Dubai and Oman

United Arab Emirates: Dubai

Oman: Muscat, 23.12.2012 - 04.01.2013
 

We are ready to travel again in order to escape the long cold and long night that are typical of Norway at this time of year, and we thought that Dubai and Oman would be great places to explore. We arrived in at two in the morning and thought that things would go fast, boy were we wrong, we lined up with everyone else but noticed that our line was moving very slow. Things were not just slow but we were almost the last out. But things did not stop there, after we picked up luggage I was suddenly chosen to X-ray my luggage to get out of the airport! Weird. Things could only get better, not, we hit every traffic light on the way to the hotel, which is only 10 minutes away, and traffic lights in Dubai take a long time. In the end after a lot of bla bla at the hotel it had taken us almost two hours to get to our room, but we did get a upgrade on our hotel room! ZZZZZZ.

 

 

After a late sleep in we decided to hang around the hotel so after breakfast we got comfortable in the sun, from our hotel we looked across the Dubai creek and further in the distance the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, surrounded by other skyscrapers. After sunning and swimming it was time to explore the area. Next door was a large shopping mall with lot's of cafes and restaurants, as it was also Christmas time there was plenty of extravagant Christmas decorations. While walking around we also found our hotel had one of those fancy swimming pools that are made out of glass so it looks like you are swimming in the air. In in the evening it was time to get out and about so we took a taxi to the old city Al Souk Al Kabir. After eating dinner in the old city we walked through the old city, which was very empty at night, where you get to see how the arciture was in the past before you pop out on the main street with loads of cars, flashing signs and people everywhere. As the night was still young we decided to take a walk around the mall area next door to see if we could find a nice sweet to top off evening meal. After enjoying our sweets we walked around a bit found out that in a short time the water show was going to start so we wait and the show started with blaring music and a interesting twist to the water. This water show used a water blower that shot out a fine mist where they project various pictures at different locations on Dubai Creek, very nice but very loud!

 

 

Waking to a foggy morning we were a bit worried but the fog slowly disappeared and by the time we stepped into the taxi things were looking better, Our taxi dropped us at the Dubai Mall, the world's largest mall. As it was early in the day the mall was not so crowded and after we passed the large aquarium (which was filled with lots sharks, rays and hundred of other fish) we came to our destination the entrance to the Burj Khalilfa. If you are in Dubai remember to book in advance on the Internet as the ride to the look out platform is usually fully booked at all times of the day. The elevator ride to the 124th floor is in two stages. Arriving at the 124th we were me by an amazing view out over Dubai and the surrounding area it seems to be always a bit hazy but the view was still good enough that you can get a good overall view.

There were a lot of people on the the 124th floor so once we had our fill of the beautiful view we joined the queue what we thought would be long wait to get back down. To our surprise a young lady steps out door in a little corridor and then quickly gathered about ten of us and we all proceeded down the corridor to the private elevator that normally take guest either to the hotel or to the top floors. Our first stop was on the floor where the restaurant is located for the hotel guests and the last stop was at the lobby of the of the hotel, we did not see a lot but it was very interesting to see a little of the other parts of the building that other did not see. We eventually arrived at the bottom and it was time to take a look at the huge fountain area that had nightly water, light and music shows and an even larger and spectacular New Year show with lots of fire works.

After a quick lunch at the base of the Burj Khalifa it was time to find a taxi this was not an easy task in the worlds larges Mall as they were not found in the front where we arrived they were to be found one level down in the garage. Next stop the Burj Al Arab (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burj_Al_Arab) well almost, we were dropped off at a very touristy area close to the hotel that was made to look like an old Arab shopping mall with lots of shops and restaurants surrounded by man made water ways, nice but touristy. After wondering around a bit we walked over to the Burj Al Arab where we stopped at the gate this was understandable as there were several buses there dropping off tourist to take picture and to matters worst it was the drop off area for a large water park. Enough if was time to get back to the hotel and rest a bit before Christmas dinner.

It was Christmas eve so it was time to try something difference and that would be Bateaux Dubai, a dinner cruise on Dubai Creek. We had heard about this dinner cruise from a friend and it sounded really good with a good chef from South Africa, a five course meal, live music, Santa hats (very important), welcome drink and a cruise. The boat was almost fully booked so there were lots people in a festive mood on board and they were not disappointed, we slowly moved up and down Dubai Creek while the different courses were served and we had time between the courses to step out on deck to enjoy the view and the peaceful evening. In the distance we could see the Burj Khalifa but the area around the Dubai Creek was full of life and lights, after a wonderful night on the boat we were once again back to the starting point and soon on our way back to the hotel.

After a late night we slept in a bit so after a late start it was time to organise our flight to Oman, you will probably ask yourself why we are doing this now? The answer is that Jorunn thought it would be great to take a bus so we could see the desert on the drive from Dubai to Muscat. When we asked at reception about buses to Muscat they thought we were crazy but in the end found out that there one bus company and you had to be there at 06:00, well before dinner we took a taxi there and getting lost we found the place. What we found was a tiny office with two large men sitting on a couch that was on it's last leg and behind the desk sat a large man in a dirty, not so white t-shirt. This felt weird as we were dressed in our fancy clothes for dinner, it all felt a bit shabby and cheap, we realized that a 6 hour bus trip wasn't that tempting, and in the end we decided to catch a flight, and got that booked.

Later that day we met up with a friend of Jorunn's that she had worked with earlier who now lives in Dubai with his wife and two children. Sameer picked us at the hotel and drove us to their home on the 18th floor of one Dubai's high rises where we met his wife and two children and had some tea and cakes before we left for Dubai Mall for dinner. We ate dinner at restaurant that served local food so we had a great meat while talking about life in Dubai which was hard as the restaurant was very busy and loud but in the end we were satisfied and it was time for the nightly water show. Now this was a water show, unlike the other water show we saw this one had many fountains with different coloured lights and pulses of water that shot high into the sky with blaring music in the back ground, fantastic show! The area in front of the fountain was packed with people and all the restaurat areas were full and if you looked to the right you could see the Burj Khalifa dressed in lights towering into the sky.

Time to move on so we packed up our things to get ready for our afternoon depart but we still had time for some time by the pool and a bit of lunch before heading off to the airport saying goodbye to Crowne Plaza and the large IKEA close to the hotel.

We arrived in Muscat in the evening so there was not a lot to see and getting out of the airport was quick and easy compared to Dubai, taxi's were just outside the door and there were fixed prices so there was no haggling over prises. We had a 40 minute ride to the hotel so the drive put the pedal to the metal for the first 15 minutes in a hairy ride before we hit the traffic at which the driver decides that its time for some entertainment and turns on a DVD with American wrestling on a little built in DVD player up front, with loud sound on so we asked him to turn it down. When the traffic started getting lighter and the speed was increasing but DVD was on and he watching it while driving so we told him to turn it off which he eventually did. We finally arrived at Oman Dive Centre which is set in a peaceful cove 20 minute or so south of Muscat with a big sandy beach and a big swimming area. Our room (hut) was pretty much farthest from the reception so we walked down the walkway along the beach surrounded by rocky hills that you could see in the moonlight. Our stay included breakfast and dinner and it was dinner time when we arrive it was time to taste the goods, to our surprise the food was excellent, which is not always the case with many buffets, after a short walk on the beach it was time for some rest.

 

Life's a beach so that's what we did, lay on the beach, we woke to the sounds hammering on the hill behind our room and found that they were preparing a area on top of the hill for some type of housing (we heard that it had been going on for to years) which at first was bothersome but after a while you became immune. Walking to breakfast we got our look over the cove with a fairly long sandy beach that was divide in two, one half for guests and the other for paying day tripper, after breakfast we spent the day in the sun and also took time out to do snorkeling where we saw a few fish and some coral areas but were surprised to see a small turtle swimming around among the corals. I checked in at the dive centre after lunch but to my disappointment I was told that there would be no diving for the next three days as a big storm was on the way. The storm started picking up that evening and to our surprise it started pouring down with rain and the wind was picking up speed, we managed to get to the restaurant without getting too wet and later the room as the storm picked up. The next day we woke up to an overcast and windy day and soon found out that the floating bridge out to the dive boat had broken and lay in pieces along the beach and a small cabin cruiser had sunk, what a way to wake up.

With no sun we decided to go to Muttrah Souq, which is one of the oldest market place in the Arab word, our friendly taxi driver took us on a 15 to 20 drive taking us past the royal place, a very large mosque and the countries government builds before we reached the old city of Muscat. Our taxi driver dropped use in the centre of town and even gave us a mobile phone to him to take us back to the hotel, nice surprise, it was grey and windy day and some things were closed as Friday is a day.Our first stop was at Muttrah, with the old markets with shops that carried anything from jewellery to spices and had beautiful coloured leaded glass in the ceiling at the intersections of the shopping streets. After orientating ourselves we walked along the seaside, the city was very different from Dubai and had a much more Arab feel to it, our first stop was at the local fish market which was very active and had lots of fishermen there showing off their catches and many were eager to buy. Next stop was the fruit and vegetable market, this area was not very large but still crowded so we did not spend a lot of time there. The museum was closed so we walked around a bit, had some lunch and later took a walk along the sea side which is well known and has lots of stone carvings, we also pass under the old stone fortress that sits high on the hill ove  looking the harbour reminding us of the way things use to be.

The sun came out the next day and things were much brighter, there was still a chill in the air but still warm enough to lay in the sun, after lunch I found out that the weather had calmed down enough that the boat would be going out so I could get at least two days of diving in, time to say hello to the fish! The next day I was up early and got my kit together while Jorunn slept in, we went south past the Shangra La Hotel (very fancy and expensive) and after about 15 minutes ride we reached our destination and it was time to get wet. The visibility was still not that good after the storm, but we  had 4 good dive at Purple Haze, Plug Point, the Wreck, and Cockleshell. Things to see: turtle, cowtail stingray, lot's of moray eels (I even got the chance to swim with a large honeycomb moray eel, the video is on YouTube) and lot's more.

Our last days were spent mostly laying in the sun but we did take the time to climb up the hills that overlook the coastline outside our little cove and the hike was well worth it as we got a spectacular of the surrounding area and we could see far into the distance up the coast. We spent Christmas in Dubai and now it was time for New Years Eve in Oman, we did not know  what to expect but there were many things happening that evening, even in the middle of nowhere. It started off with a fantastic buffet meal (I do not usually like buffet meals as they're not always that good but we were surprised again at the quality and variation of the food) and as we ate three large bonfires were lit and DJs were getting things starting on the dance floor spreed out in the sand. I had met a boy about 7 or 8 that stopped me after dive and asked me what I had seen and that evening we met again and I promised him I would show him my picture so he could see what is what I saw. At the table was mom, dad and two brothers so things took a little time. We stayed and talked until midnight (we found they work for IKEA! now that's the second time this trip with the IKEA connection, is this a sign?), now as I said earlier we were close to the Shangra La Hotel and that was a major plus as they put on a great fireworks show that lasted a pretty long time and it was amazing with big explosions with fantastic colours and designs. Sadly our time was up so after catching the last bit of sun it was time to head back to Dubai. One week without wifi was actually great !

We arrived back in Dubai in the late afternoon and this time we had booked a hotel (Holiday Inn) farther south this time, sadly right next to the motor way but we were one block from the metro (very spacey) and one block from the Mall of the Emirates, home of ski Dubai (yes you can ski in the desert if you really want to). From the top floor of the hotel we could see Burj Al Arab and a little further north The Palm Jumeirah, a man made archipelago in the shape of a palm that stretches out into the ocean and also houses a large hotel.

The next day it was time to see a bit more of Dubai and as the metro was so close we thought we would give a go as it go to the area we wanted to go, the metro is also much cheaper than a taxi but it is not very extensive and some of the stops are not really that close to where you want to go (for example: the stop for the Dubai Mall is a long walk over 10 minute through long corridors, but they are air conditioned, and then you have to walk around the world's biggest mall, so you should be in fairly good shape). First we set off to the Karama Market to have a look around as we had already done our shopping. It took a little bit to find and was not as nice as the markets in Muscat. There were small and winding streets and for me the shops were not very interesting, in the end we made it to the spice markets that sadly were closed that day and very few shops had open for the tourists. While walking through the spice market we were stopped by a man working in a local museum and asked if we would like to take a look (we were a little skeptical in the beginning), so we climbed the stairs and went into a small room where we were shown a short film and we surprise to fond out that we were sitting in the room where Dubai was planned and where all the papers were signed that started the building of the modern Dubai.

After departing the spice market we walked along Dubai Creek on our way to the Metro where we saw many boats that are still used to transports goods in the area and was a shape contrast to the tall office buildings and luxury hotels in the area. While walking we also noticed that there was a lot of activities on the creek as the creek was also used to ferry locals and tourists up and down the creek just like the old days.

After hopping on the Metro our next stop was the Dubai Mall (this is when we found out about the long walk from the Metro) first to have lunch and second to see the water fall and last to do the last bit of shopping. The water fall was worth coming back to as it starts from the top of the mall and falls 24 meter the fall is also 30 meters across and has numerous statues of divers that look like they are into the pool below.

That evening we walked to the Mall of Emirate as there were no interesting places to eat around the hotel. At this time the mall was even more crowded so we hurried along as fast as we could and finally found the Cheese Cake Factory where we were greeted by many staff members and after a short wait we were escorted to a table with a view of Ski Dubai (not funny or was it?). For those of you that do not what Ski Dubai is it's a indoor ski centre in the middle in the a mall in the the desert, how fun, but not for as this was a reminder of what we were flying home to the next day, yes it was time to go home and to dream of new adventures.

© 2013 Microsoft Terms Privacy Developers English (United States)

The USA, New York and Florida

USA: New York, St Augustine, Jacksonville, Crystal River 08.09.2012 - 22.09.2012

It's travel time again and we are off to New York (Manhattan) and later to St.Augustine in Florida to visit with my brother BJ and his wife Theresa. We arrive in New York on a rainy night and after 40 minutes of circling and an hour and a half in passport control we finally head off to Hotel 31 on 31st Street. In the morning we found out why we had to circle for so long, there were really bad thunder showers and even two small tornados in the area that caused a fair bit of damage. Jorunn was so hungry she had to get out at 6.15 AM the first day to get breakfast at a corner deli, and it was great to seee the area so early on a Sunday morning, way before the crowds started to fill the area around Empire State Building.

After breakfast it was time to explore the city so we packed for the day and headed to the Empire State building which was a few blocks up the street. The Empire State building is a beautiful classical building. After entering through the brass lined revolving door to step onto polished marble floors that lead us to the elevator to the 82nd floor where we walked up to the 86th floor as the elevators were full and we did not want to wait. It was very crowded when we arrived but soon found our way to the wall to see the beautiful view of Manhattan and the surrounding area.

It really was an amazing view, Manhattan is an island at the mouth of the Hudson river and is known for it's high risers, from our vantage point we saw in the distance Central park, on either side the river, on one side the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge and in the other direction forests of tall buildings and in the distance the Statue of Liberty , what a view. We also went to the top, the 102 ND floor where we could see a bit more out in the distance with less people but we were inside.

On this trip we decided once again to use the hop on hop off bus which drove around to all the areas we wanted to go, from the Empire State Building we drove past the Flatiron Building, a famous New York building that looks like a piece of cake. We passed Greenwich Village, Soho, Little Italy and then to China town where we stopped for dumplings.

After lunch we contniued the drive by Wall street where we saw the famous Wall street bull where there were many people taking pictures but the strange thing was that just as many people were taking pictures of the the front as the back where they would put there heads in his butt hole and then grab on to his balls and for the camera (they were some very shiny balls). We passed Battery Park , the gateway to the statue of Liberty , as we moved on we passed the old fish markets at South Street Seaport before driving under the Manhattan Bridge, through the East villlage and on to the U.N. Building.

After passing Rockefeller Center we were soon at Central Park where we got off the bus to walk around a bit and enjoy the warm day. Central park is very large so we only could see a bit of the park. The part we saw was filled with joggers, walkers, strollers and horse drawn carriages. After a sunny walk in the park we once again hopped on the bus passing Carnegie Hall and on to the lights and crowds of Time Square (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Times_Square). This was a amazing place filled will lights that flashed all around us and people everywhere, in the centre of this was a setting area where people could watch a short segment of a Broadway Musical, in the centre of it all was the naked cowboy (not really totally naked) where he stands every day year round. After an exciting day we rewarded ouselves with some New York cheese cake before heading back to the hotel, and our third room change, as we were going out for some real New York pizza. (I will not say a lot about the pizza but it was great and very filling so go try pizza at Lombardi's when in New York.

The next day we were still a little jet lagged, but ready for a new round of sightseeing, we hopped on the bus heading towards Harlem. On the way we passed the Lincoln centre before heading back towards Central Park to see where the rich and famous live also, and also where in Central Park the nannies take there children (how exciting! - not). We passed the natural history museum, St John's Cathedral and then the Washington Bridge before getting off in Harlem to walk around and have some lunch. At lunch we had a chat with a young soldier and got to hear his story about where he'd been stationed before heading off again. Harlem was an interesting place during the day, full of life with wide streets, musicians singing on the sidewalk and classical New York style buildings with metal fire escapes on the outside the buildings. Feeling a bit tired we took the subway back to the hotel to rest up before dinner. (A bit about the subways: they're noisy, old, hot while you wait, cold while you are riding, and confusing at first. After you figure out the system it's great but still noisy, hot, and cold at times.)

In the evening we headed out to the old meatpacking district and to eat dinner at the Spice Market, a really nice place with an Asian touch. The meatpacking district has become a very area trendy area with lot's of bars and restaurants and is changing every day as designer cloths stores move into the area.

We now had spent a fair time walking around Soho, Greenwich Village, Little Italy, Chinatown and doing some shopping so I thought it might be a good time to visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coney_Island, after hearing so much about it. We took the subway over the Manhattan Bridge and through Brooklyn (which was a pleasant area with small houses and lot's of charm) to the end stop of Coney Island. We had only a short walk before reaching the boardwalk but sadly things looked pretty closed but what can you expect when it's the end of season. As it was sunny and warm we decided to spend some time on the beach even if it was too cold to swim. We did take time to walk around a bit but there really was not a lot to see plus that rides and games were closed, but now we've been to Coney Island. On the way back to Manhattan on the subway we met a very smart pigeon that got on with us and ate his fill with food scrapes and three stops later flew out through the open doors (I think it was one of the cleanup crew).

It's a new day and time to head to Florida to visit with my brother and his wife. As we were getting used to the subway we lugged our big suitcases down the stairs for a fast ride to the airport (Jorunn somehow managed to get her suitcase caught in the turn still but eventually got it loose HA HA HA very funny, at least for me). As we landed the rains started (we were hoping they would stop as we had so much rain in Oslo this summer). We stepped outside and then it really started raining and it wasn't until we were halfway to St. Augustine that it stopped and the sun came out. It was dinner time so we stopped at a locally famous hickory smoked ribs place, with a big pig on the outside, and drove off to the beach where we sat on the soft, pearly, white sand, watched the waves and ate our food before heading back to the house.

We had a night of catching up and enjoying the warm evening and also taking time to get to know the dogs Max, Peaches and Jack. The next day we were off to the beach. On the short drive to the beach we passed over the inland waterway, this is a large body of water coming mostly from the Tolomato river that is separated from the ocean by long sand islands that continue down the coast for many kilometers, every once in a while inland waters run off into the ocean, and as it's mostly fresh water the surrounding area has lush green grass, trees and lot's of animal life.

We made it to the beach after a short drive but we still had a short walk ahead of us as there are beautiful sand dunes with patches of grass and shrubs where a number of different animal live (snakes, turtles, mice and birds). As we walked we saw a turtle and a snake before we reached the beach. The sand dunes are a protected area, and what a beach; white pearly sand that stretched for kilometers in both direction. With this long beach area there were no crowds at all but you have to be a little careful as cars are allowed to drive on the beach, some other fun things were that turtles lay eggs on these beaches so if you're lucky you can see that. The other thing is that while you're out swimming in the warm water (body surfing of course) you can see 5 to 10 Pelicans skimming the waves for looking for fish (plus other birds). One day we saw what we first thought was a dolphin in the waves, but after a while we realized that it was some sort of bigger shark, possibly a mako shark.

After some time on the beach (also I got burned, not bad, but enough) it was time to see something different so we drove a little farther down the coast to Washington Oaks National park , this was a very pretty area with large oak trees covered in Spanish Moss that hung from the tree limbs. As this area was originally a retirement home the house stood facing the inland waterway and was surrounded by gardens and ponds. The other part of the estate was on the beach side which had deposits of Coquina (used for building houses in the early days) and where we drove past land turtles eating the grass by the road side (a cheap lawnmower).

Next stop was St. Augustine city, the oldest continually occupied city in America, it has a large and a small stone fort. We took a walk on the bridge over the inland waterway where we were met by two large stone lions, on the right the fort itself to the left was a small park with a church and Flagler College in the background. We soon found ourselves walking int the centre of the old town which had original old buildings and some new but very tasteful buildings with lot's of shops and restaurants but my favorite was the fudge shop with lot's of mouthwatering fudge. After lunch by the old water wheel we did some shopping and saw some more of the old town and drove a little farther to a street with large trees on both sides and with lot's of Spanish moss hanging everywhere, very pretty but a little bit spooky. We drove for a while longer to see a bit more of the town as there were very pretty houses scattered around the area.

After a full day of sightseeing, shopping and looking around it was time for rest before dinner as we were off to Aunt Kate's , this is a nice family restaurant next to the inland waterway where food is good and the view over the water with all the birds and the beautiful sunset is gorgeous.

We also drove to Jacksonville for the day, checking out the Naval Air Staion Jacksonville, and we were happy to see a pod of dolphins in the waters outside the base. They were not scared off by the military. We also had a great lunch with fresh sea food that came in from fishing boats directly to the restaurant, a real treat !!!

It was time for a little road trip as we had heard that there are Manatees that you can go snorkelling with in Florida. We set off in the morning zig zaging our way across Florida, at first the roads were lined with tall pine trees so we did not see a lot but as we reached the halfway mark the trees gave way to rolling grassy hills with large horse ranches on either side but in the end we reached our destination Crystal River.

Since we arrived in the early afternoon we decided to rent a couple of kayaks so that we could see a bit more of the area and hopefully get to see some Manatees. We paddled out into the canal, there were houses in small canals on the left but forest and brush on the right. A little farther on we came to a small inlet that lead to a small waterway of crystal clear water as we paddle farther we arrived in a pool with crystal clear water that was truly amazing. We would later find out that this is one of the places the Manatees sleep and huddle together to keep warm during the winter months as this is where spring water comes out and it holds a pretty constant temperature.

As we paddled on we saw our first sign of manatees very briefly, this got our adrenalin going so we waited for a bit and with no results we decided to paddle out to one of the Buzzard island to see if we had some better luck. Sadly the water was not very clear but we kept on looking, then it happened, a nose appears out of the water with a loud exhale before it once again disappearing under the water. We saw many noses, backs and tails while in this area but not a whole Manatee.

There were a couple of fun things that happened to my brother BJ, the first was when a Manatee came up right next to his kayak and exhaled very loudly so that my brother almost fell out of his kayak and the second was when he was backpaddling and almost ran into a Manatee. After hanging around for a while seeing many noses and other body parts we paddled on around Buzzard island and with no more sightings we paddled back to where we rented our kayaks as it was time to find our hotel. After getting a little lost we found our hotel which was not far, the hotel was a bit run down but it had good food and a great view, it was also very pretty here and very quiet. After dinner we watched some of the local birds and the sunset and talked to some of the other tourists before heading back to the room to rest as the next day we were hoping to swim with a Manatee.

05:00 in the morning and it's time for breakfast as we had to get to the tour office by 06:00 for our briefing. The weather is not looking too good at the moment as there are large, heavy clouds outside and lighting which could mean no tour today. At the shop things were positive and we quickly received our briefing and dawned wet suits, got our cameras ready and we were off to the marina, upon arriving we meet our captain who had been studying Manatees for many years and was a wealth of information. 10 minutes later we saw our first Manatee but sadly one of them was tagged and when they are tagged they are either injured or being used for research meaning you have stay away from them. Another boat came so we moved a bit away to check some other areas but as the captain knew the Manatee habits we soon circled back and found that the two Manatees had separated so that we could get into the water.

Just our luck, we found our Manatee eating away at the surrounding sea grass that they love, we got very lucky and spent a fair bit of time with this Manatee and took a lot of pictures and videos. The water was very clear here. After a while the tagged Manatee came to join the crowd so it was time to get out of water and see if we could find some more Manatees, as we traveled on we found out that the water was not as clear so it was much harder to find the Manatees but the captain knew where to look and we soon sighted Manatees again. After a few false starts we came to where there were several Manatees. The first one was very large and to our surprise and delight we soon swam across a mother and a calf that swam right under me close enough to touch but sadly the water was too murky to take pictures but we will always have the picture in our minds.

After 3 hours of excitement on the water it was time to head back to the shop to get dried off and compare pictures and talk about what we had seen before we headed back to our hotel for a hot shower before we head back to St Augustine. Bad luck no shower when we got back they were repairing the pipes but lucky for us a half hour later a hot shower and then it was off to lunch. We just got to the restaurant the weather that had been threatening all morning moved in and the sky open up as we sat and watch the rain. We considered ourselves lucky with the weather as it rained almost the whole way back to St.Augustine.

The last days in St. Augustine were spent looking around the area and as much time on the beach as possible. We enjoyed evenings eating out and some at home eating, drinking and sometime plays games. So much great food in Florida: crab cakes, grouper, mahi mahi, alligator tail, key lime pie. One night we were invited to Theresa's Aunt and Uncle for dessert where we had a great time. Our time in Florida was over and it was time to pack up as it was time to head back to New York for a couple of day before we head home to Norway and like a sign of sadness as we entered the plane the rain began to fall.

The last days in New York were spent shopping and just walking around as we had done a lot of sightseeing earlier. We also had time to walk more than halfway over the Manhattan Bridge, a great place to see New York from. It was a great feeling to enjoy such a pulsating city with beautiful architecture and the places we have seen so many times in movies and on TV. We loved just sitting and talking in Central Park and stopping for an organic lunch in a great cafe on the Upper East Side on our last day in New York.

Videos from snorkelling with manatees

Mallorca, Spain

Spain: Mallorca, Cala d'Or, 26.05.2012 - 02.06.2012

Our next destination was sunny Mallorca as we needed a little break and some sunshine. We had a good and quick flight south to Mallorca and landed 10 minutes early but unfortunately that was the end of the smooth part of the trip. Now for the waiting part of trip, after first an hour and forty minutes wait at the airport and a hour and a half bus ride (also almost driving into one of the local harbours) we arrived in the town of Cala d'Or . Sadly things did not get better, once we got to our small room we found out that we were close to the stage and it sounded like were sitting in the front row. After changing rooms we finally got settled in for a good night sleep, then it happened again at 7:15 in the morning a maid opens the door and turns on the lights and after a bit heard that were people in the room, it can only get better and it did.

After a good breakfast we managed to get lost trying to find the beach which was only a couple of hundred meters away (we were pointed in the wrong direction), once we reached the beach we found a sandy small cove with beautiful clear blue water stretching passed the rocky walls out into the ocean. There were several other small coves in the area, one was the harbour and the others also had small sandy beaches but were closer to the city centre. The area around the hotel had lot's of touristy shops and restaurants which was good for lunch and to buy the small necessities but as so good for dinner.

We had done some research about where to eat so we hopped onto a small motorized train and drove around to the beaches around the yacht harbour and on to the city centre. We walked around the city centre for a while and looked in some of the small shops before heading back to the harbour area where there was lots of good food and a view (there were plenty of restaurants in the city centre too but they were very touristy and we wanted something a little bit different).

Life was not only a beach, having seen that the day tripper boat stopped right next to the beach we decided to take a half day tour to Porto Colom, a small town farther north up the coast. The boat was a large catamaran which stopped at a couple of places before we cruised up the coast. The sun was shining brightly as we watch the rugged coast line with small hidden coves with clear blue water and sandy beaches, we saw a few dive boats on the way but sad to say this was not a dive trip and we may not be diving until December.

After not too long we reached our destination, an inland harbour that sheltered fishing boats, lot's of sail and motor boats of all shapes and sizes. We walked around this sleepy town but there there was not a whole lot to see but it was nice to be out and about rather than just laying on the beach the whole time. After a long walk we had a delicious lunch before finding a place in the sun to wait for the boat. The trip back was even better as the captain entered some of the small coves on the way so we could see some more of the beautiful landscape.

Having seen so little of Mallorca we decided to rent a car to see a bit more. Our first stop was Palma de Mallorca where we walked down the beautiful tree lined streets, saw fountains, tourists in horse drawn carriages, towering cathedrals and grand old arctitecture. We meet one of Jorunns friends for lunch and then we all piled back into the car and after circling around the city a couple of times we found our way out and headed north.

Once out of the city we drove though dry flat country with rugged mountains on our left and farm lands to our right, after a little over an hour after driving up the windy road we reached our first stop at Formentor, which was a towering lookout high on the mountain side where rose from the blue water below us. This is great place to visit rather than just laying on the beach, there is a great beauty in these rugged mountains that should not be missed, sadly we did not have enough time to drive to the light house at the northerly tip of Mallorca. Before heading back we drove to the town of Alcudia, as we drove along the seaside we saw many parasailers powering thought the water driven by the force of the wind in the kites. We stopped in Alcudia at a beach side cafe for some dessert and checked out the beach before heading back to Palma and then back to Cala d'Or with very little problems.

A few more romantic dinners in the yacht harbour and some more time on the beach and it was time to get home Oslo to and cooler weather again. Happy travels!