We made it to Dubai — I’m not taking that fact for granted after our radiator hose busted right as we pulled up to the front door of the hotel. After some unsuccessful calls to AAA Dubai (no answer) and an additional few calls to the (wrong) numbers listed in the phone book, we decided that Josh would take a taxi over to the church this morning and the rest of us will stay at the hotel for the next few days while Josh and Calvin do Desert Challenge (a church youth camp that Calvin is attending and Josh is helping as staff).
It would seem that being stuck at a hotel for 3 days with 3 kids might be a trial, but not this hotel. Josh picked it because it was relatively near the church compound and because it advertised that it was part of a “green community” and from looking at Google Earth, he thought it looked nice because it’s situated on a man made lake and it looked like there were several trees and some grassy areas for the kids to play.
It turns out that not only are there huge stretches of grass, but there’s a giant park with acres and acres of grass, play structures, fountains, bridges, walking paths, etc. There’s also a waterfront restaurant row with tons of cafes, boutiques, and even Caleb’s favorite, the Yellow M.
Connected to the hotel is an upscale shopping center with clothing stores, Costa Coffee, a Whole Foodsish grocery store, book store, toy stores, and more. Not to mention all the restaurants, fitness center and pools here at the hotel.
The green part of the community isn’t just that there is a lot of green space, it’s green because people can walk or ride their bikes and take care of their daily activities and never have to get in a car. Perfect for those of us with busted radiators.
*** the one downside is that internet access is $25/day in the rooms and I’m not paying that. I can get free wi-fi in the lobby, but that means I have to rely on Caleb and Carter to “babysit” Camille while I try to check email or update my blog. So my grand plans to get my camping photos posted may have to be put off until we get back to civilization.