Africa Break: A Parent’s Perspective
Before I share the rest of our experiences from our time in Africa I have a special piece to share about my parents time in the UAE. It’s always interesting to hear what our visitors have to say about the place in which we live. My Dad was great enough to put into words the experiences that my Mom and him shared whilst with us and this is what he had to say:
The moment had finally arrived. It was now time to board the enormous airplane (A-350-800) that would transport us from Toronto to the beginning of our vacation destination in the United Arab Emirates. Melita and I were more than delighted at the prospect of spending nearly 3 weeks with Sarah and Skylar. The 13 hour flight was not quite as dreadful as I had imagined it would be. Our plane landed, and shortly after our joyful reunion, we were on our way to the Van Kruistum residence in Abu Dhabi, less than 2 hours away. The day had been long and tiring, yet we were energized at the fact that we were together with Sarah and Skylar and that we were seeing where they lived for the first time. Although it was dark, the architectural landscape was very impressive as we drove through Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The unique lighting accents combined with the futuristic shapes and designs of the buildings kept our eyes moving constantly. It will be months before our hometown of Exeter will be able to compete with the UAE’s architecture. We are still in the design stages of our first 3 story complex. We were impressed as we entered Sarah’s flat. What a beautiful place, with a magnificent panoramic view of Abu Dhabi. We were all quite hungry so our hosts ordered in an amazing feast of Indian food. Delicious! I’m digging this place already.
The following days unleashed a hurricane of excitement, new experiences, culture, cuisine and truckloads of fun. Sarah has done a fantastic job of blogging our escapades in detail, so as a guest blogger, I will only be sharing some of our more memorable moments. If anyone knows Sarah, they know that she is an incredibly detailed planner. Every second of our trip was amazing, so it will be difficult for me to pinpoint the more favorable memories. 
Melita and I thoroughly enjoyed most of the diverse ethnic cuisine and restaurants that we experienced in the UAE. Not only was the food fabulous in most cases, often it seemed that the servers would try a little harder to make the experience more enjoyable. Not always the case in many North American eating establishments. The cost of many of the meals that we enjoyed in the UAE was considerably less than what we are used to paying back home.
Christmas morning we were pleasantly surprised to wake up to stockings overflowing with lovely gifts from Sarah and Skylar. Our overnight camping excursion to the Liwa desert was definitely one of my most memorable and enjoyable experiences. Along with Sarah and Skylar, we were joined by their 
friends, the Blaikies, a charming family from Australia. Who would have thought that sand and sky could be so incredibly beautiful? In the middle of the night, I stepped out of our tent to…..umm……. Alright, I had to pee. As I gazed heavenward, I was overcome by the beauty of the starry sky and the most overwhelming silence that I had ever (not) heard. If there was a breeze, there were no trees or leaves to sound its nearness. I felt so small before the creator of all this beauty, yet my heart felt the fullness of His presence. Yes, my eyes became moist. As I tried to encourage Melita to come out and behold this magnificent sight, I noticed that she was already enjoying the view from the open tent. Truly, this was an unforgettable experience.
Visiting the Emirates Palace was also an enjoyable evening out. As you view the photos you will understand how they can sell a bottle of wine for 35000 Dirhams (Ten thousand U.S. dollars) The Dubai Mall was very impressive in terms of architecture design and sophistication, but personally I found it to be far too expansive for someone who does not really care for shopping. I mean who can visit 1200 stores in a day anyway. Having said that, I’m quite certain that Melita and Sarah had visited close to 1178 shops by the time our mall excursion had ended.
Another one of our more memorable and enjoyable evenings was a trip to the Global Village in Dubai. 
This attraction would be considered a cultural landmark of the UAE. The Global Village consists of more than 25 pavilions representing countries from around the world, international cuisine, live performances, art and so much more. We thoroughly enjoyed the vibrancy, splendor and fun stuff to do and see. Having a moderate case of SADS (Shopping Attention Deficit Syndrome), I found that the Global Village had more than enough content to keep my eyes and mind satisfied.
Our first impression of UAE drivers was that the many of them seemed to be in an extreme rush, quite impatient, not always polite, and at times a tad crazy. However, after some time, one can appreciate the fact that drivers in the UAE are definitely more attentive, and traffic does seem to flow quite consistently. In Ontario, there seems to be much more time wasted by annoying drivers who are not paying attention to what’s going on around them. Several times during our visit to Abu Dhabi, we would walk to our destination rather than drive. We always felt quite safe walking the streets after dark. This comes as a comfort knowing that our daughter and her husband abide in this part of the world.
There are so many more highlights of our trip, yet such little blog space remaining. We were awed by the spectacular view from the Burj Khalifa. The Atlantis Hotel and Aquaventure Water Park where we felt like kids again as we would slip and slide the day away. The Grand Mosque, Corniche Beach, and of course the desert safari where we raced over the majestic sand dunes, not only in four wheel drive vehicles, but on our very own Quad Bikes. What a blast!
My guest blog time has come to an end, but I’m sure that the many pictures that Sarah has posted will tell their own story. As I close, Melita and I would like to once again thank Sarah and Skylar for showing us the time of our life. You treated us like royalty, always putting us first. You did such an amazing job of planning this entire experience. We will never forget our trip to the UAE.
It was our absolute pleasure and an experience we’ll forever cherish! xoxo
…and what view exactly, was Melita enjoying from the open tent?
lol
Ha ha, Elena, thankfully Larry went for a little walk away from our tents. I stayed in my warm sleeping bag and stuck out my head out and enjoyed the beauty of the sky, all lit up with all those stars along with all the curvy dunes around us,… it was so exquisite.
enjoyed your blog Larry. I am looking forward to hearing more first hand but neat to hear your impressions..having said that I guess some things are international…men who don’t like shopping in the East or West and bad drivers are everywhere…I heard in India they constantly look in the rear view mirror which can be quite unnerving for those passengers who can see what is coming at them. however, they seem to manage it. I am sorry to hear about your case of SADS,,glad to hear it is mild. I definetly am putting the UAE and Africa on my list of places to go. I can imagine Exeter would be quite the shock after being in vibrant, large cities…quess that calls for a trip to Toronto…who is in???