Abu Dhabi

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As-salaam alaykum (greeting) from UAE in The Middle East.
I arrived at Dubai airport at 5.30am so it was still dark. I got off the plane onto the tarmac to board a bus to drive to the terminal (this place is huge) and was hit by the cold! After Singapore I was freezing and had to put a jacket on, not what I expected. After a long process getting through customs I finally found myself outside the airport and started to look for the bus stop. A taxi driver tried to tell me there were no buses just as one drove past. Got myself on the bus to go into the city where I caught another bus to Abu Dhabi (about 2 hours away). The driver was very helpful, making men move to give me a seat and making another man passenger carry my pack. I got the bus to stop in the right place with the help of some other passengers and found Cate's building. The watchman raced up to me, grabbed my pack off me, showed me into Cate's apartment, told me to help myself to everything and made me very welcome. Cate told me afterwards that she hadn't even told him I was coming. My first impression of the people here is very good!
For those of you who don't know my kiwi friend Cate, we go back 20 something years to the antenatal course we did together before Dan and Bernard were born. Cate and Willie had been teachers here in Abu Dhabi before they returned to NZ and had Bernard then Nick (same age as Emma). Sadly Willie died 7 years ago this Thursday on Cate's birthday. Cate returned here to teach again 18 months ago and loves it. She also loves spending time with Nabih who was a good friend of her and Willie 25 years ago. It has been wonderful to meet up with Cate and see how her life is here. Thanks so much Cate, you are the hostess with the mostest. Thanks as well to Nabih, especially for those great meals you cooked and the first hand knowledge I've gleaned about Arab people and their culture from time spent with you.
Things that have struck me here are the chaotic driving and tooting of horns, the wide straight roads, the absence of women in the streets compared to the number of men about, the different clothing, the very pleasant temperature without high humidity and colder nights, the mosques and call to prayer, the green belts where there are masses of petunias and grass and trees which suddenly ends where the watering stops, the sunsets and the colour of the sky at night, the food,…..in fact too many things to mention. Hopefully you'll get a bit of an idea of what I can't describe in words when you look at the photos.
I'm very happy and fit and well and feeling like a seasoned nomad. Take care and lots of love to you all. Maa as-salaama (goodbye) and see you, inshallah, next blog from Qatar.

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Photos

Cate in front of her apartment building.
She is on the 10th floor in a really nice 2 bedroom apartment.

Mohammed, the apartment watchman, in the foyer with Cate.
Cate was at school when I arrived on the bus from Dubai and this nice little man ran out and grabbed my heavy pack and took me into Cate's apartment and gave me a great welcome. All the people have been extremely helpful.

View left out Cate's window
There are no addresses here so you have to give a description to the bus driver like "Beside Mr Baker Celebration Cakes shop and the Adnoc Petrol Station". My bus driver from Dubai didn't know where that was but lucky for me a lady on the bus did so I found Cate's place!

View right out Cate's window
This is commonly known as Airport Road and is main street of Abu Dhabi.

View straight out Cate's window
It was easy to find the apartment...the one with a kiwi stuck on the door! It doesn't show in the hazy background of this photo but you actually see the ocean. Abu Dhabi is an island.

With Cate....seems like a dream!
This was in a cafe at the Cultural Centre and it was the most exquisite place with Arabian decor and overflowing with beautiful flowers.

Nabih in Cate's kitchen.
Nabih is a fantastic chef. Thanks Nabih for those meals. I love the food.

About to eat
That's the window I took the previous photos from by holding the camera out the window.

A mosque nearby.
One of many from tiny to huge but all beautiful. This was in the evening just as the last sun was hitting the top of the mosque.

The Palace Hotel by night
After dinner we drove around the city and Cate and Nabih showed me some special places. This hotel is about 6 months old and is one of the few 7 star hotels in the world.

Cafe on the Corniche
The corniche is like the waterfront and runs in a big loop. It has lovely gardens and lots of people come out to take advantage of the walks and views.

It's a sheesha cafe
Sheesha or hubbly-bubbly is like a big pipe with fruit flavoured tobacco. The smoke is inhaled through water so it bubbles. The waiter fills it with coals. This one is apple and smells really nice. Most Arab men smoke.

Cate
Cate and I were not as good as Nebih. The smoke was not unpleasant. I saw men sitting around in little groups on the side of the road with their sheesha. It's a social thing to do. Women smoke as well.

The old and the new
Can you tell which is which? Took this on the way to an Arab bakery where we bought the most delicious sweet treats...had them for breakfast even!

Next day we drove to Al Ain, east of Abu Dhabi
The roads are perfectly flat and straight. Either side are date palms and other irrigated trees and grass then desert with magnificent sand dunes. Only 50 years ago this trip would have been five days by camel. Today it was less than two hours.

A camel race track along the way
All the green bits are of course irrigated so there are rows of black alkathene pipe everywhere. No camels racing at this time though.

Morning tea along the way
We stopped on the roadside for coffee and more of those delectable treats right outside someone's "farm". He came out to check us out and was very friendly and allowed us in to have a look.

Guess what he grew?
Grass! Clumps of it at each spot on the irrigation pipes. Where does it go? Cut and taken to feed the camels and other animals! In the background are the abundant date palms.

Closer look at a date palm
Cate points out the source of that life-giving water. The trees looked silvery but it was dust on them. After rain they look green but that's not often. It rains here 4 days a year....2 of them were last week.

And this is the farmers house right by the crop
Very basic living. See the water tank to the right of the picture.

First photo of a sand dune
This was so exciting.

Comments

[Jo W]

WOW!
sounds like you are having a blast! big hugs... me

[Lynda Boles]

blog
Loving the chance to read this and see where you are, keep up the good work. How amazing to see Cate after all this time. Travel safely, love from the Boles family.

[Jenny C]

Loving your blog!! It is great to read and look at the photos - especially if I,ve been there. You're giving me itchy feet again! Keep up the good work - glad to hear everything is going well.

[Ross]

i like arab food too
looks ok there and 5 star touring

[Julia and Naomi]

We remember
Dee This brought back lots of lovely memories of our time in Abu Dhabi. We understand your comment about the photos not doing justice as it is so hard to capture the essence of the colours. Your photos were great, so good to have an update on the new buildings near Cate's place. You too have shared the joy of being with Cate and Nabih. Regards Julia and Naomi (sisters of Cate).

[Jen Bray]

from Glenbrook
I'm hooked Dee, I feel like I'm with you. Keep all the photos and commentary coming! It's great. God bless and keep you, Jen

[Charles]

Hi Dee Am negotiating your messages really well and LOVING them. Really glad that all is well with you and looking forward to your next communication. You are a technical wizz!!