I’m off to bed NOW. The end of a very different and fun Christmas day. We’re still waking up at 10:30am and heading out at around 11:30. This morning we spent sometime downstairs in the hotel lobby which contained fake snow, reindeer’s, Christmas trees and snowmen. Once we’d had something to drink and eat we decided to try, once again, to get to Jeremiah beach, This time in a taxi. It quickly became very obvious that there is no way that we could have walked from our hotel – The Arabian Courtyard- to the beach. It took about 10mins in the taxi to get there down long and dangerous looking highways.

We couldn’t find a way to get onto the 7 star hotels’ beach but we did locate the beach right next to it (There was even a photographer trying to take pictures through the fence into the 7 star hotel – I wonder who was there?) We Sat down , relaxed called mum and Dad and then decided to walk further along the beach to find the water park.

At about 1/2pm we entered the Wild Wadi Water Park. (at a discounted rate because we were so late!) This park was no ordinary water park. I tell you, they don’t do things by half here! You can pay to put money on a plastic wrist watch which acts as payment for everything. This means that everything goes in a locker, nice and safe and everything is taken care of for you.

As I was waiting for Matt to get changed I was stood by a man-made cliff. Suddenly, theme park style thunder and lightning sound effects began. Amused by this I turned around to notice a pretty waterfall had started behind me. I was observing this with the usual Ohh- Ahh and wonder when suddenly the pretty waterfall turned into a tsunami and soaked me, flooded the footpath and went gushing off into the distance! Brilliant but I was soaked. Good job I got changed first!

We had a whale of a time on the rides. You sit in a doughnut which floats you to the beginning of each slide. When you get to one you fancy you line your self up and off you go. Jet propulsion sends you up the slide and gravity does the rest. You don’t need to cue up though, you just float along. The only concern is whether or not you’ll still be wearing your bikini bottoms once those jets of water start pushing you along! Note however that cheap swim suits like mine will not withstand the pressure. When I got back to the hotel and washed out my bikini my bottoms were thread bare and had to be thrown away!

Once the park closed at 6pm we sat on the beach and watched the sunset. Actually we got a little chilly then and got into a taxi back to the hotel. I then caught up on the blog and we had dinner, sat in the Sherlock Holmes British Bar for a pint and then mack to the room at 10pm.

A really different Christmas!

By the way I think that Vodaphone have helpfully ignored my letter and have cancelled my phone contract way too early. So I can’t receive any more messages or send them on my old number. I’m going to be a new Sim in Australia though.
Thank you all for your messages so far and I hope you’re all having a great Christmas.

We spent it on the beach and in the water park!!

We woke up at 10:30 am (6:30am UK) and eventually dragged ourselves up and out. It was very warm outside and felt a little strange to be wearing a T-Shirt and short floaty skirt (and that was just LOF!)

The streets were filled with the sound of the Qu’ran as the local mosque was calling its followers to prayer. A man was pulling a cart with two heavy objects on the back of it and getting into arguments with taxi drivers as his poor navigation almost caused permanent damage to their Toyota Camry. We strolled in the direction of the river and the sea down narrow Arabian streets; immaculately presented with an array of brightly coloured fabrics and the smell of hot leather surrounding us. The streets weren’t bustling. No last minute Christmas presents being frantically purchased. Simply local people with their local wears.

We walked for about 2 miles when we discovered an enormous Carefour shopping centre. Tesco Redditch has nothing on this place. ( Although you can still purchase everything you would expect to find there and more) We bought ourselves a picnic and carried on; deter mind to have a picnic on the beach. We walked for miles and had eaten most of the picnic before we gave up! This place is huge! You see a building in the distance and although it seems like it’s just around the corner. Like a mirage. it never appears! We took the remains of the picnic and got a taxi back to our hotel!

We then spent the rest of the afternoon snoozing and reading. We’re both exhausted! Lof organised a massage for 7:00pm. I’m telling you now if you can DO IT! Manys the time I have said at the end of a busy term “I’m going to go and have a massage” and when I come to book it I decide that it would be far too extravagant. Nonsense! Do it! It will be the best 30 quid you’ll ever spend (Span I mean you!)

The spa here is amazing. Candle lit with lovely smelly oils. It’s exactly how it should be. The lighting, sounds and smells all spell relax – which after the last few months and a 7 hours flight is just what the doctors ordered. I felt so relaxed and did not want it to end. When it was over I wanted to just lie there, my face through the hole on the massage table smelling the bowl of oils + fresh rose petals, listening to the music relaxing. Instead I sat in reception and waited for Matt to come out. They fed me peppermint tea and I read magazine brilliant.

Then, instead of going to find food, we ordered room service and ate it in our room! Brilliant. really cool. I”m starting to feel a little bit more relaxed now.