I'm guessing that most people reading this blog post have no idea what (or where) Pedra Azul is. And those that do know are trying to think how these two could possibly be linked. Well, they are not. But this is what happens when you take a few stories and put them all into one blog post.
Part 1: Dubai and Rotterdam
Burj Al Arab (unfortunately not where I was staying)
Over the last 18 months I have been fortunate enough to be able to take part in an RHDHV (the company I work for) development programme. Out of a company of 7000, twenty-one of us were chosen to come together, form groups and go through an intensive training/development programme. During the 18 months we have come together 4 times. Each time for a week of training, thinking, self-reflection, networking, talking, meeting, debating, socializing, planning, engaging, rethinking, strategizing and presenting. The final week of the programme took place during the last week of October and included half a week in Dubai and the remainder of the week in Amersfoort in the Netherlands.
Since getting from Vitoria to Dubai involves at least 20 hours of travelling, I decided to head out a day early and enjoy some rest and relaxation before another intensive week of training. And what better way than spending an entire day at the Atlantis waterpark? Bron and I had been there in December 2010 and it was one of the things we most enjoyed in Dubai. This time I arrived to find that there was a whole new section that had been added to the park: The Tower of Poseidon. My favourites were 'Poseidon's Revenge' and 'Zoomerango'. I think these rides are best explained with some text borrowed from the park website:
Poseidon's Revenge
Feel your adrenaline go into overdrive, as you step into the capsule and wait for the moment the floor falls out beneath you and you begin to plummet through this waterslide at speeds of 60 kilometres per hour before the fury of Poseidon’s revenge propels you upside down.
- Two capsules equipped with terrifying trapdoors
- Accelerate through the waterslide loop at speeds up to 60 kilometres per hour
- 116 metres long
Zoomerango
This waterslide will have you experiencing a mix of sensations: Mega drop plummets, vertical zooms and a burst of weightlessness.
- 6 person raft adventure
- The waterslide is 25 metres tall
- 156 metres in length
- The vertical wall is 14 metres high
Tower of Poseidon and the 'Zoomerango' ride
All to soon my day at the park was over and it was time to get started with my reason for being in Dubai: The final leg of the RHDHV Development Programme.
In addition to having some great training sessions, visiting the Midfield Terminal construction site (a new airport in Abu Dhabi that will handle 30 million people per year) and meeting with the Dutch Ambassador, we also found time to visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. The largest mosque in the UAE and one of the largest in the world, it really is an impressive place.
Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
After 4 very busy and hectic days in Dubai, we headed to the Netherlands to wrap things up. Being back in the Netherlands gave me an opportunity to drop by the office, catch-up with colleagues and friends, and see what had changed in Rotterdam. Since it had been less than a year since my last visit, not much had changed, but there was a buzz in town about the newly completed Markthal. A building that consists of apartments in the shape of an arch with a market and various restaurants in the space beneath the arch. A great place to find something yummy to eat!
The outside and inside of the Markthal
The Markthal lit up by night
Part 2: Vitoria and Pedra Azul
Normal life (for now) is taking place in Vitoria. It is where my current project is based and where Bron and I are calling home. Getting back from the Netherlands I was once again grateful for warm weather and the opportunity to head down to the beach.
An early morning view from our apartment
Since Brazil is such a large country, going anywhere usually involves a lot of planning and usually a flight or two. Luckily there are a few attractions that do not require such extensive planning (or travelling). Pedra Azul is one of these attractions. We had been to Pedra Azul once before, but this time round we decided to make a weekend of it with our friends Niels and Vivian. So we packed some overnight things and headed out for a weekend of chillaxing (chilling + relaxing) under the Pedra Azul.
Pedra Azul
Working up a hunger with Niels and Vivian
Something we had not realised before was that this particular region is well known for its restaurants. And so just like that our weekend away turned into a gastronomic experience. The two restaurants that we visited are both Italian, and both were equally good. Gnocchi, risotto, home made pasta, beef, lamb, salmon, chicken and duck. It was all delicious! And of course what good meal would be complete without a good red wine and something sweet at the end. It was a good thing that it was just a short weekend. Any longer and we would all have ended up rolling home.
On the way back to Vitoria we stopped in Domingos
Martins. A town settled by German and Italian immigrants. We had a quick
stop in the Casa da Cultura (cultural museum) and another gastronomic adventure
(this time in a German restaurant).
An old map showing
that Vitoria once had a 'c' in it.
Our trip home also included a stop at the Zeta waterfalls. This gave us an opportunity to learn yet another thing about Niels (or Dutch people in general?): a fascination for waterfalls!
Zeta Waterfalls
Now we are back in Vitoria and it is back to
normal life. Well, for another 3 weeks or so...
