Podbury's Dubai visit - Christmas 2004

Please Click images to enlarge.

Gordon, Claire, Josh and Tim Podbury arrive early Christmas eve morning to help us celebrate Christmas and New Year. Christmas eve day we take a walk along Umm Sequeim beach adjacent to the Burj al Arab and Jumeirah beach hotel.

Christmas Day breakfast and us big boys do the matcho barbeque thing!

The McPods Christmas morning.

Christmas day afternoon and we took a leisurly walk along the Creek and into the textile souk.

Turkey Dinner followed by Claires mums home made Christmas Puddings - yummy!

Boxing Day and we hit the ice - Josh Ice-Skating

There goes Tim.

Torville and Dean eat your heart out.

Rain!! only happens a few times a year.

Still overcast,we headed to Big Red Sand dunes where we drove into the dunes for lunch.

A short break in the clouds when the sun came out

This was definately our coldest day (22degC) here in Dubai and the Pods were here to witness it bbbrrr!!!

This baby camel wanted to make a quick escape

Claire heading off on her quad

Managed to stop Josh just long enough to get a picture of him. Tim's just too quick.

We had to twist Gordons arm to get him to go but he did in the end!!! Yeah right!!!!

Pods with Big Red (sand dune)in the background

We went off on a wadi drive with N.Z friends the Possums with their trusty "Lemon", + Brit friends, Shawn and Carol with their Disco. Just to add a bit of excitement we managed to damage one of our tyres. The girls commented on how many blokes it takes to change a tyre!! Our Gallooper was then re-christened "Le Citron" which we decided was French for The Lemon. (Incidently - Does that mean all Citreons are Lemons?)

Stevie driving through the rocky dried up river bed of the wadi.

Lunch Stop, get that billy boiling Stevie.

The wadi was a little greener than usual because of the rain (well it is the desert so to us this is quite green!!) After lunch we all had a nice relaxing time exploring the Oasis and surrounding area.

Palm Trees and trucks

Le Citron, The Lemon and the Disco

Another self timer shot, guess who had a tripod for Christmas??

The road home

Time to check out the sun going down and boil up the billy again, another mince pie anyone??

We passed through Massafi on the way home and stopped at the Friday Market (open every day) Gordon and Claire got some arabic coffee pots to take home as gifts, Bruce couldn't resist buying a pottery arabic coffee pot (which unfortunately, when unloading the car, failed the drop test (but we better not mention that!!).

Cocktails at the Jumeriah Beach Hotel

We were there too.

Yep, the tripod came too!!

New Years Eve Day (!) and we went to Ghantoot, it was a wee bit nippy to go swimming, but Claire and Savie collected some pretty shells and Tim - well he collected this dead fish!!

Lazing on the beach (tripod!!) note how Steve and I both have fleeces on we've turned into right wimps eh??

Josh had already been buried by Savie so now it was her turn.

Claire and Gordon treated us to a very special dinner cruise up the creek (without a paddle) on New Years Eve, it'll be one to remember always - magical.

Claire wishing her folks back home a Happy New Year - Gordon thinking, what's this call going to cost?!

Illuminated dhow on the creek

Lorn and Claire

What a rough looking pair, good job we like em like that eh Claire??

And of course the Pod Boys

Munchin lunch at Wild Wadi water park.

First skating, now surfing is there any end to this man's talents?

Now Josh's turn, they both did really well, especially as there are quite a few people watching.

Sinbad??

The start of a real fun night at the Hard Rock Cafe.

Claire bought a "hard Rock" strap top and treated Lorn to one too, Gordon and Steve bought a t-shirt. So no, your eyes are not deceiving you, we are all matching - could start a band if only we could sing??

Yes of course we took the kids with us, d'ya think they'd have let us go to the Hard Rock Cafe without them?

So who parked the car on the ceiling?

Claire has Steve in an arm lock. No messing with this lady!

Watching the live band, we were up in the gallery, perfect view.

Watching the band on the stairs - The McCombe Girls

Catching the last few rays (or is it rains?) before heading home.

Claire didn't want to go home, so Gordon thought he'd see if he could get a job here as an Abra driver(water taxi).

What a fantastic Christmas and New Year. We were sad to see the Pods go home and could have done with another week.