distance to the central city and good local pubs. I was able to visit the places mentioned in my favourite high school reading - "The Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" and "The Dubliners" as the James Joyce museum was just around the corner.

 
We discovered the National Museum of Ireland and spent a morning exploring Ireland's past - from the neolithic bog people, the Druids and Celts through to the invasions of the Vikings and, later, the English. 

The displays allowed us to see many of the objects I had only seen in old black & white textbook photographs. 

Preserved bog man -

Gold Torcs

Gold Votive boat

The Dublina museum also had recreations of life under the Vikings and English. This re-enactor Silversmith gave us a very personal account of how coins and silver were worked in Viking Dublin.

From the museums we headed for Trinity College to see The Book of Kells and the Long Room of the Library. Here we joined a queue to enter the Library and the display explaining the illustrations and relevance of the texts. The queue stood and chatted quietly as it drifted towards the doors apart from a trio of American women who involved the courtyard in their conversation. 

They informed the queue that they were all school teachers and that the main talker was a history specialist. Her specialist subject being English history. She expounded loudly on her qualifications and knowledge about England and Ireland to her companions and how this trip was giving her he chance to see all the places and events she taught back in "Kansas." 

In the Library shop, waiting for the tickets for the exhibition, there was a video clip being played showing Queen Elizabeth shaking hands with Martin McGuiness in an act of reconciliation between England and Eire. Immediately on seeing this the loud English history specialist turned her companions declared to all who could hear her: "Look, look, there's Queen Victoria on her diamond jubilee celebrating with her visits to parts of the United Kingdom!" 

Her companions nodded sagely and opined that that Victoria's jubilee was a great event for them to witness.  I was a trifle slow on the uptake - as I said to Joy later - I should've turned to the voice and asked, ever so politely, if that lovely President, Mr Abraham Lincoln was still taking an active role in the promoting equality in the Union and helping the Confederacy come to terms with the world? But then I doubt if any of the women would have understood irony.

We realised this when we told the story to friends we were told of an exchange that took place when they were visiting Stonehenge in which an American tourist proclaimed that  "Stonehenge was impressive but it definitely couldn't match Disneyland." Later the impression was given greater support when , while at the Bushmill's distillery, we were accosted by an irate elderly American who had just visited the Giant's Causeway and couldn't see any reason why the tour company had taken them all to see a bunch of rocks.

While in Dublin we met up with relations, Roy and Inez Cooper, and began to add more detail to the Bates Family tree.

 

Rebecca's visit to Abu Dhabi

My bonding session in Abu Dhabi

By Rebecca Papprill

I visited my parents in Abu Dhabi over Christmas. They’re both in their 60s, well actually I lie, because Mum’s in her early 70s, but you’d never know because she looks and acts younger.

I think it’s because they’re living in another country. Gives them a sense of adventure, fills them with new experiences or maybe it’s because they’re secretly enjoying being away from their kids. (might have to have a word with them about that…)

This is their fourth year in the Gulf, so I thought I better scrape together all my savings and head off to see them before they headed home for good.

“Bonding session” was what I called the trip. A good old bonding session with the parents and I tell ya what, for their age, they tired me out! With Mum enjoying trekking me around the numerous shopping malls and Dad proudly showing us the cities major attractions, my feet were starting to look like a true ballerina, blistered, achy and in serious need of rest.

Now there are two things you need to know about Abu Dhabi before you leave, pack lightly, because believe me you’ll want to shop – actually, just take an empty suitcase.
And secondly, invest in a good pair of walking shoes.

I thought about writing on one particular outing in Abu Dhabi, but there is so much more of the city than that. For instance, it’s hard to believe that 40 years ago, Abu Dhabi was just a desert, home to a few nomadic tribes and villages where the economy was based around pearl diving, fishing and date palm cultivation.

With Helen Clark at the Emirates Palace Hotel

Now when you step into the warmth of Abu Dhabi you’ll find a buzzing modern cosmopolitan city encompassing an eclectic population of 1.6 million where Emirate citizens make up nearly 20 percent of the total population; the other 80 percent are expatriates from Asia, Africa, Australia, Europe and North America.

With the leadership of the late UAE President and ruler, His Highness Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, oil and gas was wisely invested transforming the place.

It has been this transformation that has made Abu Dhabi, the richest country and one of the most fascinating places to visit.

Abu Dhabi’s culture is firmly rooted in Arabia’s Islamic traditions, but there’s a twist of modern influence dictated in the Emirati’s clothes.
You’ll notice peeking out the bottom of the women’s black abayas sparkling three-inch heels, on their arms high fashion handbags, such as Gucci and in their hand an IPhone, when it comes to the men, in their white thobes, sandals and chic sunglasses, you’ll probably find they drive a large, very large, jeep with extremely dark tinted windows.(Even though the law says that over 30% tint is too dark).
Dad told me his friend had hired a car to drive to Dubai and had only driven a few metres before he had to turn back and replace it with a car he could actually see out of.

Along with wearing an abaya and tinted windows I’m not surprised that the local newspaper ran an article about many Emirati woman lacking Vitamin D due to little exposure to the sun. Considering that in summer temperatures can exceed 45 degrees, (Dad calls it being ‘fan baked’) it could be hard to believe, but it’s true. Winter is friendlier to the locals with temperatures falling between 20 – 30 degrees.

Abu Dhabi has numerous malls scattered around the city. Mum and I unashameably visited most of them. It’s so easy to grab a taxi and the cost is more than reasonable.

Oh, expect to think you’re about to have an accident, it’s just they way they drive there, it’s called honk the horn and get out the way.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Mandinat Zayed Mall. It’s one of the less commercialised places where you’ll see most of the locals and bargaining for your purchases, such as Arabic perfume oil, lamps, rug and jewellery, meets with great fun.

You’ll find that Arabic is the official language, although English is widely spoken.

Abu Dhabi has invested lot into tourism, such as:

Talking to the Camel Owners at Al Ain

· Desert Safari. The package includes dune bashing, camel riding, Falcons, henna design, an Arabic meal finished with an Arabic tea around a bon fire – Mum refused to go because she didn’t like the sound of the word “Bashing”, but I told her during on of our crazy taxi drives that she didn’t miss out on much.

Falcons on the Desert Safari

· The opportunity to indulge in the decadence of the Emirates Palace Hotel. It’s free to visit and there is an exhibition on Abu Dhabi to explore – yeah, I’m not rich enough to stay there.
· The Corniche is a great place to soak up the sun and go for a swim.

Sheik Zayed Mosque

· Admiring the wonder and architecture of the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque was amazing – be prepared to wear an abaya, Women have to wear them before entering the mosque, it’s ok they supply them there and you actually look quite good in them!!

· Camel racing and yes camel beauty competitions.
· And if you want to venture to other cities, Dubai and Al Ain are two hours drive away.

But, do you know what? Going to the local supermarket, called Lulu’s will kept you filled with great sights to see. The selection of olives, fete cheeses, dates and the melting pot of people that shop there.

See, can you see why the end of my three-week trip tired me out? But the exhaustion was worth it because I got to bond more with my mum and dad in the wonders of Abu Dhabi.

Amman and Home

13 July:
Our decision not to drive to Wadi Rum before heading back to Amman was vindicated when we drove back to Amman from Petra. Saber (saber.alhamad@yahoo.com ) picked us up at 8.30 for the four hour drive back to Amman along the desert highway.
With a stop off for a visit to a souvenir stall and lunch at Tawaheen Al-Hawa (The Windmill) restaurant in central Amman we didn't get back to the hotel till 3.30pm.

Woman making breads for customers at Tawaheen Al-Hawa Restaurant

If we'd done the Wadi Rum side trip we could have added an extra five hours to the day which would have made it somewhat exhausting especially as we had to repack our bags in preparation for the long trip home the next day.
The meal at Tawaheen Al Hawa was beautifully prepared and presented - a generous platter of "starters" - hummous, pickles, salads, olives... followed by a mixed grill of chicken, lamb and beef and topped off with coffee and water-melon which proved the theory that taking a long, lingering lunch is one of the pleasures that needs to be cultivated and practised often!
Back at the hotel we repacked our bags for easier travel - especially as we had picked up a few more souvenirs of our travels than we'd started with. Joy had had great fun bargaining for a silver arabic styled mirror and several other tangible memories of our trip at different stops along our way which meant we needed to ensure that our packing allowed us access to our immediate needs while protecting the articles.
Outside our hotel the street was hosting a wedding which, like the others we'd passed by in our first days in Amman and, later, in Petra, meant a parade of cars as the groom and his family set off to bring the bride back to the ceremony, lots of excited chatter as the guests arrived and prepared for the arrival of the couple and, as the call for prayer echoed over the street, lines of men facing Mecca praying before the wedding celebrations began in earnest. Then, as the wedding neared its end a series of firework displays climaxed the evening.
The next day it was on to Dubai for an overnight before the 15+ hour trip home to N.Z.

Our brief stop-over in Dubai allowed us to take a walk through the Mall of the Emirates - one of the huge shopping malls that provide tourist destinations in the city-state. Here the attraction is the ski-slope which provides the chance for people to go skiing in the middle of a desert! Otherwise the mall was like every other shopping mall one can see and experience anywhere in the world. So, unless one was a shopping mall addict, as far as we were concerned this was a good excuse to enjoy a walk in air-conditioned comfort after sitting in an airplane constraint for much of the day.

The next day we flew on in the Airbus 380 to Auckland and home and the organisation needed to allow us to return to the Gulf sometime in August.

The Welcoming committee

We were welcomed home by a boisterous and enthusiastic scrum of family and grand-children who draped themselves on our legs and arms as we existed the customs hall and entered the winter damp of an Auckland afternoon.

Now begins the setting up and organisation for a new experience in the Gulf later in the year.