So, here you have it: photos from our March trip to the UAE and Oman…

What’s left to be said? I can’t say this was our ‘best’ trip ever (that place is still held by the 3+ weeks we spent in Europe in 2008). I can’t say that it was the ‘most relaxing’ vacation or the ‘most beautiful’ place we’ve ever visited. So, what can I say?

The trip–aside from the cruise itself, which was basically ‘just another (good) cruise’–greatly exceeded our expectations. Admittedly, we (intentionally) went without a lot of preconceptions or anticipations. We mostly went because we could… because it was different… because it was there. But, we found our experiences in the UAE and Oman to be delightful, from the small (so, this is how a car wash works here) to the sublime (I see why they call this a ‘Grand Mosque’).

We enjoyed getting mistaken for British or German(!) visitors (Americans were few and far in between). We loved our interactions with locals; it was both enlightening and satisfying. Indeed, of all of the trips we’ve taken, this was probably the purest ‘experience’ on a personal level… by that I mean to say, it was a real growth experience.

Let’s be totally honest: before this trip I would have never imagined that some guy walking through an airport in a dishdasha and turban might be a country music fan or hold the Ford Mustang to be his favorite car. It simply would have never occurred to me. Intellectually, I knew that all people were/are unique individuals and most are fundamentally decent. But, I understand that a lot more viscerally now…. that’s pretty awesome.

And, while there are customs and practices that I still find foreign, I think I have an enhanced understanding of those differences and have a greater ability to see ‘both sides’ of the proverbial coin. I’ll have to spend some more time pondering all that I’ve seen and learned. Most importantly, this experience underscores for me that there’s more to learn and that it’s a worthwhile topic of further exploration. My interest in the region and its people is clearly raised…

Finally, we’ve already agreed that we want to go back to the UAE and Oman in the future. In part, it’s just a cool place to visit and a logical stop on a global hop around the world. We’re also interested in reading firsthand the next chapters in these countries’ stories.

Having talked with Libby at length about this trip, I think she shares similar sentiments. It was surprisingly good. Enjoyable and enlightening.

After landing in Atlanta this morning, I checked my email to find a note from Yusef. That was a nice exclamation point to put on the end of this trip. I’m actually hopeful that we’ll meet again some day… either here in the USA or back in his homeland.

We’re now back home and returning to ‘normal’ life.

Until our next adventure…

We then headed to the airport to pick-up our car from Hertz.

Confession time: despite a calm exterior, I developed some mild trepidation about the day’s journey. First, while the trip has generally been hazy due to wind, today we awoke to a fairly significant sandstorm. Visibility wasn’t too bad in Dubai, but I had no idea what conditions we might eventually face. Second, Hertz didn’t have any available GPS units (despite my requesting one). We had a couple of low fidelity maps with us, but Libby’s not much of an experienced navigator. No matter, I could have had Ferdinand Magellan as my navigator — the maps were pretty much useless. So, I made a lot of statements like “which exit should I take from this roundabout? I don’t see a sign.” Who knows!

Thus, I drove from the Dubai Airport to the Hilton Ras Al-Khaimah pretty much by instinct. How’d I do? Well, other than circling the airport once when trying to exit and making a u-turn to take a different route through downtown RAK (which I later learned wasn’t required), I faired very well. Somehow, I lost the E-11 route in Sharjah (which would have been closer to the coast, more scenic, and leisurely), but I managed to easily find and take the E-311 Emirates Road (which is the preferred route according to Google maps anyway). We sped through the desert in our Volvo S60, passing through three new emirates in about an hour (Sharjah, Ajman, and Umm Al Quwain) before arriving in RAK. What a haul of countries! Too bad they all looked (other than Sharjah close to Dubai) nearly indistinguishable. Hopefully, I’ll be able to keep us on the E-11 tomorrow when returning to Dubai, and we’ll see a bit more of each one.

Driving to RAK... that isn't a cloudy sky. That's sand!

Here’s a map that I updated from Google that highlights our route (in yellow) and helps to better show the boundaries (outlined in orange) between the various emirates (circled in red) that we drove through today – from Sharjah, through tiny Ajman, then Umm Al Quwain, and eventually into Ras Al-Khaimah.

Dubai to RAK -- four 'countries' in one day!

The Hilton Ras Al-Khaimah Resort and Spa seems idyllic. We were upgraded to a Junior Suite out in the resort’s villa section, which line a private (suites only) beach that’s shaped like a crescent moon. We have a unit—decorated in a very charming Arabesque style—with a separate living room and master bedroom, as well as a large balcony overlooking the Gulf. We can literally walk down the stairs and right out onto the beach. As I’m writing this post, I’m listening to waves crash along the shore through the open veranda doors, while Libby’s reading from her Kindle on the balcony.

Our villa (#825) at Hilton RAK Resort and Spa

Master bedroom in villa...

View from villa's balcony...

There’s an upscale, beachside bar for drinks and snacks about a hundred yards from our villa, where we had an excellent light lunch and perhaps the best iced coffee of my life (made with coffee flavored ice cream). We strolled around the resort and walked in the (surprisingly chilly) surf. While writing the post, we just had a fruit basket delivered – a welcome for being a HiltonHonors member. I expected the resort to be nice, but this is positively blissful for less than $175/night.

Tonight, we ate at Al Bahar, the resort’s seafood restaurant (one of a half dozen or more choices on the property), up near the hotel’s main saltwater and freshwater pools, which meander through a flower and palm tree filled courtyard. Like the rest of the food we’ve had at the resort, it was surprisingly good. Here’s a photo of my red snapper on a bed of onion and pumpkin:

Yum!

Today’s box score: +4 countries (Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, and Ras Al-Khaimah, UAE)

I’m not sure what to say about the Dubai Mall. How to describe it? Take Madison Ave. in New York, New Bond Street in London, Rue d’Rivoli in Paris, and the Galleria in Milan. Pour on top the Mall of the America in Minneapolis. Put it all under one roof. That’s merely a start to the Dubai Mall! It was both amazing and horrifying. A microcosm of arguably everything that’s both right and wrong with Dubai (and the wider world). Be it the McDonaldization of society, the implications of globalization, or the excesses of consumerism – the Dubai Mall speaks to it all (and then some). But, it’s also a testament to the power of audacious goals, the consumer choices provided by free market capitalism, and the benefits of a little (or a lot) of hedonistic pleasure.

Dubai Mall, Interior

The surrounding downtown area, including the Burj Khalifa, provide similar examples of breathtaking excess: awesome, audacious, and astounding. All built to be the largest, greatest, and grandest – like nothing else in the world. But, is it sustainable long-term?

Burj Khalifa -- hazy day, which matters at that height!

We returned to the ship, packed our bags (more of a challenge with the side-effects from “retail therapy” upon us), had dinner in the Windjammer, and went to the Farewall Show.

Tomorrow will be a big day. We’ll pick up a car and drive to R.A.K., passing through three other emirates en route. That means we’ll set a personal record: four new ‘countries’ in a single day! Seems fitting to do that from Dubai…

The Grand Mosque is epic in its scale, capable of holding 40,000 worshipers. Covered in gleaming white marble, it is topped with 80 gold gilded domes, decorated with intricate floral motifs made from semi-precious stones, and illuminated by massive (9 ton!) crystal chandeliers. The mosque also houses to the world’s largest Persian carpet (which required the skilled labor of 2,000 craftsmen for two years to complete).

Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi

Grand Mosque Interior, Abu Dhabi

After the mosque, we traveled along Abu Dhabi’s seaside corniche, past the impressive Emirates Palace (which is actually a luxury hotel) and to the Marina Mall (home to nearly 400 retail stores… hence Libby’s other religious experience for the day).

Although the UAE’s largest and wealthiest emirate, Abu Dhabi currently feels a little like ‘Dubai-lite’ to me. As with the rest of the emirates only 50 years ago, Abu Dahbi was little more than a small fishing and pearling village. The discovery of ‘black gold’ in 1958 brought wealth and development, as evidenced by a number modest downtown high-rises of 1960’s/70’s style architecture (not an especially high point aesthetically, reminding me of the ‘Brutalism’ found at home on the University of South Florida’s earliest buildings from that same period). However, Abu Dhabi’s skyline continues to evolve with newer, grander, and more magnificent designs seemingly sprouting up on every street corner. Most excitingly, Abu Dhabi seeks to become a cultural—rather than just commercial leader—with outposts of the Guggenheim and Louvre among five new world-class museums and performing art centers now under construction.

I look forward to returning to Abu Dhabi in the future, as I suspect that we’ll eventually grow to prefer it to Dubai.

Tonight, we returned to Chops Grille for dinner. Standouts this evening were my appetizer (Asian-style spicy tuna—raw, finely diced; perfectly garnished on sesame points) and Libby’s dessert (a decadent and upscale take on Mississippi Mud Pie).

After dinner, we went to a headliner show featuring soul music. The performer really worked hard, had a decent enough voice, and good stage presence. But, honestly, he struggled to have this audience (with—literally—a boatload of various European nationalities) ‘get’ his show.

Tomorrow, we return to Dubai for an overnight visit before disembarking. Then, it’s off to the airport to pick-up the rental car and away to the four remaining emirates we go!

Today’s box score: +1 country (Abu Dhabi, UAE)

So, I’ll turn a little more reflective on the experience to date, as Libby and I have conversed at length about it.

We always viewed this trip as a bit of an adventure. While it’s certainly not unheard of for Americans to travel to countries in the Gulf (especially Dubai in the UAE), it’s clearly not a popular or common tourist destination for those from the USA. In general, Americans (us included) are fairly ignorant about the countries and peoples that make up the Arabian Peninsula. There’s a tendency to view them one-dimensionally and as a group, often in less than flattering ways. I’m sure this has only become worse since September 11, 2001, because—let’s be honest—prior to that date few Americans even gave the Middle East a passing thought on a regular basis and those events certainly weren’t going to engender goodwill from the ‘average’ American. So, it’s little wonder that we consistently heard messages of “you’re going where on vacation?,” “why would you go there of all places?,” or “aren’t you worried about insert concern?” prior to our departure.

Interestingly, our British compatriots seem to view this destination as “just another holiday in the sun.” On the one hand, that’s refreshing to see. Clearly, they got the memo that Oman isn’t Yemen, and the UAE isn’t Saudi Arabia. The British generally strike me as more globally aware (look no further than what’s ‘news’ on the BBC vs. CNN). Perhaps, it’s a function of the Commonwealth and/or other vestiges of their colonial past. On the other hand, their blasé attitude (I’m, of course, generalizing here) about the cultural norms in these more liberal Gulf states has left me unimpressed. We’ve also noticed they’re as prone to whining about differences and expecting things to be like they are ‘at home’ as Americans (which is ironic, since RCI is predominately a North American cruise line). In general, while we love visiting Britain (especially London), I prefer being ashore with the Arabs on this trip. Needless to say, we won’t be sailing on P&O anytime soon.

But, I digress…

When we first started contemplating this travel project there were countries we assumed we’d ‘never’ visit, including whole regions that we presumed that we’d skip (the Middle East, along with other parts of central Asia and most of Africa, featured prominently). With more and wider travel experiences, we’ve learned to—as the cliché goes—‘never say never’ again. Iran, Somalia, North Korea? Certainly not now, but why not some day? One needn’t look further than Russia, countries in Eastern Europe, or Oman as places that wouldn’t have been practical (for real or imagined reasons) within our lifetime, which we’ve already visited.

Yet, going into this trip, our expectations were modest. It seemed like such a foreign destination. It reminded me our first visit behind the former “Iron Curtain” to Prague. Growing up at the end of the Cold War, I sort of half expected the Czech Republic to be in shades of gray, colorless like concrete. Of course, Prague is charming and beautiful (as well as rendered in vibrant hues).

Now that we’re here, Libby and I find the UAE and Oman one of the more comfortable places to travel. We’re not rule-breakers or hard-partiers. We feel utterly safe and welcomed. While our politics lean to the left, we’re basically conservative people in our lifestyle: a traditional, married couple. Nobody will confuse us with cast members of Jersey Shore. We try to demonstrate respect and goodwill, and we’ve had it returned to us ten-fold.

All in all, it’s one of the most enlightening trips we’ve ever taken…

Clearly, this handful of days won’t make us experts about this region. If anything, I’m more aware now of what I still don’t know. But, I suspect that knowing the magnitude of my ignorance is a step in the right direction.

We drove from Mutrah to the newer areas of Muscat where we visited the Grand Mosque, a gift from Sultan Qaboos to his people to mark the 30th anniversary of his reign. While the exterior is imposing yet restrained; the interior (especially the men’s prayer room) was richly appointed without tripping into the realm of ostentatious. Speaking aesthetically, I find mosques generally—this one in particular—to be some of the most visually pleasing houses of worship that I’ve visited, as their design and decoration tend to be cleaner and less overworked (as in more akin the sensibility of Arts and Crafts or Shaker style furniture). Yesterday, Yusef joked that he didn’t like to prayer at the Grand Mosque because its beauty was too distracting. I can understand why.

Grand Mosque

Grand Mosque, Men's Prayer Room

Next, we returned to the Mutrah Souq. Having scouted it out the day prior, we made a few purchases including a really attractive embroidered top for Libby (which she wore to dinner tonight) and a two-piece outfit for Emerson in purple and gold. We then moved on to Old Muscat (the historical city center) and visited the Bayt Al-Zubair—a small but enjoyable museum—with exhibits focused primarily on Omani heritage. We concluded our exploration of Old Muscat with a visit to the Sultan’s Palace.

Sultan's Palace, Muscat, Oman

Back aboard the ship, we went to dinner as Chops Grille this evening. It was excellent, markedly better than our visit aboard Navigator back in November. Particular stand-outs included the shrimp and crab cake, the cheese and onion soup, and the red velvet cake. I had a glass (and than another—2-for-1 special with my Platinum C&A coupon) of New Zealand “Meritage” (I’ll have to note the name when we return on Saturday night). After dinner, we put in an appearance at the Crown & Anchor event (and had yet more free drinks) and then moved on to tonight’s headliner show (“The East Coast Boys” – a Frankie Valie and the Four Seasons tribute show). The show was remarkably good. Indeed, both Libby and I thought that “Frankie” was West End or Broadway worthy. Yes. Really, that good! Of course, my opinion—from a guy who claps along like Steve Martin in the Jerk—isn’t really worth much (as Libby happily reminds me), but Libby does know what she’s talking about(as she also happily reminds me).

Tonight’s the ships 70’s party in the centrum. So, needless to say, our cabin is rocking!

Tomorrow is our one and only day at sea. But, we’ll actually be spending the morning anchored off the coast of Fujairah before heading on to Abu Dhabi. Why? Brilliance is getting her annual bottom cleaning, which makes sense since the distances between ports here isn’t great. So, instead of coasting along slowly, we’ll sail quickly, stop, and then sail quickly again.

One final housekeeping item: I mentioned that we’d requested a table for two in the MDR, but we didn’t get it upon sailing. The next day we did get notification that we’d been moved to our own table. For us, this was a bit too little too late, as we’d made other plans around formal nights (which we avoid like the plague on cruises from anywhere but Florida), specialty dining (which we always enjoy), and dining out in our overnight ports (a rare treat on any cruise). However, I’ll give RCI bonus points for coming though in the end. Well done.

Our new friend, Yusef...

I suspect that based upon his dress you may make certain assumptions about him. He’s Omani, speaks fluent Arabic, and practices Islam as his religion. However, there are many things you might not guess. Yusef is also very fluent in English. He’s a martial artist (4th degree black belt) and owns his own karate school / gym here. He’s also a UFC fighter (he’ll be in Las Vegas later this year). In addition, he likes American sports cars, all sorts of music (country-western, especially), and cowboy movies/shows. Oh, and he used to be a barista at Starbucks too. We exchanged e-mail addresses… he has a hotmail account.

How’d I meet him? He was on our afternoon dhow cruise (and drove our groups shuttle bus, actually… he does it for extra money and because he likes to drive). He started up a conversation with me. We must have chatted for an hour or more, coming notes about our similarities and differences. Yusef is a super nice guy; an ‘exquisite’ (one of his favorite English words) example of the friendliness and hospitality of Omani people. I actually hope we do keep in touch. One of my doctoral students lives in the UAE; so, why not have a friend in Oman too?

As for the country and city, Oman and Muscat are quite picturesque. The city (really cities) hugs the coastline, as it’s jammed between the sea and the mountains. Today, we primarily explored the Mutrah neighborhood with its delightful corniche and warren-like souq filled with all manner of goods. In the late afternoon, we went on the twilight dhow cruise, which gave us an excellent overview of the city and coast from the sea set against an attractive sunset. Here are a few photos…

Mutrah Corniche

Libby aboard the dhow...

It’s now getting late, and I’m getting tired. Will speak more of Muscat tomorrow…

What a great day! This is why we travel…

Today’s box score: +1 country (Oman)

We awoke this morning in Gulf of Oman to a slightly hazy but sunny sky. We had a continental breakfast and our morning coffee delivered to the cabin. We happily watched the ship sail into the port of Fujairah, which is on the eastern coast of the UAE.

I’d read little about Fujairah prior to our visit (as only scant information was available) and most of what I had seen was fairly negative (I seem to recall a cruisecitic.com article that listed it among the worst ports in the world to visit). I know that when we’d considered entirely driving throughout the UAE, there was what seemed like a very nice Meridian Resort and Spa on offer in the area at a decent rate. But, even the Lonely Planet guidebook provided few insights and suggestions.

We’d considered an organized shore excursion. But, the ones on offer didn’t really appeal.

Thus, we found ourselves—with no positive expectations—heading to downtown Fujairah on the complimentary shuttle bus. We were deposited in front of the “LuLu Hypermarket,” which appeared to be the local equivalent of a Wal-Mart SuperCenter or SuperTarget (combination retail / grocery store). Lacking no other defined plans, we browsed through there briefly, which confirmed the influence of globalization on consumer demands (from flat screen televisions to “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” toys). Indeed, the only obvious differences to US-based stores were sections selling traditional Arabic and Asian subcontinent garments (alongside Western alternatives).

After leaving LuLu, we arranged for a taxi to take us on a private tour of the area. We agreed to visit the Fujairah Fort and some place called the Al Hayl Palace (which we’d never heard of). Our driver—a young guy who we think might have been from Bangladesh—spoke little English, smelled a bit like a mixture of sweat and curry, and was exceedingly kind. The recently restored Fujairah Fort, which overlooks the city’s (also semi-restored) old village and date-palm oasis, was modestly in scale. The Fujairah Museum—an unplanned visit at the direction of our driver—was humble but delightful! It depicted a mix of historical artifacts and representations (as well as some inexplicable items, such as official Fujairah coins depicting Richard Nixon!). But, it primarily focused on traditional Bedouin life. We actually found it very helpful in better understanding the cultural norms, such as the practical necessity for hospitality (which we’ve consistently experienced during our visit).

Fujairah Fort

Fujairah Museum -- 'Guest Room'

After the museum, we drove 15 minutes or so outside of Fujairah into the Hajar Mountains. The road twisted along a wadi (dry river bed / valley) that was filled with date palms. After passing through what could only be described as “rugged terrain,” we reached Al Hayl Palace. Here we met Imir, a local guide, who proceeded to show us around the palace compound.

The palace dates from the 1830s. However, Buckingham or Whitehall it is not. Having seen the old village by the Fujairah Fort, we could appreciate the relative opulence and enhanced fortifications of this outpost. And, set against the mountainous backdrop and being surrounded by the date palm-filled wadi, the palace had a sort of rugged beauty and seemed very much in harmony with its surroundings—much like native dwellings out West back in the United States.

Al Hayl Palace

Yet, while neither the location nor the architecture made the visit especially memorable, Imir made it a visit that we’ll never forget. He was extremely good natured and genuinely interested in explaining his culture and homeland to us. Sadly, while we were dressed very respectfully in Western attire, not all of our shipmates got the memo. In particular there was a group of older British women dressed in short skirts and spaghetti strap tops. Bad enough in itself, it was made markedly worse watching them try to climb over, under, and around the dwellings. At one point, one of the aging tarts from Last of the Summer Wine bent over and her sagging tatas all but completely flopped out of her top. Poor Imir nearly passed out! He quickly averted his eyes and started mumbling what sounded like a prayer. I don’t speak Arabic so I can only imagine what he was actually saying (I think something suitable would have been like “Dear Lord, I’m sorry. I tried to avert my eyes. But, honestly, you must have a sense of humor if that’s what sent to ‘tempt’ me.”). I am certain that he was genuinely embarrassed by the whole situation. On the one hand, it was kind of comical to watch as a disinterested third party. But, on the other hand, Libby and I genuinely empathized with Imir. Indeed, we were both ashamed by the lack of respect displayed by many of our Western compatriots and glad that we comported ourselves well. Frankly, the UAE demands little of Western visitors (notice: nobody said a word to these ladies). But, as guests to their home, we should show at least a modicum of respect, as we’d expect in return. In other words, just put on some damn pants and a shirt with sleeves!

I don’t mean to sound preachy (ok, I suppose that I do), but really here’s the deal: the people here—much like the people everywhere else we’ve been—are not like the caricatures that we imagine them to be. Indeed, as humans, we’re fundamentally more the same than different. It’s not like I didn’t understand this intellectually already, but there’s tremendous value in putting your rear-end into an airplane seat and coming to ‘know’ this first hand. I’m glad to have met Imir. And, as he was waving goodbye to us, I could only hope that he’ll go home today and say (in Arabic) something like “Guess what? I met this very nice couple from America today…”

I could write about tonight’s good dinner at Portofino and the so-so production show that followed. But, honestly, that would be anti-climactic. Instead, I’ll end simply this way:

Fujairah – one of the best ports-of-call ever. Who knew?

Today’s box score: +1 country (Fujairah, UAE)

We checked out of the hotel and departed for Port Rashid around noon. I actually thought the hotel was closer to the port, but I was somehow confused in my planning. As it happens, Port Rashid is fairly close to the airport and Old Dubai. On balance, I think the Marriott at Dubai Marina was still a fine choice for a hotel (and an area we likely wouldn’t have visited had I been right about the port’s location); we’d certainly stay there with Emerson given the ideal family setup and close proximity to food. However, for other cruisers, I’d probably suggest elsewhere unless the marina or nearby beaches really ring your bell.

Check-in for the ship was mildly disorganized around some of the details. With large crowds, it could have been a nightmare, but the passengers seemed to arrive in more of a steady trickle. As such, we breezed through and were aboard Brilliance in about 15 minutes.

Like our return to Navigator, it’s nice to be back ‘home’ on Brilliance. Last time (in 2009 on our trip to Egypt), we were in an oversized oceanview cabin. Now, we’re in a standard-sized balcony cabin (#8088) with a vastly oversized balcony. It must be 3-4 times as deep as a normal balcony. The only downside is that it’s right off the Centrum, making it a poor choice if sounds (like the bad rendition of ‘Achy Breaky Heart’ being played right now) bother you.

Upon arrival to our cabin, we found our ‘make-up’ cheese and wine plate. Unfortunately, that nice gesture of goodwill after the Mariner scheduling debacle was kind of wiped out by the cruise line’s inability to give us a table for two in the dining. So, we’re on the waitlist and will skip the main dining room unless/until they can accommodate us. Anti-social? Hell, yes. We’re on vacation. Together. Alone. We have no interest in ‘making friends.’ Screw that.

Besides, for what I’ll save in MDR tips (no eat, no tip), we could just dine in the two specialty restaurants more often (we’d planned on one visit each already). Plus, we’re going to go on a sunset dhow cruise in Muscat (forcing us to miss one dinner), and we’ll use our overnight back in Dubai to eat out there (far more interesting than the cruise ship anyway). So, basically, we won’t be eating in the MDR for three nights. And, did I mention they serve the same food (from the same menus, which we’ve had before) in the Windjammer each night? We checked. It’s not a tragic loss.

One other interesting, though not surprising, factoid: we’re (as Americans) in the scant minority on this cruise ship. If I had to guess (based on informal survey methods at the welcome aboard show), I think the British make up the single largest group of passengers. The remainder is mostly Western Europeans with a dash of other North Americans. Other folks from the USA? No, not so much.

We’ll stop in Fujairah, an Emirate on the UAE’s East Coast, tomorrow.

We’re about to enter the Straight of Hormuz. So, I’ll sign off for now. I have to go wave at Iran from our balcony!