I went to Abu Dhabi!

I apologize for the absence of entries but the family and I made a side trip to Abu Dhabi. For those of you who do not know where Abu Dhabi is, it is located in the United Arab Emirates about an hour away from Dubai. The city was magnificent! The beaches were beautiful, the weather was sunny and breezy, and all of the monumental sites in the city were grand and over the top. I stayed on Yas Island, from my window you're able to see the Formula 1 race track. One of the hotels is built directly above the track, going through the hotel.

Track and the hotel that the track goes through

Ferrari World

The majority of Abu Dhabi is situated on an island and that was about a 20-minute drive from where we stayed. We went to the mall and it was from there that I caught a ride on the double-decker tour bus. This bus took me alllll over town, visiting all the main attractions in just over 2 hours. I had a great time, during the dead space from one attraction to the next there is a narrator telling you about the people and cultures of the area. The one thing I learned that surprised me is that in the Muslim culture it is rude to show the bottom of your feet......a fact I never knew.

My Fabulous room

Sheikh Zayed Mosque

Emirates Palace...a reall,y really, really nice hotel. Imagine a room full of gold and that's this place

The city

the beach

And for your amusement......instead of herding camel, why not drive it!?

Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque

Today I got the opportunity to visit the Grand Mosque and I must say, it was breathtaking. When we first arrived I was put off by the seven tour buses parked outside, but the compound was so big it didn't feel as crowded as I assumed it would be. Of course, before you enter you must be properly covered, so there were guards at the front who checked my attire before I was able to enter. As you walk in you see a vividly green garden that leads you to the prayer rooms. After that, we walked through the compound admiring the architecture of the Mosque in all its beauty.

The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque

The 14 meter tall chandelier in the main prayer hall.

This picture, along with the others, did not give this room justice.

The chandelier from a far

Detailed wooden doors

The gold flakes that glittered as the light hit it made this a site to see

As I said in my previous blog, this is the second largest 'hand-woven' Persian carpet. This carpet covers the entire main prayer hall weighing 21 tonnes

Muttrah Souk

My cousin and I woke up bright and early to go the Souk, which in both Arabic and Amharic means market. As we drove down the highway I got a picture of the Sultan Qaboo's Grand Mosque, a mosque that can hold up to 20,000 worshipers at one time. Hopefully, I can find time to go and see the inside as well as the courtyard.

I had a video but it doesn't seem to be uploading so I won't be able to give you a taste of what I saw as we drove up the coast of the Gulf of Oman. There were two cruise liners that had pulled in and docked and all the people on these ships and other tourist filled the Souk so it was crowded.

As you walk into the Souk the first thing you will hear is "welcome ma'am, cashmere scarf?" For the most part everyone sold the same items; scarfs, incense, trinkets, shirts and purses. The people who work in the market are class A hustlers, they will go back and forth with you until you buy.

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This the boat of the Sultan of Oman…best shot I could get

Welcome to Muttrah Souk

Items dangling in stores

These store's go on for days....all the same stuff

Sipping on a Lemon mint....a refreshing drink to have after you've been attacked by the sun's heat

"Hey, look at me I'm chillen in the Gulf"