EID Mubarak!

The Muslim holy month of Ramadan has come and gone since our last posting.  EID began Sunday morning so I have three days off while Darcy has the week to relax.  We had wanted to return to the Bab Al Shams hotel where we stayed last year.  However, the rates had gone up significantly.  There was a newspaper article recently written that said many UAE hotels charge more if rooms are booked directly through them versus using travel sites like travelocity and booking a package.  That's unfortunate so that might deter us from staying in many hotels here.

Hard to believe that fall starts in a day or two.  Perhaps we've become more tolerant of the climate here over the past three years but this summer did not seem as oppressively hot and humid as past ones.  However, we've had to contend with more water leakage problems and putting up with extremely dirty windows.

Darcy and I will drive to Dubai during our break to see the new Dubai Mall.  There is a huge bookstore that is supposed to be the biggest in the UAE.  I can't remember when I last stopped in Dubai but it's probably been at least a year.   I have a new co-worker and it's a chance for all of us to see some new sights.  Speaking of traveling, we booked tickets (online deal with Lufthansa) to spend two weeks this fall in Paris, Brussels and Brugge.  We're looking forward to it and friends of ours here went there last year and loved it.

Abu Dhabi plans to build 17,000 villas for Emiratis

The spy who came in from the sea

Riddle of fasting in land of the longest day

Controversial Canadian ferries bound for new duty in the gulf

Metro chaos prompts information campaign

Large colony of flamingoes found

Going for a swim?  Bring your wallet

Survivors of our spiritual past