The Palm Jumeriah - Atlantis Hotel and new apartments.

Can you get anything more iconic than the Burj Khalifa, Burj Al Arab and the Atlantis Palm?

As you know I'm documenting the changes in Dubai by photographing the construction projects here. Often I find it difficult to return to the same spot to get the same photo angle. I was planning on getting these shots from the sea to make before, during and after comparisons, but sadly it's too hot to be outdoors on a ferry for any length of time at the moment so you'll have to make do with photos taken from the Pointe when we visited for lunch last week and a photo of the Palm taken from the air a couple of years ago.

Luxury apartments, part of the Atlantis Hotel to the left of the Water Park.

The Palm from the air

Visit The Lost Chambers Aquarium, Atlantis Palm, Dubai.

I've visited the Aquarium at Dubai Mall on numerous occasions so thought I'd take my mother to explore The Lost Chambers Aquarium at the Atlantis on the Palm using the Entertainer 2 for 1 vouchers, when she visited in December. Entry to the Aquarium and the adjoining Aquaventure, water park, are free if you're a guest at the hotel, check their website out for offers, there's free entry to the water park during your birthday week.

We took a drive around the Palm to see the view, which is stunning, before entering the Aquarium. I really recommend you do this if you get the chance. Turn right at the top of The Palm to view the Marina.

 Whilst the aquarium was stunning, it had nothing on the one at the Dubai Mall and I was slightly disappointed with the lack of information on the type of fish we were looking at.

Whilst lots of photos were taken we weren't in there very long. We didn't do a behind the scenes tour which involved an additional cost, but from now on I'll get my fish fix elsewhere.

We finished the visit with a walk along the Broadwalk and had dinner at Bob's. Ironically a fish and chip bar. There are some fantastic restaurants and coffee shops inside

I find watching fish very relaxing, even the photo's. Don't you?

105 My Sunday Photo January 1st 2017 - D is for Disappointment.

Dubai is growing quickly. This is our 3rd New Year here. Our 3rd night on the beach to watch the fireworks go off from the Burj Khalifa, Burj Al Arab and the Atlantis Hotel.

I have been thoroughly spoilt living in Dubai, I have come to expect a certain standard of living, we can't afford the 'high' life, but we do sample what we can and when we can.

Every year in Dubai the New Year has just got bigger and better. 2014 we spent on the beach at JBR. The area was still not fully open and there were around 2000 people on the beach, last year some 20,000. 2015 we set up camp on the beach at the bottom of our road and watched the fireworks go off everywhere, including a 5 km display out at sea, which lasted almost 20+ minutes. It started at the Burj Khalifa, up to the creek, along the sea and finished at the Burj Al Arab. 2016 focused on the new canal area, which we could see, but the fireworks all went off at the same time this year.

We used to enjoy the more simple things in Dubai, the local park, where parking and access was easy. Our local park now forms part of the new Dubai Water Canal, the cafe which showed outdoor movies is no longer there and the park has reduced by 50%. 2 years on, I now have to fight for parking space, the park is crowded and the main entrance is a long walk from the car park.

Access to visit a friend and go to the bank now involves several U turns and driving in the opposite direction to reach our destination and since Box Park and City Walk opened the traffic is almost at standstill reaching our local supermarket.

Our visitors come to Dubai with a certain level of expectation, they fail in advance to understand why we don't own our own jet ski, why we don't go driving over the dunes every weekend and why we're not having endless Champagne brunches and why we don't get taxi's everywhere.

When they arrive they quickly find out why we don't do all this stuff. While a taxi in Dubai from the Marina to home in Jumeriah is only AED 47, the price of two coffees, they quickly realise that with the exchange rate that is still £10. Yes, it is cheap compared to living in other cities around the world, but the cost all mounts up.

But what is getting me down at the moment are the people living here, no particular nationality, just individuals rights to do what they want and when they want. The lack of thought and respect for other people.

Last night we grabbed burgers from the local restaurant to eat on the beach. A man walked out the door, cleared his throat and spat on the ground right outside the door. I had to stand and wait for him to finish spitting then step over the spit and when challenged he just looked at me with no idea what he had done or why I found it disgusting.

On the beach we set up camp at 4pm, as the evening went on another family went to sit no more than 10ft in front of us, now there was no one else around so I politely suggested they might like to move a little further away which they did. But this back fired on me later when 20 odd kids arrived to join the family and were promptly told by the parents to 'be quiet and play somewhere else' you guessed it, that somewhere else was right in front of me and I was less polite telling the girls to stop screeching and the boys to stop throwing the sand in my direction.

My final reason for why I am disappointed in Dubai, was some of the people who we shared the beach with who thought it was ok to use their camera phones to film the fireworks, nothing wrong with that you may think, but almost everyone had their back lights on their phones to enable them to get the lighting correct for their selfies and one guy came with a huge LED lamp that lit up most of the beach that he put down right in front of where we sitting, facing us on full beam. When approached he just had no idea why I asked him to turn it off, so feeling entitled also, I stood just a few feet in front of him to watch the firework display without being blinded.

Last year I shared some amazing photo's of the firework display, this year most of my pictures look like this.

I'm not sure we'll bother with New Year for 2017, I doubt we'll have any visitors next year, we may go to a different beach or the canal and just focus on one area rather than trying to see them all. We certainly won't be going to the Burj Khalifa, there were 650,000 people there queuing to get in from 5pm. The fireworks lasted 6 minutes. From watching them on the TV when we got home, there was a lot of smoke and I can only imagine it was sheer chaos trying to leave the area after the display.

Anyway, onwards and upwards. It's a New Year. hope it's a good one for you all.

Week 50 - One Daily Positive and Project 366

My last week as a teacher in Dubai. I survived a year, but it wasn't for me. After 5 years of not being able to work, I think I probably took the wrong job, so I could reclaim some of my identity.

There's no sadness about leaving. The work load was manageable and I loved teaching the kids, but I felt under so much pressure to be 'better' all the time. My reasons for leaving were because of this, but I told the parents it was because I needed to spend more time with my family in the UK. 

My official letter wasn't issued till Tuesday and it implied that the school had asked me to leave.

'From time to time we have to restructure staffing arrangements.........'

My colleagues came to say goodbye and threw me a little party, the parents and children gave me some amazing gifts of jewellery, flowers and perfumes, but the management team didn't say goodbye, my salary cheque wasn't ready and I was even told I had to do planning for the new teacher for the first week back.

So no regrets.

My mum is still finding it too hot to go out during the day so it's home from work and off out somewhere. this week we visited Mirdif City Centre Mall, The aquarium on the Palm, Mercato Mall, City Walk and The Green Planet Rain Forest, Dubai Festival City and the beach at sunset for a walk and dinner.

Day 346 Carol. Mirdif City Centre, christmas shopping.

Day 347 Dark. The Atlantis Palm. A visit to the aquarium, a drive round the Palm and fish and chips for supper on the Board Walk.

Day 348 Teacher. Completing the final pieces of paperwork in school. In the evening we popped to Mercato Mall where I picked up some Jack Wills clothing for the 2 youngest kids for Christmas as there was 40% off.

Day 349 Looking up. The Green planet rain forest.

Day 350 Family. Last day at work and some of the gifts from the families of the children in my class. 

We went out for a meal in the evening to The Walk at JBR with Peter's colleagues.

Day 351 Cake. A visit to Dubai Festival City, including a trip to Ikea.

Day 352 Thank you. Bob and Jelly's party bag from Dog Walk. 

We're looking after a friends dog until the New Year.

WaterWorld, Atlantis Palm, Dubai

Driving toWater World on the Palm, you have no idea of the real shape of it unless viewed from the air, it's a bit messy at street level. There is also a tram that runs to the Atlantis Hotel and I'd recommend that if you did visit that this would be your best way to reach the hotel. At the end of the day there were massive queues for the park and ride and after waiting 30 minutes, we opted to walk back with the rest of the queue.

 Although some people prefer to arrive in style, we parked where we were directed to and then walked to the bus stop for the free shuttle bus to the hotel that arrived frequently, was air conditioned and clean. Shading was provided while queuing.

 We took advantage of 50% discount tickets and visited on a Friday. the tickets were booked online, therefore you'd think that the staff would know how many people will be arriving and have more than 4 counters open for pre sales. It was disorganised, hot and uncomfortable.  I was annoyed having emailled in advance to ask for what we could and couldn't bring in with us and was informed no food, cool boxes or water. Obviously cool boxes weren't allowed in and despite bags being checked there were plenty of people with their own picnics. There was also a sign saying that each guest could take in 1 litre of water each.

On arriving at the counter with print out and bank card used to make the booking there was a list of optional extras one could buy, meal deals, lockers etc. Now this would have been handy to have known whilst waiting in the queue therefore saving even more time on people having to decide what extras they wanted and in some cases holding up the entire queue until all family members had been located and asked one by one what they wanted.

 There were plenty of sun loungers available and free to use and no one seems to mind when they were moved into the shade. The sun loungers pool side were taken but it was noisy round there and besides once you got on a ride it was a long time before you returned to your lounger and one on the beach, in the shade was much nicer.

 The rides were fantastic and on the whole well managed in regards to the queue and people around to stop queue jumpers. A few more direction signs as you approached each ride would've been nice.

 It wasn't cheap inside, this cost me 50AED around £9. Ice cream and a bottle of water, especially when you could buy a meal deal of burger, fries and soft drink for around the same price.

 The grounds themselves were very clean, tidy and offered some fantastic views, it was peaceful and relaxing sitting on the beach front.

On leaving the park at the same time as everyone else it was not possible to have a shower or use a cubicle to get changed in, people in the queues had been there for around 40 minutes and the whole changing area and toilets were dirty and over crowded. We had planned on eating at one of the many restaurants on our way out, but instead drove home and had beans on toast.