Safa Park - #AnimalTales #TimeTraveller #HDYGG

This week I have 1 blog post to cover 3 linkys and by no means am I cheating here, it's May in Dubai and Summer is here in almost full swing. For the next few months until November life is going to be spent indoors, I'm afraid the garden will become neglected, dog walking is already restricted to late at night and early mornings and as for travel, all I'll be exploring in Dubai is the inside of another Mall.

I have a trip to Canada in June/July so I can blog about all 3 links while I'm there and on my return, I'm sure the actual travel, photo's and a camping trip will give me many opportunities to blog. I'm just hoping that no bears are involved in Animal Tales, well not ones up close anyway.

Safa park is a short bus trip from where I live on the Al Wasl Road, which is the old name for Dubai. Due to constructtion of a canal joining Bur Dubai to the coast to create yet more shopping and luxury living, due to be completed in 2017, the roads are being refigured and the bus sped by leaving me with an unexpected walk back from the new stop and in this heat I wasn't over impressed.

The bus costs 6 dhs return, under a pound and entry to the park is 3 dhs. Inside it is well signposted, there are plenty of benches, shaded areas, prayer rooms and a woman and children only garden.

Some of the areas are now closed and access to others changes each time I go there with the ongoing canal work. It would be a good idea if these changes were noted at the gate for visitors and additional temporary sign posts erected, as the purpose of my visit was to visit The Archive, which not only was shut, but involved a treacherous walk over a ditch with help from the builders to get round to the other side of the path, I found a much easier route back.

There are some fantastic views in Safa Park and the trees provide plenty of shade, but be warned the temperature doesn't alter just because you're out of the sun. 

New planting is taking place everywhere and as usual I'm on catch up. I need to make sure I've a constant stream of new seedlings on the go ready to fill the gaps as other plants die.

The shrubs and bushes provide some lovely colours in a city of beige

There are numerous playgrounds, a football pitch and a floodlit basket ball court, Safa Park is open till 10pm and when we have visited in the evenings it has been full of people with BBQs and young children playing whilst parents sit and chat. 

There are also security guards patrolling day and evening.

There is also a boating lake and a funfair

I didn't take my Nikon camera with me as I knew I'd be outside all afternoon with no respite from the heat, in a previous trip to Death Valley in 2007 we learnt an expensive lesson when the camera failed to operate in temperatures over 45c as is warned in the instructions, but I did manage to catch a couple of pictures of these birds.

 Hoope

 Ducks

 Geese

 Squirrel 

Please feel free to enlighten me on the correct names for the above.

I have seen a crane of the feathered variety in Safa Park and various other birds that moved too quickly for my camera, hubby often says that the birds must combust with the heat on take off, but the more we look the more birds and wildlife we are seeing. There are camels around but a trip into the desert is required. 

So what's been going on at home in the meantime. Well in regards to travel I've been searching flights for my 20 yo who wants to visit South Africa in June and have a 2-3 stop over in Dubai on his way through. Hubby has booked 2 trips to Turkey and the States for work.

I've planted some more seeds for HDYGG and transplanted some flowers out of pots into the sand. We are considering moving the tomatoes out of the sun but that would mean moving them indoors, so we're currently monitoring the best place with minimum sun in the garden and at the moment they appear to be in the best place. I've removed the dead and weaker plants and moved them into the recycled water containers and put the bigger plants in their place. Time will tell if they survive.

We've been given a cool suit for Bob, just wet it down and put it on were the instructions, Bob spent the afternoon rolling in the sand trying to get it off.

One of these two has fleas, they've both been treated, all bedding has been washed, as has the dog and the cat has been banned from the bedroom.

Anyone fancy coming over and bathing the cat? I'll pay the airfare......lol

Over the next few weeks I plan a return trip to Miracle Gardens and the newly opened butterfly domes and to the aquarium at Dubai Mall, where again I will be combining the 3 linkys into 1 blog post.