Abu Dhabi - A quiet experience

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Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, sits off the mainland on an island in the Persian (Arabian) Gulf. This was part of my 50 things to experience in my 50th year of birth. I think the main reason I wanted to visit here is because of Sex in the City 2, when they went to Abu Dhabi . Unfortunately I did not do my homework and instead came up short when we arrived. First, so much has changed since 2010 when the movie was released, but more importantly, the movie was never filmed there. It was shot in Morocco. An another unfortunate experience is that we went on a Friday. Friday is prayer day and mostly everything is closed. Thankfully the city has beautiful buildings that you can drive by and take fabulous pictures.

Before heading to the city we stopped at the date market. For the tourists visiting Abu Dhabi from around the world, buying dates is a top priority when searching for a taste of the UAE to take back home as gifts for family and friends. I had no idea how many dates there are. We literally could have spent all day sampling.
The first stop on our tour was to the Heritage Center. Closed for prayer. Then we went to Emirates Palace an amazing structure with 114 domes and a 1.3km private beach. Built for Dhs11 billion, this is the big hotel in the Gulf, with 1002 crystal chandeliers and 392 luxury rooms and suites. But that's it, it's a hotel. You can enjoy tea or coffee in the lobby, but there is so much more they could have done to create an exceptional experience.
The next stop was to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque - the largest mosque in the UAE. It can hold up to 40,000 worshippers.
The mosque was commissioned by, and named after, the first president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who passed away before the mosque’s completion.
Unfortunately because of prayer day, we did not go in. We could have waited around for hours to wait, but seriously - there is nothing to do.
Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates and is the largest Emirate taking up 80% of the country’s landmass. Traditionally it's more conservative than Dubai as it has a more regimented legal system and is deeply rooted in tradition. It’s the richest of all the Emirates and holds nearly 10% of the world’s known oil supply. They might have the most money, but they do not flaunt it.

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