Strange Things in the Desert

Yippee, we’re going on a break again! Back home to Malaysia, this time. (With stopovers, of course, hehe).

Here’s a quick photo post to go. Till we come back.

Since we’re on deserts, here’s a desert closer to home. And the strange things that you can find there.


What? This ain’t a desert, it’s a lake! Yeah, of course, but if you look at the map, this lake lies in the middle of a friggin desert. And it’s shaped like 2 interconnected hearts! You don’t get that, unless it’s manmade! Welcome to Dubai! Where they make land out of the sea, and seas out of the land.


This is Love Lake, aptly called, what else? When it’s already made to look like hearts (from the sky)!




The gates, the décor, you name it, all are love/ heart-themed


Errgh… The sun’s in my eyes! We went early in the morning (reached at 7-ish), and lo, and behold! It’s like a village of tents, with tents and campers all over, just waking up, brushing their teeth, doing whatever people do when they wake up (you know what I mean, ahem), etc


Awww.. Wassup? Nobody loves you?? Bet some carps will cheer you up! (Jayden’s a fish lover, and there’re carps in Love Lake. Koi? Carps? What’s the difference?)


The Al Qudra Lakes, which adjoin Love Lake. See the parked cars? They’re campers!


We went early because there’s a cycling track in Al Qudra where the kids (and the adults, if you fancy) could cycle your butts off… and it’s just nicer to cycle in the cool morning, than later. Go, Justin, go! (That speck of black, on the cycling track, is Justin). Hmmm… What’s that strange structure in the background??!?




There, we found it! It’s the Sustainability and Innovation Centre of the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park, a solar power plant in Dubai


OK, gotta go. Sending some love from Love Lake, Al Qudra, Dubai – Dec 2020 (the COVID times…)

See you when we’re back from our trip!

Journey to the Icy Fortress

There it is! Ayaz Kala (or Icy Fortress, in Uzbek, according to our Uzbek driver). Both of the forts in the photo are Ayaz Kala, the larger one on the higher hill, is the older one. What would we find up there?!? Who knows?

Since we delved on the Karakum (aka Black Sand), we might as well cover the Kyzylkum (or Red Sand) Desert, in Uzbekistan, the place we visited after the Karakum. If you’re by this time, sick with madrasas and mosques (and you will, if you spend enough days in Uzbekistan, how many madrasas do you wanna see??), and you’re still stuck in Khiva, this is one nice excursion you could make, to break the monotony. A trip to see 3 forts, or 5 forts, or 7 forts, …take your pick! Yup, that’s the sort of package you’d get from your hotel, guesthouse or driver in Khiva. We took the 3 forts trip, and I can tell you it’s more than enough for 1 day, if you are slow coaches like us.

Tip: YandexGo doesn’t work in Khiva. So, the best alternative is to call up Islambek Travel, or negotiate with the drivers parked near the west entrance of the Ichan Kala, or your guesthouse (which would usually be a bit costlier). Islambek Travel is the more professional, as they respond, on time, every time, even if you do not use them. (We took a random taxi at the entrance after negotiating a price with him for bringing us to the Turkmenistan border and back, and the 3 forts tour…) His name is Bek, +998 914271202. But had it not been for us already agreeing with Bek (he was a tad cheaper than Islambek), we’d have used Islambek, just for their tendency to respond promptly, with the info we needed. With Bek, we were a bit worried on whether he'd come to pick us up at the Uzbek border when we returned from Turkmenistan, bcoz there is no way to call, or message within Turkmenistan (nope, our phones don't work in Turkmenistan, and all messaging apps are blocked, yup, WhatsApp, Telegram, WeChat, you name it, with ...the exception of IMO, I heard, and that is if you can get to a Wifi, which, we've not seen anywhere...). Luckily for us, when we were returning, our car passed thru an area very close to the border, and Voila! we had Uzbek line coverage, and I sent Bek a reminder to meet us. Thank God, he was there.

Nuff said. I’ll let the photos speak.


Ayaz Qala Campsite, Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan. We’ve reached. That’s as far as the car can go!


What’s it with the cannons? There, on top of the hill, lies the Icy Fortress. And it lived up to its name that time, f@$*in freezing, brrrr….


Trekking over the freezing Kyzylkum. Looks like we’re the only ones that day


We’ve reached the ancient walls! (And I mean ancient, from 300 - 400 BC). See the snow on the ground. Told you it was friggin frigid! Even with the sun bright and nice!


Breaching the walls


We’re in!


Nothing much to do, except explore the ruins. And build a snowman! Smile!


A view of the smaller Ayaz Kala below, from our vantage point


Let’s go, shadow selfie on the snow. Ayaz Kala (or Qala if in Uzbek), Karakalpakstan. Karakalpakstan is an autonomous republic within Uzbekistan. It’s the home of the Karakalpak, a tribe more closely related to the Kazakh then the Uzbek


Next stop, Topraq Kala (or Earth Fortress)


Topraq Kala, Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan


Final fort, Kyzyl Kala (Red Fort) … Do you see Justin in the hole?


The Kyzyl Kala is a partially restored fort. Both the Topraq Kala and Kyzyl Kala are easy to access from the road itself, unlike Ayaz Kala


One final photo for the post. Smile! Ayaz Kala, Karakalpakstan, Uzbekistan, Dec 2023

Closing the Gates of Hell

Darvaza Gas Crater, Karakum Desert, Turkmenistan

And so, the Israel-Iran War ended, after 12 days. It’s a ceasefire, which I hope will stay, for good. I am no supporter of the US, or of President Trump, but I have to say, Trump did a good job this time, putting an end to this stupid war which Israel started (possibly with US prompting). He told Israel to stand down, after Iran agreed to his ceasefire announcement, and both Iran and Israel agreed. Who else could have pulled that off at this time? I can’t think of any other, not Putin, not Xi, not Modi, not Starmer, not the UN, not if the US had another person as president. And the winner of the war – my verdict is, the US (and partially Israel), because they did a ceasefire after they bombed the bejesus out of Iran. All the key nuclear facilities destroyed, military leaders & nuclear scientists killed, air defences completely crippled… without sending his army into a protracted war, and messing up the country with regime change. What more can I say?!

Iran should take this war as a lesson learnt. Alienate your own people at your own risk and survival. How did Israel manage to infiltrate so deeply into Iran that they could sabotage all its air defences, and pinpoint the locations of all its leaders and scientists as targets for assassination? It just shows how loathed the ruling regime is. These are warning signs for any ruling government. Iran would do well to heed these signs and make changes if it wants to survive. But who am I to advise, ahem.

Anyway, I just read an article that the Darvaza Gas Crater in the Karakum Desert of Turkmenistan is closing down! After 54 years, of burning continuously. (The Soviets set fire to the gases emitting from the crater in 1971 to prevent the possible release of poisonous methane gas, thinking that it’ll burn out in a few days. It just took a few decades more). According to the article I read, Turkmengaz, Turkmenistan’s national gas company, reopened previously mothballed wells near the crater and drilled several new wells to pump out the methane feedstock before it could reach the crater. What a spoilsport! Why close it down?? It’s such a cool (I mean hot) place!

Luckily, we visited in 2023! For those who still wanna see it, I suggest you make it quick! Anyway, here’re photos of our adventure at the Gates of Hell!


The Darvaza Gas Crater, aka the Gates of Hell, or the Door to Hell, or officially, the Shining of Karakum (Garagum ýalkymy), Turkmenistan




Family picture at the ‘Door to Hell’, Turkmenistan, Dec 2023


Owadan Tourism’s Campsite Entrance. From what I could see, the only accommodation available nearby (within walking distance I mean, and dead in the middle of the bitter cold winter), is Owadan… which fortunately, is the agency we booked our trip with. (And yes, booking a trip with an agency is about the only way you could get a visa to visit Turkmenistan!)


We stayed in a yurt! It’s OK for a night, for experience’s sake. But bloody cold in the freezing Central Asian winter! Turkmenistan is the only country of my visits, that I did not shower, nor do a No.2 in, while staying overnight. What? Yurts don’t come with attached toilets, you know? The toilets are shared toilets outside, and at the time of our visit, there’s no bloody water in the toilet coz it’s all frozen solid! They did provide water at the yurt in buckets for washing…


Our dinner! Barbecued mutton and chicken. (I informed them in advance not to have beef, for Anu’s sake)


Warming ourselves up at the crater, after dinner. It’s like a nice bonfire. Now, if only we could roast some marshmallows, ahem! This is about the only thing to do after dinner, go for a walk to the crater. Winter’s not really their tourism season. There were only 2 families that night visiting Darvaza, us and a Chinese family, and they did everything and retired early… The Chinese family's Turkmen guide could speak Mandarin far better than I, fuck! (He studied in China)


Our driver, (forgot his name, it begins with an ‘A’, was it Ahmed? Arshad? …), peering into Hell


Justin in our yurt


He was our designated fire-feeder. (The yurt comes with heaps of chopped fire-wood, prepared by the campsite). You’d have to feed the fire regularly, throughout the night, to keep it from going out, and freezing our butts off. But, as expected, Justin slept like a log, and the job ended up with his parents… (Of course, the ‘hotel’ offered to feed it for us, but we don’t fancy people coming into our yurt when we’re sleeping…) We actually had a choice of bunking at a room in the campsite building quarters, or a yurt, but both choices required manual fire-feeding, and no toilets, so what the heck! A yurt’s way cooler!


Good morning! It’s dawn. You can see the glow from the crater in the background. No wonder they call it the Shining of the Karakum!


One last look before we head back north to Dashoguz. That’s the view of the crater, and the Owadan Tourism Campsite from the top of a nearby hillock, with a path connecting the two. Looks like some giant waste incinerator, doesn’t it?

Bye-bye Hell! Hope they’d change their minds, and keep you burning!

20 Years of Blogging

The dark days are upon us. Israel has bombed Iran, our northern neighbour, and there will surely be retribution. What is it with this world? Since I started blogging 20 years ago, (yup, it’s already 20 years, as of March this year, believe it or not!), the world seems to have grown colder. Calculative, manipulative, power above all else. That was how it was like in the medieval times; every country for themselves. Now, we’re starting to feel it all come back, the age of empires. I thought humans would have evolved to be kinder to one another, more concerned for others, regardless of their views, beliefs, nationalities, ethnicities and social standing. But no, we’re back to square one, our basic instincts. We’re humans after all. God help us.

One fundamental problem, is that we, humans, tend to choose the strong to lead us. That’s what you call leadership qualities, you know? Well, from looking at what’s happening to the world today, I’d say, to hell with the strong and forceful leaders, I’d prefer the kinder and more compassionate leaders that’d not make my country great again, but make my country kinder, to all. 20 years ago, we seemed to be on the right track, …no more Cold War, countries opened to trade, travel and cultural exchanges, behaving lawfully and responsibly, respecting one another, with an international body overseeing the rules. Where did that all go?!?

Anyway, I am no God to correct this. We’ll rely on our great and mighty ‘leaders’ of the world, who want to shape history, leave their mark here, win, and show who’s boss. Why can’t they understand that we’re merely visitors to this world.? We come here for a few decades, and then we die, and leave the world. Why not make it a better and happier place for all when we’re here?

Also, prayers and blessings for strength, perseverance and hope to those affected by the tragic airplane crash in Ahmedabad. May God strengthen and bless you all through your difficult times.

To commemorate my 20 years of blogging, I’m posting some older photos of our time here in Dubai, circa 2019 – 2023. Photos that I can’t seem to fit anywhere, but are still interesting. See you in my next post!


Some family in Dubai – Anu’s eldest sister Manju, and her son, Kunal, at Zabeel Palace, Dubai, UAE – in the COVID Days! (Jul 2020). They were stranded In Dubai due to COVID-19, they were in Dubai to visit Karishma (Manju’s daughter) and were supposed to be back in India by March 2020!


Hey, there’s a peacock! No, Jayden, they’re not so easy to catch – Zabeel Palace


And then, there are friends! Anu with Madhavi (middle) and Jasna (left) at Da Vinci’s Italian Restaurant, Millenium Hotel, Garhoud, Dubai – Sep 2019. They’re the mothers of Justin’s former classmates Aria and Mashel


Here’re the kids. Justin and Jayden with Mashel (middle), Aria (right), and Viva (between Mashel and Aria). Viva is Aria’s younger sister. Mashel and Aria are the same age with Justin, while Viva is the same age with Jayden. At the Jebel Ali Village Recreation Club, Apr 2021


We meet again, kids and their mothers at Bounce X, Dubai Festival City Mall, Jul 2021. Bounce X is a trampoline park. Hmmm, where’re the fathers? Well, who’s gonna look after all the stuff, and snap the photos? And old men don’t really jump, do they? Wouldn’t mind sitting around, having a beer or two, haha!


Pizza time! What better way to wind down after jumping, then pizza!


Another meeting, Anu and Madhavi at Zinc, a café in Sports Society, Dubai – Nov 2022. The kids were ice skating at the ice rink. This time it was for Justin’s farewell, just before he moved to Singapore for his studies. Jasna and daughter, Mashel had already left for Canada, a few months prior…


Best thing to do before ice skating, is to learn some roller skating. And skateboarding, while you’re at it! Justin’s a quick learner. Jayden took a li’l more time, but he’s OK now. At the NShama Town Square Skate Park, Dubai, May 2021


Not content with one skate park? Here’s another free one, haha! – the Damac Hills Skate Park, June 2021. No, you don't skate on the grass, the skate park is just on the horizon towards the left of the photo!


The NShama Town Square Skate Park also features a Battle Park, surfing pool (a pool with waves for you to learn surfboarding), trampolines, sports courts, etc. Justin looking at some players at the Battle Park. Next time, OK? When you’re a li’l older!


Going around town, shopping and visiting friends (very rarely, we prefer friends visiting us, hehe) make up most of our activities in the city. We prefer the mountains, but you can’t do that in bloody summer. So, it’s malls, until saner weather comes around. Here’s us watching a movie with Danylo, Jayden’s Ukrainian friend, who stayed in the same apartment block as us, until he moved to Germany. VOX Cinemas, Mall of the Emirates, Mirdif City Centre (Jayden, corrected me, ahem) Sep 2023. (I remember it was Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning)


Going back in time, Anu at Mankhool, Dubai, outside a building (Badri Building) where a friend stayed, Feb 2019


Another retro photo. Yours truly, in front of the Grand Hyatt Hotel, Dubai, Mar 2019. This hotel was the location of our company’s first and only annual dinner in 2010 (or the only annual dinner I knew about), in my 14+ years working for them!


Sometimes we end up in places like this library! The Al Twar Public Library, May 2022. We were waiting for Justin to finish his World Scholar’s Cup event, in the school next door (Cambridge International School)!


Finally, here’s mommy and son at Ghantoot, a Nepali Restaurant in Bur Dubai, Sep 2023.