Well first I will start by saying that jet lag has nothing on me. It seems my plan to sleep half the flight and stay awake the other half worked well. After getting a wonderful nights sleep in my room I woke up very refreshed and ready to go.
Just as the night before, the hotel reception was wonderful in booking me a tour for the following day. Even though I am only one they managed to get me into the Falcon Tour and the Desert Safari.
I hit my first challenge today. When I arrived for my bus tour I realized I did not have the voucher printed. I searched through the giant Abu Dhabi mall and finally found Alfredo's cafe. Here comes the real challenge, all of the keyboards are set in Arabic!!!! After trying to fiddle with the setting for about to minutes my new friend Amir came and translated everything and helped me get onto my gmail and find my ticket.
The tour didn't start until eleven so I was able to grab some Green tea and a muffin from the Starbucks. I cannot lie when I say I live seeing familiar stores with their signs in different languages.
One thing I have noticed so far is how absolutely fancy some of the woman are dressed here. I've been taking some notice into their robes and they are all trimmed with fancy fabric or jewels and have high end designer shoes (all of which are platforms)!! I guess even Arabic women need their fill of fashion too!
I spent over an hour at the UAE heritage site. This was one of my favorite places because it preserved the history of the area.
In the souk I met a lovely potter man who was kind enough o allow his picture taken.
After venturing around the area I went down to the gorgeous beaches. The water is the most mesmerizing turquoise I have seen. It could give Croatia a run for its money.
Here I met some lovely Koreans who were having a blast taking pictures. They were kind enough not only to take mine, but to lend me a red shawl which they believed every girl needed to use in an Abu Dhabi beach picture. I have got to hand it to them, it did make for a stunning picture.
Next I stopped at the Bedouin campsite and saw how rough life could be in the desert!
Next I went and checked out the Marina mall. Not only is it giant but it has a sky tower which overlooks the city.
Enjoying a lunch of Arabic pasta atop the sky tower!
So I really can't lie, I am truly starting off this trip as a luxury princess traveler. I started to realize about halfway through my day, about the time I booked high afternoon tea at the Emirates Palace, that unless you want to be a pampered princess there is nothing else to do in Abu Dhabi. Anyone who has seen the Sex and the City movie, even though it was not filmed here, would have already guessed the whole city is about catering glamour and excellence to its' visitors.
The Emirates Palace is proof of the luxury and riches of this city. I decided to stop in for high tea. I was not sure exactly what that entailed but everyone suggested I go for it.
First, my new friend from Sudan took my picture!
Hot chocolate with gold flakes.
Second and third courses!
A close up look at all the tasty treats!
And last, gold chocolate fondant! Remember what I said about gold? Yes, that is real gold!
I am still in awe with the things I experienced so far. I have felt completely comfortable yet out of place while walking around. I do not think that it is because of the religion and cultural difference but more because I am not used to having my bath drawn for me, flowers laid out on my bed, served at every moment, and fed gold!!!
P.S. a future side note, I am not spending much time proof reading so please bare with me on the typos. I am working from an ipad!
What a day u had. Keep the photos coming! Love and hugs to you. Cookie
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