Out Of Africa

My past three weeks warranted little to write about as each day began like most of yours: A quick hot shower, a bowl of cereal, a cup of tea taken for an hours commute in traffic to an office on a major highway. This is daily life in a modern city, This was not Kinshasa, this was Pretoria, South Africa.

In order to fly South African planes in my new assignment, I needed to obtain a S.A. license. Nothing too difficult, just time consuming. I admit I did not mind my time there as I enjoyed good meals, went to movies in the evenings, and on long group and solo bike rides in clean air on good roads, in the open spaces of nearby countryside. Pretoria was enjoying the height of Summer, but at an elevation of 5500ft, Summer and the local terrain was like what one might find at the Palmer Divide, a rise in terrain between Denver and Colorado Springs but without mountains to the west.

Upon completion of training, I arrived in the jewel of the Middle East: Dubai. The city is accommodating to everyone yet still holds it's traditional values. I had one full day there and managed a bike ride along the Persian Gulf, comforted in knowing that American battle ships were close by and keeping an eye on the region. I managed a stop at the worlds largest shopping mall, complete with an indoor ski area. This comes in handy in August when it is 120 degrees outside. I also managed to gain entrance at the plush Burj-al-Arab resort though I later learned that admittance was...limited. It features the famous hotel shaped like a billowing sail, and has a white sand beach along an emerald coast similar to that in the Florida Panhandle. The Swimming was excellent though the beachside Cajun salad was bland . The experience, however, was Choice . If you are of the means, I highly recommend a long weekend.

Upon arrival at my modest accommodations, I noticed the building next door possessed an infamous name. I sought entrance hoping to find a $25,000,000 prize inside. Unfortunately, everyone was at lunch and I had other matters to attend to, like the bent rim on the bike.

I have again departed the civilizatized world and arrived safely at my home for the next six months. It has been visited by Alexander the Great, Genghis Kahn, Marco Polo, Tamerlane and now myself.