Day 4: Arabian Adventures according to David. Amen.

Today marks the beginning of the end of our lazy days around the pool and villa beach. While we will have a little more time to do some lounging around, we (Lynda, Ashley, Dave, and Deidre) are feeling as though we have done enough "chillaxin'" and have to get down to business with the sight seeing. And even though I will be returning for a five day stay at the villa, I feel like this is my week to experience Dubai and see all of the sights.

To start off our five day wirlwind camaign of activities, sight seeing, and middle eastern experiences, we spent the most of the day today at Wild Wadi Water Park--an amusement park that runs on the theme of a cool dude named Juha and his friend Sinbad (the heroic sailor...not the socalled "comedian")! The park consists of eleven different rides that range in extremeness from mild (level 1) to extreme (level 4).

Upon arival through the gates of the park we were greeted with a simulated thunder shower, which consited of pouring raind and a large and powerful waterfall that increased in intensity as the storm continued and created a small rushing brook over the pathway that leads to the rides. It was quite an impressive effect. The rides were pretty fun too. They were mainly up hill water propelled rollercosters that required us to be seated on inflatable tubes. These rollercoster rides all emptied out into a lazy river that went all around the park and led to resurants, gushing fountains, or other rides. The jets for the rollercoster would launch you up the steep slide with enough force to easily remove, or at least partially remove, baithing suit bottoms. --A note to future visitros of Wild Wadi...wear a baithing suit that has a draw string or is at least one that is very secure because there were some extremely close calls. In fact, there was a moment in the wave pool in which a particular member of our group was hit with a wave so powerful that it knocked her baithingsuit bottoms down exposing her buttocks to a small group of 8-12 year old boys behind her. I don't know what was more hilarious, the fact that it happened or the non stop laughter of the boys. Embarrassing as it was, there is always joy and happiness that can be found in the laughter of children. Right Ashley?

Speaking of baithing suits, there was quite a mishmash of swimwear styles. For the men there was everything from capri style trunks that go from above the belly button to just above the ancles to speedos that do everything but cover the wearer's shame. For the women, the simwear ranged from berkinis that covered everything but the hands and face to something that appeared to be a little more than dental floss. I certainlly didn't expect to see thong bikinis there, as it is a primarily Muslim country, but I'd say the amount of skimpy style baithingsuits outnumbered the more conservative style by quite a bit.

The two favorite rides of the day were the Jumeirah Sceirah, which was pretty much a free fall at, supposedly, 80km/h for 33 metres...and resulted in quite the wedgie..., and the flowriders, which were the surfing rides where you pretty much just ride the intense flow of the jets on boogie bords. These rides had very long lineups but they were well worth the wait--the flowrider in particular. Once you got the hang of the flowrider surfing, the ride attendants would blow their wistles and give you a pose or a move to attempt while on the board. Deidre, Lynda, and I tried the flowrider ride, and I must say...for being first-timers we did very well. We got to do superman poses, sleepy poses, pushups, and knee riding. This ride was a bit of a spectator event, drawing in many onlookers who wanted to glimpse our displays of natural tallent. They were very positive, though, and cheered and wistled when we successfully struck a pose or did a move well. They also cheered and wisteled very loudly when we wiped out and were thrown 2-3 meters by the jets of water.

All in all I'd say it was a pretty awesome day. And I expect that there will be many more to come.

Cheers for now!

-Dave.