4-day Inca Trail trek (Peru)

We really underestimated the difficulty of trekking the Inca Trail - and being at altitude made it much, much worse! The altitude affected us with headaches, tingling hands and feet, dizziness, feeling generally sick and exhausted.

The first day was 'easy' - going uphill, downhill, through small villages and on farmer's tracks. The scenery was breathtaking, although we were mainly too busy watching where our feet were going to really enjoy the full effect! The track was partly dirt, partly stones, partly steps. I always thought the Incas were little people, but some of their steps were huge! (how did they do it?).

Camp was set up by the porters. Even our lunch stops had a dining tent set up, and a 3-course meal, delicious. In the evening we were 2 to a tent and camped at designated campgrounds. What i was not expecting was so many other trekkers. Apparently they allow 200 trekkers PER DAY plus another 250 guides and porters. That's a hell of a lot of traffic on the trail.

Day 2 was very very tough: the first 5 hours were steadily uphill to an elevation of 4200m above sea level. I was struggling with dizziness and tingling hands and feet, it was exhausting, and also depressing to have to stop every 5m or so to get my breath back. I did not think I would make it...but I did. Another 2 hours of trekking downhill...down steep, uneven, stone steps. Thank GOD for my trekking poles!!

Overnight was quite cold, someone said it was -2C. I was just freezing, wore 2 sets of wool thermals to bed and was still cold. What a horrible sleep i had. Day 3 was a little easier, but I was just exhausted. I went to bed when we stopped after lunch, shivering and feeling horrible. I barely ate any lunch (and for anyone who knows me, THIS is a sure sign I am not well!!). I managed to get up for happy hour and it was a good thing too, the cook had baked a cake, and it was delicious.

In our group were 11 trekkers (Kiwi and Taiwanese couple, UK couple, Canadian couple, 2 19yo backpackers from the Netherlands, a Mexican/Dutch young backpacker, and us), a guide (Jimmy) and an assistant guide (Roland), and 13 porters and cook. The porters carry SO MUCH weight, it's unbelievable. Their packs are barely set up with proper straps and support, and on their feet they usually wear rubber sandals. Sometimes the ran on the trail, and we were always careful to keep out of their way. Just amazing.

The last day we got up at 4am to trek up to Sun Gate to see Machu Picchu at sunrise. Not sure where the sun was though, and it was a little bit of a letdown to arrive - so lovely (NOT) with heaps of other trekkers and guides, all snapping pictures and shouting congratulations to one another. Machu Picchu is quite beautiful but we did see quite a few other ruins along the trek, and the sheer amount of people at the site made it feel a little like Disneyland........

Sea lion interaction!!

Today was excellent. We hopped into the dinghies and went for a cruise around the island, saw some blue-footed boobies and lots of sea lions. In a small lagoon about 5 baby sea lions followed us, frolicking around the boat and swimming really fast…..then we went for a snorkel and found a spot with heaps of sea lions and we snorkelled with them for about an hour. The pups were so inquisitive and friendly, they would swim right up to my mask and look at me in the eyes, and at the last minute swerve to avoid crashing into me, then spin around and swim around me….oh my god it was the most beautiful thing I have ever experienced. Everyone loved it, and we only got out of the water when we had wrinkled prune skin and were getting chilled. The sea lions were so playful and graceful underwater. Sometimes they would pop their head out of the water like a periscope, and then quickly go underwater and around me. It was a bit freaky sometimes because it was hard to believe they were so curious and non-threatening. Loved it loved it loved it. The best wildlife interaction ever!!!!

Hard to believe we are off the boat tomorrow and flying to Peru. It has been the most amazingly wonderful experience here and lovely to live on the boat, with a wonderful guide and crew, delicious meals (roast turkey, mashed potato, green beans, carrots and cauliflower plus salad for dinner and a yummy cake for dessert), great company with Aussies and Americans. I recommend it to everyone!

Punto Suarez

Life on board the MY San Jose is wonderful. 15 passengers and 9 crew. The crew is so helpful and friendly, always making sure the dinghies are wiped down, the life jackets are stacked neatly. After a shore excursion was have cold drinks waiting for us (today, banana smoothies) or a snack like chicken empanadas. The meals are delicious, lots of veggies, sometimes soup and always a hot meal with dessert or fresh fruit. We have tried some Ecuadorian food like manioc and plantain. Our cabins are quite large, with 2 single beds, a desk/shelf and an ensuite with large shower and a wardrobe for extra clothing. The crew make our beds daily and make sure we have clean towels. They ring the bell when it’s mealtime, or excursion time. It is very stress-free and relaxing.

Today Mark and Ben were supposed to jump off the very top deck into the water. Mark chickened out (too many Chivas last night made him say silly things!!) but eventually Ben made the giant leap.

We went on a beach walk this morning and there were heaps of sea lions all over the place. You could step on one easily, they were everywhere. A little pup took a shine to Mark, it was beautiful. Later we went for a snorkel, apart from a black tipped reef shark there wasn’t much to see….except sea lions in the water!! Mark took a great pic of a sea lion underwater. After lunch and an afternoon rest, we jumped into the dinghies to go ashore at Punto Suarez. This was an EXCELLENT excursion. Upon landing we just about stepped on sea lions and marine iguanas. There is actually a great surf break here (Mark was excited). We did a 2hr walk around to the cliffs, rookeries and did lots of bird watching: blue-footed and nazca boobies, and waved albatross - I sat next to a waved albatross, he was 2 feet away from me and happy as can be. We watched a couple of them mating and just flying around overhead, including the tropic birds with their long, long tails.

San Cristobal Island

This morning we arrived at San Cristobal Island, had a long beach walk, saw oyster catchers, marine iguanas, sally lightfoot crabs, and lots of sea lions lounging around. Had some fun with my camera, taking jumping shots. Went for a snorkel afterwards, it was very relaxing.

Life on board is fantastic, the meals are wonderful, I love the salsa music Jeff puts on in the bar in the evening. We went into the town later, for a long hot walk (it is so humid!) and then cooled off with a couple of beers in a place along the port. Some of the group tried the very hot chillies that were growing in bushes surrounding..it was hilarious.

Happy hour went on even after dinner, for us anyway! We have met Ben, a young guy from Melbourne, who is a terrible influence on us…. It’s hard to believe we only have a couple of days left in the magnificent Galapagos Islands.

Puerto Ayora

Last night was fantastic, cruising along towards Puerto Ayora, watching common and bottle-nose dolphins, frigate birds, manta rays along the way. The starry night was incredible as well. We arrived into Puerto Ayora - home to around 19 000 people. The ‘harbour’ was not really in a sheltered area, heaps of other cruise boats, sailboats and lights.

Today we went into Puerto Ayora. There were fishermen cleaning fish and surrounded by pelicans and a seal, who were all waiting for scraps. It was quite funny to watch. Off to the Charles Darwin Conservation Centre we went, to look at Galapagos Tortoises. Mark and I went with Fabian, our guide, to the LAN office into town only to be told that his bag STILL had not arrived - it apparently was in Baltra, a couple of hours away……

Did a bit of souvenir shopping, had a lovely ice cream and headed back to the boat for lunch. In the afternoon we went to the highlands to see a cloud forest and tortoises. Everyone walked and crawled through a lava tube. Later we said our goodbyes to half the group, and enjoyed dinner and drinks back on the boat. It was good to see Puerto Ayora but we are looking forward to heading back out to sea at midnight.

AND: Mark’s luggage has finally arrived, 6 days later….fantastic! I will be writing to LAN to complain, but that’s another story.

Volcanic lava!

Today was an awesome excellent day…..we got up at 5am to go for a short hike to see if we could see turtles laying their eggs….we just missed them unfortunately, but this particular beach had a lot of washed-up rubbish on it (plastic) so we cleaned it up.

We then did a hike up to the lighthouse up a long boardwalk with many steps, the lava ash around it was amazingly different to see, that and the lava cactuses growing. The view was spectacular, overlooking islands, volcanic lava fields and blue ocean.

After breakfast we went snorkelling, saw a few rays, a fur seal sunning himself on a rock on the shoreline, heaps and heaps of baitfish. The incredible thing is, the baitfish did not get out of the way when you swam into them, they just surrounded you, as part of the baitfish ball. unbelievable.

We are loving being on the boat, it’s relaxing, our beds are made every morning, cabin cleaned, 3 meals plus snacks during the day. They use a bell to tell us when to get up, when to come for meals, when to go snorkelling. The crew always makes sure the dinghies are clean and dry, the life jackets stacked neatly, ready for use. They all do a wonderful job. The islands are just beautiful and the landscape diverse.

Tomorrow….maybe just maybe Mark’s luggage will turn up in Santa Cruz. I am not counting on it but it would be a nice surprise. He was wearing my Teva sandals on the lava field walk, and the soles came off (the extreme heat??). Will be nice if he is able to wear his own stuff again!!

Galapagos marine life

This morning we were awoken at 0530 by the bell ringing. Jumped into the dinghies and went to shore to explore Rabida Island….we came across marine iguanas for the first time, they looked very camouflaged on the vocanic rocks!! Very spiky and numerous. You could just about step on them accidentally. Lots of Sally Lightfoot crabs, great orange colour. We snuck up on the sea lions swimming and sleeping in a deep rocky pool near the shoreline. Dolphins were out from the shore.

We came back for breakfast at 0800 and at 1030 went for a snorkel. Mark was lucky enough to witness a fur seal swimming past him underwater. We saw a few turtles and lots of fish.

I had a few naps today in the shade on the boat, watched sharks and rays swimming around the boat, and had a great time trying (unsuccessfully) to photograph birds diving down to get baitfish, and watching a seal mum and pup frolicking on the beach.

Later, another snorkel. I was surrounded by baitfish, it was amazing. Saw a whitetip reef shark below, and witnessed birds diving down into the baitfish school to have lunch. It is truly amazing to swim with fish who don’t swim away from you, you are part of their environment.

We cannot believe the amazing scenery, red/brown sand and rocks, black volcanic sand and rocks, crystal clear water, cactuses growing from volcanic rocky outcrops, wow!! On our late afternoon walk we saw a gorgeous very pink flamingo digging for crill in a lagoon on the beach. A few giant starfish washed up on shore. Happy hour and dinner were lovely and relaxing. Early to bed as a 5am start in the morning.

Off to the Galapagos Islands

Today was a long and eventful day. Mark’s luggage, of course, did not arrive this morning. We spent quite a while running around and speaking to the LAN office. Anyway. We have decided to assume we will never see his bag again and move on. We hopped on the plane and off to the Galapagos Islands we went. It surprised me that the plane was actually quite large, 3 seats each side, and full. The flight from Quito to Baltra took just under 2 hours. Upon first view, the whole area looks enormous. So 2 things I had not expected!!

The airport is small and chaotic. You must get your passport stamped and pay a $100 fee. There were a few market stalls around the back, and we got Mark a hat, a couple of tshirts and a pair of shorts he can swim in. Then, jumped on a bus and drove down to the bay where the MY San Jose was awaiting us. On the small jetty we were surprised by a sleek, glossy, black fur seal, and another seal, just lying on the stairway…plus a sea iguana sunning on the corner. Amazing to see these creatures so unafraid of humans!!

First impressions of the MY San Jose, it is a big boat, similar in size to what I worked on in the Great Barrier Reef - apparently is licensed for 32 passengers but only takes 16...heaps of room! Every room has twin beds and an ensuite, all cabins above sea level, and stretch from side to side, so if you open the windows a great breeze flows through. Mark and I are in room 5, on the top deck just behind the wheelhouse. We had a delicious lunch of salad (shredded red cabbage, tomato), pasta and tomato/vegetable sauce. For dessert, lovely plump bananas drizzled with chocolate sauce.

Later in the afternoon we hopped onto 2 dinghies and went over to a mangrove lagoon to see some blue-footed boobies and other birds, also some turtles and rays. There is wildlife everywhere…just fantastic. Our guide, Fabian, is very knowledgeable and speaks English very well. The boat crew is about 6 people - they don’t speak to the passengers much, I think they are unsure of their language skills and so choose not to associate with us much.

Dinner, baked fish, potatoes, green beans/carrots and salad. For dessert, baked apples with a blackberry sauce…..mark and I finished up with a cup of tea on the top deck, watching sharks and fish splash around in the lit water surrounding the boat… wow… First impressions: YAY I’m so glad I’m here!!

Quito, Ecuador: the next day

We are feeling a bit rugged this morning, less than 5 hours sleep, and more than a little stressed about the missing luggage. I’ve got our local tour company onto the issue, they are contacting LAN later this morning. We went for a wander around the neighbourhood. I just had my camera around my neck, but after first a cab driver calling to me out his window, saying be careful! And a shop keeper also warning me about the camera being too obvious, I got a little paranoid. I guess it’s better to carry it in a bag from now on. I got a few nice pics though, a bunch of men walking to work, they looked like labourers, wearing great hats. Also a little kiosk, you find them all over, selling magazines, lollies and drinks.

We found a bunch of shops just in case we have to stock up for Mark: undies, board shorts and an outdoor wear shop. I hope it doesn’t get to that point but shops are open till around 7pm so we have a bit of time. We are back in bed now, trying to rest up and catch up on some sleep.

Update: we gave up trying to contact LAN by phone and went back to the airport this afternoon. They say that Mark’s bag is on tonight’s flight, but they won’t deliver it to us. So we have to go back again to the airport tonight to hopefully get it…fingers crossed. We met the other members of our Galapagos cruise, a mixed bunch of mostly Aussies but a few Americans as well. We leave tomorrow morning for the Islands and we hope that Mark’s bag will be joining us!!

The Missing Luggage

We are feeling a bit rugged this morning, less than 5 hours sleep, and more than a little stressed about the missing luggage. I’ve got our local tour company onto the issue, they are contacting LAN later this morning. We went for a wander around the neighbourhood. I just had my camera around my neck, but after first a cab driver calling to me out his window, saying be careful! And a shop keeper also warning me about the camera being too obvious, I got a little paranoid. I guess it’s better to carry it in a bag from now on. I got a few nice pics though, a bunch of men walking to work, they looked like labourers, wearing great hats. Also a little kiosk, you find them all over, selling magazines, lollies and drinks.

We found a bunch of shops just in case we have to stock up for Mark: undies, board shorts and an outdoor wear shop. I hope it doesn’t get to that point but shops are open till around 7pm so we have a bit of time. We are back in bed now, trying to rest up and catch up on some sleep.

Update: we gave up trying to contact LAN by phone and went back to the airport this afternoon. They say that Mark’s bag is on tonight’s flight, but they won’t deliver it to us. So we have to go back again to the airport tonight to hopefully get it…fingers crossed. We met the other members of our Galapagos cruise, a mixed bunch of mostly Aussies but a few Americans as well. We leave tomorrow morning for the Islands and we hope that Mark’s bag will be joining us!!

My Spanish cracks me up...it's so bad but i'm trying hard and i won't give up. Sometimes it's all too hard, but i am determined. Some of the hotel staff are lovely, and give me gentle corrections. It's the most frustrating for me when I know what i want to say but i can't think of a major word in the sentence...grrrr......

Quito, Ecuador

We have arrived in Quito, Ecuador. It’s been a long journey from Australia, and Mark’s luggage has not joined us. Last time we saw his backpack was in Brisbane. I’m trying to be positive and hope that LAN can find his bag and get it sent to us before we depart for the Galapagos Islands at 8am tomorrow morning.

LAN was an interesting airline to fly. They have old planes which rattle, terrible food and a distinct lack of vegetables in their meal trays. At least we enjoyed tiny chocolate Easter eggs at every meal!

From Sydney to Santiago (via Auckland) I watched several good films in Spanish with English subtitles. I was trying to get used to listening to Spanish being spoken. Actually, I have made a big attempt to practice my Spanish every step of the way, with the flight attendants, shop assistants and anyone else I can think of. The challenging thing is that people speak very quickly, so it takes me a minute to decipher what they are saying. Then another minute for me to figure out how to say what I want to say back. Persistence will get me through. I am determined not to let my tutor Carlos, down!!

Quito is 2800 metres above sea level, and it is quite cool here, when it’s not raining. Today we have a free day and initially I had hoped to wander around town, take some pictures and explore. In reality we will be chasing the airline to find Mark’s bag as it has everything he needs for this trip, trekking gear, clothing, toiletries and so on. We may have to spend the afternoon shopping for clothes and things for him instead.

Last night we finally got to the hotel quite late, around 11pm. I had researched the hotel before the trip and found they have 24hr room service. The prices are astounding! I had Lomo de Cerdo - filetes de cerdo al grille con pico de gallo, legumbres salteads y ensalada verde - grilled pork with pico de gallo, sautéed vegetables and a mixed salad including half an avocado. Mark had una pechuga de pollo al grille sin salsa -grilled chicken breast with 2 helpings of ‘papas fritas’ (hot chips) and we shared a local beer. Total, including room service charge was $23. Now tell me that’s not fantastic!

South America, here we come!

Leaving on our trip in 10 hours..it's a long journey: we drive to Brisbane Airport (1 hour), then fly to Sydney (1.5hrs), then jump onto a LAN Chile flight to Santiago, via Auckland NZ...that's more than 16 hours.

Then, we fly to Quito, Ecuador via Guyaquil...another 7 hours. We arrive in Quito (if all goes well) around 9pm that same day. The next day is a free day to relax, chill out, explore Quito and acclimatise to the high altitude. The hotel will have oxygen tanks available should we need them. HA!!!

The next morning we are flying to the Galapagos Islands, off the coast of Ecuador and beginning an 8-day cruise on the MY San Jose, with max.16 passengers and 9 crew. I can't wait to practice my Spanish!!

Christchurch/Wanaka/Queenstown Woo Hoo!

Campervan with children: we are having a great, if not cramped and sometimes exhausting time. We started in Christchurch with the Antarctic Museum - went on a few Haggelund rides, got frozen in the Arctic chill room, checked out the ice, watched blue penguins at feeding time. It was a really good start for all of us. The next morning we drove mostly all day long and ended up in Wanaka at Puzzling World, they had a huge maze and illusion rooms which were fantastic.

Next morning we drove down to Queenstown, the views were amazing, even though there was not a lot of snow up top anymore. We based ourselves at Queenstown for a couple of nights, wandered around the lovely little town, looked at shops, bought some souvenirs and I had my much-anticipated Fergburger (the best hamburgers ever!!). We took the Skyline Gondola up to the top of the mountain right in town and had some great rides on the luge. We surprised them with a visit to the Minus Five Ice Bar and had drinks out of glasses made of ice. The kids loved it! We had a hilarious experience at Underwater World which I cannot really explain here. I think it may go down in history as one of those funny family stories that only we can understand!! I can’t believe the weather here, it’s almost 20C during the day and sunny, a big difference to our first week on the west and north coasts…..

Today we went on the Skippers Canyon jet boat ride, heaps of thrills and very very cold wind, plus driving in a 4WD bus over narrow and windy roads. Great views. Later we took a drive out to the old mining village of Arrowtown and tried our luck panning for gold (which would have been helpful, seeing the amount of money spent so far). Tomorrow we are heading for the East Coast to see some albatross and seals!!

Rainy hike and sunny sea kayak in Kaikoura

The view from our campervan last night was fantastic (snow capped mountains)! However, we woke up this morning to rain and more rain. I was being quite optimistic and thought we should push on and do the 3hr hike around the Kaikoura Peninsula…..oh my god we were soaked within 5 minutes and it never got better….we had a severe case of the crankies when we finished, plus we were freezing cold and soaked to the bone. Then we had an hour to dry off, find dry clothes and voila! The sun came out! We crammed a sandwich down and went off on our afternoon sea kayak tour, which was fantastic. We had a small group, just us, our guide and 3 Irish girls. We paddled around the rocks and the point, and watched the fur seals sunning themselves, watching us! and swimming. On our way back to the beach, the sky blackened and we got massive thunder and lightning. While packing up the sea kayaks, we were soaked again……we are staying in Kaikoura tonight, doing some washing and drying our clothes, and then heading down to Hanmer Springs tomorrow…..what a day!

Kaikoura's baby seals :)

After much debate (due to weather conditions, driving time etc) we decided against backtracking to Abel Tasman National Park (this will have to wait until we come to the South Island again!! They have great 3-4 day treks here!), we headed over to Picton via a very very very windy, narrow, but scenic! route. All through the mountains to Queen Charlotte Sound, where there is a lovely ferry harbour and town. We took full advantage of the rare sunshine and enjoyed fish & chips on the harbour front. Then, on to Kaikoura, the MOST AMAZING town!! Oh. My. God. What a gorgeous scenic drive down the coast: snow-capped mountains, turquoise ocean, black sand beaches…..wow. I can’t say enough about this incredible place. We stopped a few times so I could get my wildlife kick and watch the NZ fur seals playing in the ocean and lounging on the rocks. Later we did a short walk up to a waterfall where - believe me, it’s incredible - baby seal pups swim up the creek from the beach and play in the waterfall lagoon while their mums feed. They are just ADORABLE and I can’t believe you can just walk up to the waterfall and enjoy watching them, for free and without fence guards or anything. I was just mesmerised. Tomorrow we are off on a 2.5hr walk around the point, the lighthouse and to watch MORE SEALS!!!! Then if weather is cooperating, we will be doing a sea kayak all afternoon to see the seals feeding on octopus and other exciting things. What a wonderful day. I love New Zealand!

NZ fur seals and wild coastal scenery!

Greymouth was windy and rainy and cold. We did, however, wake up to sunshine - even if it was short-lived. We drove the amazing coastal road up north and it was rugged and wild. Stopping off in Punakaiki to see the pancake rocks and the loud blowholes was pretty spectacular. Later we stopped near Westport to see a small NZ fur-seal colony, they were just adorable! Breeding season is next month so I imagine lots more fur seals to come…..I just love seeing wildlife. Apart from those 2 special non-rainy moments in our day, it pretty much rained the whole time. We are over it! And drove to Nelson. Tomorrow heading up to Abel Tasman National Park to see if we can do a few walks, or a sea kayak.

Fox Glacier heli-hike, NZ

Spending the night near Franz Josef village, it was freezing cold and pouring with rain, not to mention cloudy. I seriously doubted the possibility of our heli-hike at Fox Glacier down the road the next morning. It was touch-and-go but we did manage to get onto the helicopter and fly into the Fox Glacier, land the chopper, and do a 2-3hr hike around the glacier. It was amazing! There had been snow during the night and the glacier was covered in about a foot of snow, which made it more difficult for the guides to navigate our way around. But they did a fantastic job and we loved every minute! We wore crampons on our boots for extra grip, and used a trekking pole to gauge the depth of the snow in front of our steps. Sometimes the pole went straight through with no bottom in sight! Luckily the guide, Passang always went first. He had been guiding at Fox for five years, and spent a few months each year leading treks around Mt Everest. He was great. The conditions were changing constantly, from sunny and cool to freezing, windy, hail and snow and cloudy. We had our thermals on and we were good. This has been the most spectacular day, I’m stoked we did this. When the sky was clear, it was SO clear and crisp, and the views are just stunning. Yay for Fox Glacier! It’s a shame the weather is so crap on this western coast of the south island of NZ because the scenery is spectacular. We are now in Grey mouth (windy rainy coastal town) and will head up north tomorrow.

Not-so-sunny NZ!

Leaving Christchurch in our SAM Mercedes 6-berth luxury campervan for the West Coast, we were happily driving along in the sunshine and enjoying the magnificent views of the Alps, towering, majestic and snow covered (WOW!). Along the way, heaps of sheep and baby sheep!! And alpacas and cows and baby cows! Sadly, the closer we got to the Alps, the more it rained, and rained, and rained. It was very reminiscent of our adventure last year on the North Island, where it rained, and rained, and rained. We were hoping to do a few short walks at Arthur’s Pass, but the weather was wild. Instead I tried to at least get a photo of the Arthur’s Pass train station (we got in trouble for driving too close to the tracks). It was a long 7-hour day of driving with a few short stops to get to our destination: Franz Josef. Tomorrow we are booked on a heli-hike 28kms further at the Fox Glacier. Although the rain has stopped for the moment, the cloud is hanging over and we can’t even see the views of the mountains. We don’t know if we are going to be able to fly in the morning due to all the cloud and inclement weather…..up early and we’ll see what happens! Am loving being in NZ again, however I must protest the ridiculous internet rates at the holiday parks. WiFi should be free for goodness sake - at the very least, free if you have your own laptop!! P.S. it is fricking FREEZING!

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Dubai has changed a lot in the 2 years since I last visited. Many more buildings, more hotels, more skyscrapers, and the new Dubai Mall with over 1200 shops! And the Burj Khalifa - the tallest building in the world. It was hot and humid too, the temperature was in the 40Cs during the day and in the high 30Cs at night. There is so much to do here. We went out the Arabian Desert, ‘dune bashing’ in a 4WD and having dinner at a desert camp. Very touristy but being out in the desert was a lot of fun (kind of the same sick feeling you get on a roller coaster). For accommodation, this time I stayed in 5-star luxury which was fabulous. I can handle average accommodation but after the low budget accommodation for 2 weeks in Morocco I loved the luxury! People say that Dubai is an expensive city, and I suppose that although this may be true, especially when purchasing alcohol, any city can be expensive if you make it so. We spent a lot of time in the shopping malls (air conditioning was fantastic) and there was plenty of choice for eating out there, from the fast-food outlets (which were comparable to home price-wise) to decent restaurants and high-class places. You get what you pay for! It is fascinating to see the Arab men dressed in white robes and head coverings, their robes are just crisp and spotless and they look fantastic! ( I would hate to be the one doing all that laundry, starching and pressing). The Arab women dress in black robes and burkas, so only their eyes are visible. This is a little off-putting as you can’t see their facial expressions or anything. Very different. The women’s robes are somehow stylish and elegant, some are embroidered with silver or gold thread, sequins, very classy and flowing beautifully. The Arab women are huge shoppers: jewellery, designer clothing and handbags and shoes, which they wear at home. There is a lot of money here, evident by the ever-present Lamborghinis, Porsches, Audis, BMWs, Rolls-Royces and so on. The new metro system (under construction 2yrs ago) needed a try-out. Unfortunately no-one has much information about it and it was very confusing! Some of the stations, although constructed, are not in use yet. But it is fast, clean, and efficient. I loved Dubai the last time, and loved it this time too. Can’t wait to visit here again. They have a massive 5-year plan in the works, building the biggest/tallest/brightest/most expensive things in the world. I have often heard horror stories about slave labour, poor working conditions, 3yr old Indian children being 'bought' for use as camel jockeys (as recently as a few years ago). I have not seen this part of Dubai, only the good stuff.