#gulf recliners

[gulfrecliners]

https://gulfrecliners.com/

Gulf Recliners is a leading furniture company specializing in recliners, recliner chairs, recliner sofas, luxurious home theater recliners, and comfortable motion furniture in the Gulf region. We have a strong presence in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and have expanded our reach into other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.

[carolperkinsexgirlfriend]

Steddie Upside-Down AU Part 94

Part 1 Part 93

Will can’t tear his gaze away from Steve. Even as Carol flutters around him, frantic and worried, and Eddie just cries.

Will’s shivering. Mom’s rubbing her hands up and down his arms in quick movements, like she can warm him up. But he is warm. The Harrington’s water heater’s working as good as advertised; the bathroom’s downright sweltering. 

He’s just shaking. 

“We should get him to the hospital,” Barbara says, crouching down beside Steve and settling her fingers against his pulse. She looks over at Eddie, grimacing, “Probably get all of us looked at.”

Eddie’s sopping wet and bloody, cheekbone swelling, and he’s sitting hunched strangely like something inside him aches. Perkins is similarly scuffed up and bruised, if less bloody. Collectively, they look like a group of disaster victims that barely managed to crawl their way out of the rubble.

Eddie pulls Steve further into himself, hauling himself up with a painful-sounding grunt, Steve cradled in his arms. 

Mom lets go of Will, rushing forward to flutter her hands around him. “You shouldn’t be holding him, sweetie,” she cries. “You’re hurt.”

Eddie’s already listing to the side, nearly falling back into the tub until Barbara curls her own arms around Steve, hefting him up. 

“I’ve got him,” Eddie says, but he doesn’t pull away.

“You’re three seconds away from keeling over dead,” Carols scoffs, leading the way out of the bathroom with sloshing footsteps.

Eddie and Barbara shuffle after her, awkward like they’re hauling an old couch out to make room for a new one. They luckily fit side by side on the stairs, but Carol still walks in front of them, hands raised to catch anyone who tumbles, somehow maneuvering each backward step with ease. 

Mom and Will hold up the rear, taking awkward stilted steps to try to stay out of anyone’s way at the slow pace. 

The house is lit, fluorescent and quiet, and warm against his cooling skin from the heat Carol had clicked on when they’d arrived. He feels like an ant walking through its opulent, barren rooms, leaving wet, muddy tracks into its pristine carpet. 

The gulf between him and Steve seems like a trench. It’s hard to imagine Steve here, small and alone in his nice clean sneakers and his clean, fresh clothes. Everything’s so white, any careless movement could leave a smudge. Will’s house is a second-hand storage bin.

But then again, Steve had left this house hadn’t he? He’d made himself as at home in the Munson’s trailer as Uncle Wayne’s recliner or Eddie’s guitar. 

Will’s throat hurts when he swallows, like that time he’d gotten strep and hadn’t been able to go to school for a whole week. He raises his fingers to the tender flesh, feels them like Steve’s hand around his throat. 

He wants his Mom, even with her standing right there. He wants Steve even though he’s passed out in front of him and it was his hands–

No. He can’t think like that. He can’t.

The house is the graveyard of Steve’s life. Had he toddled down these stairs as a teenager? Settled onto that couch as a teenager? Hosted parties in that kitchen? It’s hard to picture the rooms full of people, even when he knows it's true.

The rumors of his parties had trickled down even to the middle school.

But it’s so quiet now. Too quiet.

“Mike?” Will calls as they stagger their way into the living room. 

No one answers.

“Kids?” Mom calls, rushing around where Barbara and Eddie are clogging up the living room. “Where are you?”

She frantically searches the living room, then kitchen, then opens doors at random, calling through the house for no one who can hear her. Will can almost hear his own disappearance echoing through her desperate words. “Where did they go?” she cries as she dashes back into the living room, eyes frantic and wide. 

Barbara snorts. “Doing something stupid would be my guess.” She adjusts her hold on Steve, doing a little jump to shimmy him back up into her arms from where he’d been slipping.

Will bolts out of the house, ignoring everyone’s calls in his mad dash to the van. Harrington's security light turns on, blanketing him in sharp light, briefly blinding him before his eyes adjust. 

Max’s step-brother’s car is gone, the only proof that he was ever there a splash of blood on concrete. 

The van’s gone too. 

Will fishes his walkie talkie out of his pocket, hands fumbling with wet jeans. It’s damp when he pries it free. He wipes it off on his partially dry shirt and compresses the button with baited breath, sighing in relief when the tell-tale crackle of an open line filters through. 

His voice is breathless and croaking as he asks, “where are you, are you okay?” all in one breath, finishing with a quick, “over.” 

It’s Lucas who replies. “Did it work?” 

“He’s back,” Will replies, choking on tears he didn’t realize were flowing. 

It’s silent for a moment before Mike’s voice comes through. “What about El?”

Will’s gut churns, throat clicking as he says, “We don’t know yet,” he turns back toward the house, noticing for the first time that the garage door is open, shelves ransacked, odds and ends tossed haphazardly all over the floor. “We have to get Steve to the hospital; did you take the van?”

Everyone else is shuffling out of the house, cries of dismay and alarm coming from them all as they take in the lack of transportation. Barbara asks, “should we call an ambulance?” as she stares dubiously at all of them, frowning at their bedraggled states. 

Before anyone can reply, there’s the murmur of too-many voices for the walkie to pick up before Dustin’s voice cuts through it with a vehement “shit,” Max’s own shouted “we’re almost back!” barely intelligible, like she was speaking from too-far away. 

“Who’s driving?” Mom cries, running up to Will and looking down at the walkie clutched in his hand like it’ll open its mouth and answer her questions despite the button not even being compressed.

It doesn’t matter – the van comes careening around the corner, and onto the street too fast. It takes the turn into the driveway too wide, running over the Harrington’s perfectly cultivated rose bushes before it screeches to a stop alarmingly close to their fleshy bodies.

Carol laughs when she catches sight of Max sitting in the driver’s seat, looking out at all of them like she belongs there. “I like you, red,” she calls, even as she opens the driver’s side door and shoves her out of the way despite her protests. “You’ve got guts.”

Dustin wrenches the door open, eyes widening as he catches sight of Steve. “What the hell happened to you guys?” 

Barbara bullies her way past him, losing her footing and her grip on Steve enough that his head thuds alarmingly into the hard floor of the van despite Eddie’s fumbling to help. They all end up sprawling, Eddie on the van’s ground, Barbara only partially in, feet dangling awkwardly out the open door. 

“Be careful,” Eddie snarls, glaring up at where she stands. She doesn’t spare him a glance as she helps get Steve fully into the van. Eddie pulls Steve away from her, almost growling. It’s incongruent with the picture he paints as places Steve’s head gently in his own lap, smoothing his wet hair back from his face. 

Barbara ignores the whole thing, moving past them all to claim the passenger seat, brushing past where Max is still crouched by the driver’s seat. Barbara settles into the seat like she owns it, foot up on the dash, knee bent as she turns to lock gazes with Carol.

Dustin’s hovering by Steve and Eddie, hands flitting around like he wants to touch but can’t figure out where it won't hurt anyone further. 

Mike and Lucas both stay seated, looking down at Steve with furrowed brows. “Is he going to be okay?” Lucas asks. No one answers because no one knows. 

“How’d you even start it?” Carol asks Max, fiddling with the trailing wires Eddie’d used to spark the thing to life. 

Max snorts derisively and crosses her arms, dropping to sit criss cross on her butt. “You morons never cut the engine.”

“Enough!” Mom yells, brushing Will’s shoulders gently and easing him forward until he has no choice but to crawl into the van himself. She climbs in beside him, shutting the door with a slam that makes everyone jump. “Carol, dear? Drive.”

She does, pulling out of the driveway with only slightly less reckless abandon than Max used to enter it. 

It’s quiet as the van trundles down the road, save for Eddie’s quiet, unintelligible murmuring in Steve’s ears. His ribs must hurt with the way he’s hunched over Steve, but he doesn’t seem to mind. Will stays where he is, sitting on his hands even as he feels Eddie’s gentle pulling, like he needs to know that Will’s still there. 

“Did we turn off the water?” Carol asks, cutting through the tension with relaxed ease. 

Barbara snorts, “Did we close the front door?”

Will pictures that empty dollhouse with its absent family. He pictures it filling with water, like a fishbowl, like the Titanic. A shrine to all the cruelties that happened there. 

“Do we care?” Will asks. Steve’s face looks peaceful in sleep. Almost serene the way it never is when he’s awake.

Carol laughs, manic as she speeds up, van bumping along the road at reckless speeds. “We do not,” she calls vindictively before laughing again. 

Will doesn’t take his eyes off Steve. 

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Part 95

[fromthedust]

Reclining Figure - terra cotta -Mexico, Gulf Coast, 4th-7th Century

[poemoftheday]

Poem of the Day 14 May 2024

Ode on the Death of a Favourite Cat Drowned in a Tub of Goldfishes

BY THOMAS GRAY

’Twas on a lofty vase’s side, 

Where China’s gayest art had dyed 

The azure flowers that blow; 

Demurest of the tabby kind, 

The pensive Selima, reclined, 

Gazed on the lake below. 

Her conscious tail her joy declared; 

The fair round face, the snowy beard, 

The velvet of her paws, 

Her coat, that with the tortoise vies, 

Her ears of jet, and emerald eyes, 

She saw; and purred applause. 

Still had she gazed; but ’midst the tide 

Two angel forms were seen to glide, 

The genii of the stream; 

Their scaly armour’s Tyrian hue 

Through richest purple to the view 

Betrayed a golden gleam. 

The hapless nymph with wonder saw; 

A whisker first and then a claw, 

With many an ardent wish, 

She stretched in vain to reach the prize. 

What female heart can gold despise? 

What cat’s averse to fish? 

Presumptuous maid! with looks intent 

Again she stretch’d, again she bent, 

Nor knew the gulf between. 

(Malignant Fate sat by, and smiled) 

The slippery verge her feet beguiled, 

She tumbled headlong in. 

Eight times emerging from the flood 

She mewed to every watery god, 

Some speedy aid to send. 

No dolphin came, no Nereid stirred; 

Nor cruel Tom, nor Susan heard; 

A Favourite has no friend! 

From hence, ye beauties, undeceived, 

Know, one false step is ne’er retrieved, 

And be with caution bold. 

Not all that tempts your wandering eyes 

And heedless hearts, is lawful prize; 

Nor all that glisters, gold.

[sealifewatersportsdubai]

Thrill-Seekers’ Guide to Dubai: Iconic Landmarks and Exhilarating Water Sports

The spectacular landmarks, fantastic nightlife, and enormous dune sea are frequently mentioned while discussing Dubai. This oasis in the Middle East has become a top spot for water and adventure sports in recent years. Dubai draws tourists, travelers, and adventure seekers from all over the world with its beautiful sea line. Extensive coastal infrastructure is on exhibit in Dubai, offering visitors a variety of exciting water activities. Explore a few popular water sports that appeal to amateurs, professionals, and players of all ages as we continue reading.

Jet ski Ride

In addition to being one of the best water activities in Dubai, jet skiing is also one of the most amazing ways to enjoy seeing the city. Enjoy this well-known water activity in Dubai from the Gulf Burj Al Arab and the Persian. On this jet skiing adventure visit, travel swiftly through the ocean near Dubai. It would cost you between 500 and 600 AED to ride a jet ski.

Parasailing

This activity is strapping yourself onto a saddle with a rope on a boat and a parachute toward one side, then ascending very high as the boat takes off. It’s a peaceful way to take in some breathtaking views that are up to 300 metres above sea level. You can decide to steer the boat as your pals lift off in the air after you’re back on dry land or in the water. Experiencing parasailing would run you between 400 and 500 AED.

Speed Boat Ride

An awesome way to get the whole family involved in Dubai’s water activities is with a speed boat trip. One of the most well-known water sports on Dubai Jumeirah Beach is the speedboat, which takes you on a tour of the Dubai oceanfront. The speedboat is a safe activity where up to 4 family members can participate together, providing an amazing shared experience that you will cherish forever! You will see the most significant landmarks in the city throughout the visit, and you will also take some amazing pictures. Depending on the length, a speed boat ride typically costs between 160 and 320 AED.

Flyboarding

Flyboarding is synonymous with phrases like high adrenaline, fast movement, and stumbles. Fly spouts shoot forth water with incredible force, propelling you up to 15 metres as you fasten your feet to a board and take off through the air. With some practice, you’ll be able to gently float above the water, and if you keep at it, you might find yourself flipping backwards like James Bond during a tomfoolery. Normally, flyboarding costs between 250 and 300 AED.

Wakeboarding

 It doesn’t seem fair to discuss water sports without mentioning wakeboarding. Wakeboarding is an aquatic pastime that involves maneuvering past a wakeboard and using cunning during the underlying lift; yet, once you’re out of the water, it quickly proves to be reasonably practical. The key to wakeboarding like a pro is to slightly recline while maintaining a straight stance. Riding a wakeboard will set you back roughly 300 AED.

Fly Fish Ride

Prepare for a good time by getting over an inflatable raft in the shape of an E that can hold up to 5 people. Experience the thrills of flying high up, swinging sideways, and arriving with a delightful spray on the water on this 15-minute ride that requires no prior knowledge and is safe for groups of (at least) two people. This ride delivers enjoyment unlike any other with the extra fascination of providing a view of the beautiful Dubai skyline! Life jackets and a brief safety lecture from the instructor are also provided during the ride. Around 180 AED will get you a fly fish ride.

Kayak Tour

A kayak tour is both educational and entertaining. Running on the water is enjoyable whether done alone or with a friend. This completely secure journey also enables you to take in the captivating vistas along Dubai’s coastline. Additionally, kayaking allows you to witness some of the city’s wildlife. You can access unusual locations with the kayak that are typically inaccessible to larger boats. For this one to a three-hour excursion, swimming is a requirement. A kayak tour lasts from one to three hours and costs between 100 and 150 AED.

These are just a handful of the water sports and adventure activities that will make your trip to the Dubai coastline enjoyable and provide you with a special experience. With Sea Life Watersports Dubai, you can elevate this experience. It provides its services at the Dubai Marina for a variety of water activities at affordable rates with an excellent team of instructors, trainers, and ride partners. Original Content copy by : https://medium.com/@sealifedubai/how-to-explore-the-dubai-iconic-landmarks-with-exhilarating-water-sports-b4bb5e0b334a

[miragespacenter]

Indulge in Opulence: Experience Luxury Spa Retreats in Dubai

Dubai, a city renowned for its opulence and extravagance, offers a plethora of experiences that cater to the most discerning of tastes. Amidst the towering skyscrapers and shimmering skyline lies a haven of tranquility and rejuvenation – the luxury spas in Dubai. Nestled within some of the most prestigious hotels and resorts, these spas redefine relaxation, offering a blend of traditional therapies and modern techniques in lavish settings.

Imagine being enveloped in the soothing scent of essential oils as skilled therapists work their magic to melt away stress and tension. From indulgent massages to rejuvenating facials, every treatment is meticulously curated to pamper both body and soul.

Step into a world of serenity and sophistication as you immerse yourself in the plush amenities and serene ambiance of Dubai’s luxury spas. Whether you seek a respite from the bustling city life or simply crave an indulgent escape, these sanctuaries promise an unforgettable experience.

Picture yourself reclining by an infinity pool, with panoramic views of the Arabian Gulf stretching out before you, or unwinding in a private suite adorned with decadent furnishings and tranquil lighting. Each moment is an invitation to surrender to pure bliss and luxury.

In Dubai, luxury knows no bounds, and the spa experiences are no exception. From exclusive treatments utilizing rare ingredients to bespoke wellness programs tailored to individual needs, every visit promises a journey of rejuvenation and renewal.

So why wait? Treat yourself to the ultimate luxury getaway and embark on a sensory journey like no other. Discover the epitome of relaxation amidst the glamour and sophistication of Dubai’s luxury spas.

[umaraheja]

Discover the Magic of Thailand with Elephant Trekking and Koh Kood Adventures

Thailand, a land steeped in cultural richness and stunning natural beauty, offers experiences as diverse as its landscapes. From the bustling streets of Bangkok to the serenity of untouched islands like Koh Kood, Thailand caters to every traveler's desire. While elephant trekking in Thailand might be a popular tourist activity, responsible sanctuaries are offering ethical interactions with these gentle giants.

Beyond the Stereotypes: Ethical Encounters and Unforgettable Adventures

Responsible tourism is becoming increasingly important, and elephant sanctuaries are leading the way in Thailand. These sanctuaries prioritize the well-being of the elephants, allowing visitors to observe and learn about these majestic creatures in a cruelty-free environment. You can volunteer at a sanctuary, assisting with their care and contributing to their conservation efforts.

A Journey Through Bustling Cities and Serene Temples

Thailand's vibrant cities pulsate with life. Bangkok, a captivating metropolis, is a sensory overload in the best way possible. Explore the maze-like alleys of Chatuchak Weekend Market, a shopper's paradise overflowing with everything from handcrafted souvenirs to mouthwatering street food. Immerse yourself in the rich history and architectural wonders of Wat Pho, home to the Reclining Buddha, a massive sculpture depicting the Buddha in a state of nirvana.

A Culinary Adventure for Every Palate

Thai cuisine is a symphony of flavors, exploding with sweet, sour, salty, and spicy notes. Savor fragrant curries like Massaman or Panang, indulge in the delicate stir-fried noodles of Pad Thai, or tantalize your taste buds with a bowl of Tom Yum soup, a spicy and sour broth brimming with fragrant lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves. From Michelin-starred restaurants to bustling street food stalls, Thailand's culinary scene caters to every taste and budget.

Beyond the Mainland: Unveiling Island Paradises

Thailand boasts over 1,400 islands, each with its own unique charm. Phuket, the largest island, offers a vibrant nightlife scene and stunning beaches for sunbathing and water sports. For a more secluded experience, head to Koh Lanta, where pristine beaches and laid-back vibes reign supreme.

Koh Kood Thailand: An Untouched Paradise

If you seek an escape from the tourist crowds, venture to Koh Kood, a hidden gem nestled in the Gulf of Thailand. This island is a haven for nature lovers, with cascading waterfalls hidden within lush rainforests, pristine coral reefs teeming with marine life, and secluded beaches fringed with swaying palm trees.

Cultural Immersion and Breathtaking Landscapes

Venture beyond the beaches to discover the rich cultural tapestry of Thailand. In Chiang Mai, the ancient capital of the Lanna kingdom, explore ornate temples like Wat Phra That Doi Suthep, perched atop a mountain offering panoramic views. Immerse yourself in the vibrant tradition of Loy Krathong, a festival where intricately decorated floating lanterns illuminate rivers and lakes throughout the country.

Thailand's Enduring Appeal

Thailand's magic lies in its ability to cater to every traveler's desires. Whether you crave bustling markets, serene temples, ethical wildlife encounters, or a luxurious escape on an untouched island like Koh Kood, Thailand offers an unforgettable adventure. So, pack your bags, embrace the warmth of the Thai people, and discover the wonders that await you in the Land of Smiles.

[allovertheworldblog]

All Aboard!, for all points West

I boarded the Sunset Limited train service, New Orleans to Los Angeles, on Monday 21st March 2011.

I knew the journey would take 2 days to take me the from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean.

I was looking forward to it. 

I had a reclining chair to sleep in, a fold out bed in a ‘roomette’ would have been about $500 extra.

During the day there was an observation car,

a dining car and a snack car to entertain the passengers and keep us occupied. 

It turned out to be an interesting experience if not a wholly relaxing one, given the somewhat confined nature of the train.

The trip was a couple of hours short of 2 days and five miles short of 2,000.

At 11.55 we set off from Union Station in New Orleans headed for Union Station in Los Angeles.

The trip would take across the southern belly of the United States, into Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and finally California.

As we leave New Orleans we climb high to get over the mighty Mississippi river. 

Announcements are made intermittently over the tannoy system. The usual kind of stuff, about the train, services available.

Most of the announcements are made at a reasonable level. The exception is Monika, the dining car attendant, who feels the need to almost shout over the tannoy.

She tells us that she’s taking reservations for dinner, breakfast, lunch etc.

She tells us that the service for such and such a time is available now in the dining car.

Each time she feels the need to almost shout the announcement.

In the afternoon we make a stop at New Iberia to let some passengers off.

A different voice comes over the tannoy, a man’s voice.

He isn’t shouty like Monika.

He says something in a low almost inaudible voice, before we pull off he says what sounds like 'eyeball Suzie’. Whatever can it mean?

A grizzled old Texan lady who has seen too much sun in her long life jokes with her friends that she doesn’t know if she’ll be able to sleep tonight because she won’t have the noise of the New Orleans trollies outside her window.

Before 18.00 the conductor comes over the tannoy and tells us that we’re crossing the Sabeen River and that we’re entering Texas.

We’ll be travelling across Texas for 24 hours, until we cross the Rio Grande.

Different times of the day afford different views, maybe a change in light, a change in landscape, different types of clouds.

Low fluffy clouds move quickly across the sky.

Higher up ones are more pulled out and stretched.

Then there are some dotted, dappled and even pointilistic ones.

The part of Texas we go through first off is pretty green. I guess it must be parched as hell in summertime. We pass some timber houses, some on stilts.

We go past China, Texas, where there are a couple of cows chewing the cud.

A big old evening sun signals the end of the day. 

The following days brings more of the same. The landscape has changed a bit though, it’s more parched. 

The conductor tells us about one of the places that we’re passing by. The town of Sanderson, where the Amtrak station closed 13 years ago, that doesn’t have a grocery store any more.

The nearest grocery store is 67 miles away.

The inhabitants call it 'paradise’ he tells us.

In the west Texas town of El Paso we come come parallel to the border with Mexico.

The houses in Mexico are so close to the border that we can almost see what’s on their dinner table.

In the middle of nowhere a man in jeans, white shirt and stetson is standing at a fence with 2 kids.

The guy looks like the Marlboro Man, a cowboy and a country singer all rolled into one. 

There could be more people on the train that the kids are waving at than they’d see in a week, a year even. 

We went past some real small places, places that seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, places where the train doesn’t even stop any more.

Some volunteers from the National Park Service come on board to tell us about the flora and fauna of the state. 

We pull into Union Station in Los Angeles ahead of schedule at 08.15 on the 23rd March.

[houstonservice]

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[withbriefthanksgiving]

Image description for all 12 images:

Image 1: 2 fruit company ads.

Ad 1 is a cover of a booklet by Fruit Dispatch Co from 1928. It shows 2 anthropomorphised bananas. The first banana is shivering from the cold with a sad expression. The second banana is wearing a thick winter coat with a pleased expression. The text under this reads “how the right care of bananas will increase winter profits! Compliments of J. A. Trimble and Co, 123 E. third Street, Bethlehem, PA.”

Ad 2 is a United Fruit Company magazine ad from 1928. It shows 2 bananas on a table, with a banana dessert in a bowl with cream. In the background is a tropical scene of a hut on the beach with mountains in the background. The text reads “bananas served in crystal beauty.”

Image 2: a cropped 1916 ad for the United Fruit Company’s Great White Fleet. Text reads: The Great White Fleet. The Call of the Caribbean.

Image 3: a cropped 1916 ad for the United Fruit Company’s Great White Fleet. It shows 2 black toucans with gold beaks and an aerial map of the Caribbean and Central America, with the ship routes marked out.

Image 4: an ad for the United Fruit Company. It shows white/European people in bathing costumes on the beach. The text reads: Continue summer pleasures in Jamaica best reached by one of the perfectly equipped “Admirals” the Twin Screw US Mail steamships of the United Fruit Company. They afford the most delightful ocean trip of the winter months. Within 24 hours after leaving, you are in the warm airs of the Gulf Stream. Hotel accommodations in Jamaica satisfy every desire.

Weekly sailings from Boston and Philadelphia:

Round trip: $75

One way: $40

Steamers “Brookline” and “Barnstable” weekly from Baltimore:

Round trip: $60

One way: $35

Rates include meals and stateroom berth.

“A happy month in Jamaica” is a fascinating booklet we send on request.

Address: F. S. Jopp, General Passenger Agent, United Fruit Co, Long Wharf, Boston.

Or division passenger agents:

104 E. Pratt Street, Baltimore

5 N. Wharves, Philadelphia

321 St. Charles Street, New Orleans

Image 5: a full 1916 ad for the United Fruit Company’s Great White Fleet (which was partially shown in images 2 and 3). It shows 2 black toucans with gold beaks and an aerial map of North, Central and South America with the ship routes marked out for the Caribbean and Central America. Over the area of North America is an illustration of wealthy white people wearing the evening fashions of 1916, a sailor reclining on a deckchair, and several white men leaning against a railing on the deck. The text reads: The call of the Caribbean

- to health and happiness

- From the spacious deck of a Great White Fleet Ship, with the constant charm of the golden sunshine, the purple of tropical palms, and the welcome of a radiant sea

- The finest time of the year for rest and recreation amidst the romance and history of the Spanish Main.

You owe it to yourself to take that long promised vacation, now!

- a luxurious vacation aboard a palatial ship of the Great White Fleet.

Cruises from 16 to 24 days to Cuba, Jamaica, Panama Canal, Central and South America.

Sailings of the Great White Fleet

Ships from New York every Wednesday and Saturday, and fortnightly on Friday.

Sailings from New Orleans every Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Delicious meals a la carte- included in price of ticket. Dainty outside staterooms, perfectly ventilated; wide decks for playing games. Efficient service.

Write for literature to: United Fruit Company Steamship Service, 17 Battery Place, New York.

Image 6: screenshot of the image source for image 5. Text reads:

United Fruit Company Steamship Service -1916A

Publication date: 1916

Topics: Advertising Art in Magazines, Travel and Transportation, Cruises, magazine covers, vintage magazines, advertising art, vintage advertisements

Language: English

Description: Totally evocative ad for the lure of the Caribbean cruise. Elegant passengers, exotic birds, and palatial ships that will take you everywhere. Map shown.

From the May, 1916 issue of Red Book.

Artist: [blank]

Source: Mariangela Buch.

Restoration by Mariangela Buch.

Image 7: a 1915 ad for the United Fruit Company’s Great White Fleet. Header reads: The Great White Fleet. Footer reads: United Fruit Company Steamship Service

On the left hand side, a white mother and her child sit on a deck looking at something pointed out to them by a sailor. Text overlaid the figure of the mother reads: “written for our new book “cruising the Caribbean”. A story, with illustrations, about the pirates, buccaneers and marooners of the Spanish Main: Sir Henry Morgan, Teach, “Blackbeard”, Lafitte, and others”.

In the top left hand corner, there’s an illustration of 3 men dressed up as 17th/18th century pirates, looking into a treasure chest.

The text under this illustration reads: “‘There the pirates hid their treasure’. - and every voyage, every port, every route of the Great White Fleet through the Golden Caribbean has the romance of buried treasure, pirate ships, and deeds of adventure - centuries ago.

Today health and happiness are the treasures sought on the Spanish Main, and the Great White Fleet Ships built especially for tropical travel bear you luxuriously to scenes of romance.

Cruises from 15 to 25 days to Cuba, Jamaica, Panama Canal, Central and South America

Sailings of the Great White Fleet

Ships from New York every Wednesday and Saturday, and fortnightly on Thursdays.

Sailings from New Orleans every Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Passenger department: United Fruit Company Steamship Service, 17 Battery Place, New York.

At the bottom of the ad there is an aerial map of the Caribbean and Central America with the ship’s routes marked out, and the words “sailing under the American flag”.

Image 8: screenshot of the image source for image 7. Text reads:

United Fruit Company Steamship Service -1915A

Publication date: 1915

Topics: Advertising Art in Magazines, Travel and Transportation, Cruises, magazine covers, vintage magazines, advertising art, vintage advertisements

Language: English

Description: Ad for the Caribbean crusades of the United Fruit Company Steamship Service, with visions of pirates and gold, the Spanish Main, and the Great While Fleet. This last harks back to the American Navy's world tour of 1908-1909 in which the Great White Fleet notified the world that the US was now a naval power to be reckoned with.

From the December, 1915 issue of Hearst’s Magazine.

Source: Mariangela Buch.

Restoration by magscanner.

Image 9: screenshot from the Wikipedia article for The 1928 Banana Massacre. Text reads: “The Banana Massacre (Spanish: Matanza/Masacre de las bananeras) was a massacre of United Fruit Company workers that occurred between December 5 and 6, 1928 in the town of Ciénaga near Santa Marta, Colombia. A strike began on November 12, 1928, when the workers ceased to work until the company would reach an agreement with them to grant them dignified working conditions.”

Image 10: this is a closeup from image 6, which is a 1916 ad for the United Fruit Company’s Great White Fleet.

It is an illustration of 3 men dressed up as 17th/18th century pirates, looking into a treasure chest.

The text under this illustration reads: “‘There the pirates hid their treasure’. - and every voyage, every port, every route of the Great White Fleet through the Golden Caribbean has the romance of buried treasure, pirate ships, and deeds of adventure - centuries ago.

Today health and happiness are the treasures sought on the Spanish Main, and the Great White Fleet Ships built especially for tropical travel bear you luxuriously to scenes of romance.

Cruises from 15 to 25 days to Cuba, Jamaica, Panama Canal, Central and South America

Sailings of the Great White Fleet

Ships from New York every Wednesday and Saturday, and fortnightly on Thursdays.

Sailings from New Orleans every Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Passenger department: United Fruit Company Steamship Service, 17 Battery Place, New York.

Image 11: screenshot text reads: “Dispatch from U.S Bogotá Embassy to the US Secretary of State, dated January 16, 1929, stated:

I have the honor to report that the Bogotá representative of the United Fruit Company told me yesterday that the total number of strikers killed by the Colombian military exceeded 1000.”

Image 12: an ad for Chiquita showing a perfectly shaped blemish-free yellow banana, partially peeled, revealing the perfect pale yellow banana flesh. The banana bears the blue Chiquita sticker. The text to the left of the banana reads: “Just a banana, it ain’t. Please, lady. Don’t go calling a Chiquita brand banana just a banana. Chiquita brand banana’s are our very own children. And nobody else’s children are quite like them. We grow them special, pick them special, and handle them special. We examine every inch of them. We measure them. We manicure the. We check them for plumpness, taste, and umpteen finicky little things you’d probably never even notice. They go through a lot to wear the Chiquita Banana label. They’ve earned their name. As for other bananas, okay. They’re just bananas.

Chiquita Brand Bananas.”

End of image descriptions.

Caribbean cruise vacations have a long violent history. Earlier today, I came across one of the early print advertisement illustrations for the Caribbean cruise ship vacations offered by “the Great White Fleet.” And I pondered bananas.

Just as uncomfortable as it sounds. The story of the origin of the Caribbean cruise industry is, after all, also the story of the origin of the term “Banana Republic.”

In 1914, the Great War began as the planet’s powerful empires of old were collapsing, as British, French, Austro-Hungarian, Ottoman, Russian, and Qing/Chinese powers were marred by internal revolt and global warfare. But in 1914, the United States completed their Panama Canal and consolidated power in Latin America and the Caribbean, celebrating the ascent of a “new” empire made strong, in part, by bananas.

As of 2022, bananas generate 12 billion dollars per year, with 75% of bananas exported from Latin America and the Caribbean.

The planet’s single biggest banana-producing company is Chiquita. The Chiquita brand was previously known as United Fruit Company, which had essentially monopolized the banana industry in Latin America. United Fruit Company has a bit of an image problem, following its theft of Indigenous land across Central America in the early 20th century; its role in provoking the killing of tens of hundreds/thousands of plantation laborers during the Banana Massacre of 1928; the company’s direct role in the CIA-backed toppling of the Guatemala government in the 1950s; and the company’s role in paying to harass and intimidate labor organizers in Colombia in recent decades.

But what of the “romance” and “adventure” of the Caribbean?

So it’s 1915 or 1916.

Middle of the Great War. Classic empires are disintegrating: Spanish empire, British empire, Austro-Hungarian empire, Russian empire, Ottoman empire, remnants of the Qing/Chinese state, etc. And whose empire is rising? United States, an empire expanding in the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. After the 1898 Spanish-US war, as Teddy Roosevelt’s cartoon cavalry conquered Cuba, the Spanish Main belongs to the US of A. The US Navy controlled the Caribbean Sea, and was aiming to expand across the Pacific Ocean, to Hawai’i and beyond.

But the official US Navy isn’t the only fleet upholding the empire. The United Fruit Company had its own fleet.

The text of one of these Great White Fleet ads, from 1916, adorned with imagery of a blue-and-gold macaw and an aerial map of the Caribbean, reads:

“[W]here winter never comes and where the soft trade winds bring renewed health. [W]ith all the comforts and all the luxuries of life you enjoy aboard the palatial ships of the GREAT WHITE FLEET. Delicious meals a la carte […]. Dainty staterooms, perfectly ventilated […]. [A]mid the scenes of romance and history in the Caribbean. And with it the opportunity to win for yourself a treasure of health and happiness, of greater benefit than the fabled fountain of youth, sought by Spanish adventurers in the tropic isles of the Spanish Main.”

Who’s leading the charge?

The United Fruit Company!

From the May 1916 issue of Red Book. Image source, from Archive dot org:

Another:

Image source, from Archive dot org:

“There the Pirates hid their Gold – and every voyage, every port, every route of the Great White Fleet through the Golden Caribbean has the romance of buried treasure, pirate ships an deeds of adventure […].”

The Golden Caribbean.

The same region where Columbus murdered Indigenous people, where the US and France had just spent 100 years punishing Haiti with unending economic warfare afters slaves rebelled against colonization, and where the United Fruit Company would now set up shop.

The company’s plantations would expand across Central America, establishing brutal racial hierarchies and essentially controlling federal governments of Central American nations.

In 1928, over 30,000 laborers were on strike at banana plantations in Colombia. They demanded payment of actual wages, rather than the credits they were given which were mostly only redeemable at company-owned stores in company towns. The US government threatened to send the Marine Corps to intervene if the “subversive” workers would not return to UFC’s plantations. In December 1928, after martial law had been declared, General Cortes Vargas entered the town square of Cienaga (Magdalena) during Sunday gatherings, with machine guns, opening fire on the crowds, and killing perhaps 3,000 people.

In the late 1940s, the United Fruit Company intensified its ad campaigns led by propagandist Edward Bernays (nephew of Sigmund Freud???), who also practiced his skill at manipulative advertising when working to popularize the American Tobacco Company by showing women smoking “torches of freedom” and linking “women’s rights�� to cigarette iconography.

Bernays, who explicitly wrote about his “counter-Communist” intention in the ads, was “drafted” in the war to topple ascendant leftist governments. After 1944 and after Arevalo’s labor reforms, Jacobo Arbenz Guzman took control of Guatemala in 1951, and took over 200,000 acres from United Fruit Company and returned them to poor families. Bernays launched propaganda attacks against Guatemala, helping to plant stories about Guatemala eventually carried in the Saturday Evening Post, New York Herald Tribune, and Reader’s Digest. In January 1952, Bernays personally led a tour of Central America, accompanying publishers and editors of Newsweek, the Miami Herald, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Cincinnati Enquirer, Scripps-Howard, and Time magazine. When the CIA-trained military force led by Carlos Castillo Armas invaded Guatemala, with CIA aerial support, installing Castillo Armas as president, Bernays called them an “army of liberation.”

Bananas and Caribbean cruises aren’t the only culprits in expanding imperial power in Latin America, the tropics, and the Global South.

In 1914, the same year that the United States finished the Panama Canal and consolidated power in Latin America and the Caribbean, Richard Strong was a newly appointed director of Harvard’s new Department of Tropical Medicine. Strong was also appointed director of the Laboratories of the Hospitals and of Research Work at United Fruit Company. Strong toured the company’s plantations in Panama, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and Cuba. In the coming years, Strong would also personally approach Harvey Firestone, chief executive of the Firestone company, which owned and brutally operated rubber plantations in tropical West Africa. Research in tropical medicine was thus inaugurated by and dependent on colonial/imperial plantations and racial/social hierarchies at United Fruit Company and Firestone sites across the tropical regions, planetwide. Strong is just one character that demonstrates the interconnectedness of academia, fruit plantations, rubber supplies, food distribution, motor vehicle industries, strike-breakers, military forces, imperial expansion, and other tendrils of violently-enforced racist power.

Today, in 2022, Chiquita maintains twenty thousand employees across 70 countries. 

I think about this as I eat a banana for lunchtime. I think about this when I see the Edenic portrayal of a Caribbean shore, a landscape baked not so much by the tropical sun but instead scarred by centuries of genocide, slavery, and plantation labor, where government officials gleefully report “with honor” on the massacre of thousands.

“Just a banana, it ain’t.”

Agreed.

[jmreyes9]

Map obtained from the Internet

Photos - PC - Nok, one of our tour guides

A THRILLING TWELVE-DAY TOUR OF AMAZING THAILAND—"LAND OF SMILES” (H & L version)

By Jesse Reyes 

Thailand, the “land of smiles” (probably called so because of its happy and friendly people),is bounded on the west and northwest by Myanmar (formerly Burma) and in the northeast by Laos and in the southeast by Cambodia.  It has an elongated narrow portion of land that projects from its southwest region and joins the country of Malaysia to form a narrow elongated peninsula which has the appearance of the neck and head of a snake.  This narrow strip of land is where beautiful beaches are found, most notably Phuket Island, facing the Andaman Sea.  

As our Cathay Pacific Airways plane from Hong Kong landed in Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi International Airport, little did I realize that our 23-member group, everyone from suburban Chicago, composed of five doctors (two internists/general practitioners, a surgeon, an anesthesiologist and a radiologist {yours truly}), several nurses, three accountants and their spouses, an engineer, a radiologic technologist, a medical technologist (my wife), a minister and a graphic media artist, would embark on an amazing journey, touring the beautiful country of Thailand, a memorable once-in-a-lifetime experience.  

Bangkok, the capital and largest city of Thailand, with an estimated population of about 8.2 million, is a bustling metropolitan city along the southwestern coast facing the Gulf of Thailand.  This is the city where we began and also ended our adventurous journey.  We stayed at the Ramada Plaza Menam Riverside Hotel in Bangkok, sprawled along the banks of the Chao Phraya River, reminiscent of the hotel we stayed in in Cairo, Egypt along the Nile River, when we arrived, and stayed in this city for three nights. 

Our group was given a lavish and romantic open-air welcome dinner by SmarTours, enjoying a delectable seafood fare, in the deck of our hotel overlooking the river, watching the lighted cruise ships passing by as we dined. We were privileged to hear a Filipino couple singers/musicians who provided some familiar “oldies but goodies” songs fit for our predominantly “senior” group!

It is interesting to note that Bangkok is at about the same latitude as Manila, Philippines.  No wonder, the weather (hot and humid in April and May during our stay there) and the variety of fruits and vegetables in these cities are very similar.  There is a one time zone difference between the two cities.

Highlights of our stay in Bangkok include our visit to the magnificent Buddhist temples seeing the awe-inspiring 50-ton solid gold image of Buddha at the Wat Trimitr and the colossal 150 foot-long reclining Buddha at the Wat Pho and the White Marble Temple, the finest example of Thai architecture.  Wat is the Thai word for temple.  

We made an excursion to the well-known Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, which we reached via a motorized boat.  Here we witnessed merchants on boats selling their wares to people in the banks of the river.

On Saturday, we had the privilege of attending Sabbath services at the Bangkok Adventist Hospital Church where we joined our Adventist brethren in worship.  Here we met a Filipino lady surgeon who has practiced surgery in Bangkok for several years.  She was the one who told us of the only place where we could get lanzones, which was apparently out of season at the time of our visit.  Otherwise it would have been a great disappointment to roam around Thailand without eating the coveted fruit—lanzones.  Sure, they had mangosteen and durian, but lanzones belongs to a special class by itself!

We then toured the spectacular Grand Palace, former residence of the kings of Thailand with very imposing buildings.  One of the buildings was where the late King Bhumibol lay in state.  Thousands of Thais in black attire, waited in the sweltering heat just to pay their last respects to their king, whom they loved dearly.

We left Bangkok riding our tour bus to go northward reaching Ayuthaya where we saw magnificent stone carvings of Phra Prang Sam Yod and also visited the Monkey Temple, where monkeys roamed freely and interacted with the tourists.  Driving to Phitsanulok, we visited a Bronze Case Factory and saw how Buddha images are made in an authentic way.  We stayed overnight at the Topland Hotel.

We traveled to Sukhothai the next morning, to see the famous ruins of this 13th century capital of Siam.  The ruins were reminiscent of those I saw in Greece and Rome and also in Chichen Itza, Mexico.  

Lunch was at the Chaba Lagoon Restaurant in Menoram hosted by our tour leader Mott, who, with his wife, Beth, were celebrating their wedding anniversary.  The food was delectable—they served authentic native Thai dishes and tropical fruits.  We enjoyed the flowers and lush vegetation around the restaurant.  The restaurant was like a hidden treasure in the middle of the Garden of Eden (to me at least!)  We then traveled to Lampang and stayed overnight at the Wiang Lakorn Hotel.

In the morning, our bus took us to Phayao, visiting a factory where paper was made from mulberry bark.  Ketsara, our tour guide, gave us a lecture/demonstration on paper making.  Some of the raw materials used in Thailand, according to her, include pineapple fiber, elephant dung, banana trunk and straw from rice.  

This particular place used mulberry bark which was stripped from the trunk, soaked in water, then dried and pounded or in their case, using a machine to flatten the bark.  After the water is drained, a ball is then formed, placed on a screened frame immersed in water and then spread out to make a sheet of paper.  As the paper is soaked, dry leaves and flower petals are placed on it as desired to design a "painting" of sorts. 

Our creativity was challenged as each one designed a “painting” from the paper that was made, placing the dried flowers and leaves, making our own designs to our hearts' desire and then drying them in the sun.  All of us did our original "paintings"as copying was not allowed!  The "paintings" looked fantastic after they dried.

We then drove to our hotel in Changrai, the Phowadol Resort and Spa.  Each couple was assigned to a cottage.  It was a pretty impressive accommodation and the cottages were surrounded by gardens and lush vegetation, succulent plants and beautiful colorful flowers.  It made us feel young again (those of us who were seniors, I mean!), as if we were on our second or third honeymoon!  My camera had a “feast” capturing the lovely scenes of nature.

The following morning, we had a short boat trip on the Mae Kok River, two couples assigned to each canoe.  Our canoes took us to local hilltribe villages where we learned about their culture and delighted in seeing their colorful costumes.   

We also visited the White Temple with its magnificent and breathtaking architecture.  The architect of this temple, Charlemchai Kositpipat, considers this temple his lifework and when everything is completed in a few years, he hopes it will rise to the level of Angkor Vat in Cambodia and the Great wall of China, in grandeur and fame.

The following day, after visiting the Buddha temple in a cave, we rode a motorized boat on the Mekong River, the boat accommodating the whole group.  We had to wear life vests.  Ketsara, our tour guide, gave us information about the Golden Triangle, a part of Northern Thailand which shares its borders with Myanmar (formerly Burma) and Laos on each side forming the triangle.

Our bus trip the next day took us to Chiang Mai, the “Rose of the North.”  We had lunch at a local mall and proceeded to the ornate Empress Hotel where we stayed for three nights.  In the evening, we had a sumptuous 7-course (I think!) dinner and show that followed, the show featuring performances by local hilltribe dressed in their colorful costumes.  A couple of our group’s members participated in the “dancing with the stars”!

On Saturday morning, we went early, leaving the hotel at 6 a.m., to a nearby temple to feed the Buddhist monks, who usually walk barefoot for about a mile or so from their temple in the early morning, wearing their orange robes.  There were vendors along their route who sold food to be given to the monks.  A ritual of putting your hands together in a prayerful fashion and then bowing to the monk, was performed by some of our members who gave food to the monks.  

We then returned to our hotel to have breakfast.  At around 9 a.m. or so we gathered in a conference room which the hotel staff, after our tour guides spoke to them, allowed us to hold our Sabbath services.  This was led by our tour leader.  Pastor Trevor preached the sermon.

The next day, we drove to an elephant camp where each couple rode an elephant which made a descent into a narrow and shallow muddy river and then ascended to trek a partly paved wooded path along the riverbanks.  For many of us, if not all, the elephant ride was the highlight of the tour.  This was a memorable experience which will be etched in the hippocampus (the seat of memory) of our brains for a long time. 

After the ride, we watched an elephant show where the elephants performed some tricks and antics.  One of the highlights of the show was when some of the elephants incredulously drew a painting on canvas placed on an easel, using brushes placed at the tip of their trunk by their trainer (mahoot).  The finished paintings, which will probably increase in value with the passage of time, were then sold to the tourists. 

The fascinating Wat Doi Suthep, a temple situated up high in the mountains, was our next destination.  We reached the temple by way of a funicular that slowly found its way into the mountaintop.  After viewing the different buildings of the temple complex, some of us walked down the 306 steps to the base of the mountain, winded but proud of the “difficult feat” accomplished, while the rest took the funicular again.  

In the afternoon, we had a cooking class where each one had a stove of his/her own and following the instructions of the chef, we “cooked” four dishes which turned out to be our dinner!  Before the cooking class, our instructors/chefs, one of which was the owner of the school, a very funny guy, took us to the market and gave us interesting information, mixed with some humor, about the different vegetables and plants used for cooking and seasoning.  

We had a "break" between the cooking lessons and browsed their banana plantation.  After the class, we were stranded by a heavy thunderstorm which delayed our departure from the school but allowed the food in our stomachs to get digested before we “hit the sack.”

Early in the afternoon of the next day, we flew from Chiangmai to Bangkok for our final night in Thailand staying in the same hotel we stayed in when we first arrived, the Menam Riverside Hotel.  The evening was at our leisure.  Some in our group did some last-minute shopping at the night market while Roger and I decided to play a couple games of chess at the hotel lobby which lasted a little past midnight.

During our return flight to Chicago, in conversing with each other, we were convinced beyond any reasonable doubt, that this tour of the beautiful and amazing country of Thailand. was a once-in-a-lifetime and memorable experience which we fully savored.  The fun and enjoyment we had was augmented by the very nice, kind, friendly and very accommodating and ever-smiling tour guides Ketsara and Nok, who treated us like family, making sure that we were all happy and contented, catering to our every need and desire.  And the fellowship and camaraderie between the members of our group was phenomenal.  

This memorable trip will be stored in the “windmills of our minds” for a long time.

Written on 5/16/17 in Chicago, IL. Other writings and poems of Jesse Reyes can be found in his blog: anadventurecalledlife.com. Submitted to Dr. Raffy Castillo and published in Health & Lifestyle Magazine in Manila, Philippines. Posted in FB 5/23. 

[the-hem]

“Delusion, Part 2.” From the Saraswati Rahasya Upanishad, “The Exploration of the Mystery of Self-Discovery.”

52. Maya has forces two; one projection, The other, concealment: the first projects The world – all that is subtle and all gross. 

 53. The second veils, within, the gulf Between the Seer and seen; without, The gulf between creation and Brahman. Maya causes endless cosmic flux.

We cannot help but superimpose our value systems upon the world. We call things like we see them. When this is done in a healthy, adjusted manner we self-actualize. When it’s done in the name of politics and religion, it can destroy the world. 

The Upanishads say unhealthy superimposition takes place through two kinds of delusions. One needlessly molds what is real into hysterical. inaccurate proportion through projection. Projection boxes things up, gives them meanings alien to their true nature and the phenomena associated with them. 

 Insistence that God hates gays even though we have been a part of the world since the beginning is an example of hysteria that has no basis in reality. God does not hate gays or black people, He does not worry how people pray or get married and schcrew. There is no evidence of any of this. 

The Torah says not to dine on nasty snatch or recline on a dirty drippy dick for example, which is quite wise, but otherwise it does not tell people to engage in wicked demonstrations of anti-human sentiment. 

The Torah, in fact encourages the clearing of the mind of any such superimposition that keeps reality from reflecting upon how God made the world and how good it was all supposed to be. In fact, it says seek the goodness of God and bind oneself to it through one’s sweethearts.

Concealment is the second type of delusion which forces what is real out of sight and out of mind. It is deliberate and absolutely evil, what we have done to attempt to conceal the corruption behind the unchecked gun violence, climate change, war, poverty, homelessness, and economic aftershocks that are all murdering the remaining time we have left on this planet, and they are tall taking place right out in the open. 

As the Upanishad says so brilliantly, these things, projection and concealment are causing a gulf, the Abyss Jesus spoke of in the Book of Luke. The only way out is to read the Words of God and FAST and remand life back to its pristine state with visible signs our work is in the name of the Goodness of God. 

This might require some changes- we need to get rid of White Houses, Congresses, Supreme Court Judges and Crowns that don’t quite see how your happiness and well being fit into their busy schedules. Stranger things have happened. 

[poemoftheday]

Poem of the Day 7 March 2024

Thomas Gray. 1716-1771

On a Favourite Cat, Drowned in a Tub of Gold Fishes

TWAS on a lofty vase's side, Where China's gayest art had dyed   The azure flowers that blow; Demurest of the tabby kind, The pensive Selima reclined,   Gazed on the lake below.

Her conscious tail her joy declared; The fair round face, the snowy beard,   The velvet of her paws, Her coat, that with the tortoise vies, Her ears of jet, and emerald eyes,   She saw; and purr'd applause.

Still had she gazed; but 'midst the tide Two angel forms were seen to glide,   The Genii of the stream: Their scaly armour's Tyrian hue Thro' richest purple to the view   Betray'd a golden gleam.

The hapless Nymph with wonder saw: A whisker first and then a claw,   With many an ardent wish, She stretch'd in vain to reach the prize. What female heart can gold despise? What Cat 's averse to fish?

Presumptuous Maid! with looks intent Again she stretch'd, again she bent,   Nor knew the gulf between. (Malignant Fate sat by, and smiled.) The slipp'ry verge her feet beguiled,   She tumbled headlong in.

Eight times emerging from the flood She mew'd to ev'ry wat'ry god,   Some speedy aid to send. No Dolphin came, no Nereid stirr'd: Nor cruel Tom, nor Susan heard.   A Fav'rite has no friend!

From hence, ye Beauties, undeceived, Know, one false step is ne'er retrieved,   And be with caution bold. Not all that tempts your wand'ring eyes And heedless hearts, is lawful prize;    Nor all that glisters, gold.

[sealifewatersportsdubai]

HOW TO EXPLORE THE DUBAI ICONIC LANDMARKS WITH EXHILARATING WATER SPORTS

The spectacular landmarks, fantastic nightlife, and enormous dune sea are frequently mentioned while discussing Dubai. This oasis in the Middle East has become a top spot for water and adventure sports in recent years. Dubai draws tourists, travellers, and adventure seekers from all over the world with its beautiful sea line. Extensive coastal infrastructure is on exhibit in Dubai, offering visitors a variety of exciting water activities. Explore a few popular water sports that appeal to amateurs, professionals, and players of all ages as we continue reading.

Jetski Ride

            In addition to being one of the best water activities in Dubai, jet skiing is also one of the most amazing ways to enjoy seeing the city. Enjoy this well-known water activity in Dubai from the Gulf Burj Al Arab and the Persian. On this jet skiing adventure visit, travel swiftly through the ocean near Dubai. It would cost you between 500 and 600 AED to ride a jet ski.

Parasailing

            This activity is strapping yourself onto a saddle with a rope on a boat and a parachute toward one side, then ascending very high as the boat takes off. It's a peaceful way to take in some breathtaking views that are up to 300 metres above sea level. You can decide to steer the boat as your pals lift off in the air after you're back on dry land or in the water. Experiencing parasailing would run you between 400 and 500 AED.

Speed Boat Ride

            An awesome way to get the whole family involved in Dubai's water activities is with a speed boat trip. One of the most well-known water sports on Dubai Jumeirah Beach is the speedboat, which takes you on a tour of the Dubai oceanfront. The speedboat is a safe activity where up to 4 family members can participate together, providing an amazing shared experience that you will cherish forever! You will see the most significant landmarks in the city throughout the visit, and you will also take some amazing pictures. Depending on the length, a speed boat ride typically costs between 160 and 320 AED.

Flyboarding

            Flyboarding is synonymous with phrases like high adrenaline, fast movement, and stumbles. Fly spouts shoot forth water with incredible force, propelling you up to 15 metres as you fasten your feet to a board and take off through the air. With some practice, you'll be able to gently float above the water, and if you keep at it, you might find yourself flipping backwards like James Bond during a tomfoolery. Normally, flyboarding costs between 250 and 300 AED.

Wakeboarding

            It doesn't seem fair to discuss water sports without mentioning wakeboarding. Wakeboarding is an aquatic pastime that involves manoeuvring past a wakeboard and using cunning during the underlying lift; yet, once you're out of the water, it quickly proves to be reasonably practical. The key to wakeboarding like a pro is to slightly recline while maintaining a straight stance. Riding a wakeboard will set you back roughly 300 AED.

Fly Fish Ride

            Prepare for a good time by getting over an inflatable raft in the shape of an E that can hold up to 5 people. Experience the thrills of flying high up, swinging sideways, and arriving with a delightful spray on the water on this 15-minute ride that requires no prior knowledge and is safe for groups of (at least) two people. This ride delivers enjoyment unlike any other with the extra fascination of providing a view of the beautiful Dubai skyline! Life jackets and a brief safety lecture from the instructor are also provided during the ride. Around 180 AED will get you a fly fish ride.

Kayak Tour

            A kayak tour is both educational and entertaining. Running on the water is enjoyable whether done alone or with a friend. This completely secure journey also enables you to take in the captivating vistas along Dubai's coastline. Additionally, kayaking allows you to witness some of the city's wildlife. You can access unusual locations with the kayak that are typically inaccessible to larger boats. For this one to a three-hour excursion, swimming is a requirement. A kayak tour lasts from one to three hours and costs between 100 and 150 AED.

These are just a handful of the water sports and adventure activities that will make your trip to the Dubai coastline enjoyable and provide you with a special experience. With Sea Life Watersports Dubai, you can elevate this experience. It provides its services at the Dubai Marina for a variety of water activities at affordable rates with an excellent team of instructors, trainers, and ride partners.

Original content copy from : https://medium.com/@sealifedubai/how-to-explore-the-dubai-iconic-landmarks-with-exhilarating-water-sports-2d2dfa5fe302

[miragespacenter]

Indulge in Opulence: Experience Luxury Spa Retreats in Dubai

Dubai, a city renowned for its opulence and extravagance, offers a plethora of experiences that cater to the most discerning of tastes. Amidst the towering skyscrapers and shimmering skyline lies a haven of tranquility and rejuvenation – the luxury spas in Dubai. Nestled within some of the most prestigious hotels and resorts, these spas redefine relaxation, offering a blend of traditional therapies and modern techniques in lavish settings.

Imagine being enveloped in the soothing scent of essential oils as skilled therapists work their magic to melt away stress and tension. From indulgent massages to rejuvenating facials, every treatment is meticulously curated to pamper both body and soul.

Step into a world of serenity and sophistication as you immerse yourself in the plush amenities and serene ambiance of Dubai’s luxury spas. Whether you seek a respite from the bustling city life or simply crave an indulgent escape, these sanctuaries promise an unforgettable experience.

Picture yourself reclining by an infinity pool, with panoramic views of the Arabian Gulf stretching out before you, or unwinding in a private suite adorned with decadent furnishings and tranquil lighting. Each moment is an invitation to surrender to pure bliss and luxury.

In Dubai, luxury knows no bounds, and the spa experiences are no exception. From exclusive treatments utilizing rare ingredients to bespoke wellness programs tailored to individual needs, every visit promises a journey of rejuvenation and renewal.

So why wait? Treat yourself to the ultimate luxury getaway and embark on a sensory journey like no other. Discover the epitome of relaxation amidst the glamour and sophistication of Dubai’s luxury spas.

[theancientwayoflife]

~ Reclining Figure.

Place of origin: Mexico, Gulf Coast

Date: 4th-7th Century

Medium: Stone, pigment traces.