Utmanad [SWE]

Katrin har utmanat mig och jag har som ren princip att ignorera request av denna sort. Nu vet vi att jag är sämst på principer och jag antar således utmaningen.

- Gå till mina bilder på din dator: Check!

- Välj den 6e bilden i ditt 6e album och ladda upp på din blogg - Check!

- Skriv 6 meningar om bilden som du har lagt upp:

Sammanträffligt nog är det Katrin herself som har tagit fotot. Staden heter Dubai och det var vår första semesterdag i april i fjol. Till vänster skymtar ryschiga gardiner, av sådant slag man ofta ser i arabvärlden. På det hela taget en omåttligt ful bild. Varför hon ville föreviga denna bruna möbel får vi fråga henne själv.

- Utmana 6 personer till: Nej, usch. Det orkar jag inte.

Another gas station observation

Just noticed a detail on one of my gas station pics; the written sign in the window covered with white paper says: please pay for gas at market. Hilarious.

Donna's perspective

View from Donna's home up in the Rocky Mountains.

Fishing

In the middle of a shopping mall in Colorado.

I have been to South Park

Now I have been to South Park! The producers of South Park came from South Park (surprise), Colorado.

Vote for turqoise gas stations!

Nowadays when daddy already has built enough gas stations in Sweden he should paint them all turqoise.

Colorado cows

I have no scientific evidence for this but I believe that Colorado cows are happier than Swiss.

All liquids in the same box

Two-in-one: Liquor store and gas station. Let us put all liquids in one box, yes!

Continental Divide

On our last day in Colorado, we found them; the Rocky mountains! It was as in a movie. Here at Continental Divide the continent is divided into two. On one side the water runs out in the Pacific Ocean and on the other side it runs out in the Atlantic. The altitude is 3655 metres above sea level.

Yes. We. Can.

Yes. We. Can.

(Barack Obama)

From a physcial point of view

From a physical point of view baseball is pretty pathetic. It is a slightly more complicated version of Swedish brännboll, but without cow dungs.

CU Campus Denver

CU Campus Denver. At School of Education and Communication we have a waterfall. Would it be possible to swap that into a rock band?

One of many odd things

One of many reasons why I love and hate America.

The very last adventures of the big blue suitcase

Once a upon there was a big blue suitcase. It used to travel many, many times back and forth from Casa Lindsay in Switzerland to White House in Sweden. Sometimes it took detours to San Francisco or Montreal or Jönköping or Eskilstuna or who-knows-what-next. Where ever it traveled, it made sure to travel the pretty roads.

As years went by the big blue suitcase grew older and was not as fit anymore. One day, the mistress said to her big blue suitcase: Your time has come, you are going to the dump.

No! the big blue suitcase cried. Please let me come with you to the Promised Land one last time.

The mistress thought for a minute. As she was used to taking risks she finally said: Deal. You've done a great work so far, you should make it another round.

But as the big blue suitcase arrived in Colorado and fell out on the luggage line it got so excited that all its seams came loose at the same time. And all the guts, including undies and braws exploded all over Denver International Airport. Well, not the hair-dryer; it got tangled in the line.

When this all happened the mistress to the big blue suitcase wasn't present. She had to buy chocolate and missed the whole perfomance. A poor professor in education had to run around, collecting underwears and taking care of traumatized people.

Rest in peace, big blue suitcase. Thank you for 10 years of great co-operation.

Busy doing busienss trips

Long time no blogging. I am currently busy doing business trips in Denver, Västerås and you-name-what. Last week in Denver, Colorado: Working with a view over the Rocky mountains is fairly ok. If had to I could sacrifice myself again.

Planning my fall

Now: planning my fall. September adventure above. The state is Colorado. The city is Denver. The task is life.

Do's and Don't in Dubai

And finally Dubai, city of opportunities. Things you can do there:

• Go skiing in a shopping mall and eat so-called Swiss fondue afterwards - no thanks!
  
• Go by boat on Dubai creek back and forth, back and forth, back and forth - yes please!
  
• Get lost over and over and over again - no thanks, but there is no choice
  
• Go Swimming in the Arabian Gulf - always!
  

Sohar beach hotel

Sohar beach hotel: one of many Omani high lights. Sohar is situated on the coast up-north and is the former capital of Oman. Many believe Sohar is the birthplace of Sindbad the Sailor. So do we.

Be aware of...

Be aware of...

the pyjamas people running around on the high way.

In the family room

In the "family room" in a restaurant, a room specially designed for women. Or as Katrin expressed it: a room designed for special women.

In a world of surprises

Oman. Full of surprises. During a dinner in Sur a bunch of goats stepped by.

Pioneers on an uncompleted high way

Many times during our trip we felt like pioneers testing an undiscovered destination; On the way to Sur, for instance, we drove on a high way that plans to be finished by 2009. Eh... yeah! It is exciting not knowing whether you are driving on the road or next to it.

Veckans citat del II (SWE)

Idas mest använda uttryck i Oman:
"Bada?"
eller
"Det märker vi."

Besvarar i stort sett varje fråga: Är vi på fel väg nu igen? Vart hamnar vi nu? Kör vi mot enkelriktat? Det där med att bada är förresten ingen rättighet. Det är ett obligatorium.

Wadi Shab

You find so called wadis, i.e. oasis all over in Oman. Wadi Shab is one of the most famous ones and one of our high lights.

Omani oil

Omani oil.

Muscat

Muscat.

I have ended up visiting many places I never thought I would visit: Ulan Bataar in Mongolia, Fernando de Noronha in Brazil, Washington in Maine, Torshavn, Faeroe Islands, Istorp in Sweden. Muscat is now added to this list.

And don't forget your pyjamas

There is something about Muscat, capital of Oman, that makes it very 1974. Here at the dive center near the city. The water is hot enough for baby swimming.

I had packed ten times too much for our trip. All you need is a pyjamas. And your googles. Of course.

Vilken bil är vår? (SWE)

För några veckor sedan, när vi åkte skidor i Lenzerheide, lyckades en i sällskapet (och det var inte jag) med följande bedrift: efter lunchen på restaurangen i backen hoppade hon, något distraherad av en pratkvarn (och det var jag), glatt i sina hyrskidor. För att plötligt inte kunna åka. Alls. Varför förstod hon först vid återlämnandet på uthyrningen: Men det här är inte våra skidor. Hon hade alltså hoppat i någon annans skidor.

Jag vet. Det hade kunnat vara jag. Mitt beteende smittar visst. Hur som helst: Samma sak hade kunnat hända i Oman med hyrbilen. Alla andra på den arabiska halvön verkar nämligen köra samma bil. Typ i alla fall.

Arabic gold

On the Arabic peninsula gas is ten times cheaper than elsewhere in Europe. This gas station I found south of Dubai.

Veckans citat (SWE)

Katrin i ett nötskal:

Se, den skylten/rondellen/staden finns inte med på min karta.
eller
Den där lille farbrorn i pyjamas, honom frågar vi, han kanske vet.

The Arabic way

In the southern part of the Emirates, close to the Omani border we passed this gas station. Easily one of my top ten.

Om höga berg och Varberg (SWE)

Här ser ni två som sysslar med bergsbestigning! Man skulle kunna säga att vi är de mest berömda som finns i den här branschen. Det är vi, som med risk för varandras liv placerar varandras fötter där någon annans fötter aldrig tidigare har placerat några fötter än varandras fötter. Vi har bestigit stora berg, små berg, farliga berg spetsiga berg, - VAR berg. Låt oss berätta om vår första strapats: Vi startade i gryningen och redan vid lunchtid hade vi kommit bort. [Ur en sketch av Galenskaparna]

Just det. Bara för att det råkar vara en inbiten orienterare som läser kartan behöver det inte betyda att hon hittar till tävlingen. Sådant lärde vi oss redan på dagis. utav de 2'000 kilometer ökensand Katrin och jag avverkade förra veckan var minst 500 av dessa aldrig meningen.

Back from oman

Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. [Ruth 1:16]

Katrin and I are safely back from 2'000 kilometers driving in Oman and in the Emirates. More stories coming soon.