Dubai, UAE: Driving a Desert Buggy in Lahbab, Sharjah

Call time was 8:30am and I felt sleepy as I was in the closing shift the previous day. We went to our meeting point near Al Fahidi Metro Station so we could begin our Hatta Mountain Safari tour. The first activity was seeing the desert sand dunes of Lahbab, Sharjah City.

I was informed that the location of our previous desert safari tour wasn’t as grand as the place we were to visit. I wasn’t expecting much, else I would regret it if they are not met later on.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Driving a Buggy Lahbab, Sharjah
April 30, 2013

safari desert dubai
ATV on the sand

desert dubai
looks fake eh?

Read more

Dubai, UAE: Swimming in Wadi Al Qahfi

After driving a desert buggy at the sand dunes of Sharjah, we got back inside the vehicle to proceed to Hatta. We were to get wet in a natural swimming pool in Wadi Al Qahfi (Khaffi). I didn’t expect much of the place as all I knew about the Middle East was it being a desert, but the natural pool intrigued me.

Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Swimming in Wadi (Valley) Al Qahfi
April 30, 2013

wadi quaffi dubai

Wadi Qaffi in the Hatta Mountains

The drive took awhile, but I was busy staring at the view of the landscape changing. From soft and sandy desert dunes to rough and mountainous rocks. I’m glad that we had the car all to ourselves as it felt like a private tour. Plus there’s lots of leg space! 🙂

hatta mountain dubai tour

driving in the mountain

Read more

First Time in an Emirates Airlines Boeing 777

I boarded an Emirates Airlines Boeing 777 plane on my way to Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It was my first time to ride a plane of that size. I became excited at the thought of riding a huge aircraft even if it meant spending 8 hours in the flight.

My Emirates Boeing 777 Experience

Emirates Airlines Boeing 777
Emirates Aircraft Boeing 777 from HK to DXB

During my backpacking adventure, an A320 or an ATR would suffice. But since the plane from Hong Kong to Dubai took longer than 4 hours, a bigger aircraft is truly necessary.

I didn’t know what to expect; so I was wide awake despite not getting much sleep the day before. At the boarding area, I was already taking photos of the Hong Kong airport. I recall the last time I visited this region of China, and the first time I felt when I landed on a foreign country.

headstand hong kong
at the HK International Airport

Read more

Blogging in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Whoa, never thought I wouldn’t be blogging for this long. It’s been awhile since I last updated this blogsite. I also haven’t been able to go online as much. My normal day to day Facebook activity has been totally lessened. This is a good thing because it made me realize that I don’t need to spend as much time on social media just looking at status messages when I’m on my laptop. I can actually do more productive tasks such as working on my other sites that need more attention.

I apologize for the absence, but I’ve been busy.
So what have I been doing lately? I am currently based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

dubai burj khalifa
Burj Khalifa, The Tallest Building in the World

I transferred due to personal reasons and I’m starting over by establishing new roots here. The past months haven’t been a walk in the park. I became one of the many thousands of Filipinos who are finding better opportunities in this desert city.

I can’t recall how many resumes I’ve sent and how few the responses were. Maybe I didn’t target the right employers. Still, I can say that I’ve done what the average Pinoy has in order to get a good start-up job; and it wasn’t easy at all.

dubai airport terminal
arriving in DXB

Read more