India and South Africa...the Butterfly effect and our human connection

It is late and we fly away from Durban to the Cape tomorrow very early...but I had to post a word or two about Ghandi and seeing his home of 20 years here in Durban.  There will be more of an explanation but for now here are a couple of photos ....

Ghandi was the father of the South African resistance to oppression...this I did not know.  This is why I travel.

All that glitters.....a day in Old Town and a night in the desert

There was more than the glittering Burj Khalifa, fortunately.  We had a last splendid day in the old town of Dubai where we were hosted and the Sheik Muhhamed Center for Cultural Understanding

..a beautiful Bedouin style meal served, as tradition requires, by the men.

  Meanwhile, the very lovely young woman gave us an open invitation to ask any and all questions.  A lively discussion was had!  These young Muslims don't shy away from even the most inflammatory issues...woman's rights, homosexuality, traditional dress, the Arab Spring...just to name a few.  She fielded the questions with graciousness and patience.

Later that evening we spent the better part of the night dining on more traditional Bedouin food and star gazing in the desert area called The Empty Quarter. A sublime ending to a fascinating two days....I wouldn't have missed this opportunity...this is why I travel.  Mind opening...heart opening....

the cultural center....a night in the desert...

A city on the sand, a mesmerizing mirage? ....more questions than answers.

If someone were to ask me to describe this place I might say that Dubai strikes me most as a glittering city built on sand. A towering achievement? Certainly...with much more to come. But, to what purpose? Are we enlightened and uplifted in our humanity by these ambitious monuments? What do they represent? What are they built upon?

These photos were taken from the Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world.  A towering monument to engineering that made me wish we had a team of architects and engineers in our group.

How do they build these mammoth structures? What lies beneath to hold up these towering spires and minarets? How will they tackle the problems of water, population explosion, religious extremism and the inevitable scarcity of resources? What happened to the Arab Spring? What lies ahead for Islam and the reformation movement? At the end of the day...there are more questions than answers.

Hello Dubai!

You know you're not in Oregon anymore when the first web site to pop up after logging into the swift and free wifi at the hotel in Dubai is this Google page....(by the way, I wish USA hotels would follow suit....over 80% of the rest of the world's have way better and free wifi than we do) ...

The first of two days in Dubai and I am now 12 hours ahead of where I was in Oregon time.  After traveling for over 24 hours, the flight from San Francisco being 16 of that, it is 6 am Tuesday. In Oregon it is 6 pm Monday night. I haven't slept much, but that doesn't dim my brimming excitement about being here, witnessing a Muslim country firsthand. The days are tightly scheduled by the Dubai Tourism Board for 45 lucky travel advisors from all over the US who have been selected to experience some legendary Middle eastern hospitality.  They did not disappoint.

The Anatara Palm Jumeirah set the stage for a very welcome nibble and bubbly awaiting us when we rolled late into our rooms...

The next morning (which came much too quickly) we were whisked up to then newly opened Waldorf Astoria for Dubai Tourism's orientation. 

The tantalizing sight of the iconic Burj al Arab....which translates to Tower of Arabia....greeted me as I wandered the grounds as the sun was rising.

......

 Later that day we would be treated to more mesmerizing views of this stunning piece of engineering artwork.  As the sun set over the Gulf of Arabia, our day came to an end with "sundowners" and gourmet delicacies served on a private patio of the Jumeirah Palm Beach hotel, as the Burj stood sentinel over the white sand and glittering crystal sea. ...pure magic.

It seems to me that Dubai's mission is to blow your mind with the sheer scale, audacity and ambition of its presence in this part of the world.  Over and over the words of the Dubai Tourism Board that morning came back to me..."nothing is impossible".

First flight on Emirates...first impressions

My first encounter with an Emirates representative was not favorable. He was a snippy, unsmiling, unfriendly ticket agent who did not set me up for a warm and cuddly experience.  I was to see more of this kind of attitude in board the almost 16 hour flight.  Pleasant and professional air staff can make or break an airline experience,regardless of the "bells and whistles" of the aircraft. This staff wasn't completely awful, there were a few smiles and occasionally pleasant demeanors but as a whole they did not present "award winning service" as the captain so confidently prepared us for upon departure.

The economy class cabin aboard this mammoth craft had an upscale feel to it, with each generous seat adorned with welcoming pillows, blankets, headsets, and a small zipped kit which included eyeshades, a clever toothbrush/ toothpaste combo, and cosy socks. It fit perfectly in the little seat back pocket and I quickly figured I'd use it for other little odds and ends - Chapstick, lotion, and earplugs.  Out come my travel slippers, inflatable pillow, iPad (free wifi on the flight!) - all set!

And, just in case I didn't have enough to keep me busy with all that I had prepared to do with the wifi, there was always the personal entertainment system named ICE (Information Communication Entertainment) loaded up with  hundreds of movies, games, TV shows etc. enough to keep a couch potato happy for weeks.

The coolest part of this system are the three outside cameras which give you various views of takeoff and flight.  Watching this giant take off from the vantage point of the tail mounted camera was quite a thrill....

The lift of this plane is unlike any I have felt before...enormous power was evident, but also smoothness and grace. Really quite thrilling.

As I write this we are preparing for landing. All in all, not a bad experience, although the wifi never did work and my ICE system crashed about four hours from Dubai.  My socks became soaked during one bathroom stop, and I pray that it was just water swamping the bathroom floor.  On the subject of bathrooms, the ones in the rear of the plane had full length mirrors, lotion and a pleasant smelling spray.

Tray tables up, wheels down...hello Dubai!!

Why Dubai? Why not?

I have recently been asked by several people this question: Why are you traveling to Dubai?  I find this interesting, especially since the question has been followed up by opinions about the region that are generally unflattering.  If the purpose of travel is to open our hearts and minds, and to understand the people with whom we share this amazing planet, then the question becomes....Why not?  I have never had the opportunity to visit a Muslim country and this is an amazing chance for heart/mind opening.

The short and easy answer, really, is that I did not choose this destination.  As a person who works in the tourism industry as a travel advisor, it is my job to see as much of this planet first hand as my schedule and budget will allow.  Experiencing as many destinations as possible provides me with the ability to advise my clients with a wisdom that no amount of Googling and guide reading can provide.  (And to answer another question that usually goes unasked - No, I do not get to travel for free - those days are long gone, although the travel agent/advisor is still here and serving the needs of novice and seasoned travelers alike....but I digress!)

My upcoming trip to South Africa is sponsored by the South African Tourism Board and Emirates Air. Emirates Air is based in the United Arab Emirates. The cities of Dubai and Abu Dhabi provide excellent airport facilities and accommodations for a stopover to break up long haul travel.  Here is a link to the map and the greater gulf region (notice the close proximity to Iran which looms large in UAE history and culture)...UAE and the Persian Gulf. I will be flying to Dubai, stopping over for 3 days, then continuing to my main destination for two weeks. I am extremely grateful to Emirates Air and SATB for giving me the opportunity to experience both of these destinations.

So, in order to shed some light on the region, I've done some research and encourage you to follow these links.  Thank you for taking a look at these, and for following me in my upcoming travels.

• Brittanica.com...a background on the land, people, economy, history and culture....United Arab Emirates

• A history of the UAE from the Cultural Division of the UAE embassy in Washington, D.C....http://www.uaecd.org/uae-history

• A link to the newspaper, The National,  about media freedom in the UAE....The National - UAE

• A fascinating podcast from Krista Tippett of OnBeing (if you are not familiar with Krita Tippett do yourself a favor, follow the link, and spend some time with this amazing woman) in an interview with Reza Aslan about the cauldron of Islamic reformation which is not new and has actually been underway for the last 100 years, the violent results of which we are witnessing today as the process unfolds....Islam's Reformation

And, finally, an Islamic quote...yes, I choose to travel, even (or perhaps especially) to places that might be challenging.  It's good for the soul and fatal to prejudice (that last bit is from Mark Twain, who, last time I checked, was not a Muslim).

Up up and away, on a very long flight!

In just one short week I will be taking a very long flight.  On Emirates Air from San Francisco to Dubai, and then 3 days later another longish flight to South Africa.  Load up the iPad with podcasts, ebooks, music and other ways to pass the time!

The 20 longest flights in the world - ranked by mileage

But, when traveling that long and far it helps to be taken care of by the fourth best airline in the world....

I'll report on my experience with Emirates once I touch down in Dubai (and get some sleep!)...so stay tuned!