Gandhi Museum Mumbai India
Yangon Myanmar
Fujairah UAE
Barj Al Arab Dubai UAE
7 star hotel
Ski Dubai Indoor Ski Hill at Emeriates Mall
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Muscat Oman (second time)
Muscat, Oman Ssam and Bob by the sea
Our ship in Muscat Oman harbour
Gates to the old section of Muscat
World's largest Mosque in Muscat Oman
Typical shopping area
We arrived at 08:00 and were met by a private tour guide. We then visited the Grand Mosque the second largest Mosque in the world with the second largest single carpet in
the world. When Abu Dhabi saw that Oman had two things larger than those they had they built a bigger Mosque and commissioned a larger carpet. The Mosque in Oman has supposedly the world’s largest Swarsky (not sure of the spelling) chandelier but Abu Dhabi is supposed to be having a bigger one made. It all seems so stupid. The Mosque however
was incredibly beautiful and the guide’s description of the prayers and the design of the Mosques were very interesting.
the world. When Abu Dhabi saw that Oman had two things larger than those they had they built a bigger Mosque and commissioned a larger carpet. The Mosque in Oman has supposedly the world’s largest Swarsky (not sure of the spelling) chandelier but Abu Dhabi is supposed to be having a bigger one made. It all seems so stupid. The Mosque however
was incredibly beautiful and the guide’s description of the prayers and the design of the Mosques were very interesting.
After visiting the Mosque we went for a photo opportunity at the Sultan’s palace. It was quite
impressive a huge mansion for only one person. The Sultan was also having the single largest Opera house in the world being built because he loves Opera. I believe once he has the Opera Hall completed one of the Emirates will build a bigger one.
impressive a huge mansion for only one person. The Sultan was also having the single largest Opera house in the world being built because he loves Opera. I believe once he has the Opera Hall completed one of the Emirates will build a bigger one.
After a brief stop at the Palace we visited the Oman National Museum. The museum was very interesting with a lot of local history and types of dress and weapons from their past.
Dubai
April 19th
2011 – DUBAI, UAE
2011 – DUBAI, UAE
We cruised the Arabian Sea arriving in Dubai around noon. Sandra had booked a tour of the adjacent emirate to Dubai called Sharjah. We departed the Port of Rashid and drove through Dubai to the Emirate called Sharjah. Dubai is an amazing city of very large and
new buildings while Sharjah is considered the bedroom community for Dubai. In the UAE there are two groups of people, the Emeriti people born of the traditional Arab families in the UAE. They make up 20% of the UAE population. These are the priviledged few severed by the 80% other residents of the country. Most of the 80% serving the Emeriti are from places like India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh. It appears that only the Emeriti can afford to live in Dubai, our guide told us that most of the foreigners lived in Sharjah.
new buildings while Sharjah is considered the bedroom community for Dubai. In the UAE there are two groups of people, the Emeriti people born of the traditional Arab families in the UAE. They make up 20% of the UAE population. These are the priviledged few severed by the 80% other residents of the country. Most of the 80% serving the Emeriti are from places like India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Bangladesh. It appears that only the Emeriti can afford to live in Dubai, our guide told us that most of the foreigners lived in Sharjah.
While in Sharjah we visited an old home that was one of the original places in the region and had been converted to a museum. It was like being on the set of the Lawrence of Arabia movie. We also visited the large fish market where fish caught in the Arabian Sea were
deliverd each day. There were an amazing number of fish varieties everything from sardines to Tuna to Sharks. We then visited a shopping area that is called a Souk – these can be anything from fish to gold markets that sell that particular product or good. The one we were brought to was a gold Souk that had one jewelry shop after another. In the Souk they had large screen TVs showing the current buying rate of gold. If you purchased a piece of jewelry from one of these merchants you paid the going rate for the gold and the workmanship to turn the gold into a ring or bracelet was the only negotiating point.
deliverd each day. There were an amazing number of fish varieties everything from sardines to Tuna to Sharks. We then visited a shopping area that is called a Souk – these can be anything from fish to gold markets that sell that particular product or good. The one we were brought to was a gold Souk that had one jewelry shop after another. In the Souk they had large screen TVs showing the current buying rate of gold. If you purchased a piece of jewelry from one of these merchants you paid the going rate for the gold and the workmanship to turn the gold into a ring or bracelet was the only negotiating point.
On the way back to the ship we passed the King Faizal Mosque. This is a Mosque that the Saudi Arabian, king gave to the people of Sharjah.
We returned to the ship around 17:00, the next day most of the passengers who were on the
ship for the journey from Hong Kong to Dubai were scheduled to leave. The group we had met on Cruise Critic website was joining the ship the next day.
ship for the journey from Hong Kong to Dubai were scheduled to leave. The group we had met on Cruise Critic website was joining the ship the next day.
In Dubai, we toured the city on a hop-on, hop-off bus and went to the top of the Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest structure, and to high tea at the Burj Al Arab, the only seven-star hotel in the world. The high tea very expensive, but the food was great and the views were awesome. There is not much else to see in Dubai other than shopping malls, which are not that exciting as they have the same stores you see anywhere else in the world. But the larger malls have some unique features, like a huge aquarium and downhill skiing.
After leaving Dubai we took a private tour of Fujairah, UAE with the group we met on line. The tour in Fujairah, UAE, was not very good because the guide did not know much about the sites we visited.
After sailing through the night from Dubai we arrived in Fujairah another one of the UAE Emirates. It is the poorest of the Emirates as it has no oil and its main business is processing the oil from Dubai and the other oil rich emirates.
It is a very barren region and we drove around and visited a couple of Mosques and a market.
Entreance to the Burj Al Arab, 7 Star hotel, note the Rolls Royces and this is just a few of them.
The Sheik rulers of the UAE
Steve and Margaret Norris from Montreal in the lobby of the Barj Al Arab
The interior of the Barj Al Arab Hotel
The lobby of the Burj Al Arab, the worlds only seven star hotel where we had high tea
The beach at the 7 star hotel
Dubai from the top of the 7 star Hotel
Old market in Dubai where I came across a shop with a CDN Air Force Roundell Sticker on the door.
We returned to the ship around 17:00 and sailed at 18:00 for Muscat, Oman. Sandra and I have already been to Oman on the first part of our trip but this time we have a tour
arranged with the new group.
arranged with the new group.
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