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2021/11/26 Ilan Bluestone at SF Public Works
π 2021-11-26 01:01 in Clubbing, Tfsf
As our post dreamstate socal party, we got Ilan Bluestone at Public Works. It was great to have him, along with Blur and Justin opening and closing:





great to see Rochelle again
great to see Rochelle again

thanks Ilan for the great music
thanks Ilan for the great music

See more images for Ilan Bluestone at SF Public Works
2021/11/19 Dreamstate Socal 2021: Back to Trance Heaven After 2 Years
π 2021-11-19 01:01 in Clubbing, Festivals
2020 was obviously the year from hell for lots of things, including festivals. EDC had a 2.5 year gap, and Dreamstate ended up with a 2 year gap, but despite probably losing a bunch of money during the pandemic, Insomniac did a great job putting a quality show as always, dealing with all the extra difficulties (artists cancelling due to covid, other artists unable to get visas to enter the US), and yet they went back to 4 stages instead of 3 in 2019.

Of course, many of us had fun at EDC Vegas a month ago, read more here: http://marc.merlins.org/perso/clubbing/post_2021-11-22_After-a-2_5Y-wait_-Our-next-EDC-Vegas.html , but while EDC has trance, it's not about trance, Dreamstate of course is about trance!

so glad to be back!
so glad to be back!

Unlike creamfields where some of the extra stages were honestly shit visually and audio quality-wise (and their security was dicks ), insomniac made sure all stages were as good as could be, even the smallest one (void).

The lineup was solid like I said:


Pictures libraries:

  • All Pictures: https://photos.app.goo.gl/J9xqDaD65USuWZV49
  • BestOf Pictures: https://photos.app.goo.gl/ddho1tk1fvacqGes9
  • The Grounds

    As always, it's not EDC Vegas level eye candy, but it's still quite good, nothing to complain about :)





    The decors were great and the VIP areas were shiny:





    If you didn't bring your own lighting, they had you covered:




    The stages were as follows:

    The dream stage was quite pretty, well done
    The dream stage was quite pretty, well done

    The sequence, psytrance was ok-ish but the DJ booth wasn't lit well, so you could barely see who was playing
    The sequence, psytrance was ok-ish but the DJ booth wasn't lit well, so you could barely see who was playing

    vision was good enough, but still had the annoying line to get in
    vision was good enough, but still had the annoying line to get in

    even the smaller void, was good too
    even the smaller void, was good too

    The People

    Of course, what makes Dreamstate and EDC magical, is not just the eye candy that Insomniac brings, but what the attendees bring too, from good vibes, costumes, and totems:

    TFSF's Katie-Ann did a great job with her psy outfit :)
    TFSF's Katie-Ann did a great job with her psy outfit :)


    That's not counting Afik's LED totem entourage, an ever growing list :)



    Of course, we had our local trancefamily groups:




    For the LED/tech nerd that I am, it was great to see more people with LED panels, some were able to use some of the code that I published online and make their own improvements on top:

    really cool totem with 12 RGB panels (more than me, but less resolution than me), run by an FPGA card, well done!
    really cool totem with 12 RGB panels (more than me, but less resolution than me), run by an FPGA card, well done!



    of course Afik's trusty totem was here
    of course Afik's trusty totem was here

    and I had fun with my outfit :)
    and I had fun with my outfit :)


    Day #1

    So, let's start with Day #1, I got there bright and early, 17:00 when it opened:











    so great to see Haliene again
    so great to see Haliene again


    also great to see Thrillseekers again
    also great to see Thrillseekers again



    life is always better with lasers ;)
    life is always better with lasers ;)


    it was special to see Emma Hewitt, it's not every day
    it was special to see Emma Hewitt, it's not every day



    I've seen Fadi 6 times in the last months, but still love him each time :)
    I've seen Fadi 6 times in the last months, but still love him each time :)

    for those who don't know him, he is literally the nicest guy on earth
    for those who don't know him, he is literally the nicest guy on earth




    And to save the best for last, after Paul Van Dyk, was Ferry Corsten's Gouryella which was truly a religious experience for many, myself included. I still remember hearing it in what turned out to be 2016 at EDC at Circuit Grounds after consulting my archives :) Thank you so much Ferry for playing this again, albeit an updated version:


    just seeing the lyrics brings the tunes back in my head :)
    just seeing the lyrics brings the tunes back in my head :)







    what a finish
    what a finish




    Thank you Ferry.
    Thank you Ferry.

    Wait, you're saying you missed this? Well, don't worry, I recorded a bit over 2/3rd of it in my video summary of Day #1 (starting at 59:43):

    Day #2

    After just enough sleep, I had a bit of time to write some extra code for my LED outfit, including adding some DJ faces (see bottom for Craig, Liquid Soul, and Blastoyz), and an extra trancejesus has it on vynil screen (see above). I then went a bit early to check out the grounds before everything started for Day #2:


    the calm before the storm :)
    the calm before the storm :)


    Jorza
    Jorza

    Excited to see Xijaro & Pitch
    Excited to see Xijaro & Pitch

    Anthony pointed out the irony that as a blind man he got to play at the 'vision' stage :)
    Anthony pointed out the irony that as a blind man he got to play at the 'vision' stage :)


    the costumed dancers were very good as always
    the costumed dancers were very good as always

    Got some triplets from Whitenoise
    Got some triplets from Whitenoise


    absolutely delighted to see Alpha9 again, I enjoyed his set each time
    absolutely delighted to see Alpha9 again, I enjoyed his set each time

    FactorB again
    FactorB again

    Definitely enjoyed seeing Zero Gravity Arts again:





    truly dope ass outfits
    truly dope ass outfits

    Super nice to see liquid soul, always smiling and happy with the joys of psytrance  :)
    Super nice to see liquid soul, always smiling and happy with the joys of psytrance :)

    Gareth back on mainstage
    Gareth back on mainstage

    But I went to see Craig Connelly, because well, that was not even a question :)
    But I went to see Craig Connelly, because well, that was not even a question :)



    Definitely enjoyed Blastoyz's set
    Definitely enjoyed Blastoyz's set

    Yoji Biomehanika
    Yoji Biomehanika

    went to check out Aly & Fila's UV set
    went to check out Aly & Fila's UV set

    and finished the night and festival with Reality Test
    and finished the night and festival with Reality Test

    And just like that, the 2 days, 18H of trance, were over. Thank you to insomniac, all the artists and everyone who brought in outfits, smiles, and good vibes.

    Video summary of Day #2:

    Conclusion

    And I have to thank, you know who you are, for expanded access and being able to meet so many artists. Thank you!









    'till next time:



    2021/11/15 Flying to and from Dubai in Emirates Airline First Class
    π 2021-11-15 01:01 in Nflying, Uae2021
    So, this was a "holly shit, this is nice" flight, which is good given that DXB SFO was close to 16 hours, but I have to mention that before that flight, Emirates behaved very badly: I booked this flight many months early using lots of credit card miles, and some overachieving idiot at Emirates, decided to flag a lot of accounts as fraudulent (people buying miles from others, which is not allowed). But mine was not, it was my own account I had just made, where I moved my own miles, and the IT monkeys at Emirates still close my account, forfeited my flight, along with mulitple other people who had the same problem. Worse, when I contacted them and gave them proof of my ID, and my miles being from me, they still ignored me. It took weeks of work and expert help from James Lee at Juicymiles (who helped me find and book the flight), plus many many phone calls and hours spent on the phone up to the day of departure, for them to finally re-instate my account, my flight, and my seat that they were refusing to rebook and confirm.

    While it is hard to forget the horrible experience I went through to get the flight fixed, once I finally had it, it was really really nice. Finding first class checkin, for US bound flights (which was separate), was definitely challenging in DXB, I had to go back and forth the airport several times, but eventually got to the right place:


    I didn't have a lot of time for the lounge, because I had fun late the previous night after Dubai Expo, and the flight was early the next morning, but still had enough time to go visit:




    they also had a game room I didn't have time to visit
    they also had a game room I didn't have time to visit


    Dubai is totally fine with foreigners drinking
    Dubai is totally fine with foreigners drinking

    the lounge had its own kitchen and chef
    the lounge had its own kitchen and chef

    I went with poached eggs next, they were quite good
    I went with poached eggs next, they were quite good

    but then I saw the sushi chef, so I had some too :)
    but then I saw the sushi chef, so I had some too :)

    As nice as the lounge was, I could'nt stay there forever, but let's just say that I wasn't starving when I left it and went to the plane :)

    coach looked pretty good, almost matching business of some flights (not lay flat of course)
    coach looked pretty good, almost matching business of some flights (not lay flat of course)

    business was really really nice
    business was really really nice


    and then first class, suites had 3 screens and a minibar
    and then first class, suites had 3 screens and a minibar


    nice office with workspace and mirror with lights, side light, and flower
    nice office with workspace and mirror with lights, side light, and flower

    there is no overhead, you can just put your carry ons under your screen
    there is no overhead, you can just put your carry ons under your screen

    cell phone coverage in flight
    cell phone coverage in flight

    nice view of the flight
    nice view of the flight

    they actually had prayer times for where you were on earth and and arrow to show what direction to pray. I'm told few passengers use it though
    they actually had prayer times for where you were on earth and and arrow to show what direction to pray. I'm told few passengers use it though

    Then, the food and drinks. The menu had lots of options and food made to order, you could have anything at any time. I may have eaten a bit too much :)




    french opera cake, I'm impressed.
    french opera cake, I'm impressed.





    did I mention that I didn't starve? :)
    did I mention that I didn't starve? :)


    breakfast, lunch, dinner, who knows? who cares? :)
    breakfast, lunch, dinner, who knows? who cares? :)

    The flight, being one of the longest flights in the world, didn't go east or west, but is a "fuck it, let's just go over the north pole and end up on the other side of the earth":

    artificial stars were cute
    artificial stars were cute




    after a long flight, we eventually got home
    after a long flight, we eventually got home

    you can even score the landing
    you can even score the landing

    Despite the very shitty experience with Emirates wrongfully cancelling my account and flight and taking so damn long to admit their mistake and fix it, the flights were indeed great.

    2021/11/14 Dubai Expo 2020
    π 2021-11-14 01:01 in Public, Uae2021
    I had lots of things planned in Dubai, but with efficient sightseeing, got the important ones done in 2.5 days, so the last day I had most of it available to go see Dubai Expo 2020. Honestly I didn't even know it was going on, but clearly it was a big deal, only happens every 4 years, and I was right there, so I went to check it out :)




    I went to the UAE pavillion which was hard to get into:



    renewable energy was cool:


    lots of solar panels
    lots of solar panels







    Some countries showed how they could help improve the word, others how cool they were, and others had just displays on future things they were hoping to do (i.e. vaporware ;) )






















    Got to visit the Emirates (airline) pavillion, pretty cool:


    virtual flight of the future
    virtual flight of the future













    China was supposed to have a drone show, but did not on sunday, the day I came, they had interesting displays, but also showed how much of a surveillance society they were (I'm sure it wasn't their intent, but I guess I can't even tell):






    Things got nice a night:











    I made it to France just before closing time (22:00 on sunday instead of 00:00)







    yum
    yum

    and that was it, by 22:00 everything was closed. Spent about 10H there, and even with being efficient, definitely needed 3 days or more, but I feel I got a good overview. This was not what I was in Dubai for to start with, and spent more time there than any other place I had been to, so I think it was a reasonable tradeoff (actually that same day was also the start of dubai aviation expo, but I just couldn't be everywhere).

    See more images for Dubai Expo 2020
    2021/11/14 Dubai Butterfly Garden
    π 2021-11-14 01:01 in Outings, Uae2021
    On my last day in Dubai, I went first to visit the butterfly garden and it was a fun visit. It was a bit sad to see all the dead butterflies in the morning that hadn't been cleaned up yet, but if you have so many and they only live about 2 weeks, that's unavoidable.
    The place was quite bg, 5 rooms with different themes, very nice...








    The cool thing were the frames they made with the dead butterflies:







    Right after the butterfly garden, I went to check out the Miracle Garden, well worth it too

    See more images for Dubai Butterfly Garden
    2021/11/14 Dubai Miracle Garden
    π 2021-11-14 01:01 in Outings, Uae2021
    Dubai Miracle Garden, just next to the Dubai Butterfly Garden, is very impressive, especially given where it's grown. Obviously, it's probably not great in water usage and carbon footprint, but we're in Dubai, nothing is :) In the meantime, it is truly beautiful and very impressive:

    I randomly started with the impressive A380 covered with flowers. It seems to actually really be an actual airplane shell):




    the rest is of course very nice too








    The smurf village was very cool:






    A nearby school had some "interesting" things visible, don't ask :)



    See more images for Dubai Miracle Garden
    2021/11/14 Quick Visit of Google Dubai
    π 2021-11-14 01:01 in Google, Uae2021
    While in Dubai, it would have been silly not to visit the local Google Office, so I went on sunday morning, which is monday equivalent there, and while the staff wasn't quite there yet, the security folks were nice enough to give me a quick guided tour. The office is still a bit new, but definitely has room for growth, which makes sense in a city like Dubai. Like all other offices, it had nice decors and a local touch. Thank you for the visit!






    this was cute
    this was cute






    nice views
    nice views








    See more images for Quick Visit of Google Dubai
    2021/11/13 Burj Khalifa
    π 2021-11-13 01:01 in Monuments, Uae2021
    Burj Khalifa was only one of the many things I had for Dubai in 2.5 days, and I didn't plan for it well enough (the whole trip was actually quite a bit of work, despite it being just 5.5 days (but very packed ones). I naively planned that I could just buy sunset tickets online for the top floor while going there, I mean they were expensive (over $100), so that'd be fine, right?
    Reality is otherwise, they were all sold out, and I would only have gotten up after sunset, so I had to go elsewhere (made a dash for the Dubai Frame to get sunset there).

    I tried again the next day with more planning, and had to go twice since I couldn't get sunset that day either. I paid way too much to get VIP to the top at noon when it opened. We got a quick tour of the build:




    impressive build
    impressive build


    We then got directly to the last floor, over 800 meters up:

    we got snacks and drinks in the VIP room
    we got snacks and drinks in the VIP room


    dubai frame
    dubai frame



    main freeway with all the buildings
    main freeway with all the buildings


    Dubai Mall with fountains
    Dubai Mall with fountains


    After a while, I went down to a main floor where everyone else, goes:




    And the way out, I went to see the fountain show outside:



    I then had to come back later to get the night view, and started by the fountain show too (it was actually hard to get there from the street where I parked):




    I then went up with a normal ticket I had to buy (by then, it was over than $150), but unfortunately got lost in the VIP gropup that happened to go by, and went to the top again. It was inconvenient time-wise to have to go twice, never mind having to pay twice, but the night view was worth it even if I didn't get sunset too at the same time:

    regular tickets, went to 125, VIP went to 154
    regular tickets, went to 125, VIP went to 154








    See more images for Burj Khalifa
    2021/11/13 Dubai Old Town Museum of Illusions
    π 2021-11-13 01:01 in Museums, Uae2021
    While in old town, I went to see the museum of illusions. I've seen other ones like that before, it's not a must go attraction, but it's fun to visit if you're in the area. I was, so I did:







    2021/11/13 Dubai Glow Park
    π 2021-11-13 01:01 in Outings, Uae2021
    I was very happy that Dubai Glow Park had just reopened after a long covid shutdown. Plenty of really cool eye candy, although it's actually 3 parks in one, a bit weird, but fun :)



    Optical Illusions







    Dinosaurs





    Glow Park

    This was of course the highlight by far:

























    See more images for Dubai Glow Park
    2021/11/12 Diving in Dubai Mall's Aquarium
    π 2021-11-12 01:01 in Aquariums, Diving, Uae2021
    Dubai was on my way back from diving in Maldives, and since it's full of fun things to do, I figured I'd go diving in one of the 2 Aquariums. The Lost Chambers Aquarium by palm beach, also offered aquarium diving. It felt more appealing, especially as they use ocean water, so there is no restriction in bringing your own gear (including camera) unlike other aquariums that try to prevent contamination, but it turns out their diving aquarium is actually smaller, and they charge an even more ridiculous amount of money for a dive ($330 for 30mn), while the bigger Dubai aquarium was a bit less than half, although you had to pay extra for the guide to film you (since I couldn't bring my own camera).

    So, I went with the Dubai aquarium, which I think was a good choice, it's still not cheap, but no aquarium is, 30mn felt short, but it was probably long enough given that I didn't have to go anywhere, and the extra I paid for video, gave me some good shots, when I'm usually never in diving shots :)

    The dive center had all the gear you needed (but make sure to get the 5mm wetsuit, 3mm is too cold for 24C):


    Like all aquariums, they have a small platform you go from:


    And then I got a bunch of shots even if the quality was lesser than my own diving camera:










    And interestingly, while the lost chambers aquarium might not be the best choice to dive (more limited hours for diving and a lot more expensive), that other aquarium is in my opinion the nicer one of the two to visit from the dry side :)

    video summary:

    See more images for Diving in Dubai Mall's Aquarium
    2021/11/12 Dubai Mall's Aquarium
    π 2021-11-12 01:01 in Aquariums, Uae2021
    The Dubai Mall Aquarium, located in the largest mall in the world, is a bit of a weird layout as it's on multiple floors (which half makes sense based on how tall the main aquarium, is). Contrary to the Palm Jumeirah Lost Chambers Aquarium, it has more than just sea life, which both fun, and a bit out of place for an aquarium (I mean, they had hedgehogs and reptiles, mmmh, ok).

    I did enjoy diving in the main aquarium, that was definitely fun. After the dive, I did a visit of the aquarium on its multiple floors and that was fun too.


    they had lots of tours for non divers
    they had lots of tours for non divers

    nursery for new jellyfish
    nursery for new jellyfish

    algea
    algea

    getting a new baby blue spotted ray ready for the main exhibit
    getting a new baby blue spotted ray ready for the main exhibit

    I love nurse sharks, they are pretty and kind looking :)
    I love nurse sharks, they are pretty and kind looking :)




    The main aquarium had bigger fish:

    that the tube I dived on the other side of, and photobombed a few people :)
    that the tube I dived on the other side of, and photobombed a few people :)


    random stuff that didn't belong:




    See more images for Dubai Mall's Aquarium
    2021/11/12 Dubai's Lost Chambers Aquarium
    π 2021-11-12 01:01 in Aquariums, Uae2021
    Dubai has 2 big aquariums, the Dubai Mall one and this one that is by the Palm Jumeirah, built over water:

    Of the 2 aquariums, I think it's actually the nicest one of the two, although both are nice, but I elected to go dive in the other one which had more convenient hours and was less than half the price.

    A few pictures:



















    See more images for Dubai's Lost Chambers Aquarium
    2021/11/12 Skydive Dubai Gyrocopter
    π 2021-11-12 01:01 in Nflying, Uae2021
    Thanks to Arturo, I signed up for a gyrocopter tour of Dubai (I took a double timeslot, 40mn). After a quick chat with the pilot, he did a custom flight for me, that was a lot of fun.
    This may very well have been the most scenic flight I had ever done, and in a gyrocopter no less, my first time in this kindof cool aircraft. -






    Once in the air, we had fantastic views of course. Great way to see the Palm Jumeirah:













    We then flew towards Anantara World Islands Dubai Resort:



    this looks cool, but not very resilient to climate change driven sea rise?
    this looks cool, but not very resilient to climate change driven sea rise?





    We then flew towards downtown:
















    the subway stations were cool looking
    the subway stations were cool looking


    Indoor snowboarding I went to
    Indoor snowboarding I went to
















    It was then time for landing:

    They gave me a cool video summary:

    See more images for Skydive Dubai Gyrocopter
    2021/11/12 Dubai Frame
    π 2021-11-12 01:01 in Monuments, Uae2021
    Dubai Frame was on my list, I had originally planned to go up Burj Khalifa that day, but was not able to get tickets, in time, so hurried back to my car, drove to Dubai Frame, hurried and got there in time for sunset:




    pretty but the lights reflected against the windows and messed up many pictures
    pretty but the lights reflected against the windows and messed up many pictures

    I had enough time to take plenty of daylight pictures:


    Burj Khalifa, where I was hoping to be :)
    Burj Khalifa, where I was hoping to be :)




    And had nice sunset pictures:


    Dubai Glow Park where I went the next day
    Dubai Glow Park where I went the next day


    They had a movie about future tech on the way out:



    Very cool, golden ratio in the frame:


    A few pictures from the outside:




    See more images for Dubai Frame
    2021/11/12 Snowboarding at Ski Dubai
    π 2021-11-12 01:01 in Nsnow, Snow, Uae2021
    So, there was no way I could go to Dubai, and not go snowboarding of course :)

    Before people cry murder about how bad it is for the environment, it's all indoors and temperature is controlled beter than ski resorts that spent untold amounts of energy to make a lot of snow that melts away on very big slopes. I don't have numbers, but my feeling is that it's actually not that bad in comparison, and it's cool for people there to be able to enjoy the snow when there is clearly none nearby.

    This is what it looks like:


    Like other places in Dubai, navigation was a bit tricky, I missed one exit and had to find far away street parking and jump some hedges to get in the mall eventually (or it would have been a 15mn drive to get all the way out and back in to the correct entrance). Got there eventually. I got in kind of late on a weekday, so I was lucky not to have any wait and got my gear right away. The guy was surprised when I asked a board of 164 and stance of 15R 30F. That was a bit aggressive and powder-day like, which is almost all I do :)




    really cool to see a groomer indoors
    really cool to see a groomer indoors


    the quad chair was not detachable and a bit slow, but note the nice leather seats
    the quad chair was not detachable and a bit slow, but note the nice leather seats



    After a while I figured out that the tow rope was faster than the quad chair:




    The run is of course not super long, but they have a mini terrain park at the top, and it was fun enough for almost 2H. Here's a vid:


    It was definitely my best day of the season, haha :)
    See more images for Snowboarding at Ski Dubai
    2021/11/11 Abu Dhabi Grand Mosque
    π 2021-11-11 01:01 in Monuments, Uae2021
    Abu Dhabi Grand Mosque was on my way out of Abu Dhabi, on my drive back to Dubai. I got there late, but thankfully it's open until 22:00, so I got to see it on my way out when all the crowds were gone. I had a nice chat aobut Islam with a guide who was still there. Ultimately, while Islam is being misused in many terrible ways around the world, it is true that UAE is a shining example of how the religion can be peaceful and tolerant, not just in words, but in action. UAE allows people to drink alcohol or eat pork if they choose to, even though it is ultimately a country with Shariah law. they are trying to be an example of leaving religion as a choice in a region of the world where it usually is not.
    The mosque was of course beautiful, especially at night:




    while tolerance and Islam don't mix in many countries, UAE does its best to make it a reality
    while tolerance and Islam don't mix in many countries, UAE does its best to make it a reality












    prayer times, 5 plus the optional 6th I didn't know about
    prayer times, 5 plus the optional 6th I didn't know about




    And because UAE is not shy with business, they had a mall on the way out :)


    See more images for Abu Dhabi Grand Mosque
    2021/11/11 Abu Dhabi Royal Palace
    π 2021-11-11 01:01 in Monuments, Uae2021
    The Abu Dhabi Royal Palace, oh my god it was nice, I mean insanely nice. Dare I say it was the best palace I've seen in the world?
    I got there a bit late because of a long day, and more time at the Abu Dhabi Louvre than I had planned, I thankfully got there just in time for the last entrance into the Palace (made it in the last bus to the palace and through the doors by just one minute before they closed the front doors):






















    After the visit was over, I went out to see a palace from the outside for the light projection show:











    Saying that I was impressed was an understatement.

    See more images for Abu Dhabi Royal Palace
    2021/11/11 Louvre Abu Dhabi
    π 2021-11-11 01:01 in Museums, Uae2021
    On my 2nd day in Abu Bhabi, I went to see the Louvre that opens at 10:00, not super early, but nothing opens early in UAE. It's not like the Louvre in Paris obviously, that louvre you can barely do in a very long day, but the Abu Dhabi one can be done easily in 3.5H if you do everything carefully (what I did), or 2H if you go through it more quickly. It is a beautiful building, definitely worth a visit no matter what:

















    the section on old Paris from 130 years ago, was really cool
    the section on old Paris from 130 years ago, was really cool




    The outdoors were fantastic:







    I probably stayed a bit longer than I should have (it made me late for the rest of the day), but things barely worked out.

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    2021/11/10 Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi
    π 2021-11-10 01:01 in Ncars, Uae2021
    OMG, that was a life bucket list item right here, that was actually one of the main reasons I wanted to go to UAE one day. So happy to have made it there finally. I got there as soon as it opened at noon (right after visiting the falcon hospital). As amazing as it may sound, I parked right in front of the entrance, in the street. Thankfully I picked a weekday (on purpose), so the lines were non existent, which made everything a lot more fun :)
    It's an interesting amusement park, as most of it is indoors outside of a few roller coasters. The weather was bearable in november, but I can imagine that in July, being in air conditioned indoors, even if unusual for an amusement park. Yeah, the carbon footprint is probably not good, but that's true for most of UAE.





    Wee!
    Wee!

    One of the games was seeing how quickly you could change the wheels on a race car using a center lock:


    I did ok-ish, but I didn't beat the best time
    I did ok-ish, but I didn't beat the best time


    I did the driving simulator first. To be honest, it was ok, but not the the most fun I had. It takes a while to get used to a SIM, and while I can drive fast on a track, I'm just not as good on sims, because I don't get the feel of the road and G forces:



    What was a lot more fun were the electric karts, I really enjoyed their consistent electric power and drifting around the track. I went twice and probably should have gone more.





    I did well :)
    I did well :)

    Lots more rides to see, with nice decors:








    lots of nice decors:




    I then did the first big roller coaster, Formula Rossa, it was fun:






    I had a quick look at what was left, and then the park was over. So much nicer and quicker without lines:





    They had other rides for kids:




    Last, but not least, I did Fiorano GT Challenge, the fastest roller coaster in the world. 0 to 200kph in less than 4sec. To be honest, it actually gave me a headache :)




    That was a good visit, so glad to have been there. I think I wouldn't mind going back one day now that I know what is what and what I enjoyed :)

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    2021/11/10 Warner Bross World and DC Comics
    π 2021-11-10 01:01 in Outings, Uae2021
    While at Ferrariworld, I bought a 2 park pass for an extra $30 or so. This gave me just shy of 3H to visit Warner Bross world next door. Because it wsa a totally not busy work day, I was literally able to get my car from in front of the first park, and park it in fron of the second park. Didn't even have to bother work parking lots:



    It's another entirely indoor amusement park, and it was pretty good. I got it done in just over 2H given the total lack of lines (woot!). Some of it reminded me of the Paris hotel indoors in Vegas, very nice:








    A good enough amout of fun rides:





    And it was fun to take pictures with a few cute characters :)

    she's probably trouble, but the fun kind of trouble :)
    she's probably trouble, but the fun kind of trouble :)




    More to see, and more rides:









    While it was not a must go destination, it was definitely fun to visit after Ferrariworld, very glad I got to do both parks in one day

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    2021/11/10 Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital
    π 2021-11-10 01:01 in Outings, Uae2021
    While a lot of Abu Dhabi tourist attractions were closed due ot Covid, I was lucky that the Falcon Hospital had just reopened just before I was due to arrive. Sure, it's a cool place to visit, but seeing it person really drove the point of how cool falcons were, and how important they are in UAE.
    It's amazing that the best of those birds are sold for up to $250,000, which explains why they get such extraordinary care. They actually get their own passports so that they can travel, first class to other countries whree hunting with falcons is allowed (falcon hunting is not allowed in UAE, but falcon racing and speed contests, are allowed and practised). Needless to say that it's super cool:



    the hospital is the best in the country, it had many customers
    the hospital is the best in the country, it had many customers

    falcon passport
    falcon passport

    We got a tour that explained the basics to us, and then took us to the hopsital/operating room:

    falcon owners can put a radio on them so that they can be tracked and found if need be
    falcon owners can put a radio on them so that they can be tracked and found if need be

    patients waiting to be examined
    patients waiting to be examined

    they all get eye shields so that they don't attack one another
    they all get eye shields so that they don't attack one another

    We got to see a routine operation on one of them:



    ours got a nail trim
    ours got a nail trim

    given the price of the birds, if they break a feather, the hospital has spares of each color, they can graft
    given the price of the birds, if they break a feather, the hospital has spares of each color, they can graft

    if needed, they can graft an entire feather. They do regrow, but owners don't want to wait for that
    if needed, they can graft an entire feather. They do regrow, but owners don't want to wait for that

    beautiful
    beautiful

    the ears are hidden
    the ears are hidden

    I was lucky enough to get one to feed
    I was lucky enough to get one to feed

    hungry bugger
    hungry bugger

    menacing look, I'm happy it had a quail to eat
    menacing look, I'm happy it had a quail to eat

    After the hospital visit, we got to see the exercise room where the flacons get to exercise and the makeshift museum inside:




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    2021/11/09 Visiting Abu Dhabi and Dubai in UAE
    π 2021-11-09 01:01 in Ntrips, Uae2021
    UAE had been on my list or a long time, so I was excited when I was able to fly through UAE on my way back from Maldives. I was there only 5.5 days, but with plenty of planning, and help from Arturo who had gone a few weeks prior, I had a good plan, and long days :)
    I ended up getting a rental car for the entire time. It was not essential in Dubai, but did save me time, and in Abu Dhabi, it would have been required.

    Many many pictures (around 2500), they don't all fit on this page, so here are a bunch of sub pages (in order):

  • Dubai Desert Conservation Preserve
  • Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital
  • Ferrari World in Abu Dhabi
  • Warner Bross World and DC Comics
  • Louvre Abu Dhabi
  • Abu Dhabi Royal Palace
  • Abu Dhabi Grand Mosque
  • Skydive Dubai Gyrocopter
  • Dubai's Lost Chambers Aquarium
  • Diving in Dubai Mall's Aquarium
  • Dubai Mall's Aquarium
  • Dubai Frame
  • Snowboarding at Ski Dubai
  • Burj Khalifa
  • Dubai Old Town Museum of Illusions
  • Dubai Glow Park
  • Quick Visit of Google Dubai
  • Dubai Butterfly Garden
  • Dubai Miracle Garden
  • Dubai Expo 2020
  • Flying to and from Dubai in Emirates Airline First Class
  • UAE is the union of 7 different Emirates, each with their own ruler and local laws, and different license plates:



    This page has the summary of the trip and what didn't fit in the pages above. The packed itinerary started as soon as I landed:

    Day 1: Landing in Dubai, Dubai Desert Conservation Preserve, and drive to Abu Dhabi

    To get the most efficient trip, going to amusement parks during weekdays without crowds, and avoiding closure days, I got through the airport as quickly as I could so be ready for my tour pickup to the Desert Conservation Preserve tour I had.




    I got another covid test as soon as I landed because Abu Dhabi needlessly required a UAE covid test
    I got another covid test as soon as I landed because Abu Dhabi needlessly required a UAE covid test

    the airport was pretty
    the airport was pretty

    Then, I got picked up for the Heritage Desert Conservation Preserve Tour (click me):



    It was a great tour, they got me back around 22:00, a bit late given jetlag and when I woke up, and then I had to do the 1h30 drive to Abu Dhabi to my hotel for the next 2 nights (yes, very long day, but that made the most sense for the activities planned):


    Day 2: Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital, Ferrari World, Warner Bross World

    After just enough sleep and a fun early morning, I started with the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital, which was well worth the visit:

    Abu Dhabi was much more stringent on covid safety, the buffet was protected and you had to ask someone what you wanted
    Abu Dhabi was much more stringent on covid safety, the buffet was protected and you had to ask someone what you wanted


    After the tour of the hospital, I went directly to Ferrari World, a bucket list item for sure:


    After finishing the park without any lines (woot!), I had enough time to also visit and finish Warner Bross World next door, and that was fun too:


    That was definitely fun, I got back to the hotel not too late for an enjoyable evening and some much needed rest :)

    Day 3: Going Through Abu Dhabi

    I had a nice room on Yas Island, a bit away from town, but super close to the amusement parks, and closer to Dubai, which saved some driving time. Nice view from my room:


    After a fun morning with breakfast, I went straight to the Louvre Abu Dhabi, where I ended up spending a lot more time than originally planned.


    After spending much longer at the louvre than planned, I drove to Abu Dhabi proper to see the local attractions;






    I went to visit a small fort on the way, fun but not essential if low on time:




    former assembly house
    former assembly house


    Back on the road:




    I did a quick stop at Emirates Palace, now a fancy hotel, probably spent more time there than I should have:




    I actually stopped for a meal, so unusual for me to do that, it was yummy kobe beef :)
    I actually stopped for a meal, so unusual for me to do that, it was yummy kobe beef :)

    By then, I finally started going towards the Abu Dhabi Royal Palace, which was not trivial as the google maps entrance direciions, were all wrong. I barely got in in time (with just 10mn to spare), which is good because, OMG it was magnificient:


    By then, it was dark (sunset at the royal palace), I hadn't had the time to go to the observatory 300, which would have been nice for sunset, but either way it was not possible to do sunset both at the palace and observatory. The night shots were still worth going up, even if driving there was a bit madening due to really silly driving directions (had to take a 10mn detour due to a pointless lack of road connection):






    Then was the right time to go back to the founder's memorial, Shaik Zahed, which is only worth seeing at night. I did spend the time to watch the movie and learn about it. Overall, UAE has been lucky to have caring and wise rulers that apparently did not abuse of their power and really did their best to serve their people:




    the memorial does not look like much during the day
    the memorial does not look like much during the day


    But wait, the day was not over yet, that would be too easy :) Now, I still had to see the Grand Mosque, which was absolutely beautiful:

    Cornice Road was very nice, day and night
    Cornice Road was very nice, day and night



    The mosque closed at 22:00, which was finally the end of the day, well except that I had to drive back to Dubai for my hotel there. I was definitely tired when I got there :)

    Day 4: Dubai flight, aquariums, dive, night view, and snowboarding

    Despite going to bed late, I had to get up reasonably early for my 08:45 Skydive Dubai Gyrocopter flight, and OMG was it a fantastic flight. It was not cheap, but so happy I paid extra for a double length (40mn) flight:



    Next, I went to the Palm Hotel and Lost Chambers Aquarium



    The aquarium was nice, but not a must go location, I've been to better ones, but it's a fun visit if you're taking the tram to palm fountain anyway. I also had the option to dive there, but I elected to dive at the Dubai Mall aquarium instead. There was a very nice water park that looked like it was worth a good half day, but I didn't have that time. Got some pictures from the tram that I took back and forth for fun (I actually drove there since I had a car):












    After exploring that area, it was time to go to Dubai Mall, which would have taken a while by public transport, but was an easy enough drive:



    the mall is the biggest in the world, didn't have time to go through all of it, but fun things there
    the mall is the biggest in the world, didn't have time to go through all of it, but fun things there

    I then went Diving in Dubai Mall's Aquarium, they were nice enough to accomodate me when I arrived early, and it was a fun dive for sure:



    After the dive, I of course went to see the Dubai Mall Aquarium, which was another "not the best I've ever seen, but fun to visit if you're there":



    One thing in the mall I went to check out, was the Virtual Reality Theme Park, it had a few fun motion rides you did while watching VR, that was pretty cool:




    By then, my plan was to purchase Burj Khalifa "go to the very top" VIP tickets for sunset, but I didn't plan well enough, and they were sold out until after sunset, so I changed plans and hurried to the Dubai Frame to see sunset there. A bit of a detour, not super efficient, but the best remaining plan for the day:




    Of course, the day was not quite over yet, now it was time to go Snowboarding at Ski Dubai :)



    That sure was a lot of fun, I still had one last thing on the agenda, and went to get some sleep, it was a long and fun day :)

    Day 5: More Dubai, Downtown, Souk, Museum of Illusions, Dubai Glow Park, and Burj Khalifa

    I started the day with a guided tour of Jumeirah Mosque, which mostly was meant to educate tourists about Islam. I spent just shwy of 2 hours there, it was interesting, although of course when you know how Islam is being mis-used around the world, it's not that simple, but it was at least interesting to get that quick introduction:




    But as I said in the post on the Grand Mosque, I have to give to UAE for being super respectful of other cultures and non muslims. You can even buy items forbidden to muslims:


    After that, I went to Burj Khalifa for a day view from the very top (VIP tour at 12:00):



    From there, I went to old town and the souks across the river, although a few things were closed on saturday:


    found this poor hungry kitten, I fed it a bit
    found this poor hungry kitten, I fed it a bit

    Dubai museum had been closed for a while during covid
    Dubai museum had been closed for a while during covid


    took a cheap shuttle boat across the river to the souk
    took a cheap shuttle boat across the river to the souk








    After the Souk, I checked out the India temple, hard to get in, no pictures allowed, and boring. Then did the Dubai Old Town Museum of Illusions:


    From there, it was time for Dubai Glow Park, which was a *lot* of fun. Super pretty:




    On the way back and forth, got some pictures from this wonderful sculpture for an upcoming museum:



    Then back to Burj Khalifa at night




    The day was not quite over yet, then went to Internet City for a nice meeting, although I was tired by then and needed sleep :)

    Day 6: Google, Butterfly Garden, Miracle Garden, Dubai Expo 2020

    Another full day still, I started early again, went to see the Google office, where they nicely gave me a tour:


    Next was the Dubai Butterfly Garden:



    and next door was the impressive Dubai Miracle Garden:


    From there, my trip was almost over, I went to fill up the car, parked it by the hotel and took the subway to Dubai Expo 2020. I got there a bit late (close to noon, and it was closing early on sunday, 22:00 instead of 00:00), but still got to see a fair amount with good line management:

    gas is about 10c/liter, 37c/gallon, nice
    gas is about 10c/liter, 37c/gallon, nice


    Of course, it takes a lot longer than a non full day to visit the expo, but that's all I had. It was not even on my itineary as I didn't know it was going on. That day was also the start of Dubai Airshow that I had no idea was going on either. It would have been fun, but I truly didn't have the time, and coudln't really reasonably extend my trip since I had to get home for EDC Vegas a few days later.

    UAE Trip Wrapup

    Well, this was definitely a fun trip to UAE. 5.5 days isn't really enough, although I did most things, but with very packed days, barely any meals, and not much sleep, I guess the way I live life :)
    That said, if I had to do this again, definitely having 2 more days (or even more for Dubai Expo and Airshow), would have made the trip a bit more chill :)

    Thoughts about the trip:

  • country was very impressive as expected, I hope they can improve the carbon footprint over time
  • so many things to do and see
  • people were all truly super nice and helpful, which is one of the pillars of islam
  • driving around was easily enough outside of roads that didn't connect and really weird detours. It definitely saved me time over alternatives
  • parking was so easy, in a few places I had to park illegally for a bit, and it was not even an issue at all, I think enforcement is minimal, assuming there is any
  • speed cameras everywhere, don't speed more than 20 over in Dubai and 0 over in Abu Dhabi
  • I've heard summer can be painful outside, but november was great weather, perfect time to visit
  • Dubai is a very international city, more than 2/3rds of people there are not from UAE
  • UAE has a good approach to business as a world international hub, they are doing really well, good for them.
  • Would I want to live there? Hard to say, it is missing some of the cool nature we have in California, from mountains t obike up, or snowboarding on real mountains :), national parks, and so forth. Also, I'm told summer can be harsh. But if you're mostly going to live indoors in a stable country, this is not a terrible choice, I know many are making it, which is why Dubai has so many foreigners
  • Super happy I went, hope to go back one day
  • 2021/11/09 Dubai Desert Conservation Preserve
    π 2021-11-09 01:01 in Outings, Uae2021
    As soon as I landed in Dubai, I got a quick covid test (which ultimately wasn't required since I had gotten one the day before, but I didn't want to argue with everyone in Abu Dhabi the next day.
    After that, I went to nearby hotel and waited for a pickup from platinum heritage tours and the heritage safari I signed up for. I was a bit worried because I only had 1H of spare time, which didn't leave a lot of room for delays, but there was none thankfully.

    I got picked up by private transport and taken to the preserve about 1h away:









    We then had a falcon show:





    The sunset was spectacular:






    We then went to the desert camp for evening show and dinner:





    some people could choose to sleep there
    some people could choose to sleep there






    food was really good
    food was really good


    It was a nice enjoyable night and I was quite happy they drove me back to town, I had a half nap during that drive so that I could do the 1h30 drive to Abu Dhabi to get to my hotel for the next 2 nights.


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