Mother and Son Make The World Their Classroom for a School Year: November 13, 2014

One memorable and remarkable thing after another today. We started with the Burg Al Arab, which was built over 15 years ago and is relatively old in the area, and the first “7 Star” hotel. Everything is gold or gilded. They have a squash court in the hotel and each room is a huge suite with their own private butler. Rooms start at around $8000 a nite and they have a 3 night min stay and rooms go up to around $35,000 a night. They have someone that has been in a $35,000 suite for almost 3 years! They have amazing water fountains in the hotel. All things that look gold, are gold. You have to be almost 6 feet to be one of the women working in the lobby as a greeter. It is very luxurious and set up for the Arab world, with separate female quarters in the suites too. It was fun to see. From the top you oil d see Palm Island, a manmade island that looks like a palm tree and is covered with residences and beaches. You could also see the new islands that have been made that are in the shape of all the continents in the world. #onlyindubai

Just down the road and at the end of Palm Island we went to the Atlantis Hotel. It does look like a pink castle you could find under the sea- but stands as almost a gateway to the sea. We got a small tour around the hotel and then headed over to swim with the dolphins. It was a fun experience and one Sam just totally loved. With 4 other people we entered a small lagoon and met our dolphin,Black. He swam between us, we hugged him, kissed him and he kissed us and let us ride him on his belly and he spun us around in the water and danced with us. At the endi the dolphins put on a little show while we were in the water. It was pretty amazing to see how quickly they slice through the water. Their skin is so soft since they are constantly shedding the top layer of their skin, not like a snake but very small pieces falling off which leaves them always with this soft skin- feels like a hard boiled egg when pealed. tt was a fun experience, almost feels surreal. After a quick bite to eat we headed to the 3 story aquarium which we were going to scuba dive in. I believe it is the largest or maybe now second largest aquarium in the world, next to Dubai Mall, and previously it had been the Burg Al Arab. The aquarium we had seen during our tour and we were blown away by all the rays, sharks, thousands of fish. I can’t remember the exact amount they told me that they have in there, but it was like 14,000 fish.

Above the Aquarium we suited up in scuba gear and then went in. WOW! I honestly was trying to even clap under water. There was so much to look at it honestly felt like I was in a 4D movie. there were almost schools of rays and hammer head shark and a shark that looks like a horseshoe crab and huge shiny silver fish and just a variety that were everywhere you looked. They sent in a photographer with us and a videographer too with us that took some cool photos- one that was hilarious was us sitting in the Atlantis thrones under water. It was funny to be in the aquarium too and have people that are visiting the hotel waving at you and see into the ballroom where they were setting up for an event. I have never seen such a variety and probably wont again with all the sharks etc. Amazing experience #onlyindubai

Before we left Atlantis the gentleman that was taking us around as a courtesy to the JW Marriott concierge who had set up our experiences there they invited us to see the underwater suite and the Bridge Suite that spans the two Atlantis towers with views out towards the palm and views out into the ocean. Sam has looked up and seen the underwater Aquarium Suite and so it was exciting to see that where they bedroom and bathroom make you feel you are in the aquarium, which you actually are. Then up to the top of the hotel and the Bridge Suite- incredible!! This is where the Kardashians had stayed. It goes for $35,000 a night and is unbelievable. Huge rooms with seascape paintings on all the ceilings and Venetian glass chandeliers make you feel like you are in a aquatic palace. It was spectacular- make the greatest party ever! We were blown away. It was treat to be able to see it. #biggerbetterbest #keepingupwiththeKardashians

That evening we were so tired from our day, we didn’t get a chance to do their water park at Atlantis, will have to wait to do it next time. But on the way back to the hotel Sam had seen a car dealership that had some fancy cars that I hadn’t even heard of. He always amazes me with his knowledge of all these cars and all the stats on these cars and sizes of engines and how many there are in the world. We stopped at a couple dealerships that had some amazing lamborghinis , Bentley’s and Ferraris and other exotic cars but these weren’t what he was looking at. The driver took us to another one, very cool but not the one. Sam had to direct the driver and then he saw the one he was looking at. It had no name on it just a shield that was the car’s symbol. Cracked me uo that flying on the freeway for the past couple days he has spotted this shield and known that is where he wanted to go but the rest of us that aren’t afficiandos had no idea. We pulled in and it was like if we hadn’t done anything else in Dubai and had just come here he- this would have been more than enough. He had his mouth wide open and knew all these cars and was freaking out since some of them there are just less than 400 in the world. There was one he asked the man at the shop what it was he didn’t know it. It was a Lichen, not sure if I am spelling it right, but there were only 7 in the world and it was around $2,000,000! Sam took the camera and snapped photos for about 20 minutes and asked the guy all kinds of questions and he was pretty impressed that Sam knew so much about these cars. Must be Grandpa Dick’s grandson. Really fun to see his excitement. He was talking about it all night afterwards.

We got back to the hotel around 8 p.m. We made a quick change and went to the Thai restaurant at the hotel. It was very chic and very delicious. The room was decorated with at least a hundred red lit chandeliers. After we wanted to see what all the restaurants looked like since the one we ate at was so cool. They were all so beautifully decorated and huge with incredible lanterns and designs that suited their themes- the middle eastern one had sheer drapes hanging and beautiful wooden lattice screens and cut copper and metal lanterns hanging all around. So fun to see the design of each.We made it up to our room after our long but amazing day and crashed!

Sam loved these "wet" fountains. Incredible engineering and the clarity of the water when it shoots without any splashing. )

Berg Al Arab is so unique. Everything that looks gold is gold leave or plated and sometimes solid. Rack rate for one of the standard rooms which is a suite and all accents are real gold is $35,000 a night.

Why not have a new gold iphone6+?

Some Arabic stories in the children's library at Berg Al Arab.

Scuba Diving inside Atlantis' massive aquarium- 3 stories with thousands of fish from sharks to rays to schools or bright silver fish # awesome

The Bridge Suite at the Atlantis Hotel- only $35,000 a night!! This is just the living room of the 3 large bedrooms and huge dining rooms and offices and deck that looks out at the Arabian Sea and the other balcony that looks out over the bay