With the ticket out of Dubai already booked, I am frantically working on my Dubai bucket list. You see, when we left Oman, we had only been there a year and had not planned on moving again so soon, so lots of things were left un-done, places left un-visited and sights un-seen. This time, with some warning to our next move, the whole family got together and we put a joint bucket list up on the fridge, and have been ticking things off at a good rate.

The teenager’s list was easy enough: swim with a dolphin and lots of visits to various water parks, plus brunches at Zuma. Those were on everybody’s list, so we have been busy stuffing our faces with Japanese cuisine, when, really, we should be tucking into shawarmas while we can, but there you go.

Trips to Syria and Iran had to be sadly postponed due to local tensions and the somewhat hindering fact that the husband has already left us and moved on ahead. But we have been all over the place, including the camel market, leaving without a purchase though. Considering the hoops we have to jump through to get the dog to Australia, a camel would just probably not be worth it. Anyway, we can get one there, I believe.

Yesterday I finally ticked off another one of my points: I bought myself a gold bar from a vending machine. Okay, it is not one of those nice big bars you could use as a door stop, but it is a proper little gold bar, and it came from the machine in Dubai Mall.

Dubai has a few of those vending machines dotted around - you know, they come in handy when you desperately need some gold and the shops are closed…

In Vancouver airport you can get an umbrella from a machine; in Shanghai I’ve seen a machine giving you fresh – live – crabs (I was tempted to buy them all to set them free…); in Hamburg there used to be an entire little supermarket just full of compartments you slot money in and get your food item out of, and I remember somewhere, who knows where, a machine with little toy cars. Here? You get gold.

So, now I am the proud owner of a gold bar and I had my two minutes of ‘fame’ as curious tourists gathered around me as I kicked and cursed the machine – even gold vending machines, it seems, need some coercing at times to spit out the goods.  But all in all, it made it easy to spend a lot of money for something pretty and shiny in a brief amount of time.

And the little bar even comes with a money-back guarantee, no questions asked. Just in case you come home with your purchase and the spouse just doesn’t quite share your excitement. (Mine isn’t here, so I get to keep it!)

Okay, got to go – more things to tick off. And I have already started a list for Australia – this time, I going to be prepared and make the most of it, starting as soon as I land. So much to see and do, so little time…
 

While the UK has its Cheese Rolling, Wife Carrying and Bog Snorkling, Australia has come up with some interesting events that might just be worthwhile attending. Just the other day the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney launched its Nude Tours. So it seems that some events are probably better watched from afar, rather than participated in…

Australia Day Cockroach Races
Why exterminate them, when you can race them? Gather in Brisbane, Queensland, and watch the six-legged races. According to legend, it all started 30 years ago at the Story Bridge Hotel, when two old punters sat in the bar arguing over which suburb had the biggest and fastest roaches. They raced their respective cockroaches, and it obviously caught on.

Charleville Camel, Donkey and Yabbie Race Festival
Camels and donkeys seem straight forward enough and coming from the desert, camel racing is just fine with me. But racing a crayfish?  Taking place in Charleville, Queensland, every first week in August, the festival also showcases other Outback activities such as wood-chopping, continuous barbecues, plenty of beer-drinking and subsequent singing.

Darwin Beer Can Regatta
As we already gathered from the Charleville races, beer-drinking is a serious and ubiquitous pastime, and being ecologically minded people, too, the Australians came up with this unique way of recycling all those cans. Plenty of serious contraptions take to the water. Considering this has been going on for some 35 years, they must be onto something.

Deniliquin Ute Muster
A Ute, or Utility Vehicle, is something quite special in Australia, at the very least in Deniliquin, New south Wales, where they celebrate everything ‘Ute’ every September with the Play on the Plains Festival. Applauded in the Guinness Book of World Records in 1999, the festival brings together Ute owners from near and far for a huge parade, a Beat Ute pageant, plenty of live music and of course, some beer-drinking. Well, they always need empty tinnies up in Darwin…

Nude Beach Olympics
For obvious reasons held in summer, every January at Maslin Beach, nr. Adelaide in South Australia, people strip and do sport. Okay, maybe sport is too strong a term, but there are the Best Bum Competition, the Discus, and the Three-legged Race. I know, the mind boggles. But,when you think of it, the original Olympics, back in old Greece, were held starkers. So there is logic there. And probably plenty of beer.

Parkes Elvis Festival
Elvis left the building and went to Australia. To the town of Parkes, New South Wales, where  15,000 people gather each January for five days, to celebrate all things Elvis. So, put a quiff in your hair, curl your lip and practise swaying your hips. At least you can wear clothes for this one…
 

Pig Racing & Diving
Part of the Royal Hobart Show, an agricultural mega-event held in October, is the pig racing and pig diving. In the grounds littered with farmers, llamas, cows, hens and anything farmable, the little ‘Babes’ run to win ‘fastest bacon’, whilst others literally jump into a pool, voluntarily and quite happily. Just don’t tell them that most likely they will come to a sticky end.

Tunarama Festival
Port Lincoln, South Australia, plays host to one of the most popular events in the annual calendar: tuna throwing. Held every year to coincide with Australia Day in January, the festival boasts events ranging from keg rolling to Beach Volleyball,  from boat building to prawn peeling and tossing (not necessarily in that order or with the same participants) and of course, tuna tossing. Throw your tuna the furthest and you are the hero of the festival. Simple.
 

Why go? Bahrain is the smallest country in the Middle East and the only island state. For its small size it has an astounding amount of history and heritage crammed onto the main island. The country combines modernity with history to be experienced in a leisurely weekend.

Where to stay? The Ritz Carlton Bahrain has a beach setting, extensive leisure facilities and is conveniently located near the sights and malls. Choose from your own private villa or large rooms in the main building. It’s perfect for the whole family. Tel: 00973 1758 0000.

What to do? Start with Bahrain Fort, or the ‘Portuguese Fort’ on the west side of Manama. The site houses different dwellings dating back to 2,800 BC with the most recent, built on top of everything else, being a fort built by the Portuguese in the mid-16th century. Further inland there are two more archaeological sites, the Barbar Temple and the Ad-Diraz Temple, both dating back to approximately 3,000 BC.

Then head for the King Fahd Causeway completed in 1986 and connecting Bahrain with Saudi-Arabia. The actual border post is situated on an island about halfway between the two countries. Two high, identical towers dominate the island; one on each side, the one on the Bahrain side has a restaurant situated in its bulbous top, with great views over the causeway and the sea.
There are approximately 85,000 ancient burial mounds all over Bahrain, but the village of A’Ali has the most impressive ones. In the village itself are the huge Royal burial mounds, around 5,000 years old and up to 15m high with a diameter of 45m. What the mounds look like from the inside can be seen in the National Museum in Manama. If you have time and the inclination, why not try and find the so-called Tree of Life, a tree in the middle of the desert, with an unidentifiable and mystical water source. On the way back to the airport the next day, pop into the 15th century Arad Fort.

Where to eat? Skip the usual restaurants in the hotels and head for somewhere truly unusual: The La Fontaine Centre of Contemporary Art. An art gallery cum restaurant set in a historical building in the centre of Manama, near the souq. The setting is magnificent, the ancient surroundings complemented by the modern art on display and the food is excellent, whether you sit in the elegant inside restaurant or the romantically lit courtyard with its fountain. 92 Hoora Avenue, Manama, Tel: 00973 1723 0123.

Where to shop? Manama has a number of malls worth visiting: Al Seef and A’Ali, which are walkably close to each other and the new Bahrain Mall. In the old part of town, through the Bab al Bahrain, lies the traditional souq with many jewellery shops selling the famous Bahraini pearls.
 

Dubai, 11th March 2012

The Emirates National Auto Museum

Why go? Not interested in cars? Doesn’t matter, the ENAM is still a must-do. This is the amazing private collection of Sheikh Hamad bin Hamdan Al Nahyan. Not a museum as such, it is ‘just’ a glorified private garage. A garage, which houses some 200-odd cars including some truly bizarre ones, such as an enormous Dodge pick-up that actually drives – it had to, to be able to get into the Guinness Book of Records, which it did.

What to do? Ermh, look at cars? This is a truly mind-boggling assortment of personal favourites, 80 of which Sheikh Hamad still uses on a regular basis - there were a few empty spaces when we came... The collection houses a vast array of cars and other vehicles; some seemingly bought from owners there and then, such as a customised camper van, others where given as presents from all around the world. Whilst some are as originally intended, others have been modified to suit the Sheikh, who obviously has a fascination with rainbows. Not only are there several Mercedes, including one in each colour of the rainbow for each day of the week – all outfitted with conveniences such as fridge and TV - but also a number of other vehicles that are either totally rainbow coloured, such as my personal favourite, a tiny Fiat bubble car, or have the rainbow logo painted on them– with matching seats and hub caps, of course.
There are a number of military vehicles, onto which kids are allowed to climb; one even has a golfing-range on top. The before-mentioned Dodge, which comes in all sizes, none as impressive as the 5-metre-high one with a complete apartment under its roof, parks next to some serious dune-bashing monstrosities and a see-through shiny disco car.
The only downside of the well-organised and nicely displayed collection is that none of the cars have signs explaining what type they are, where they are from, details of years of manufacture or acquisition, which is a shame for people who are not necessarily car buffs.

Where to eat? A small coffee shop tides you over smaller hunger and thirst pangs, but the best idea is to pop into the nearby falcon-shaped Abu Dhabi Golf Club, where brunch is the prefect meal after a visit to the museum. Tel: 02-5588990

Entrance essentials? No entrance fee and opening times are daily 7am until 6pm, with a lunch break between 1-2pm. Friday opening between 8am and 7pm. A camel ride will set you back Dhs10. For details phone: 02-6676999.

How to get there? Follow the road to Abu Dhabi, then take the turn off for the E11 – look for Mafraq. After the airport follow the same road toward Tarif and turn onto the E65 at exit 306 toward Hameem. Go past a gate with a rainbow sign over the entrance and you will spot the huge pyramid shaped building also on your left – that is the museum.

Dubai, 20th February 2012

In March it will be time again for an entire weekend of enjoying tastes from around the world. From March 15th to 17th, Dubai Media City will be taken over by internationally renowned chefs cooking up a storm for eager foodies.

More akin to a music festival than a restaurant experience, Taste of Dubai promises demonstrations by chefs such as Gary Rhodes and Vineet Bhatia, many of them affiliated with restaurants in Dubai. But whilst a little instruction never goes amiss, I personally have no ambitions to become a chef, and will be there solely to sample the food.

25 restaurants (including lovey Rivington Grill, gorgeous Rhodes Mezzanine, yummy  Ronda Locatelli, Zafran and many more) will be participating offering visitors samples of their signature dishes; the local alcohol shop MMI will allow people to broaden their knowledge of the humble grape and there is a VIP tents for some bubbles to accompany the dishes. A resident band will entice you to dance off those calories, or lounge around on the grass taking in the atmosphere, and there is plenty of entertainment for younger family members, too.

Last year some 17,000 people came, saw and ate. Make sure you book early, otherwise the goodies will be gone…

You can buy tickets from www.taste ofdubai.com