Waking up in Abu Dhabi
For the first time in at least I week was feeling well. With the exception of an allergy related cough, my head cold was gone. The stomach cramping was also a thing of the past. Today was a regular working day for Amit's family - so by the time I woke up (around 9:45) everyone was gone. Amit was working a half day today, so he planned to be back around 2pm. I planned to be back at the apartment around that time as well.
Cleveland Clinic
Back in 2000, my mom had been diagnosed with a number of medical ailments. With time we'd learn the ailments included breast cancer and a form of vasculitis formerly known as Wegener's Granulomatosis. Originally, the Wegener's was believed to be lung cancer - so the Wegener's diagnose was welcome news. Here's some interesting trivia. The disease was named after the German pathologist who discovered it back in the 1930s. However, sometime last decade it was discovered that good 'ol Wegener was actually a nazi! Well, the world can't have a disease named after a Nazi, so a name change had to occur. Since the disease name took quite a long time to remember, I still call it by its original name. Anyhow, we did the best we could to get my mother treatment locally...but the disease was rare and the local help was completely incompetent. After attending a symposium on the disease, the world authority on the disease from the Cleveland Clinic offered to take my mother on as a patient. So, once or twice a year I usually go to Cleveland to the clinic with my mom to keep an eye on things. A few years ago they announced they were opening a facility in Abu Dhabi, since I was here I figured I'd go check it out. Back in the early 2000s, the facility in Cleveland was dumpy. Fast forward a decade later and the campus looks ultra modern and artistic. Since the Abu Dhabi campus was being built from scratch, I figured it would be worth checking out. As I'd discover when I arrived, the facility was largely complete but not yet open. The building structure was pretty impressive though. Here's what it will look like once finished.
Yas Island was the first place Themi's friend's insist I visit back in Cyprus. It was heavily recommended from many others, too. Yas Island is an $36 billion dollar development project that contains a Formula One race track, a shopping mall, water park, the world's largest amusement park, and a giant birdcage shaped hotel. Oh, there's also an Ikea on the island just in case you need a bed or inexpensive linen.
Exploring the island - Formula One
Aside from knowing Ferrari World was on Yas Island, I didn't know a lot about it. I figured I'd head over and figure it out once I got there. Following signs I'd eventually come upon a security gate that is the entrance to the Formula One race track. I'm told that aside from maybe 3 days a year, the enormous track and structures surrounding it are empty.
Ferrari World
Driving around a bit more took me to a giant structure called Ferrari World. This is home to the world's largest amusement park. One of the park's coasters, Formula Rossa, beat out New Jersey's Kingda Ka as the fastest in the world. The boys of Jersey Shore still have some bragging rights though. Kingda Ka is still the tallest coaster by 35 feet or so. I walked around the outside of the main building that serves as the entrance to Ferrari World. Since I couldn't stay very long I vowed to return to ride Formula Rossa.
Lunch with Amit's family
I was back at the apartment around 2pm, Amit arrived shortly thereafter. Amit lives on the 15th floor of his building. His parents live in the same building, but on the 1st floor making visits very easy. Amit introduced me to his parents, who have prepared an excellent 'mild' Indian meal. We had beef, chicken...even french fries. Amit's parents were incredibly gracious and I very much enjoyed talking them about their travels around the world, living in Abu Dhabi, and almost everything in between. Their apartment is decorated with furniture and decorations from their travels all over the world. Amit's family moved to Abu Dhabi from India in the early 70s, before he was born. They have been here since - before the tremendous growth - so it was very cool to chat about life in the UAE and the changes. I've been reading a lot about Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and his influence building the moderate Arab state the UAE would become. It was Sheikh Zayed who made the decision early on to divert oil revenues to infrastructure like hospitals, schools, universities, etc. - to which UAE citizens have free access. The guy is pretty incredible and worth reading about.
The Club - Abu Dhabi
Amit and Khamsay are members of a beach club and had a sailing lesson scheduled around 5pm. They suggested I come with and hang out at the beach or pool. Sounded alright with me! Amit tells me they import the sand from somewhere in Australia because it's much nicer on the feet. All seats by the pool were taken, so I found a chair on the beach. I even did some swimming in the gulf. It was in the 90s, so the water was refreshing. After a couple of hours, Amit and Khamsay returned from their lesson and decided to pickup Shawn from their parents. They would return an hour later - Amit and Shawn had a great time in the pool.
Emirates Palace
After returning to the apartment and ordering in some very tasty chicken and lamb kabob-like food, Amit and I made our way to the Emirates Palace. I ask Amit if he wants me to drive and he says we have to take a taxi. I only had a single drink, I tell him. Amit proceeds to tell me that a blood alcohol of anything greater than zero is grounds for a DUI in these parts. Unlike in the states, a DUI means jail time here, too. So a taxi it is.
Some of Amit's friends were there and we would join them for a drink. Emirates Palace is a seven star hotel. When it was built by the government of Abu Dhabi, it was the most expensive hotel ever constructed. To date, it's the second most expensive hotel in the world. For reasons not entirely understood, security was tight at the hotel. I'm told the gate is usually open and the public are free to wander around the premises. When we arrived in a taxi, security wanted to know exactly what the purpose of our visit was. After telling security we were heading to one of the restaurants they let us in.
Drinks at Hakkasan
Hakkasan is a classy chinese restaurant within the Emirates Palace. At night it's also a lounge that serves fantastic drinks. I had asked if the restaurant had a house drink, but a language barrier or loud music stopped me from getting a solid answer. I ended up with an excellent Mojito and a couple of unique martinis. Shortly before closing Amit's friend Will joined us, he had been drinking at another bar a ways away. Since last call was approaching Amit had thought ahead to order him a drink. Shortly before he arrived Amit tried to find out when we'd be asked to leave. Several members of the staff insisted we would leave only after we finished our drinks at our own pace. There was no rush, we'd be told. Amit tried to find out when the normally leave, just to be courteous. Around the time he was about to give up asking, he turned around to discover the manager or bouncer directly next to him. The man's name, he tells us, is Bob and he's from Kenya. Bob insists we will not be rushed out and that we should sit and enjoy our night. I guess I've become accustomed to Chicago hospitality and the uncertainty of how much time is between last call and the closure of the bar. I chat with Bob a bit about Kenya, what it's like for him in Abu Dhabi, and he suggests we finish the night up at the night club in the hotel. He escorts us over to the direction of the club, Etoiles.
Etoiles Night Club
Like most nightclubs in Chicago, the entrance to Etoiles is surrounded by dimwitted and burley men. I think the head henchman was Bulgarian and not friendly at all. He also had a shaved head. Anyhow, the Bulgarian man insisted we buy a bottle for $600 or so. Since it was 2:30am and the club maybe had an hour left that wasn't going to happen. Will offers a bribe, the man refuses. I mention Bob sent us over from Hakkasan and the man doesn't care. Bob was right around the corner so I walked over and asked if he could be of any help. Bob's a complete gentleman and asks the Bulgarian to let us in. The Bulgarian belligerently refuses. He also won't break eye contact with me at this point - he was seriously creeping me out. If this was Chicago my behavior would have been entirely different - I would have been the Bulgarian a piece of my mind. Anyhow, I concede and thank Bob for trying. In front of the Bulgarian, I let him Bob know I appreciate the class he displayed at Hakkasan and how he made us all feel like kings. We walk away and the Bulgarian was still looking at me. After we walk away about 500 feet he follows us. At this point I was ready to give him a piece of my mind, but I smile instead. For reasons I would find out later, he welcomes us in. Apparently he wanted Will's bribe but didn't want his other doormen to know he took it. "I'll see you inside", apparently he told Will. In the end, Amit got a bottle of champagne because he wanted to class the night up. I had a great time hanging out with the guys - but the club seriously lacked talent.
Leaving Emirates
Around 3:30 we left the club for home. On the way out I noticed an ATM that claimed to dispense gold. I had heard about such machines but was extremely dubious. A better descriptor would be a vending machine that sells gold merchandise, because the price is far from spot. When we arrived back I made sure we both had lots of water. I didn't think we drank very much, but I didn't want either of us to have headaches in the morning.
For the first time in at least I week was feeling well. With the exception of an allergy related cough, my head cold was gone. The stomach cramping was also a thing of the past. Today was a regular working day for Amit's family - so by the time I woke up (around 9:45) everyone was gone. Amit was working a half day today, so he planned to be back around 2pm. I planned to be back at the apartment around that time as well.
Cleveland Clinic
Back in 2000, my mom had been diagnosed with a number of medical ailments. With time we'd learn the ailments included breast cancer and a form of vasculitis formerly known as Wegener's Granulomatosis. Originally, the Wegener's was believed to be lung cancer - so the Wegener's diagnose was welcome news. Here's some interesting trivia. The disease was named after the German pathologist who discovered it back in the 1930s. However, sometime last decade it was discovered that good 'ol Wegener was actually a nazi! Well, the world can't have a disease named after a Nazi, so a name change had to occur. Since the disease name took quite a long time to remember, I still call it by its original name. Anyhow, we did the best we could to get my mother treatment locally...but the disease was rare and the local help was completely incompetent. After attending a symposium on the disease, the world authority on the disease from the Cleveland Clinic offered to take my mother on as a patient. So, once or twice a year I usually go to Cleveland to the clinic with my mom to keep an eye on things. A few years ago they announced they were opening a facility in Abu Dhabi, since I was here I figured I'd go check it out. Back in the early 2000s, the facility in Cleveland was dumpy. Fast forward a decade later and the campus looks ultra modern and artistic. Since the Abu Dhabi campus was being built from scratch, I figured it would be worth checking out. As I'd discover when I arrived, the facility was largely complete but not yet open. The building structure was pretty impressive though. Here's what it will look like once finished.
Exterior of Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi
Yas IslandYas Island was the first place Themi's friend's insist I visit back in Cyprus. It was heavily recommended from many others, too. Yas Island is an $36 billion dollar development project that contains a Formula One race track, a shopping mall, water park, the world's largest amusement park, and a giant birdcage shaped hotel. Oh, there's also an Ikea on the island just in case you need a bed or inexpensive linen.
Exploring the island - Formula One
Outside the Formula One Abu Dhabi racetrack
Rack track facility - Yas Hotel is in distance
Aside from knowing Ferrari World was on Yas Island, I didn't know a lot about it. I figured I'd head over and figure it out once I got there. Following signs I'd eventually come upon a security gate that is the entrance to the Formula One race track. I'm told that aside from maybe 3 days a year, the enormous track and structures surrounding it are empty.
Ferrari World
Driving around a bit more took me to a giant structure called Ferrari World. This is home to the world's largest amusement park. One of the park's coasters, Formula Rossa, beat out New Jersey's Kingda Ka as the fastest in the world. The boys of Jersey Shore still have some bragging rights though. Kingda Ka is still the tallest coaster by 35 feet or so. I walked around the outside of the main building that serves as the entrance to Ferrari World. Since I couldn't stay very long I vowed to return to ride Formula Rossa.
Enormous Ferrari World Entrance Sign
Entering Ferrari World
Going into the main entrance
Lunch with Amit's family
I was back at the apartment around 2pm, Amit arrived shortly thereafter. Amit lives on the 15th floor of his building. His parents live in the same building, but on the 1st floor making visits very easy. Amit introduced me to his parents, who have prepared an excellent 'mild' Indian meal. We had beef, chicken...even french fries. Amit's parents were incredibly gracious and I very much enjoyed talking them about their travels around the world, living in Abu Dhabi, and almost everything in between. Their apartment is decorated with furniture and decorations from their travels all over the world. Amit's family moved to Abu Dhabi from India in the early 70s, before he was born. They have been here since - before the tremendous growth - so it was very cool to chat about life in the UAE and the changes. I've been reading a lot about Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and his influence building the moderate Arab state the UAE would become. It was Sheikh Zayed who made the decision early on to divert oil revenues to infrastructure like hospitals, schools, universities, etc. - to which UAE citizens have free access. The guy is pretty incredible and worth reading about.
The Club - Abu Dhabi
Amit and Khamsay are members of a beach club and had a sailing lesson scheduled around 5pm. They suggested I come with and hang out at the beach or pool. Sounded alright with me! Amit tells me they import the sand from somewhere in Australia because it's much nicer on the feet. All seats by the pool were taken, so I found a chair on the beach. I even did some swimming in the gulf. It was in the 90s, so the water was refreshing. After a couple of hours, Amit and Khamsay returned from their lesson and decided to pickup Shawn from their parents. They would return an hour later - Amit and Shawn had a great time in the pool.
The beach...with skyscrapers in the background
Busy private beach...with imported sand
Emirates Palace
After returning to the apartment and ordering in some very tasty chicken and lamb kabob-like food, Amit and I made our way to the Emirates Palace. I ask Amit if he wants me to drive and he says we have to take a taxi. I only had a single drink, I tell him. Amit proceeds to tell me that a blood alcohol of anything greater than zero is grounds for a DUI in these parts. Unlike in the states, a DUI means jail time here, too. So a taxi it is.
Some of Amit's friends were there and we would join them for a drink. Emirates Palace is a seven star hotel. When it was built by the government of Abu Dhabi, it was the most expensive hotel ever constructed. To date, it's the second most expensive hotel in the world. For reasons not entirely understood, security was tight at the hotel. I'm told the gate is usually open and the public are free to wander around the premises. When we arrived in a taxi, security wanted to know exactly what the purpose of our visit was. After telling security we were heading to one of the restaurants they let us in.
Emirates Palace
(not my photo)
My crummy iPhone photo
Hakkasan is a classy chinese restaurant within the Emirates Palace. At night it's also a lounge that serves fantastic drinks. I had asked if the restaurant had a house drink, but a language barrier or loud music stopped me from getting a solid answer. I ended up with an excellent Mojito and a couple of unique martinis. Shortly before closing Amit's friend Will joined us, he had been drinking at another bar a ways away. Since last call was approaching Amit had thought ahead to order him a drink. Shortly before he arrived Amit tried to find out when we'd be asked to leave. Several members of the staff insisted we would leave only after we finished our drinks at our own pace. There was no rush, we'd be told. Amit tried to find out when the normally leave, just to be courteous. Around the time he was about to give up asking, he turned around to discover the manager or bouncer directly next to him. The man's name, he tells us, is Bob and he's from Kenya. Bob insists we will not be rushed out and that we should sit and enjoy our night. I guess I've become accustomed to Chicago hospitality and the uncertainty of how much time is between last call and the closure of the bar. I chat with Bob a bit about Kenya, what it's like for him in Abu Dhabi, and he suggests we finish the night up at the night club in the hotel. He escorts us over to the direction of the club, Etoiles.
Me, Amit, and half a dozen martinis (left)
Amit, Bob, and me (right)
Etoiles Night Club
Like most nightclubs in Chicago, the entrance to Etoiles is surrounded by dimwitted and burley men. I think the head henchman was Bulgarian and not friendly at all. He also had a shaved head. Anyhow, the Bulgarian man insisted we buy a bottle for $600 or so. Since it was 2:30am and the club maybe had an hour left that wasn't going to happen. Will offers a bribe, the man refuses. I mention Bob sent us over from Hakkasan and the man doesn't care. Bob was right around the corner so I walked over and asked if he could be of any help. Bob's a complete gentleman and asks the Bulgarian to let us in. The Bulgarian belligerently refuses. He also won't break eye contact with me at this point - he was seriously creeping me out. If this was Chicago my behavior would have been entirely different - I would have been the Bulgarian a piece of my mind. Anyhow, I concede and thank Bob for trying. In front of the Bulgarian, I let him Bob know I appreciate the class he displayed at Hakkasan and how he made us all feel like kings. We walk away and the Bulgarian was still looking at me. After we walk away about 500 feet he follows us. At this point I was ready to give him a piece of my mind, but I smile instead. For reasons I would find out later, he welcomes us in. Apparently he wanted Will's bribe but didn't want his other doormen to know he took it. "I'll see you inside", apparently he told Will. In the end, Amit got a bottle of champagne because he wanted to class the night up. I had a great time hanging out with the guys - but the club seriously lacked talent.
Me, Amit, Will
Leaving Emirates
Around 3:30 we left the club for home. On the way out I noticed an ATM that claimed to dispense gold. I had heard about such machines but was extremely dubious. A better descriptor would be a vending machine that sells gold merchandise, because the price is far from spot. When we arrived back I made sure we both had lots of water. I didn't think we drank very much, but I didn't want either of us to have headaches in the morning.
ATMs that dispense gold?
ATM Screen
2.5 grams of gold is 715 AED or $194.66 USD
2.5 grams of gold on open market $126.99 USD
1 troy ounce = 31.1034768 grams
1 troy ounce spot price (aprx) $1,580 USD
1 gram gold based at spot (open market price) $50.79
2.5 grams of gold at spot $126.99
1 gram gold at atm $77.86
