UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – ABU DHABI

DECEMBER 11-14, 2024

Our plane landed late at night. We caught a taxi to our Airbnb. Even though the host had given us good directions, they were not so good. It was “Electra road opposite Royal Rose Hotel beside the ADNOC petrol pump”. The Royal Rose Hotel was actually a block away, the petrol pump was a half block away. It was actually in a small hotel – with no name. It took us a while to figure it all out, but once we got inside we hit the sheets. We were exhausted. But the bed collapsed. We slept anyway.

We informed the host the next morning and he promised to have it fixed while we were out. He didn’t. We had to call again that evening. Some shady guy came over and put it back together – complete with the cardboard over the slats. Oh well, at least we had a bed. If we closed the door to the bathroom at night we could not smell the dirty mops that were stored in there.

This was only a prelude of things to come in Abu Dhabi. I was not expecting the streets to be lined with gold, but I was certainly expecting it to be cleaner than it was. There were “massage parlor” business cards all over the streets, there was gum stuck to the sidewalks, and more litter than I was expecting from such a wealthy and, seemingly, progressive city.

We met a lovely couple from the Philippines a few days later. They asked how we liked Abu Dhabi and related my concerns to them. I said the business cards on the street made the place look like a brothel. Glen asked where we were staying. I told him near the Royal Rose Hotel. He laughed and said “That area IS a brothel.” They had a booth set up at an outdoor fair that was hosting a marathon the next day. We had been walking all day and stopped just to buy a water. We ended up trying a fruity ice cream-like dessert and making new friends.

The first day we walked through Formal Park. It was very sterile. There were lots of trees and grass, but the abundance of cement was not very tranquil.

I had to go to the bathroom. The public pay toilets were closed. I found another toilet and managed to get locked inside. There was no handle! I finally called out and the attendant opened the door from the outside. Weird….

We crossed the street through one of the many pedestrian underpasses the city has, to the shoreline. We came to this strange sculpture made out of recycled plastic. It looked like a bunch of giant leg bones hooked together to resemble a bee hive. There was a guard telling us we were not allowed inside the structure, even though there was a entrance to go inside.

We finally came to the White Palace (Qasr al-Hosn meaning Palace fort). We had to buy our entry ticket in a building across the way. We were told that the ticket also included the Universe of Crafts display and coffee ceremony, which were in this same building. The coffee ceremony was going to be held in 15 minutes. We wandered around the rest of the small museum of crafts in the meantime.

We saw a display of local embroidery. The threads are woven to include metallic pieces.

Those woven threads are then used to make mats or incorporated into garments.

Another display explained the meaning of the patterns in the weaving process. The patterns could represent palm trees, waves on the sea, dessert sands, a camel or household items like an incense burner.

Another display showed how they dyed palm fronds to be woven into household items like mats, bowls and even hats.

Each display was inside of a weird dome. It was all very well done and very informative.

There was a display along the wall that talked about symbolic weapons, perfume, and jewelry. I learned that the strange little mask I saw so many women wear was actually a form of jewelry. It looked more like an erotic bondage apparatus to me….. Just saying!!

Finally, the coffee ceremony. We had to present our tickets again, even though there were only four of us in the entire building. You’d think they would remember who we were. We sat on some cushions while the host explained there were three coffee pots. One was to heat the water. That water was poured into another pot that held the coffee grounds. After a few minutes, the coffee was poured into a third pot. To keep the grounds back, the coffee was poured through a filter of palm fronds. Different spices could be added to the coffee for variety. Kind of like a pumpkin spice latte….. yummy…. Finally, we got a tiny, tiny cup of very weak and bad tasting coffee. The other couple asked if we liked the coffee. My scrunched up nose made her laugh. The whole “ceremony” lasted less than 10 minutes. But we did learn something, so not all was lost.

I went to the bathroom before heading to the White Palace. They had a unique flushing system. Wave your hand once for small flush. Twice for full flush. I know this seems like a weird thing to write about, but I love noticing and experiencing the unique, trivial things while travelling.

We then headed to the White Palace. It is the oldest stone building in Abu Dhabi. It was constructed in 1761 as a conical watchtower to defend the only freshwater well in Abu Dhabi island.

The tower was expanded into a small fort in 1793 and became the permanent residence of the ruling Sheikh. 

It took its present shape after a major extension in the late 1930s, aided by oil revenues. It remained the emir’s palace and seat of government until 1966. 

We went through all of the old bedrooms and sitting rooms, which now held displays about the fort and the Sheikh’s family. The rooms were quite stark. There were alcoves built into the walls, with windows to the outside to allow light and control the breeze. Little shuttered doors to the inside mezzanine acted in the same manner.

The Sheikh and his brothers worked together. They acted as advisors and shared in everyday duties.

Their mother played a huge part in raising them and teaching them to work together for peace and stability. Her quarters were the only ones that showed how the rooms were decorated.

We learned how a spirit of brotherhood and identity held the community together. Sports were not just for fun, they were survival skills. Horse and camel riding along with falconry were some of the life skills once needed to survive in this harsh place.

We left the Palace and walked through another stark plaza. It had a beauty to it, but somehow seemed sad. It was like a rich person bragging about his wonderful house, but no one lived there. Notice the huge picture on the side of the building. There were lots of these around the city.

We made our way to Union Square Heritage Park. It was a park between two major one-way streets. There were huge replicas of a palm frond cover, an incense burner, a rose water sprinkler and a coffee pot.

We walked past the World Trade Centre Mall on our way back. We did not go inside. I know a lot of people would jump at the chance to shop, I am just not that interested. Sorry.

The next day was the best and worst of our time in Abu Dahbi. We headed out the door quite early and walked to the bus station to buy our tickets to Dubai in two days. Then we made our way to the seaside again. I wanted to see a particular display, which is better seen at night. More on that later. As we walked, I could not help but notice how flowers were planted all over the place, seemingly in the sand. There were irrigation hoses woven in between them. How much water is used to keep the greenery alive in the desert?

We could hear the celebration before we saw it. There were men all decked out in fine white garments and flowing head gear. There was music, mostly drums. I asked someone if I could take a picture. He said yes. Another man motioned for me to come forward. I asked what was going on. He said it was his brother’s wedding “Please join us!” What!! We got invited to an Emirate wedding! We did not stay. I took a short video of the men dancing. beating their drums and waving sticks. It was all to spectacular!

The sun was beginning to set. It was getting cooler, which was a welcome relief. The sky turned a glorious golden peach colour.

A bit further along was where we met Glen and Maria, previously mentioned. There was a huge building beside the fair that looked like a giant digital billboard. We asked what the building was. Maria said it was the ANDOC (Abu Dhabi National Oil Company) headquarters and that she worked there.

A bit further on we came to the Emirates Palace Hotel. It was very palatial. The lighting changed from red to green to purple and blue every few seconds. There was a huge gate barring plebes like us from entering crossing the massive arch and up the palm lined lane. There was a huge fence surrounding the entire property and there were guards at the entrances. Prices start at $1000 per night. Maybe next time…

Across the street were the Etihad Towers, complex of buildings with five towers. The feature offices, apartments and a hotel.

A bit further we saw the entrance gate to the Presidential Palace.

We finally made it to the Founder’s Memorial, which is a huge garden and park. As we came to a set of descending steps into the park area, we thought it was full of water. The marble tiles reflected the lights just like a body of water would. We actually dipped one foot down before realizing it was shiny marble.

At the centre of the Sanctuary Garden is The Constellation, a collection of 1,327 geometric shapes suspended on 1,110 cables, which combine to form a three dimensional portrait of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the first President of the United Arab Emirates, who died in 2004. Zayed was the driving force behind the formation of the United Arab Emirates. He held office for 33 years, from 1971- 2004. It is 30 metres (98 ft) high.

We continued walking and saw the Presidential Palace across the water.

United Arab Emirates’ declared its independence on December 2, 1971, following the completion of treaties with Great Britain. Their flag colors are red, white and green. We thought it was Christmas decorations. It wasn’t. But it sure looked nice!

We came to the Marina Mall. We saw the Tiffany & Co. Tower. It looked like there might be a restaurant or shop at the top.

We were curious about a building that we had seen two days prior. It was the Roxios Marina Hotel. Rooms start at $300 per night.

We took a shortcut through the mall to reach the parking lot with the city buses. I had seen lots of buses saying “Marina Mall” near our Airbnb. Instead of walking the 7 km back, we would just take a bus. We had already walked 13 km.

I don’t know if I was tired or not paying attention, but as I was stepping up onto a curb, I fell. I knew instantly that I had hurt myself badly. I could see blood running down my glasses. The frame of my glasses got driven into my eyebrow.

My arm hurt BAD! People came running from every direction. Someone brought a wheelchair. Someone asked if I needed an ambulance. YES!

I was taken to Sheikh Kalifa Medical City. A plastic surgeon stitched my eye gash so nicely that there is no scar today.

Another doctor took x-rays and determined that my right elbow was badly broken. He put a slab cast on for the night. I saw a specialist the next day. He said I needed surgery to put pins and plates in my elbow. Although I was in one of the best hospitals in the world, he recommended that I return to Canada for the procedure. Also, my insurance would cover the cost of the operation, but not any aftercare.

We found a flight back to Canada for the next day. It was stupid expensive as it was last minute. However, upon returning to Canada the doctor was able to pop my sheared off elbow back into place without the need for surgery. Halleluiah!

Our flight was not until the night of the 14th. I was not about to sit in our room and pout. I still wanted to see Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. We took a taxi and off we went.

We had to go downstairs in through a mall in order to buy tickets to see the mosque. Very curious….

I also had to buy a robe and scarf to cover myself before entry. Ahhh…. That explains the mall.

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is the largest mosque in UAE. It was constructed between 1994 and 2007. The building complex measures approximately 290 by 420 m (950 by 1,380 ft), covering an area of more than 12 hectares (30 acres), excluding exterior landscaping and vehicle parking.

There was an underground walkway that brought us up near the outside of the mosque. WOW! It is so sparkling white it was dazzling. There were reflecting pools that added to the splendor.

There were magnificent walkways

with intricate mother of pearl flowers inlaid into the columns.

The floors are also decorated with colorful marble to resemble flowers. I ran my finger across the floor and could not feel where one piece of marble stopped and the other started.

The walls were also covered with marble flowers, but these were 3D.

There are seven chandeliers made of millions of Swarovski crystals. One of the chandeliers is the third largest in the world, measuring 10 m (33 ft) diameter and a 15 m (49 ft) high.

The carpet measures 5,627 m² (60,570 sq ft), and was made by around 1,200-1,300 carpet knotters. The weight of this carpet is 35 ton and is predominantly made from wool. There are 2,268,000,000 knots within the carpet and it took approximately two years to complete.

To say I was gob-smacked would be an understatement. I am glad I toughed the broken elbow and bandaged head to see it.

We took a taxi back to the guesthouse, got packed up and began our 17 hour journey back to Canada via Paris. The Abu Dhabi airport is really nice. There were comfy armchairs to sit and wait on.

Gulf Air was SO kind to me. When the ticket agent saw my cast and bandaged head, he put us in the middle row of seats and blocked off the middle seat so I would have room. The food on the plane was served on real dishes with real cutlery, and it was tasty.

We had a 5 hour layover in Paris, then our WestJet flight to Calgary.

SIDE NOTE: The doctor in St. Albert was able to pop my sheared-off capitellum back into place without needing to cut me open. I’m glad I came back for the surgery; but definitely not the weather.