Solitude #7

This is the park near where I live.  I discovered that there is a walk way around the park made of special materials like the ones they used on track ovals.  

Read more...

Scaffoldings

The traffic is so bad.  I wonder how long will this be.  The construction of the Dubai Metro is all around.  From my house to anywhere.  Scaffoldings and cranes are everywhere.

A lot of us are suffering from this traffic.  I sometimes cannot help but ask, "With all this traffic problems and sacrifices, would I still be here when the Dubai Metro finally serves us?

Read more...

Multi-Cultural

Read more...

Dubai Water Bus

The Dubai Water Bus, they call it. It's air-conditioned and the fare is AED 4.00.

On the reflection on its window, you can see the abras. That is also a boat that crosses the Dubai Creek. The fare is only AED 1.00. No aircon. But, the river does not smell yet, so it's okay to take the abras. Even the tourists prefer to take the abras against this.

Read more...

Toils #2

Read more...

Solitude #6

Read more...

Abras

Read more...

Sishas

Read more...

Creek Open Air Restos

The best time to enjoy this place is around January to March... well, April.  It's the time of the year when it's very relaxing to sit by the creek and enjoy good food.

Read more...

Creekside

Read more...

National Day

It's a non-working holiday here in Dubai. The National Day. This is the Al Ghurair City. This is one of those many malls here in Dubai.

Read more...

Busy

Read more...

Serenity #1

Read more...

Solitude #5

Read more...

Sunset #5

This was taken on the same street but on a different side. Another afternoon that I felt like walking. This time, I didn't need to meet someone. I am all by myself. This route is new to me. The last one was on the other side of the road. This side of the road takes me to a sort of a business place. They have Kentucky Fried Chicken just beside the petrol station (what they call what we call the gas station).

Read more...

Party Hats

Read more...

Sunset #4

Somewhere in Abu Dhabi Corniche.

Read more...

The Emirates Palace

Read more...

Somewhere in Abu Dhabi

This is actually somewhere outside the grounds of the Emirates Palace.  On the right of the photo, you can almost see the facade of the famous hotel.

Read more...

Sunset #3

I'm back here in Dubai. I flew in last November 17. This time, there were no hassles. I took the direct flight from the Philippines to Dubai by Emirates Airlines.

The weather was perfect for afternoon walks. There is a small mall just a few kilometers from where I live. The Al Bustan Mall. I was to meet an acquaintance I met at the Union Coop. On my way, I cannot resist to pause and take a shot of the sunset.

For some of them who's been here a while, it probably is a common thing. And it's nothing compared to our Manila Bay sunset. But still, sometimes everything reminds you of home and you just can't resist it.

Read more...

Waiting to board

Waiting to board.  Bound for Dubai.

Read more...

Cat In a Hat

Read more...

1968 Mustang GT

This is the first and only scale model that I was able to complete.  From the trees to its painting, I labored hard to make it look the way it is now.  I admit that there are some rough parts due to over sanding, but I'm still proud of how I was able to complete it from scratch.

Read more...

Brothers

Budoy and Sugar.  They're brothers.  Even in the way the sleep, it shows.

Read more...

Harrods Pen

Read more...

Desert Mosque

My boss probably noticed that I was homesick. It was a Friday and things were pretty laid back. He asked me if I wanted to go with the guys and drive up north. So, feeling a little low and done with my Friday chores, I took the opportunity.

It was a two-or-more hour ride within the sea of sands. The highway that cuts through from Dubai to Ras Al Kaimah was all sands. Somewhere in Ras Al Kaimah, I saw this mosque and it was around afternoon. I'm not sure if this is sunset already, but I just like the way it was set behind the mosque. I say this is a pretty cool shot while riding a car with the speed of about 50kph.

Read more...

Tables and Chairs

Read more...

Jebel Ali Pool

Read more...

Jebel Ali

The facade of the Jebel Ali Resort and Spa. The view is just awesome!

Read more...

Rest Area

This rest area should give you the view of the Greek ship.  This is where we stopped after the Kish Island cafeteria to take pictures of the Greek ship.

Read more...

Greek Ship

This Greek ship was said to have been stuck here in Kish Island since 1968. This is a boat they used to trade foods and all during those times. This is docked just a few meters away from the island cafeteria where we stopped. I wonder if, during earlier times, they provide tours inside the ship. I find it kind of eerie and reminded me very much of the movie, "Ghost Ship" which scared me to use the shower for a week. I had to rely to the dipper (tabo) until I got over with it.

The tour guide said that all efforts were made to try and sail the ship out of the island but all failed. So, the Greek government gave it as a gift to the people of the island and to date, it has become a tourist attraction.

Read more...

Solitude #4

This is the only table and chairs at the back of the Kish Island cafeteria. I wonder why there is only one set. The table and chairs even added to the state of solitude I felt of the cafeteria. The sunset even added to the melancholy.

I wonder if the island tour was set to this hour so we can enjoy this kind of sight. I checked out the the trips and the last one for the day was set to 4:30. If you happened to be there on the island, I suggest you take the island tour from the reception. And I strongly suggest that you take the 4:30 pm slot.

Read more...

Solitude #3

This is how it looks like at the back of the Kish Island cafeteria. There were rocks that extend a few meters from the shore, so you can even go 'closer to the sea.'

I was so thankful that I doled out the AED 10 fare for the trip. I was convincing those acquaintances I made while on the plane to take the tour, but they said they won't dole out the money. I understand, given the situation we were in. We just came to Dubai, with our visas expired and no job, we needed to exit to have our visas renewed.

We stretch the money we have because we don't know yet when we can go back to Dubai to continue looking for a job.

But when I finally see the pictures I took of the island tour, I know that these are worth more than the AED 10 I paid.

Read more...

Solitude #2

This is a seaside cafeteria at Kish Island. The island tour will take you here and you can have some chai and take pictures of the beautiful sea. We were around 20 who took the tour and the place was so serene. All we can hear was the sound of the waves smashing to the rocks of the shore.

This bed is normally used by the locales when they have their sishas. I wonderhow it looks like at night; how it feels like at night.

Read more...

Looking Up A Well

This is how it looks like from the well up.

This is taken from the Kariz Underground City (Kariz is the Urdu word for underground) in Kish Island, an island territory of Iran. It has an underground museum two hundred meters below ground. They developed this into a museum and you can see the wells from below like this one. There were more than a dozen of wells like this where the natives of Kish and other nearby places like Dubai (yes, Dubai) get some drinking water. During the ancient times, the Kariz is the only source of drinking water of these places.

Read more...

The Two Hotels

The Burj Al Arab and the Jumeirah Hotel as I saw it from the Mall of the Emirates. I am only 20 days old here in Dubai. My room mates and friends told me to go out and familiarize myself with the bus routes, the people, the streets... the mall.

At the MOE, I found my favorite ice cream, the Dairy Queen.

Read more...

Sunset #2

Somewhere in Ras Al Khor.  We were there to watch a free show sponsored by Smart Telecoms Philippines.  This is my first time ever to have gone this far from where I live since I came to Dubai.

Read more...

Looking Up #1

Before Dubai became what it is today, its source of income was merely on pearl diving. This room was supposed to make you feel like you are underwater. That's why when you look up, you can see a pearl diver hanging by his boat.

Read more...

Doors #2

Read more...

Doors #1

After you entered the museum, it will take you to an open space with artifacts that tell you about life in Dubai, before the buildings and all.

This shot was taken while I was about to enter the enclosed part of the museum.

Read more...

Sunset #1

I rode the abra again on my way back.  We went to the Deira side of the creek to see the place they call Naif.  It turned out that some of the shops are closed from 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm.  This is a customary practice here in this country, re-opening their shops and resuming their office after 4:00 pm and up until 8:00 pm.  This sunset caught my eye.  It kinda made me miss home and felt a little nostalgic.

Read more...

Minaret

This is along the Dubai Creek. I am not sure if this is a Hindu temple or a Muslim mosque. But from what I know that small tower, called a minaret, normally goes with a Muslim mosque. I heard that this area is the textile section of Bur Dubai where the Indians have many textile stores.

The trip across the creek will take you from Bur Dubai to Deira on the other side. The fare is only AED 1.00 and it's faster than taking a bus. Bus fare is AED 1.50 and will take about 30 to 45 minutes on the other side because of the traffic.

Read more...

Waiting for bus #12

My room mates told me that I was to take Bus #12 to take me to Bur Dubai.  This is the waiting area along Al Wasl Road.  I wanted to go to Satwa because my room mates told me that I could find a lot of internet shops on that place.  This was taken using my Nokia 3230 camera phone.

Read more...

A Sea of Cars and Villas

Taken from the 19th floor of one of the skyscrapers along Sheik Zayed Road.  I think this place would be Satwa, but I'm not really sure.  I'm only a few days old here in Dubai and I am still a little culture-shocked about the things I see.

Read more...

Toblerone Twin Towers

People from Dubai call these towers the Toblerone Towers.  But the truth is, this is the famous Emirates Towers.  This is also at the Sheik Zayed Road.

Read more...

Stop Over

My first time to ride a plane. My first time to fly out of the country, bound for Dubai. I have a four-hour stop-over at the Hong Kong International Airport. It became six hours because of the delays. The boarding gate was moved from one gate to another.

By the time, we boarded, we were delayed for another thirty minutes or so. This time because of zero visibility.

Read more...

Paragos

Read more...

Fruit of Life

Read more...

Nipa Hut

Read more...

Solitude #1

Read more...