Dubai - back in the USA. Adventure at Denny's

["Steph Teeter" <steph@endurance.net>]

As Karen and I were hunkered under the table at the Denny's restaurant in
downtown LA, 3AM, in the midst of a gang brawl, chairs flying, alarm
blaring... we were too sleep deprived to be scared, laughing since we
couldn't do anything else... I'm sure we were thinking the same thing. Oh
well - we had a heck-of-a time, didn't we!!

The trip home felt looooonggg. We met the shippers out at the barn at 2 am -
loaded the horses into one of the big vans and drove to Abu Dhabi for
departure. Single lane paved road cutting across the desert - the dunes
drifted across the road made me think of home ... and snow. A few rough
spots where the pavement was missing, 2 hour trip - deep dark night. Spent
quite a while at the Abu Dhabi airport - watched the sun come up over the
runway (I created a minor fracas when I took a picture of the sunrise -
cameras are forbidden! at airports - I think I was very lucky to get my
camera back - lots of shouting. dumb tourists :) We loaded the horses on the
palettes, onto the plane, and said goodbye to the shippers  - Pedens
Bloodstock - the company employed to handle all transport and logistics for
the UAE equestrian events. We made a lot of friends with these folks, they
were wonderful.

Luxembourg was a bit of a mess - arrived 7am, some confusions, delays, but
the horses were unloaded and kept in warm roomy quarantine stalls. We spent
the day at a hotel during the layover, met again that evening and waited
through more delays (engine problems). We split off from the New York bound
horses, loaded Khruschev, Sharee and Tang (btw Christy and Tang finished
their 5th Middle East ride this time - amazing team) and took off for LAX
just before midnight. Arrived 12 hours later - 2am (PST) and the horses were
taken off to quarantine for 3 days, and Karen and I were deposited in the
airport. I thought it was too early to call Carol, who was to pick us up and
give us a place to stay while the horses were quarantined... so we thought
we'd just get on one of the hotel shuttles and hang out in a hotel
lobby/restaurant until it was a more reasonable time to call for a ride.
Good idea... We were a wee bit sleep deprived by this point - almost 72
hours with just a few naps, and a fairly demanding ride thrown in. And after
being in Dubai where there is NO crime we weren't really up to snuff
regarding self-preservation. The first shuttle that came by took us to so-so
hotel. - closed. There were other hotels in sight so we sort of wandered
along, looking for a hotel and restaurant that might be open. We were on the
corner, hauling luggage when a Sheraton shuttle drove by. The driver slowed
to ask us if we needed help (I think we looked a little out of place on the
corner at 2:30 am) - we said we were looking for a restaurant. "Ok, I take
you to restaurant - how much you pay?"  Oh heck... so $10 later we're in the
shuttle. Turns out the guy is African, his brother is a business man in
Dubai, he's headed there in May. Small world.

He drove a couple blocks (we were too tired to notice that we were no longer
in the hotel district) and dropped us off at a Denny's. Still a little on
the dense side we vaguely noticed the security guards hanging around out
front and the fact that we  stood out like sore thumbs in the younger
boom-box crowd. We figured we'd be here a few hours, took our time ordering,
lots of coffee, stories exchanged. Were just finishing our pancakes when all
hell broke loose. In no time the far side of the restaurant was a battle
zone - no weapons (fortunately) but 20 or 30 guys beating on each other -
management hollering, security guards in the midst of the brawl - tables
being pushed over, chairs flying - a group of women ran past us and out the
emergency exit, setting off the alarm. Now hollering, banging and alarm
screaming. We were pretty much frozen and transfixed. I was seated facing
the brawl, Karen had her back to it but was watching my expression and the
guy next to us was doing a running commentary on the battle so she had a
pretty good idea of what was going on. The cops arrived and things started
to settle down a little - so we thought. There was still a lot of hollering
and guys running around, in and out the door, shoving. It was far more
dangerous out in the parking lot so we figured we'd be sitting quiet for a
bit longer. Then a guy came screaming through the room waving a gun
"everybody get down. get down!" I still don't know how we squeezed under the
booth with all our luggage scattered around but in a flash we were both
under the table - wide eyed, and in true brain-dead fashion I was laughing
too hard to be scared.

We stayed under the booth for a while - finally things got under control -
the security guys had all the gang outside, the waitress came by and we
emerged from under the table. Still incredulous, still laughing in
amazement, and at seeing ourselves and the others under the tables. No shots
fired, no knives, just fists, chairs and brawn. We slid back up into our
seats and were assessing the situation when I heard some gasping and
whimpering from the booth next to ours. I turned around, two young women
were sitting there, had just crawled out from under their table - the one
next to me had bright red hair, her face was as white as a sheet and she was
shaking. She looked at us and shrilled " I----- I-m fffrromm  Kansas! I'm
from Kaaanssass!!" I don't think I've laughed so hard and hysterically in
years....

So - all ends well.

More later - after a nap!

Steph