Dubai Day 4 - Ski Dubai

This was by the far, one of the days I was most looking forward to. Even though we were all slightly delirious from poor sleep the night before, we trudged off the subway about 9am (there were two stations, each an equal distance apart from our hotel). It was already about 85 degrees, but it was a dry heat and didn't feel as horrible as I thought it would. The subway was one of the few inexpensive things you could do in Dubai (again, largely subsidized by the tiny, oil rich nation's government). We regularly rode 10-15 stops for only about 7 dirhams/AED or $2 per person) each way. In Japan, which has a similarly clean, modern, efficient transportation system, would have cost three times that).

We rode the subway from BurJurman station to Mall of the Emirates, and made our way across the beautiful, massive mall (I think it also ranks in the world's top ten largest malls, depending on the source) over to Ski Dubai. Mall of the Emirates is the mall that is known for having a ski resort, and the only place in the world (supposedly) where you can get to meet/touch penguins. So we absolutely had to check it out. (Fun, useless fact: Once we got back I learned that Mariah Carey and her kids had been there a few weeks before us.)

We booked our penguin encounter/snow park excursion well in advance since we didn't want to take any chances. It wasn't cheap, but we counted among the rare splurges we would make on the trip...since penguins and snow aren't things you get to experience much on the island. I'd also had to cancel the dream I'd had of getting Ryan his first skiing lesson, based on cost and the fact that in order to be allowed on the slopes, he would've needed more experience. The adventure-chasing me wanted his first skiing experience to be in the middle of a desert, but the rational side of me knew it was both cost-prohibitive and potentially dangerous. I didn't want to have him hobbling on crutches the rest of the trip or an out of network, $10,000 co-pay (that would be money far better spent on upgrading from coach to business class). ;-)

We got suited up for the penguin encounter, and were able to spend about 10 minutes meeting a penguin who happily wandered amongst the 10 or so us, and learned all about their social lives/reproductive cycles from a trainer (fun useless fact: you cannot visually differentiate between a male and female penguin). Also, penguins get married, have a proposal/ceremony, get divorced, some are gay, they sometimes adopt other penguin babies, etc. Interesting, funny little creatures!

Once we had our information session, we got to take pictures with a second penguin named Wally, who didn't seem all that excited to see us. At one point during our photo shoot, he waddled off thinking we were done and left us standing there until he decided to come back.

Since we'd collectively spent about $500 for the penguin experience, which was quite brief (maybe 20 minutes tops)...I was a little peeved to learn that each picture (no personal cameras allowed) would cost us $36. And that was for a hard copy...not digital. Insanity. We're peasants, not oil-rich Saudis. We had to cave and buy one since we'd have a reminder of our experience (which we gave as a gift to my mother), but I unapologetically snapped a few more blurred pictures that we were shown on screen...since I wasn't about to spend $72, or $108 on two or three more, Oh heeeellll no. Homie don't play dat. It was embarrassing, low class behavior on my part, but I was willing to sacrifice my pride for a few more memories of our pricey experience.

Mall of the Emirates! Yay! A massive, gorgeous mall filled with high end, luxury stores that we couldn't afford to shop at! It's still a sight to see, and we had to walk through it anyway to get to SkiDubai.

Standing outside Ski Dubai, waiting to check in.

This was someone's second (of four!) trips to a candy bar on this trip. We tend to indulge on trips since we don't have any over here on the island.

Ski Dubai does a great job of recreating the ambiance of a cozy, ski lodge in Colorado...We were supplied with gloves, snow suits, socks...all we had to bring were our own ski hats. In hindsight, thermal socks would have been a FABULOUS idea (I'll explain later).

We were each encouraged to give a very disinterested Wally a salty, wet kiss. We also learned that penguins do not ever turn down food. (And on that note, I think I may have finally found my spirit animal.)

Once we left the penguin encounter, we were free to spend as much time as we'd wanted in the snow park. The park had a variety of activities that I *could not* wait to view/experience- snow sculptures, a double-track toboggan,a ski lift over all five runs, tube sledding, giant inflatable balls to roll down in, etc.

Some of the ice sculptures

You can see everyone shopping at the mall right outside the large glass plate windows (they're also staring at us).

I will tell you that this looks far less dangerous than it felt. I think I suffered whiplash and nighttime panic attacks from how fast this whipped your body around. I did it once and swore never again. ;-)

Shortly after the tobaggon ride, I noticed my toes started to feel increasingly frozen and in pain. I was convinced they were on the brink of frostbite, and excused myself to the warmth of the lobby in varying intervals in hopes of avoiding wooden-peg toe prosthetics. I did, however, manage to snap the boys on a few of the fun activities they did while I cried in the lobby about the fate of what I was sure, were my blackened, dead toes.

Riding up to the top of the hill to sled back down!

Ryan pronounced this to be extremely vomit-inducing...so I think he only did it two times. ;-)

The only other activity I managed to do (so that makes a whopping two things) that day other than tobogganing. The chair lift was alternately fascinating and terrifying, and the size of the park was surprisingly large! 

One of the runs we saw from up top

I left a little disappointed that I couldn't buck up more and do a few more activities with the boys, but I was truly in pain. I could barely walk at one point. I had on super crappy, cheap socks from Ski Dubai, and I think that had a lot to do with it. If I ever did it again (ha ha), I'd have on thermal socks and some toe warmers.

Aside from my wimpiness and pathetic inability to handle cold, I *loved* Ski Dubai and highly recommend it if you don't live in a snowy area. It was the most snow I've ever been able to play in, and well run/maintained. I think Rich and Ryan managed to play for about 90 minutes before we all staggered out of there about 3pm, half frozen and asleep, and went to eat at the giant international food court (again, I'm part-penguin so I had to feed myself well).