Dubai Day 3 and 4

The next day, while waiting for his excellency, we had the opportunity to see some Easter Island inspired art work from Chile:

In the meantime the rest of the family did stupid things:

On the next day we wanted to go up the highest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa. However, the elevators were not working properly and everybody got a refund for their tickets. Well, at least we had been on last year's highest building, the Taipei 101. And there is always a next time. To be honest, I wasn't too desperate. I got already seasick on that swaying tower in Taipei. Actually I felt a bit relieved, because the tower seemed to already swagger when I looked high up at it's needle-like summit.

Instead we strolled through the nearby Dubai Mall, enjoying the view of the ice rink and the water art:

Dubai Day 2

The next day I attended the ICAS Dubai 2010, the 'ancient studies' conference and had the honour to wait for his Excellency H.H. Sheikh Hashr Bin Maktoum Al Maktoum, the director of the Dubai Information Department to appear late in the morning. Well, who wants to start at 9 o'clock anyway...
In case you are interested in reading an Arabic map, here is a map of Dubai, with the hosting uni (the red square), and even roughly our hotel (the red dot):

Here a picture of the Zayed University in Silicon Oasis:

While I was waiting for his Excellency the rest of the family enjoyed a dessert tour with Arabian Adventures (http://www.arabian-adventures.com/):

They experienced a flat tyre in the middle of the dessert:

a lazy camel:

Fossil rock:

a non-fossil rock with dessert:

and last but not least, just dessert:

In short, a succesful day for all of us :)

First Impressions from Dubai

Ski Dubai, a ski resort in a shopping mall! There are over 22,500 square meters of indoor ski area, complete with slopes, lifts, après-ski bars, and 30 tons of fresh snow every day. The best thing is, you need only 11,000 l of oil each day to create this abomination:

Star Bucks in Arabic:

The old Souk in Dubai:

In the afternoon we set out for a dinner cruise along the creek. Superb views, divine food, a nice ship, and a friendly captain!

Dinner is ready:

Our captain:

We were lucky not to have been squeezed in into one of those tourist boats:

And thanks, but no thanks! Camels are such adorable animals. Why would I want to eat them?

A Winter Break

Although the snow quickly melts away now (thanks to the rain) I would like to show you some pics of the hightide of snow up here in W.feld. Here the view from our balcony down the valley:

View from our kitchen window, my poor Cruiser doesn't like the cold either :(

And a marvellous night view (thanks C.):