My day started with a quick visit to the US Embassy (I don’t mean the one with the golden arches). I was inside for maybe 5 minutes and left with a second passport. It’s only good for 2 years, but at least now I have something I can send away for visas. In the…
I was lucky enough to escape the desert for a few days. The rate at the Ritz Carlton was insane… 385 dirhams a night… It’s nearly impossible to stay at a 3 star hotel in the states for that. A few pictures from and of the room… …
Today I return to Abu Dhabi via Amsterdam on KLM’s new 787-9. They used to use the Queen of the Skies (747) on the Houston to Amsterdam route. Progress is not always a good thing. The benefit of the 787 for passengers is higher cabin pressure and humidity. Obviously the airlines like the fuel efficiency…
After work I had a wonderful dinner at Y. O. Ranch Steakhouse. For my starter I had Louie’s Venidon Rollups (bacon wrapped venison, jalapeno, and smoked mozzarella). It was amazing. For my main course I had a Bone-in filet mignon topped with roasted bone marrow and fresh herb compound butter. It was also…
I was lucky to enjoy the Houston Astros game from a suite. The game was actually exciting. The Astros scored 8 runs in the second inning which included a grand slam.
I stopped by the Gas Monkey Garage today out of curiosity. They had a few cars that were on the show. I did leave without buying one. I stopped at the Buc-ee’s on the way back to Houston…
I arrived in Dallas from Qatar today. I had a great dinner at the Five Sixty restaurant in the Reunion Tower tonight. I didn’t order the fish, but it was worthy of a photo.
My very long day started in the desert at 6:15 AM. We started driving to Muscat at 10:00. I arrived at the airport shortly after 2:00 PM. I had hoped to change my flight from 10:10 PM to 5:35 PM, but despite 3 attempts I failed and spent 8 hours in the airport. Still seemingly…
A few more pictures from the hotel.
I arrived at the hotel shortly before 2300 (11PM). I’m staying at the Grand Hyatt in Muscat. I have a city view room. There is a beach here. I might take advantage of that tomorrow.
I’m flying to Oman on Qatar Airways tonight. I enjoy flying Qatar Airways, their 777 has the best seating arrangement of all the airlines I’ve flown (2-2-2) and they give you pajamas to wear while sleeping. It’s amazing how much fresher you feel when you aren’t in the same clothes for 24 hours. …
I had a delicious dinner at the restaurant in the Reunion Tower tonight. This time I arrived early enough to capture some photos before the sun set.
I spent the day at the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. It is not very close to San Diego. They apparently don’t charge enough for admission because they charge $15 for parking. Luckily I took an Uber pool which didn’t cost much more than the parking. Be prepared to spend $$$ on food / drinks. …
In my search for activities I always try to find free things to do. The Timken Art Museum is free and is located in Balboa Park (near the Zoo). The Museum is small, but has a nice audio tour (luckily I brought my headphones). I wandered around the park which also has a cactus…
I spent the afternoon (about 6 hours) at the Maritime Museum in San Diego. The most interesting pieces of their collection was a Foxtrot Soviet attack submarine and a US scientific submarine (holds the record for deepest dive). There were a few other ships to walk through, including a ferry with a huge steam engine. …
Today I visited the famous San Diego Zoo. I probably enjoyed seeing the hippos run under the water the most, it’s hard to believe such large animals can move that fast.
I managed to visit the Midway museum this afternoon. …
I arrived shortly after 11 PM in San Diego. Luckily I was able to redeem my upgrade on United so I wasn’t stuck in a middle seat in economy for the 3.5 hour flight from Houston. I’m staying at the Residence Inn Downtown San Diego. It isn’t as fancy as the price would suggest….
Today I returned from the desert to Muscat via car. It’s a long ride, luckily I wasn’t driving.
Technically I will be in 3 countries today….Oman, UAE and USA. I’m flying to Abu Dhabi today from Oman. It is only a 1 hour flight. Then I am going to the US Embassy to a second passport. I visited the US Embassy…. It took all of 15 minutes to be…