We were to meet friends at the beach near Burj Al Arab on Saturday morning. We reached the beach at 7:30 am. But coming from inside an airconditioned car, it already felt hot outside, a confirmation that summer is here to start.

The stretch of the beach was a bit clear with less beach goers although with occasional bus loads of tourists dropping by to take photos of the iconic seven star hotel, Burj Al Arab.

We did not have plans of letting Riane swim apart from expecting her to walk along the beach side to collect sea shells, hence she came in a dress.



But as they went nearer the beach, it was low tide and there was a long stretch of shallow water. She started wading in. Kalel, meanwhile was too eager and swam towards the farthest side he was allowed to go.

Do's and Don'ts

1. Ticket is valid for single entry only

1. Opening and closing timings should be observed strictly

1. Please use proper passages, walkways and exits allocated for such use

1. Flower picking is not allowed

1. Balls, Scooties, Bicycles, Pets are not allowed

1. Food is not allowed to be brought along and barbecue is not allowed

1. Use proper litter bins for disposal of litter

1. Sitting is allowed only in the designated areas

1. Management shall not be held responsible for personal accidents

1. Any instructions from security personnel’s should be followed immediately without argument

1. The administration has all right to expel any visitor from the park if found posing great threat to flower, park assets or involved in miss conduct

1. Any damages arising due to negligence or non – compliance with the mentioned instructions shall be sole responsibility of the visitor and their companions

My two Gremlins and I had our visas cancelled and are now processing the family sponsorship under the Father/ Husband. After our entry visas, we should either exit the country or pay the in-country change visa fees. Hearing some people doing the visa runs to the Hatta border (UAE- Oman), we decided of exiting the country by driving towards the border. We did so on Friday, but returned unsuccessful :-( . Filipinos did not have privilege for the visa run by the UAE border, this we learned later.

Apparently, we need a stamp from Oman, however based on Husband's previous travels, he would see fellow Filipinos unable to get a stamp. Also, we assumed that since I and the kids have no residence visas at this time, Oman may not grant us visa upon-arrival. So we decided to turn back. We actually reached the Oman border offices (to try our luck), but because Husband was avoiding the car procedures as well (and any possible hassle of entering Oman soil), we turned and drove straight back to UAE soil.

We could have researched first, yet it was an experience to call :-)

Anyhow, there was still respite for the day. We drove off-road before reaching the border and unexpectedly saw this small oasis. I thought next chance we are there, I will trace the water source. There were small fishes, bees, a pelican --  that for a hot weather and most dry land we see, this is refreshing for the eyes.

By around sunset, we were back at Lahbab. To reward the Gremlins for their patience on the long drive, we brought them into the sand dunes. By night, Husband switched the car lights. The surroundings were generally dark, hence the lights invited insects and even a white rat to where we were. We still had packed food so we had dinner under the clear skies where our Gremlin Girl pointed to the stars.

On our weekend desert drive the other week, the Drivers pulled over near a farm in the desert to deflate the tyres before we drive to the dunes further.

I saw the caretaker and I excitedly ran to ask his permission to take photos. He was speaking Arabic, and we settled our conversation with "mafi Arabic" as I was signalling him what I wanted to do.

I have always wanted to take photos of green things lining up the desert sands but would feel too far from them, and with that feeling that getting to close without asking permission may get me into trouble. But this time, the Bangladeshi farmer was too glad to show me his crops.





Same photos posted on Facebook page 'Disyerto'

Along Hatta - Oman road in between the Dubai borders. The gravel plain, and the carpet and clay figurine shops. (Photo taken with the phone camera)

It was a family date on Valentine's Day -- on a usual activity of desert camping, dune driving with friends, then another short road trip.

Temperature indicated 14 deg Celsius past 11pm on Thursday night as we drove into the camp site, so we decided to sleep in the car than putting up the tent. (Usually, the mercury drops further at around 3am.) My Gremlins were already asleep before we even reached camp so their Gremlin Dad and I had our time sitting and sharing stories instead of chasing them.

Summers in the UAE usually means discounted rates on hotels including prime properties as the Atlantis Hotel at The Palm. We were there last year and we loved it having made the most of what we paid for :-) from the number of activities we indulged ourselves in. Talk about value for money!

I've ran some blog posts on it on the following links:

In my Lens - At Atlantis The Palm
Lost Chambers

And had posted some pictures on the Gremliness facebook page:

Atlantis The Palm on Gremliness

And this year, I am crossing my fingers to bring my family there, this time with Little Riane, and this time -- for free! (That's if I get a chance on the competition prizes (^_^) Please Atlantis??? ).

You might want a chance too! Here's the link:

Atlantis - Treasure Hunt Competition

With the Eid holidays coming this weekend, I have received emails asking on directions of how to reach Hatta.

If there is a challenging camera subject that I remain to fancy on, it would be the Dubai Fountain performances at night (outside Dubai Mall and by the foot of Burj Khalifa). You know that goal of achieving the perfect lighting to show the elegance around the lake plus capturing water jets in fine lines especially when the water jets curve or spiral out in a dancing stance? Oh well, if I remain to just point and shoot, the only way for me to produce a good photo is to bet on chance :)

Dubai Fountain show at the 30-acre Burj Khalifa Lake

Dubai Fountain show at the 30-acre Burj Khalifa Lake

The world's tallest building to date : Burj Khalifa

This Little Princess is on a heat endurance training at 3.5 months old. It's her first trip to Oman's mountains at 44 deg Celsius.

At Hatta Dam. My brother behind the camera and our friends in front.

Hatta Pools August 2012

Hatta Pools August 2012

2011 Entry fee : AED 10/ person. 

Duration:  1^st Nov 2011 to 3^rd Mar 2012 (website)

Timings: 4pm to 12mn , Monday is family day (website)

How to get there:

It is located along Emirates Road (E311).  I suggest aiming to immediately enter Emirates Road rather than aiming to drive in parallel along Ras Khail, a newbie on this road runs the risk of missing the right exit. Once we wasted 75 kilometers and an hour finding our way out. From Sharjah and Mirdiff City Center, keep driving past pineapple building at Silicon Oasis (on your left) and before you reach the interchange at Motor City (that’s kilometers apart). It’s signposted so it’s easy to find.

Parking:

It’s great to arrive at 4pm to get a space near the entrance. There’s a sea of cars in the evening so note where you park. Once, our friend took an hour locating his car at 12 midnight.

What to see and do:

Shopping, dining, cultural shows, boat rides, other fun rides

Personally, our annual visit always include the following: (1) check the Philippine pavilion’s theme for the year; (2) indulge in a food trip at Thailand Pavilion and exit with a bagful of dried fruits; (3) move at fast pace to take photos of the pavilions before sunset; (4) catch cultural shows.

More updates and info is available at their website: http://globalvillage.ae/

Do check my other photos here AT FACEBOOK.

Hatta is a popular destination among UAE residents who crave for the sight of mountains and natural water pools. The community, along with the dam is located in Dubai's territory, however the pools are found within Oman.

At the height of summer, it's a welcome sight to see water flowing through. Also, it was not humid (even when Dubai was) making it fine exploring the place further. Its the rock formations that were most amazing and one can just imagine it would have taken millions of years before it evolved to what it is now.

It was a hazy morning when we reached there and photos are not as good as when having blue skies.

For our Dubai- Hatta-Ash Shuwayhah itinerary,  please do check here.

The most prominent pools nearest to the falaj

Big boulders

Interesting irregular rock crevices with water flowing at its base.

Another interesting long rock formation

You know you went to the right place (Hatta Pools) if you park your car along the falaj (water management system)

It's a long gravel road drive to reach Hatta Pools after the tarmac.

An abandoned huge house in Dubai Hatta before the border.

The UAE-Oman border demarcation fence heading to Hatta Pools

Along the road to Ray after Wadi Khamis