Golfing in the Desert....or is it?

Well a friend of mine finally got me out to golf 9 with him last week. We drove for 1/2 an hour and ended up in the middle of the desert, 44kms from the Saudi border, at this amazing golf course. 10kd or $38.00 for 9 holes . That sounds like a lot by Canadian standards but in Canada golf courses are a lot easier to come by. Looks like we will try and get on once a week or every second week for the winter. Here is a look at some pictures I took.

Maldives

Well it is difficult to put this post into words. As you know Kelly and I have just returned from a quick (4 day) trip to the Maldives. It is truly a remarkable place that is unimaginable until you actually see it. Any pictures you may have already seen are exact replicates of this place, no exaggeration. The water is indeed turquoise everywhere you look and the snorkeling is bar none. We stayed at an all-inclusive resort which had all you can eat, all you can drink, and all you can snorkel. So that is what we did! Daily boat excursions took us 15 mins to nearby reefs where we swam with tropical fish and sea turtles. The reef around our island had tons of marine life including black tip reef sharks and many sting rays. We were in the water almost every minute of the day. Already we have tossed around the idea of returning this year. Perhaps a good "last hurrah" vacation as we depart international teaching in June? Here are a few pictures re-sized of course for your quick loading convenience.

Back in Kuwait

Well we have settled back into our home here and everything is going very well. We spent the last 5 days at school in meetings and unpacking/setting up our classrooms. Because the end of Ramadan is this coming Monday the Gov't has made all next week a holiday to celebrate the new moon and end of the holy month of Ramadan. Suits us just fine. So after a very stressful week of unpacking 4 boxes we have 10 days off before the school year begins with students. As I mentioned before Kelly and I are off to the Maldives for 4 days. In fact our flight leaves in 4 hrs. To anyone who is interested the Maldives is an island country consisting of a group of "atolls" about 700 kms south-west of Sri Lanka. The 26 atolls encompass a territory featuring 1,192 islets of which 200 are inhabited. It is also the smallest Asian country in terms of both population and area. With an average ground level of less than 5ft ASL it is also the country with the lowest highest point in the world at just over 7ft. It is commonly referred to by many as "Paradise on Earth" with its crystal clear turquoise water and abundance of coral and marine life. As a popular get a way for many celebrities we may have a chance to tip a few back with who knows who? We will be staying at the all-inclusive Summer Island Village Resort taking daily snorkeling and diving excursions to different islets. Here is a picture of the water villas that you can rent.

We're going baaaaaaack!

Well the summer is quickly wrapping up for Kelly and I. We have had an awesome summer dividing our time between Winnipeg and The Pas. We fly out of Winnipeg Sept 11 so we have an action 'packed' week ahead. Kelly flys to Orlando tomorrow morning for a "Zumba" fitness convention until Sept 7th. I am heading out west for a bike trip with Mom and Dad to Grande Cache to visit the McLaughlins and will return to The Pas Sept 9 to make finishing touches on packing then head to Winnipeg.

Upon arrival in Kuwait Sept 12 we will spend a few days unpacking boxes and getting our rooms set up. We luckily have a nice 5 day holiday from Sept 17-21, before school actually starts, so Kelly and I have booked a little get-a-way to the Maldives Islands. We will see our first teaching day Sept 27th.

The only other 'carved in stone' trip we have is to Uganda on a trek with the Silverback Gorilllas of the Impenetrable Forest National Park. This is a 4 day Gorilla Trek which starts in the Capital of Kampala. We will embark on two separate Gorilla Treks over two days to try and find these highly endangered animals. Once we (our group with a guide) locate them we cannot come within less then 5 meters of the family and can only stay for a max. of 1 hour. The cost......... Priceless.

Be sure to check back for photos and stories from our first few days back in the Desert.