Re: RC: Dubai - settling in

[Bette Lamore <woa@stormnet.com>]

So Steph
The only thing you're missing is a full time digital videographer to
follow you around and record all these exploits and then put streaming
videos on-line! (of course, since most of us ridecampers only have
modems, it would take us forever to download, but it is possible to go
have dinner while the computer is doing its thing. Do they pay expenses
only for a camera person?? :-)
Keep you adventures coming so that we stall shovelers can live
vicariously!
Bette
Bette Lamore
Whispering Oaks Arabians, Home of 16.2hh TLA Halynov	
(Yes, really 16.2!)
http://www.arabiansporthorse.com

stephanie teeter wrote:
> 
> Time is flying by. We've been here for a week now. The
> first wave of people and all of the US/Canada horses
> arrived by March 3, the second group arrived a week or
> so later, and most of the remaining crew, press,
> support staff will arrive this week. Most of us  have
> at least one person to help with the day-to-day stuff,
> with the rest coming this week. There are supposedly
> riders from 37 different countries participating, and
> the Organizing Committee is covering all expenses for
> each horse and rider and two support crew. And we are
> being very well taken care of! Lacking nothing and
> have most things in excess.
> 
> Our routine: Breakfast is served at the Village from
> 7-9 AM. Buffet - 'normal' food, fruit,coffe. The barns
> open at 8am - staffed with an official steward. We
> arrive at the barn, take the horse's temperatures
> (twice per day), clean the stalls, turn the horses
> into the outside paddocks. We have riding privileges
> on half day schedules. Due to Federation  quarantine
> requirements the horses need to be separated until
> race day. So we have a specific trail that we can
> ride, and we alternate with the Australians -
> morning/afternoon. The mornings that we don't ride, we
> get organized, make sure feed/bedding is delivered,
> hang out. The barn is closed between 12 and 2 PM so we
> have to be back from morning rides in time to put the
> horses away, clean up, and leave by noon. Lunch at the
> Village between noon and 2PM and then back to the barn
> - either for an afternoon ride, or turn the horses
> back out and just hang out. We've been able to help
> each other out a lot, so there has been plenty of
> opportunity to leave early for shopping, tourist
> stuff, naps, whatever. Dinner is served at the village
> between 8 and 10 pm - though since the Dubai hotels
> became available a lot of
> us are doing dinner at the hotel. Food is most
> excellent!
> 
> It is a very pleasant relaxed atmosphere - we're all
> so happy to be here and are really being treated
> royally. The OC (Faisal Seddiq Al Mutawa) threw an
> impromptu desert party Sunday night - pitched a large
> tent out in the desert, shuttled everybody out there
> in 4WD rigs. Dinner, live music, belly dancer - and a
> marathon dance contest which was won by Karen! (she
> and her sister Cindy have been Arabic dancing for
> years). (The contest winnings prompted a great
> shopping outing the next night :)
> 
> The weather, temperatures have been pleasant overall.
> It got really really hot for a few days 37C - 90+F .
> More often it's been in the mid eighties with a breeze
> during the day – cools off to the 60's and 70's in the
> evening. The wind often picks up in the afternoon -
> sometimes to the extent that visibility becomes an
> issue - blowing off the top of the dunes, swirling
> around the tires of the autos on the road.  Sunshine
> every day - sometimes fog in the morning. It's fairly
> humid right on the coast, but not so bad inland.
> Actually feels a lot like S. California.
> 
> The air is silky and warm and I absolutely love it
> here!! It is a very high energy country – new
> construction everywhere, many different cultures (only
> 20% of the population is composed of UAE Nationals –
> the rest come live here for work and commerce). It
> feels that UAE is focused on growth, tourism,
> commerce. Beautiful parks, and the architecture is
> amazing – tall tall buildings, very modern and each
> high rise seems to be competing with the others for
> beauty and originality. They are creating large
> cultural centers where they capture and replicate the
> country’s heritage. An interesting mix of old (women
> in traditional Arab dress, camels, desert tents) and
> new (high-rises, cell phones, SUV’s).
> 
> That's about it for now – all the horses are doing
> great, the riders and crew are happy and relaxed.
> Gearing up for next week…
> 
> Steph
> 
> --- kap@ascent.com wrote:
> >
> > Hi, Steph,
> >
> > Thanks for the update....and keep them coming.  Your
> > stories are really
> > interesting!  Can't wait for the next installment.
> >
> > K.
> >
> >
> > Karen A. Prendergast
> > President
> > Ascent Technology, Inc.
> > Suite 380
> > 64 Sidney Street
> > Cambridge, MA  02139 USA
> > Tel: +617.225.0850 ext. 101   Fax: +617.225.0822
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >                     stephanie teeter
> >
> >
> >                     <stephanieteeter@        To:
> > kap@ascent.com
> >
> >                     yahoo.com>               cc:
> >
> >
> >
> > Subject:     Re: Dubia - Getting There
> >
> >                     03/11/2001 11:44
> >
> >
> >                     AM
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > >>She wondered if you ran into any
> > > problems taking the horses
> > > through Europe because of the outbreak of foot and
> > > mouth disease.
> >
> > No - we didn't have any problems. The horses were
> > never
> > taken out of their cargo box - and kept in a
> > quarantine barn during the layover. tho... I'm a
> > little
> > nervous about the return. It's much more epidemic
> > now
> > than it was then. Maybe we'll have to hang out here
> > for a little extra time :)
> >
> > Steph
> >
> > __________________________________________________
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> >
> >
> >
> 
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