"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.