NOV 12, 16 .. RAS AL KHAIMAH .. UNITED ARAB EMIRATES ..
I don’t think that it is possible to show too many maps in my posts. Not everyone follows my website daily and many, if not most of you, are not exactly super familiar with the United Arab Emirates.
Maestro Andrej .. Another map of The United Arab Emirates, if you please.
Oh My! Will all of you just look at the names of the countries in the above map. You are looking at the Middle East.
I am thinking to myself .. “Captain. You are well into your 2nd month here. Don’t lose your nerve now!”
A closeup look at Dubai and environs including Ras Al Khaimah.
I was invited to attend a meeting just South of the Ras Al Khaimah area in the village of Al Hamra ..
So out and off I went with Nikki this morning, traveling up a MAJOR UAE Highway, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, also know as UAE Highway Number E 311.
Morning rush hour traffic heading into Dubai on E 311.
We were driving North and East.
It could be any of our own freeways in any of our cities.
Just like our own Interstate signs, exit numbers and the highway number.
Construction.
Construction.
Construction. Everywhere. It is never ending. It is amazing. It is beyond belief.
We are making progress.
There are real air quality issues from the desert dust.
Sh in the sign below stands for the word Sheikh. The word Sheikh is pronounced as SHAKE .. Like SHAKE, RATTLE, AND ROLL.
We are in Al Hambra. It is on the ‘upscale’ side of things.
We were in the car moving. These apartments go on and on and on.
We have arrived at our meeting site in Al Hambra. We were late. We got lost. We really got lost. Our contact person kept saying, “Come to the Al Hambra Mall.” We kept saying, “We would if we could but we are lost.” We finally worked it out as we explained what we were seeing and were told to do a U-turn and come back in the opposite direction. It took us about 10-minutes to execute a U-turn.
Some of you may be interested to see what a church of the Christian faith looks like here. They do NOT look like the churches that you see in your town in the U.S.
St. Luke’s. I wasn’t kidding you was I?
It is really a beautiful edifice.
We had eight members at our meeting. Two sat on each of the four sides of the table square.
Three of us were visitors. We two from Dubai and one from Al Ain.
As meetings go, it was above average. As meetings go, it was excellent. We discussed the Doctors opinion.
Did you all think that I was kidding you about construction?
Out in the absolute middle-of-nowhere ..
One truckload at a time ..
‘They’ are building a super gigantic pad.
You want the middle-of-nowhere? Just look at the above photo! Study it!
It is time for lunch.
Go back quickly to the above photo. Then look below at where we ate lunch.
Gullible! I thought of you and of your Muse.
We sat at the table in the lower left below.
The white bag on the left side below is lemon to be squeezed onto the breaded fish.
Tuna and vegetables.
In round numbers call it US $70 for lunch.
RAS AL KHAIMAH HOTEL
It was amazing. It was absolutely and positively amazing that Nikki was able to find my hotel. She was on the phone with the hotel trying to explain where we were and they were trying to help us to find them.
Below are photos of my hotel here in Ras Al Khaimah. Go to the topmost floor. Go to the extreme far right. That is my room.
The lobby area.
My room.
Stop here. Think about this:
I got the least expensive room in Ras Al Khaimah that I could find online. This was the cheapest room I could get. Economy. Low rent. Lowest cost.
The room you are about to see is costing me US $66.86 for my ‘El Cheapo’ room.
My room is nice. My room is VERY NICE.
Nice refrigerator.
Yes. Oh Yes. I am settling into my room.
Below are photos taken from my room.
Again the view from my room.
The same view but as seen from the ground.
Well? From all appearances I think that I could live here in Ras Al Khaimah in the Northern part of the UAE.
Smiling. Smiling from ear-to-ear. Wow!
Sign me .. Your Captain ..
- NOV 11, 16 .. AL AIN, ABU DHABI EMIRATE, UAE
- NOV 13, 16 .. RAS AL KHAIMAH .. MY LOCAL SHOPPING CENTER
I really enjoy traveling with you via your posts my dear one! That is quite the highway they are building out in the middle of nowhere. The meeting table looks “adequate” … smiles … and I am happy to hear it was a great meeting. You had told me on the phone that you ordered a tuna salad for lunch … bet you were surprised when it came as a tuna steak ON a salad! And, YIKES, $70 for lunch and I know that did not include any cocktails!!! Nice looking hotel, sumptuous looking room. I know you will be comfortable there for a few days … Smiles to you, also lots of love and many hugs. Patti
Ah yes My Dear One, I am going to be very comfortable here for maybe more than a few days. I certainly enjoyed our meeting at the church. I was sorry than not one of the others suggested getting together again. They may not have known I would be here a few days. In a word, a wonderful hotel. Smiles and Joy and Hugs .. And? .. Love .. Cap
Sunday, November 13, 2016 – 3:00 pm – So Cal
Hi Cap,
A nifty travel log on your journey to Ras Al Khaimah! It’s great that you have your new laptop along to keep your stories moving along – that is when you have the time to do all the posting – a big job but appreciated by all!
A question occurred to me on why you waited a long period of time to buy a laptop prior to your many earlier trips? You certainly really hit the ticket now as I can see you are in 5th gear (say racing gear) by all the lovely photos, stories that you are doing! Really super, as I said before it’s like you are taking folks on a beautiful tour as you can really believe you are there – I can even taste your lemon on your fish meal (I should say your friend’s meal)!
I know Dubai is a “fairly” rich country by viewing all the beautiful buildings and the on-going construction, so my next task is to goggle the country and check the stats regarding income, etc. BTW the last GP of the season for F1 is on Sunday, November 27, 2016 and the final race will determine the World Champion. Lewis won today’s race in Brazil and it was a very exciting race due to poor racing conditions as it rained very heavy throughout most of the day’s race. The race was “red flagged” twice due the down pour and serious accidents. The race had a 2-hour limit, however the race was completed with one minute to spare! A very exciting race!
Enjoy your travels!!
zilla
So good to know you are doing OK ‘Zilla and following along here. Because of visa restriction time duration issues and airline difficulties in changing my flight reservations, I simply am not able to stay for the Grand Prix race the weekend of the 25-27th of November. I wish I could but I can’t.
I have had, I have owned, my very own, personal, Apple iBook G4, laptop since March of 2005. I have had my very own personal laptop for over eleven years and counting. I have a thousand musical songs on iTunes on my Apple laptop.
Because of weight, because of theft issues, because of me being able to lose it, because of internet WiFi connection issues (in past years it was not what it now is), because of fragility issues (my laptop getting damaged), because of the abundance and the availability of Internet Cafes where ever I have been, I have always chosen to travel sans my laptop. I have had the choice for over eleven years now to take it with me or to leave it home.
Yes! I am loving having this new Lenovo, state-of-the-current-art, ThinkPad with me. Yes! Having it with me has put me into 5th racing gear for sure.
Learning to cope with Windows 10 was a challenge. I survived it. Windows 10 no longer is my opponent, it is my friend.
Smiles ‘Zilla .. So nice to have you here with me as I write my Posts. Your Ally since 1975. Cap
Cap- hi from Tom & Ginny in Royal Oak MI ! We just got off the phone with Patti. We are both planning busy Thanksgiving Days tomorrow, Ginny is cooking a turkey & volunteering at the Good Shepherd Thanksgiving All Day Gathering . I will be out to visit my son and his family in Linden MI.I spoke to Ben Barber today, he is back on his job following his knee surgery.Bonnie from Ferndale Office said hello to you yesterday, I will be working there alternate Tuesday nights for a while. We hope your trip to Hong Kong goes off without a hitch, you and Patti are missed here, but we see on your posts you are having fun. Hello to all our friends we have yet to meet, tell them they have friends here in Detroit Michigan. Much love to you, and daily prayers for your health and safety. Tom & Ginny.