Mainstream

This morning I received a google news highlight saying "you've shown interest in bidets..." and there was an article about the ecological friendliness of bidets... I think this google alert is only because I've watched the Kristen Wiig and Zach Galifianakis SNL sketch quite a few times-- nosy Google!

Saturday Night Live comedy sketch about bidets.

But truly, I am interested in being ecologically conscious, especially water conscious because I live in the desert. Water desalination is expensive and we tend to overuse every resource here in Dubai... In college many of my peers took a semester or a year to work on a Kibbutz commune and came back with the idea that you don't flush unnecessarily, makes sense.

Here we don't use as much toilet paper, I have adopted the habit of not throwing paper in the toilet, *most* of the time I will throw paper in the waste bin.. This is all personal and not something people speak about in general. My colleague at Zayed University who teaches science told me that that using water in the bathroom is definitely better for the disposal system than using paper... I think it is indelicate to tell people exactly when I use paper and when I don't, but perhaps this conversation should become more mainstream. Pun intended.

I have reduced the amount of times per day I flush here in the UAE. The article I read this morning was focusing on the use of bidet, claiming that using a bidet will reduce the amount of showering, I disagree. I want to conserve water as much as the next gal who lives in the desert, but I shower briefly in the morning and take a bath at night.

First, let me clarify that we have a bathroom hose in all bathrooms here in the UAE, thank god. It is so refreshing and is required for Muslim law. When I am in countries that do not have this, I feel not at home... When my mother returned to the US from her month-long visit in Dubai, she had a bathroom hose installed at the house, which the plumber calls a "Cuban bidet." At my apartment I have a European bidet, which I typically use just to wash my feet. I will always need paper, and now I am becoming accustomed to the water option. Hopefully not over-sharing, but women have a real need for this on a monthly basis. Trust me-- I cannot survive without this hose now, it is so refreshing.

More people should talk about how we can work to save water. It seems that we are not yet actively working to reduce water, but that needs to be put on the world agenda soon, because we are tapping all of our natural resources more each year.

Something to think about, and though I am not shy, I would rather not discuss in person. I know this conversation needs to become mainstream.

Bidet hose, found in all UAE bathrooms. Ecologically friendly and refreshing, especially on hot days.

50 km Mothers Day Bike Ride

On this, American Mother's Day, I honored Ma Wood by taking a 50 kilometer bike ride. Mom always encourages me to do anything I want to do, I owe it to her for most of my boldness. Sometimes it's not the best choice to be fearless and impulsive, but I have more good memories than regrets. I always think of Ma Wood's encouragement and taking on a big adventure today is a great way to be with mom in spirit, even if I can't be with her in Virginia.

The Trek bike shop in Al Qadra is 30 minutes into the desert from Dubai and has decent road bikes for rent-- 90 AED/ $30 for a half day. This includes a helmet, headlights and an uncomfortable saddle. You know what they say about a 50km bike ride, a clear mind and a sore crotch...

Beginning of the 50km loop

The paved pathways are just beautiful, on the far side of the loop the open desert is silent and pristine. There are covered pavilions to stop and eat or drink and watch the sunset. I began at 6:00p.m., the sun set around 7:15p.m. and I was finished by 9:00p.m. On the side of the loop closer to the bike rental shop there are more trees, cars, a bridle trail and things that smell very fragrant, such as bushes. On the deep desert side there are no sounds and no smells and less light pollution; a nice place to rest in the dunes. In the dark night, with bright stars above, I disturbed a couple of little oryx who were hiding in the shrubs at different points and it was really cute to see them bounce away. I feel bad that I disturbed them, but they were so cute running off into the desert.

The Al Qudra paths have various lengths, I've done part of the 50km in the daytime before, but doing it at night is much better because it's cooler and the sun isn't beating down on you. This evening it wasn't too hot and there were few others on the path until after the sunset. It was a really good atmosphere, with serious cyclists speeding by me, making me jealous. I plan to do this once a month, inshallah, hopefully. 

I want to give a Mother's Day shout-out to my friend from junior high school Christie Bynum-Fogel. I was thinking of her, because she and I really went places on our bikes! You know that amazing summer feeling of going anywhere you want on your bike? Freeeeeee. Gurrrl. Christie has two daughters now! I'm sure those gals will have strong adventurous spirits like their mom. 

Lost highway, about one-third along.

One more shout to my hubby Erik, I realize he has mended both of my favorite adventure backpacks, this means so much to me! The one I used today, which holds my camel bac water pouch, he sewed the strap back together. I have a new travel backpack now and it hasn't been broken yet, but when it does and it needs mending, I bet he will mend it for me with great skill and care. If you feel attached to your backpack, then you know what this means.

OK one final shout-out, to Melvin the dog. Hoooooooowwwwwooooo!!!!!

She may be in heaven, but she's in my heart for all my outdoor adventures.

Gotta go call mom now! She was at IHOP eating pancakes, like mom should be on Mothers Day.

Eating and shopping weekend in Istanbul

I'm told that Turkey has a rich history, but I'm saving that for another visit... Just kidding. This is my third visit to Istanbul and I have never gone outside the city-- I know! Erik and I went to the Basilica Cistern and those places on another visit. I plan to go to Cappadocia one day to take one of the famous hot air balloon rides... There are many other sites in Turkey I would like to visit when I have the time... Green mountains and blue beaches...

Istanbul, currently a city of about 20 million people.

During this recent two day visit with my friend Aicha we toured the 15th century opulent Topkapi Palace, home to Ottoman sultans, and really enjoyed the rich history of the Sultanahmet area.. But we also enjoyed the epic restaurant and shopping experiences that are one of a kind. Turkish food is fresh, delicious and at reasonable prices.

Friday breaktime on a terrace overlooking historic Sultanahmet.

We had a visit to the Cemberlitas Hamam for a traditional Turkish steam, bath and scrub, from a naked lady we cannot communicate with. This is a required awkward experience in Turkey.
One other awkward experience was at the Troya Hotel, where I have stayed several times before. This hotel has become a location where a lot of people are staying during medical tourism. Nearby our hotel must be a hair transplant place, and all the other people at our lovely rooftop breakfast had bloody bandages on their heads. A little funny in retrospect, but a little horrifying at the time.. I saw a look on Aicha's face, then I met the place she was looking.. We thought the first couple of guys might have been in a car accident or something, but then we noticed the headbands they were wearing said something about the clinic they were at. It kind of turned our stomaches and we ate breakfast elsewhere. Aicha even had a weird nightmare about sharing a pillow with one of the bloody bandage guys... Though I'm happy that these guys will feel better about their hair, and I'm happy for Turkey to be able to get this income, I don't think I can recommend this hotel anymore, unless you are getting your hair transplanted... Both Aicha and I have sexy husbands with no hair on their heads, so it's a little hard to understand the time, pain and expense these dudes are going to... We ate breakfast nearby at the historic Pera Palace Hotel, which was not a bad compensation. Others to enjoy this hotel are Kemal Ataturk, founder of modern day Turkey; Agatha Christie, British mystery novelist and author of "Murder on the Orient Express"; last but not least American writer Ernest Hemingway, who I am sure had a wonderful bender in the Pera neighborhood, because that area is a lot of fun.

Lobby lounge at the historic Pera Palace Hotel, a stop on the Orient Express.

Among rugs, tiles and other art dealers, there was a leather craftsman, from whom Aicha purchased some original handbags and a cute passport holder. Next door to that place I got several gorgeous tulip design tapestries from a very charming guy named Juma, and it was on a Friday! Juma means Friday, serendipity...

You will not find original designs for such good prices anywhere else! The Turkish fashion boutiques we found were near the Galata Tower area. Thankfully the line was too long to go to the top of the tower, so we were forced to try on all the cute dresses at Nes nearby. We both left carrying several bags...

Everyone was so friendly and despite rain in the forecast, the weather was awesome. It was a bit cool, but only rained for about 10 minutes once during our trip. We got the chance to buy these cool clear umbrellas for $5 each. Even that was fun! Go hang out in Istanbul sometime, and plan on buying extra luggage during your visit so you can haul away some treasures.

Dress from Nes

We were literally singing in the rain!

Sharjah Biennial - Contemporary Art Exhibition

One of the seven Emirates of the United Arab Emirates, Sharjah is an overlooked gem. The Heart of Sharjah contains many galleries, museums and other exhibit spaces.
There are 16 official museums listed on the Sharjah Museums homepage. Many of these spaces were transformed and presented awesome contemporary art from all over the world for the biennial exhibition.

I am very lucky to be a part of the Dubai Natural History Group which organized a bus and a tour of the various locations where the biennial exhibition was held. Sharjah is only 20 minutes from my place in Dubai, but it's a confusing place to get around, so a bus tour is ideal for touring the museums.

Here is a glimpse of some of what we saw.

Courtyard of Al Hamriyah Studios

Sculpture by Jon Rafman

I look forward to checking this out again in 2019!

Dutch Museumkaart

Always practical, the Museumkaart is now offered to tourists for 30 days, for €60. You can visit many museums throughout Holland and you often benefit from the price of the card by the third or forth museum visit. It's easy to visit 3 or 4 museums in one day! Here is some updated information about which museums are included: 
http://www.amsterdam.info/museums/museumkaart/ 
My recent trip started by meeting up with my mom and our longtime friend June, who are taking a cruise down the Rhine, starting in Amsterdam, ending in Basel Switzerland. I was lucky enough to get to tour Keukenhoff Gardens in full bloom with them!

Keukenhof, the worlds largest tulip gardens. Lisse, Netherlands.

June and Sheryl, tearing up Keukenhof!

Keukenhof, the worlds largest tulip gardens. Lisse, Netherlands.

Fields of tulips, near Amsterdam.

Erik arrived the afternoon of my second day and we celebrated with an Indonesian Rice Table, "Rijsttafel," a huge feast of the best food from Indonesia. This time we ate at The Indonesian Kitchen, which was a much more cozy setting than Kartkia, where we first tried Rijsttafel. The place was full of Dutch people, friends and neighbors enjoying an elegant, delicious meal. We were lucky to get to chat with some very nice guys and the really lovely staff.

Rijsttafel from Indonesian Kitchen, Amsterdam 

Rijsttafel from Indonesian Kitchen, Amsterdam 

Rijsttafel from Indonesian Kitchen, Amsterdam

Back to the Museums of Holland.. The Dutch are amazing for utilizing their wealth to build a civilization such as they have today. Great buildings, holding great museums, and a sustaining culture of the arts... I think everyone should visit the Netherlands someday to catch a glimpse of how these intelligent people live! To be open to everyone, and to do business with everyone, is a good strategy. This is what Dubai is doing currently and I hope will become the Amsterdam of the Middle East, to maintain a sustainable society based on tolerance and good trading practices.

We began our museum tour in Amsterdam with the Amsterdam Museum, which exhibits a history of the city as well as artwork. This was my second visit and it's always awesome.
Then Rembrant's House, which is more than Rembrants home and great master works... There are contemporary interpretations of his work and legacy, as well as exhibits showing how the medical drawings and anatomy research was done. Very cool!!!
Honestly, what happens on all travel adventures with my husband, we go on a history death march and he took me to so many places, I cannot remember them all... I know we visited a few more places in Amsterdam, but since it was a few days ago and it was Amsterdam, I cannot remember!
We attempted to visit the Hortus Botanical Gardens, but it was 5 minutes to closing, so we were not allowed in. Next time, inshallah.
We travelled outside of Amsterdam for the first time-- and visited The Hague for a couple of days!
The M.C. Escher museum was first on The Hague agenda and did not disappoint. This great mind created so many optical illusion woodprints, drawings and paintings, it was truly astounding.  M.C. Escher was not included in the Museumkaart, but it was well worth the €9.
I had no idea what we would see in The Hague, there was a dizzying amount of priceless artwork, which was just so overwhelming... In addition to the beauty of the city, we were just rolling around this town in pure bliss.. It was quite cold for me, 15C/50F.. I felt frozen, but I would easily do it again...

I've always been happy to just wander the streets of old European cities, there is great architecture, canals and people watching to behold in Amsterdam. The morning of our departure to The Hague by train, we asked the server in the restaurant if The Hague is as beautiful as Amsterdam.. She said no, The Hague is not exceptionally beautiful... Since The Hague is gorgeous and constantly sparkling with the light reflected off the canals, we decided that the Dutch take beauty for granted, since they have so much of it around them... I guess you don't realize that The Hague is pretty until you have visited the rust belt cities of the U.S....

We began our first full day in The Hague at the Mauritshuis and I really didn't know what I was in for. This collection blew me away and reminded me of the Donna Tart novel The Goldfinch... If you have read this book, you know what I mean.  Beautiful paintings that make you start to feel greedy and want to own them.... I saw many works of Vermeer... The Girl with the Pearl Earring and so many stunning works of art.

The Hague Municipal Museum sounds stodgy but is definitely not.. This is a great city, full of world treasures and they are exhibited here accordingly. This is another place included in the Museumkaart deal, the Gemeente Museum of The Hague is not to be missed.  These museums are all very close to each other, that is how we managed to go to 6 museums in the Hague in one day.
The Literature Museum had an awesome portrait exhibit of many of the great Dutch writers, we also received a free book with all the portraits and short biography of each author. The book is in Dutch, but it is beautiful and I'm happy to have it. There is also a children's book museum-- it looked and sounded like a lot of fun, but was alas, full of children. Kinderboekenmuseum, what a great name.

Last but not least, the Mesdag Collection. Husband and wife, both exceptional artists themselves and lifelong collectors, buying over 1200 pieces of art over their lifetimes... The collections they have exhibited in two separate museums in The Hague are astounding. One more thing to mention is The Panorama on view at the top of a house with wonderful lighting. I had never seen such a thing-- it truly looked as if you are looking out the windows of an upper floor and seeing a 360 view of a panoramic beach, sea, and nature landscape.

That's only about the official museums of two cities in the Netherlands... There are also many other private galleries and on-going exhibits. The view from the ferris wheel in Dam Square was something else and I was mesmerized by this small carnival... Then there is the food... I could go on and on about Holland, I will probably continue to visit regularly for the rest of my life.

Dumbulla, Kandy, and CMB, Sri Lanka 2/2

We got to the top of Sirigiya and saw the remaining foundations of this ancient rock fortress. Imagine you live in a place 3000 years ago that has gardens and pools that you and 500 of your closest friends stayed in, at the top of a steep rock cliff? The guide told us there were 500 concubines living there, but I like to think they were a group of besties who liked to chill out all day and dance all night.. If you think of it that way, it sounds like fun to me...

Pool atop the Lion Rock fortress of Sirigiya.

Monia and I ambled back down the hill and said goodbye to our tour guide, Siri was excellent. Our driver gave us cold towels and cold water and we spent a few minutes recovering while he drove us to the Dumbulla caves. These are ancient caves that have lots of rock sculpted buddhas and al fresco cave paintings. Really gorgeous.

Nirvana buddha in the Dumballa caves.

We let our hair down that afternoon, getting massages and having a fun dinner and drinks in several of the Kundalma Hotel restaurants.
In the morning, Monia and I travelled on to Kandy, which is a well known resort city. There we checked in to the Cinnamon Citadel resort and then embarked on our first tuk-tuk ride! It's hard to believe that neither of us has ever rode in a tuk-tuk-- but Kandy is the place! I got to drive the tuk-tuk back home later-- I don't know why he let me drive his tuk-tuk, but Monia nearly died of a heart attack. It was really fun for me though!!!

Cinnamon Citadel Hotel in Kandy

This guy let me drive the tuk tuk!!!

In Kandy we walked around the beautiful dam lake that looked like a European city. We stopped in the mall and bought more t-shirts and tea. We toured the Museum of World Buddhism. We saw a traditional cultural dance performance. We ran into the Swiss ladies that are cycling around Sri Lanka, we met them at the Kundalama Hotel the previous day. I shared pics I took of them when I saw them cycling on the road. I also ran into Sam, a student that I knew from working at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke back in 2010. Small world!

Kandy Lake

Sri Lankan thali at the Empire Cafe

Near the Queens Hotel is one of the better restaurants of Kandy, though the menu seemed catered for tourists.. We were happy with the food. Empire Cafe probably used to be more authentic, but our waiter was nice and we enjoyed the atmosphere.

Our worst car ride was the way out of the mountains to the airport hotel, which was our last day in Sri Lanka. It was three hours in hot, smelly, dangerous traffic. We got to stop at a spice garden and see lots of things like chocolate, cinnamon, pepper, vanilla, etc. growing in it's natural environment. I bought a bunch of tea, oils, spices and gifts, like a good tourist. But the few hours in the car really did us in..
When we arrived at our cruddy hotel near the airport we were both pretty deflated. City Hub hotel is trying, but there is no spa and nothing to do.. We had about 12 hours before we had to go to the airport for our flight back to Dubai, and I usually prefer to stay near the airport for many reasons, but this was not a good choice in this instance.
If I were to redo anything about this trip it would have been to stay the last night at the Jetwing Lagoon hotel in Negombo, even though it is a little further away. We were so bored for those 12 hours and neither of us even slept more than a nap! Oh well, I can't complain about this wonderful trip. We had a good time goofing off in the airport before the flight and both rested on the Emirates flight back to Dubai. Monia's cute boyfriend picked her up too! I was very happy about this visit to Sri Lanka and hope to go back again sometime soon! End of Sri Lanka report. Next trip: Amsterdam.

EK 651 to CMB to DXB

Negombo, Kandalma, Sigiriya, Sri Lanka -Part 1/2

During this spring break period I travelled to Kiev one weekend and around Sri Lanka for another longer weekend-- leaving Thursday, returning on Monday.

My friend Monia is an architect here in Dubai, we met in Arabic class. She is an Italian chick, very fun and good to travel with!
We arrived around 8p.m. in Colombo and spent one night at a beach resort in Negombo, a short drive from the airport. The Jetwing Lagoon Resort was lovely! We had an outdoor bathroom, which is so nice! Here is a selfie I snapped after a bath with the sound rain falling... It looks like a proper ceiling, but it is just a small part, all four sides of the bathroom are open air with rock floor to drain off the rain. The benefit is fresh air and bird noises while you shower and brush your teeth!

Open air bathrooms are a big thing in Southeast Asia.

Among many great things about the Jetwing Lagoon is the al fresco dining, beach access, Sri Lanka's longest pool and luxurious spa offerings. Monia and I had massages before our long and exciting car ride to the next location.

Sri Lanka's longest pool.

Our next spot was Heritance Kandalama Hotel in Dambulla, about 3 hours from Negombo. We arranged a car and driver with the Jetwings concierge and were lucky to have such a friendly and skilled driver to introduce us to the terrifying roads and traffic up into the mountains. He pointed out the coconut plantations and rice paddies, things I wouldn't have noticed on my own.
The drive was well worth the risk of the roads because the eco-resort we were to spend the next two nights was absolutely amazing... This having views from every spot, even from the bathtub.

View from the bathroom at Kandalama Hotel.

Fresh air.

This monkey on our balcony knocked some things off the side,
which were saved by hotel staff.

The design is such that the resort is built right into the mountainside jungle, disrupting nature as little as possible. There were monkeys in the groves right outside our room and several wanted to come in and visit with us.









I have a library coworker who is from Sri Lanka and he directed me to this hotel and I very much appreciate it! The place is heaven on earth and wasn't expensive. There are two pools with awesome views, one pool is built right into the natural rock. There are two or three restaurants and bars, all with a nice atmosphere. A full spa with these breathtaking views.. The hotel also easily arranged our tours and transportation, they know what they are doing at the Kandalama Hotel. More about the tours in a minute.





Probably my favorite part of any trip is meeting new people and finding out about their food. Kind of like reading a cultural encyclopedia, but in 3-D. The people of Sri Lanka are very kind and their food is very tasty! It is fresh fresh fresh and plentiful! I love lots of spice and flavor and they have it.. Here are a few things that my coworker told me to try: hoppers? I was worried it was going to be alive or something, but it is pretty much a crepe with an egg and spicy chutney inside. I had one for breakfast and wish I could eat this everyday for breakfast. A pancake and an egg in one!

Hopper: crepe, egg and chutney.

Another thing I loved was also breakfast food, the "Herbal Porridge." Sort of split pea soup, with other green vegetables broth and some grains, probably rice. A very nutritious way to start the day. I imagine that people will soon become hip to this concoction and it will be as popular as the kale craze... I'm going to try to make it at home. 

The fish curry was everywhere too, so fresh and delicious. I must have eaten some sort of grilled spicy fish at every meal. Yum!

Grilled fish in there.

Breakfast soup.

Monkey momma.

On to the main event! Hiking Sigiriya. We arranged for an 8a.m. pick up time and were at the base of the mountain by 8:30a.m. Our driver even packed cold water and cold cloths for after the trek. Our driver put us in touch with a knowledgable guide who explained all the history we were laying eyes on along the way.

Beginning of the hike.

 Our hiking destination. Sigirya from the hotel pool.

Sigirya means Lion Rock and it is an ancient fortress with an irrigation system complete with reflecting pools and historically a fantastic lion mouth entrance. We have a picture by one of the remaining lion paws.. It was quite a climb up... I cannot imagine how amazing the polished granite mirror walls would be to the people seeing this 3000 years ago, if they could even make their way in... I took us a couple hours to get up and down and no one was trying to keep us out.
End of "part one."

At the foot of the steep ascent.

The last scramble to the pinnacle.

Cold Kiev

Kiev, Ukraine is a five hour flight from Dubai, United Arab Emirates and Ukraine Airlines offered a reasonable price, so I visited this beautiful old city for a three day weekend. I arrived early on Friday and left on Sunday night, which was enough time for me to explore the capital city.

The food and architecture was the best and made the whole visit worthwhile. The weather was too cold for me though, I thought late March would be warmer, but it was mostly around 6 Celsius or 43 Fahrenheit, which felt like punishment to my blood that is acclimated to Arabian warmth...

St Volodymyr's Cathedral

I spent most of Friday drinking coffee to escape the chill and the coffee is very good! Lots of coffee shops to visit, each with unique character. 35 hryvia will get you a very nice latte and that is about $1.35. I will admit I mostly ate and drank my way through Kiev.

View from the Small Talk cafe.

Savory "varenyky" dumplings, like pierogi.

Cherry and cheese, sweet varenyky.

On Saturday I took a sightseeing tour bus which left from Independence square and drove by the historic sights in about an hour and a half. This is definitely the best sightseeing bus tour price I've ever had-- only $7.
The historic Jewish district looked really interesting, but I didn't get to explore there at all. Golda Meir the fourth prime minister of Israel hails from this neighborhood.
I intended to visit a museum or art gallery, of which the city has many. But I never made it in time and the line was too long for the Pinchuk Art Center, for which several people recommended I visit. http://pinchukartcentre.org/en/ Maybe next time?
The Opera hotel was the only splurge, but was worth it. It is a beautiful old historic hotel with a spa. Great location and really felt Ukrainian.

Historic Opera Hotel, a very good location.

Would I go back to the Ukraine? Definitely. I love Eastern Europe, the food, the people, the charm. Compared to Budapest or Prague, Kiev didn't seem as developed for tourists, though there was definitely high end retail and lots of people ready to speak English. I liked that the city wasn't overwhelmed with other tourists at this time, but that could be because of the Crimea issue. I wish for the Ukrainian people that things settle down peacefully there and Kiev stays a vibrant city.

Al fresco serenade.

St Andrew's church