Yesterday I had to go get some more passport photos made for the processing of my residency visa, and as I walked across the crosswalk through a major thoroughfare with shops of every kind around me, I had to remind myself where I was. Surrounded by neon signs, hi-rise buildings, and billboards for famous designers, it is only when I step on sand (as I did beside the photo studio) that I remember I am in the middle of the desert. The development is beautiful, and the sand is beautiful. The sunrises and the twilights are great, and in fall things are supposed to be even nicer because of the number of outdoor things that one can see and do that cannot be done in the summer.
Also yesterday, I visited a resort area called Madinat Jumeirah for work, which I had been to before. If you have a chance to go to their websites, just google Madinat Jumeirah and see what comes up. It is even more breathtaking in person. As I stood at the ATM in the lobby of one (ONE) of the hotels on the compound, I turned around to look down through the giant plate glass window behind me. I saw the blue waters of the Gulf, an uncrowded strip of beach with giant white umbrellas placed along the sand, and then, a giant pool surrounded by the same reddish brown stones as the exterior walls of the hotels, which are designed to look like an old Arabian citadel. In the giant pool were two large sea turtles, with some babies swimming in a square enclosure in the middle. One of the larger turtles looked like he was half as big as me, and he swam right to the edge of the pool. All that separated walkers from the turtle was a single rope barrier and about 3 or 4 feet of distance. Amazing!! I wished someone was with me so I could share the crazy moment, but no one I knew was around. A real Finding Nemo sea turtle. It was incredible.
