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1-22 July 2002: We spent three fantastic weeks in British Columbia and stayed with Mom for most of that time, although we
did spend three days on Vancouver Island.
We felt that being back home was a real education for Rachel (aged 2). Some of the highlights were:
spending time with family members and old friends; dining in Korean restaurants ( a treat for Jae-kyoung); shopping: sports
stuff for me, toys for Rachel, and clothes for J-k; seeing elephants, hippos, etc at the zoo; wandering around the grounds
of the University of British Columbia; exploring Granville Island and Stanley Park; letting R pet the baby animals at Beacon
Hill Park, Victoria; picnicing at Spanish Banks; and watching the waves at Crescent Beach. Once back in the UAE we felt that
we had returned too soon -- it was so hot that going outside during the day was not an option and most of R's playmates had
left. On the other hand it was nice to be back to familiar territory with our own beds, our own car and all of R's toys. Edit
26 April 2002: Took part in Red Bull's Sultan of the Desert Adventure Challenge in Fujairah on the UAE's Indian Ocean
Coast. The race required teams to complete three individual legs: kayaking, trekking and mountain biking. I was lucky enough
to chose the kayaking part, while the much harder trekking and cycling legs were done by Jude and Tim, also of Al Ain. My
section was actually a lot of fun. First, the kayakers from all 33 teams had to sprint 750 m across sand dunes to reach Khor
Kalba Creek, where the kayaks were waiting. The Kayaks were really more toys than practical transport and were very difficult
to control. I and many others did 360s until we figured out how to control them. We had to paddle a mile, then we left our
craft with some staff and got out. Then the real fun part started we had to first wade a short distance to the shore then
we had to slog though gooey tidal mud for 2 km while carrying our paddles and life vests. I am proud to say that I never walked
but kept jogging despite slipping and sliding and the heat in the mid 30s C. Once we had dropped our gear we had a drink then
had to run another 2 km to the transition point, where I finished in the middle of the pack. I handed my race passport (control
card)on to Jude and didn't see her for three hours until she staggered into the trekking-cycling transition point. Apparently
she and most of the trekkers had gone off course due to too few route markers. Our cyclist, Tim, did quite well and made only
one small detour, unlike the majority of riders who got badly off track. The event finish was at Al Hayl Fort, a spectacular
site in the mountains overlooking the coastal plain. Despite one Al Ain Team starting well, all three teams finished out of
the prizes. The other Al Ain teams were: Peter S, Rob A and Bob S; and Jon O, Sue E and Gary E. Most people said they would
do the event next year, provided that they held it in cooler weather and made sure that there were enough route markers.
Hatta Trip
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