Bryce Canyon

After a couple weeks in the green part of California, we headed east to Utah to visit some friends and attend a wedding.  The beautiful orange colors reminded us a little of our current corner of the world.

But we'd never seen anything quite like Bryce Canyon, with its immense towers, arches, bridges -- and incredible swaths of lush, green forest.

Dubai Creek

Long before Burj Khalifa reared its glitzy, Armani-studded tower, Dubai was a regional trade hub. (For a sickeningly pretentious account of Dubai's current status as a global hub, see this op-ed.) In the 19th century, the British Empire regarded Dubai as the lynchpin for its middle eastern trade, and entered into an agreement to protect it from other imperial interests. Dhows from all over the region wound up in Dubai Creek, a salt-water meander that splits the city in two (it meanders at such a leisurely pace that Dubai's name, most people agree, derives from words meaning "to creep" or "locust").

Welcome to the Dubai Creek area circa 2013. (Some things have changed.)

The area remains a hub of sorts - certainly the hub of Dubai's hubbub, which is no mean feat. We were reminded of our fond encounters with Nepali traffic.

Others haven't changed much at all. Dhows still line the creek, and the sidewalks nearby are inundated with boxes - of vacuum cleaners, bicycles, flatscreen TVs, and other staples.

From the waterfront, Dubai's newer developments are just barely visible.

Near the banks of the creek on the Deira side you'll find a spice souq.... 

...some souqs about which guidebooks are curiously silent.....

....and (yes, really) a gold souq. Margaret's ring didn't quite fit in.

There was so much gold.

Window after window crammed with the yellow stuff.

We found specialty shops for every taste, filled (for example) with massive, unwearable rings shaped into frogs, snakes, and even (ugh) skulls.

Can't find the skull? Here he is, enjoying his Death Metal.

The glare out on the water was much more bearable (it was just the sun). We took a ride on an abra across the creek. (There are two prices for these rides. One, aimed at tourists, is priced at 120 AED. The other, for people who just want to cross the creek, is only one dirham). Nick sniffed out the deal immediately.

 The creek is full of boats, all making similar journeys.

And not to worry - crossing the creek does not necessitate saying goodbye to the souqs! On the other side of the creek is a textile souq, with the most aggressive vendors yet.

We emerged unscathed, and (remarkably) without any pashminas to show for our travails. Back on the water, Dubai was at its most peaceful.

But only for the length of the trip.

Our empty nest

It has been over a MONTH of living in a hotel. And though the hotel is dignified and such - it has a very grand lobby, and looks kind of like an MC Escher print from the elevator....

....we are so excited to move to our new house, a block away.

Which house, you ask? We are living in one of the blue towers on the right hand side. Doesn't look like a house, does it? It is a bit funny looking, we admit. At least one of our parents thinks that the architecture is absolutely hideous. But it has a Waitrose (yes, the Waitrose that gave us our groceries on trust) and ... a lot of jewelry stores. And we like it.

It is near our favorite camel burger joint....

....and across the street from the Corniche and our windsurfing/paddle board rental spot....

...and best of all, it has room for visitors, which isn't true of our current abode. Here is the guest room. It is the most furnished room in the whole house (the process of said furnishing was an epic cross-city adventure from which we are still recovering).



And here is where your breakfast gets cooked. No windows, but there is a washer-dryer and an ice maker - all the better to make smoothies!

 Based on our current habits, this is what you will get.



And this is our study/yoga room/mini-library. That's Coconut Island behind the two buildings.



And here is the bedroom. We haven't figured out how to cover the extremely creepy window from bathroom to bedroom (not pictured), but there's time....



And this is the future room of ping pong, movies, reading, and lounging of all kinds. Nick is happy because he can see Coconut Island from here. And I am happy because I can see the Emirates Palace helicopter pad. To each his own. We can also see a football field (not the American variety - poor Nick), the real palace (where the Sheikh lives), and Marina Mall.



We can't wait to settle down, play some ping pong, and get some bikes to hang on the wall like trophies. Nick's sister Katie has got us dreaming of indoor hammocks....and Margaret is contemplating electrical DIY projects to spoof the local chandeliers and testify to the glory of the mason jar....but those things may wait a while. In the meantime, come play!

De Young

We found another lovely spot above San Francisco this weekend at the De Young Museum's observation tower, after a run in Golden Gate Park. The tower is free, and boasts a tremendous 360 view of the city.

It's an easier climb to the 9th floor (100% elevator ride) than to the top of Twin Peaks...

...which is lucky for tired feet.