"Only in Dubai"

"Only in Dubai" is a common phrase here. The newest "only in Dubai"

statement follows this picture of a real tiger hanging out of an SUV while

driving down a major road full of traffic and lots of pedestrians. In reading

the local news there is a huge problem within the country of people keeping

exotic animals as pets. According to the Gulf News there is a crack down by

the government but there is also a black market for these types of animals.

The list also includes crocodiles, snakes, lions and cheetahs.

(As I continued reading, I also learned that there is

a list of "banned dog breeds" within the UAE. This list includes pit bulls,

Huskies, Rottweilers, Dobermans and Mastiffs. They claim these brands are

banned "to protect the public".)

Sand, Sand Everywhere

Over the past two weeks, Dubai has seen several intense sandstorms. These sandstorms can last anywhere from a good portion of the day to several days. They create extremely low visibility and a huge mess. It is so odd to leave the house and not be able to see the famous Dubai landmarks or skyscrapers! High winds during a sandstorm also create "sand shifting", in which, the sand forms piles along the roadways making for slippery conditions. It is almost similar to the appearance of snow.

Unfortunately, last week we had our windows open and then went out for awhile. A sandstorm started while we were gone and by the time we returned home we had a lovely layer of sand covering everything in the apartment! Lesson learned!

They say sandstorms are a sign of the change in weather and that we should get ready for increasing temperatures.

In several local news articles there has been a discussion regarding school cancellations during these sandy days (currently they do not cancel school). Some parents claim that schools should be cancelled do to the sand and wind...which even though we have been here for a little over a year and a half still sounds funny! Savannah was actually supposed to start a mom/toddler swim class this week but it was cancelled due to the sandstorm.

The pictures are from our balcony. On a normal day, you can see the Arabian Sea, the villas on the fronds and the other apartment buildings on our street...on this day you could barely see the pool three floors down.

Another Night Out

For our last night in Beirut, we went to a French inspired restaurant. One of Chris's coworkers is originally from Paris so he invited us to check out the restaurant with him. It was delicious! It was an evening of great food, great wine and great company. In keeping with the Arabic stereotype, we had dinner reservations for 8:00 pm, when we arrived we were the only ones in the restaurant (which is not necessarily a bad thing when fine dining with a toddler). By the time we left around 10...the restaurant was filling and packed with people just sitting down.

Although it was a super quick trip, Beirut was amazing! Hopefully we will make it back there someday so that we can finish sight-seeing around the rest of Lebanon.

Byblos

Before dinner we made a quick trip out to Byblos. About an hour outside of Beirut, this picturesque fishing harbor is full of history. Byblos is considered one of world's oldest continually inhabited towns. The earliest known occupation of Byblos dates back to the 5th millennium BC, when the first settlers fished and tended their animals here. It is also the birthplace of the modern alphabet. It is claimed that it was invented as a more practical way of recording trade transcripts but quickly spread through the civilized world.

There are many sights to see in Byblos, but unfortunately we were on limited time and it is was late in the day. When we arrived many of the sights were closed so we could not tour them (it also was not a great time of day to take pictures.) Within Byblos there are ruins, a castle, temples a Roman theater and Royal tombs. We spent most of our time in the souq area, which has been restored and is beautiful. We did stop for a quick beer and a Lebanese snack, called a za'atar. This is flat bread covered with za'atar (a blend of herbs including basil, oregano, thyme and marjoram, sesame and salt). It can also be served with meat and cheese. Beirut is also very different from Dubai in that you can buy beer everywhere and cheaply...whereas in Dubai it is only sold in hotels or hidden liqueur shops (and can then only be bought with a license) and is heavily taxed.

Hopefully, we will make it back to Beirut one day and can finish our tour of Byblos and other historical sights that are located outside of the downtown area. For such a small country, there is a lot to do and see!

The Blue Mosque

The Mohammad Al-Amin Mosque is located in Martyr's Square in downtown Beirut. It is also known as the Blue Mosque (it is blue domed). It was built between 2002-2005 by the former Prime Minster, Rafik Hariri who is buried beside it (currently his tomb is inside a tent). Interestingly enough, within yards of the mosque is a chapel, Greek Orthodox church and a Catholic Cathedral. All are beautiful and newly built but designed to look like the old Beirut.

Downtown Beirut

Unlike the Old Town, downtown Beirut is beautiful. It has all been rebuilt and has a very Paris feel to it. It is also home to many expensive designer shops, outdoor cafes and restaurants. Years ago Beirut was considered the "Pearl of the Middle East". With the new downtown area, many say this acclaim will return. There is a souk in the same place that the "old" souk used to be but the Souk de Beirut now contains high end shopping. There is a clock tower in the center of Nejmen Square and much of the inner downtown blocks are all pedestrian only. The prime minster who was assassinated was the spearhead behind rebuilding downtown Beirut. We spent most of the afternoon strolling through downtown. It is amazing and completely different than the part of the city we saw yesterday but yet they are only a handful of blocks away from each other.

Downtown they also had an ice rink set up. Chris was going to take Savannah but we had great weather (50-60's) so the rink was melting and the rental skates were old and very dull. Chris tested out the ice and skates and decided that he did not want to take Savannah. Maybe next time?

There was even a toy store at one end of Njemen Square that had little bikes and cars out for Savannah to borrow and cruise around the square (among the armed soldiers). Savannah had a blast!

American University Beriut

The bakery we walked to this morning is right across the street from the American University of Beirut. We took a quick walk through the upper campus. It is beautiful, with views of the Mediterranean Sea. The University was founded in 1866 and is the first American University located outside of the United States.

The picture of the armed solider was outside of the university, but is common place all over Beirut. They are on every corner and block and are fully armed. It is definitely a strange sight to see. We asked a few people why they are so visibly present and their response was that they are they just to make sure there are no public demonstrations and that peace is kept. In some cases there would be children playing on the sidewalk with armed military a few feet away. It doesn't phase the locals at all.

Breakfast in Beirut

This morning we went for a traditional Lebanese breakfast. We had Markook. Basically, this is a large thin flat bread that is cooked on a domed metal griddle, called a saj. It can be served flat and topped with many things like thyme or cheese or can be served rolled up and stuffed with meats or yogurts. I had a traditional one with thyme and sesame seeds (delicious), while Chris went with the western version having his stuffed with Nutella and banana (also delicious and winner with Savannah!).

Night Out in Beirut

After walking the corniche, we headed back to the hotel for a quick coffee, where Savannah continued her trend of making friends wherever we go. The hotel staff was great with her. Every time we walked through the lobby or coffee shop she was given biscuits (crackers) and macaroon cookies. They also let her play with the phone and color on hotel notepads. It was great entertainment for her although she is going to begin to believe that everyone should fuss over her when she enters a room!

There are a few people from Chris' office still in town so we went to an Armenian restaurant with them for dinner. It was fabulous. Lots of new dishes to try but everything was amazing (although Savannah stuck with the hummos and goodies that I brought along for her!). Like other Arabic food ut is served mezze or small plates of hot and cold food to share. Luckily, we were with people who could order for us, which was also helpful.

Before dinner we grabbed a quick beer at a local pub. There is a huge French influence in Beirut so the pub had more of a European feel to it, but yet reminded us of a pub you would find on the corner in Chicago. After dinner, Chris insisted that I go with some of his coworkers for a few drinks while he took Savannah back to the hotel for a bath and bed. After a few days on my own he wanted me to have some time out, it wasn't nearly as fun without him, but was fun to experience a little night life.

We had a great first day in Beirut!

The Beirut Corniche

The Corniche is a seaside promenade that offers fabulous views of the Mediterranean Sea as well as the Old Town. The the east there are views of Mount Lebanon but the city is very hazy, foggy and filled with smog so we could never see the mountain range during our walk down the Corniche.

The Corniche also runs along Old Town which basically is the section of town that hasn't really been rebuilt since the civil war so it is filled with bombed out buildings, run down buildings and buildings with bullet holes. It definitely reminds you that not every where looks like Dubai!

The traffic in Beirut is known to be awful and during this first outing we can occur. The traffic is always bumper to bumper, there are crazy drivers who honk at everything and only use the lanes as optional guidelines. It also seemed very loud and heavily polluted. There would be really expensive luxury cars driving next to cars that in no way would ever pass inspections in the US.

It was so interesting to see a "real" city that is obviously still rebuilding from its history.

Pigeon's Rock

The Pigeon's Rock also known as Rock of Raouche. These natural formed limestone rocks are located in the Mediterranean Sea just off the western coast of Beirut. We stopped for a quick lunch with views of the rocks while we were there.

Beirut Bound

This morning Savannah and I headed to Beirut, Lebanon. Chris has been there most of the week for work so we decided to take advantage and meet him there for a fun weekend away. Chris is done working so we have a free weekend to explore.

Beirut is about a 3 1/2 hour flight from Dubai and is located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline. This small country shares its borders with Syria and Israel.

Chris was actually outside of the city while there for work and was able to go skiing in the mountains on morning. He said the skiing was along the same lines as skiing in Northern Michigan instead of Colorado but the views were amazing. As you are standing on the mountain you can look out and see the Mediterranean Sea!

Lebanon has a lot of history mainly including a civil war that destroyed most of Beirut and poor relationships Israel. In 2005, the prime minister (who was well liked and the catalyst for rebuilding much of the city) was assassinated in a car bomb outside a popular hotel. You can actually go visit the grave site of Rafiq Hariri in downtown Beirut. Oddly, it is inside a large tent. The government says it will build him a proper memorial when there is more information regarding who was the source of the assassination. Although, it is believed that they know which group committed the crime, information is not being shared in fear that it will cause another civil war or war with Syria.

We are very excited to spend the weekend away, but to also see somewhere else in the Middle East. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of places within the region right now that are welcoming tourists so this is a great opportunity.