Adventures with the Ukrainians

Waking Up

I woke up around 8:30am. I wanted to sleep later, but I wanted to make the most of the day and I didn't want to stand up the Ukrainian. I checked my email and had a couple of messages of things the two were interested in doing - the first email was sent about an hour and a half earlier. I figured they had already begun, but I sent a message off asking if they were still around and head for the shower. Although I wanted to sleep more, I forced myself to get up and going since there was a small chance meeting them. The hotel they were staying at was directly across the street from the Mall of Emirates, a place I was going to start the day off anyway with coffee. I had indicated I would be at the Starbucks there around 9 if they were interested in meeting up. I'm not sure why they hadn't begun their day after a couple of hours of being awake, but I got an email back saying they'd find me at Starbucks.

Mall of Emirates

Finding parking in the mall was easy since it was early. Most stores were opening, but you could tell they were just starting for the day. The mall is staffed with attendants who speak perfect English. Since it was slow, one saw me looking at the big map outlining the mall and asked how she could help. After I mentioned Starbucks, she informed me there were three in the mall. This was not good news. l had thought the hotel the Ukrainians were staying at was in the mall, so I asked for the location closest to the hotel. The attendant directed me to a Starbucks near a department store, so I send off an email letting them know exactly which Starbucks I was heading towards. I was doubtful they would get the email because they did not have cellular service - they were dependent on WiFi and probably already left. I was pretty convinced they would head to the more central Starbucks, inside the mall, but since I sent an email I figured it would be best to wait. To my chagrin, this particular Starbucks did not offer WiFi - but I could still get emails on my phone via 3G. After getting coffee and a muffin the Ukrainians had arrived. I hadn't finished my coffee and they needed to convert currency so they went off to do that while I finished my muffin. A few minutes later he head to my fancy Kia.

Al Ain

When we spoke over email we discussed a couple of ideas - visiting a garden and a water park. It sounded like the Ukrainians liked to balance sightseeing with something fun. Dubai is home to a park called the Miracle Garden, the worlds largest garden. After confirming with the friend, the park of interest was in Al Ain - a town about an hour and a half south just steps from Oman. The Ukrainian asked if it was too far and I was ready to kick them both out of the car, but I really didn't have much else planned. I had another full day in Dubai and the only things left on my checklist were to ski and visit the Burj Khalifa. Both activities run pretty much all night, so visiting the garden and water park came with no opportunity cost. The English speaking Ukrainian did sit in the front next to me, but I figured she'd talk to her friend most of the way so I turned on the radio. Dubai's radio is completely westernized. Just as in Chicago, Dubai has a KISS FM affiliate. I figured driving throughout the desert would be pretty cool. I like driving and the foreign landscape provided something different to take in. After a couple of minutes the Ukrainian turned the radio down - I imagine she wanted to practice her English. She had told me the day before that she was a beautician - she worked for herself and did hair removal. I brought that up and asked how long she went to school, etc. She continues on saying she went to a technical institute and graduated with a degree in computer science.  My response is very Borat esque. "You are typewriter operator?", waving my hands with fingers pointed downward as if I'm typing.  She only found my humor slightly charming.  "No, I studied programming. PHP, C++", I also developed web sites. Completely stealing a line from Borat, I return with "But you are woman. You have small brain (tapping on her head)". At this point she's still trying to determine if I'm joking, than I return with "Meooooooooow".  She looses it. We continue to chat and every 15 minutes or so I check with the friend to make sure she's comfortable. After an hour and the third time checking,  I can tell the friend is thrown off by something I'm doing. I ask and am told Russian men normally don't behave as I do - I guess the friend didn't realize i was not Russian.  

After driving for an hour and a half we reached to the town. I couldn't locate an exact address, but I had read the garden was near the Museum - so that point was in my GPS. We did some searching, driving through the Al Ain Oasis. The oasis dates back thousands of years and features an irrigation system that would later be used by countries all over the world. It was pretty cool driving through the ruins. After cruising through the ruins we stopped at a shop and were the highlight of everyone's day. Everyone stared at us. In these parts few speak English, so getting directions was very difficult. After failing miserably with the directions given, we would later stop at a gas station and security booth only to find out the gardens are closed. Determined to find something of worth in the journey I head towards the mountains and found a park. The park was incredible. There was desert forever, but also swaps of greenery between. I hadn't seen anything like it before.

 

Park

 

Terrain with greenery

 

Spies - from either Russia or the Ukraine

 

The Ukrainian and me

Ice Land Water Park

After spending an hour or so at the park we decide to head to the water park. They had wanted to go to the Ice Land Water Park back - the largest water park in the UAE. The water park is equidistant to Dubai from where we are at, but there would be about an hour drive from the water park back to Dubai. After about 40 minutes of driving the friend suggests we find a water park closer to Dubai. We settle on a large park called Wild Wadi. The park was featured on the Amazing Race 5 if you follow that program.  We checked the park website and it was scheduled to close at 8pm, so we'd have about 3 hours to spend at the park once we got there. After arriving we noticed everyone leaving the park. We made our way to the ticket counter and discovered the park was closing early - in less than 30 minutes. Two destinations in a row that are misses? These Ukrainians are bad luck. We searched and found another park on the man made Palms Islands. After checking the hours I quickly find that the park will close soon...at sunset. Since the Dubai Miracle Garden was close, I suggest heading in that direction.


Settling for Dubai's Miracle Garden

We arrived at the Miracle Gardens about 30-45 minutes before sunset. I was concerned the Ukrainian were going to expect me to pick up their tickets - fortunately (for them) that did not occur. The park is setup to look like a theme park, with a fake coaster and space shuttle in the background. The Ukrainians are from the south. They live in a town called Sevastopol that has very close ties to Russia. Back in the 90s the Russia actually tried to take it back. I let the Ukrainian know the space shuttle in the background is American and that the Buran (Russian) shuttle was a blatant rip off the US shuttle. Before I could finish the the Ukrainian started to heckle me because I was enjoying myself. Since I had been fairly obnoxious I took it in stride. Some of the translations cracked me up.
"You are flower-man... Children, they love you, more than 1,000 Santa Clauses.".

 

Miracle Garden Entrance - Take on Exit

 

Crazy Bird - note it is not angry

 

Me, next to a frog vomiting flowers  

 

3 continents of Pyramids!

Asia, Africa, and North America

 

Group Shot

Dinner 

We made our way back to the Mall of Emirates, immediately adjacent to their hotel. I was expecting to drop them off and call it a night, but they suggested we get dinner together. They said it was one stop down on Dubai's Red Line train. The train runs down the major 10 lane highway and it was something I wanted to ride. The tickets are paper without a bar code. When I got to the turnstile it took me a few seconds to realize it contained some sort of RF strip inside. Like the Chicago CTA, trains run frequently. There are 3 different types of cars within the train. The first car is "Gold Class", which requires a special ticket, the last car is only for women and children, and the other cars are for anyone. We were following the direction of the friend who had us queued up with the women and children car. I'm uncertain if she was simply trying to get rid of me or something more drastic...like have me killed or arrested. Fortunately the Ukrainian caught it and got us to another car.

The restaurant was a simple diner. I think it had an Asian twist, but they had pretty much everything on the menu. I ordered grilled chicken and it was pretty tasty. I expected to get stuck with the bill, but once it came the Ukrainians grabbed it and put in what they owed. They noticed an error as well - one of the items they ordered never came and they got a credit. I put in a little over what I owed since I did not have exact change. When the change came the Ukrainian handed me all of it. I was owed the equivalent of something like 60 cents so I handed it all back. I think she knew I was testing her honesty. Either that or she thought I was an extremely cheap American. My meal was something like $10, these Ukrainians know how to eat cheap. I asked how she knew about the place and she said it was a well known Russian secret. It could be true, because the Indian server did speak a bit of Russian.

 

Red Line

(not my photo)

  

 

Inside the train

 

Golden Fork - dinner time

The Palms

I first heard about the UAE when I read about the creation of The Palms islands. The group of islands are entirely man made and form a palm. There are a number of hotels around the islands. The World and The Universe (not complete) are other man made groups of islands off the coast of Dubai. Noting I am not a guest, the upscale hotels on the islands and throughout the UAE have been incredibly kind. They appear to openly welcome guests to visit the premises. Never once had I paid for parking around a hotel - the staff always allowed me to double park. They also did not hit me up in any way for a tip.

 

Google Maps is awesome on The Palms islands

 

The Atlantis hotel on The Palms islands

 

Inside Atlantis

 Skyline from The Palms

 

Taking in the skyline. 

Tomorrow

Tomorrow would be my last full day in Dubai. I had only a couple of things left to do, but I did not want to leave. Dubai is the perfect cross between Las Vegas (without Casinos) and New York and I was loving it. I had yet to Ski nor visit the Burj Khalife (world's tallest building), so tomorrow would be a busy but not crazy day. The Ukrainians had a desert safari booked the next day, so I'd be on my own!

Formula Rossa

Waking Up

I woke up early today, around 7am, to have breakfast with Amit before he left for work. After he left I swung by his parents to say goodbye. Shortly thereafter I took a nap for a couple of hours and than was off to Marina Mall before heading to Ferrari World. The reality of the passing of my friend the night before was starting to settle in. I'm very glad it's normal to wear sunglasses everywhere in these parts, as they'd serve more than one purpose today.

Emirates Palace

On the way to Marina Mall I saw signs for Emirates Palace,  reminding me it was just further down the same road. I decided to swing by and tour Emirates Palace before visiting the mall. The Emirates Palace is a hotel owned by the government of Abu Dhabi. Additionally, Abu Dhabi is the capital of the UAE. While the hotel is open to the public, it's also used to host official government events and guests. When it was built it was the most expensive hotel in the world - to date it's the second most hotel ever constructed. The hotel cost almost 6 billion US and many of the suites are decked out in gold. Had the hotel not been government sponsored, I seriously wonder if it could be profitable. What's nice is the hotel is very tourist friendly. Parking is free and the grounds are easily accessible by tourists not staying at the hotel. I checked the times for tours and the next one was at 4pm - if I was to make it to Ferrari World hanging around for the tour wouldn't be an option. I did walk around the site for an hour or so taking in the absolutely beautiful grounds.

 

Emirates Palace

 

Me outside the entrance

 

Dome inside the hotel

 

Booming construction outside the palace

Marina Mall

After finishing up at the Palace, I head over the Marina Mall. I wanted to grab some coffee and  lunch. Ferrari World closed at 8pm, so as long as I got half a day there I'd be happy. Finding a parking spot was difficult in the lot I turned into. After I found a spot I cut diagonally towards the entrance. I really wasn't paying attention and was more or less sulking. I can't remember everything that happened thereafter, but I was about half way across the parking aisle when I heard first and than felt a thump. It felt like someone came running at me and hit me from the side. I didn't hit the ground - I think I hit the side of his car and caught the passenger side mirror. The car stopped and a man came out screaming "oh my god, I didn't see you". He immediately asked if I was okay and started calling the police. I was in shock and went to the curb to sit down. He kept apologizing and admitting fault. I could see in his face how distressed he was. I told him I thought I was going to be okay - I just wanted to check my backpack to confirm my camera, iPad, and MacBook Air were fine. I was in pain, but it wasn't severe. It felt as if I slipped on ice and fell sharply on my hip. The big thing was I didn't hit my head, I didn't fall on my hands, and my hands and feet were mostly fine. The electronics I checked out were all fine. I didn't check my Kindle (it was hiding in my bag) and now that isn't working right...d'oh! Anyhow, I suggested we go into the mall just so I could confirm a bone wasn't sticking out of my side. The man went to park his car. After loosing track of where he was I figured I'd just head into the mall. As I went in he came running after me - "hey, hey, wait up" he screamed. I guess I did read him well, he had a chance to make a clean break and he didn't. I went to the restroom while he waited outside, confirmed I was banged up, but it all looked like it would be fine. I told the man I would probably be okay and he insisted on giving me his business card. "Call me if anything changes - I will take you to the hospital. I did this and I am at fault", he insisted. We chatted a bit - he's from Jordan and he was visiting his brother. Getting hit by the car would serve as a wake up call - I had to pull my head out of the clouds and move on.

I had yet to book hotel accommodations for my stay that night in Dubai, so I head to the Starbucks in the mall to find lodging  I spent about an hour searching for a place, than another hour updating my blog. Afterwards, I started to get hungry and recalled seeing a Fuddruckers - a burger sounded great. This week was turning into a red meat binge week. In hindsight, I should have eaten at Shake Shack, that place is really fantastic.The Fuddruckers in the UAE wasn't very good.

Ferrari World

Ferrari World is normally closed on Mondays, but since it was spring break the park was open. I was pretty sore from getting hit, but I pushed myself to continue on. I figured the bruising might get worse later on, making it impossible to do the coaster if I waited. I quickly found parking and went into the park. The park was empty. There are displays throughout the park displaying attraction wait times - all were under 5 minutes.

 

Inside Ferrari World - Abu Dhabi

 

Entrance to the park

The main attraction at the park is Formula Rossa, the fastest roller coaster in the world. Once I got to the ride, two employees outside the entrance informed me the ride was closed! After more talking I would find out it's simply a scheduled maintenance window and it will be up and running in about 15 minutes. So I head out to explore the park and find another attraction. Outside the ride entrance is a display with a trophy - a photo stop.  A couple of Ukrainians asked if I could take their picture. After taking the pic I asked them to return the favor. Incidentally, what I know about the Ukraine can be summarized in this Seinfeld clip. One of the Ukrainians started with small talk. I wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone so I cut it short and started walking through the maze that is the park looking for another ride. I walked into the first ride entrance I saw, only to realize it was a water ride. They had storage lockers so I was fine getting a little wet knowing the coaster would dry me off. The water ride is designed to appear as if the rider is inside a Ferrari engine - it's cheesy. While in the short line I noticed the Ukrainians were also in line. We ended up talking a little bit more before boarding the ride. 

 

Me and a stupid trophy

After I finished the water ride, which was like a lite version of the boat ride at Six Flags, it was time for Formula Rossa. Although they had already ridden the Formula Rosa, the Ukrainians followed along. We started the line together, but than I realized there was a separate line for the front car. I bid farewell and jumped into the other line - riding front car is important to me. There wasn't much of a line and the Ukrainians boarded several cycles before I went. They cycle off the ride, but the one Ukrainian comes back to chat more. Since I was alone I offered them my companion seat. I figured since I was at the front she could jump the line. Nope, they insisted that the 2 groups of people go in front of me.

 

Me and one of the Ukrainians 

 

A Ukrainian, agreeing that I am indeed very handsome

After the ride we met up with the friend and chatted more. The friend said she spoke little English, but every now and than she'd chime in. I think she spoke English more than she was letting on. At first I though the one who road with me simply wanted to practice her English skills, but now I didn't know what their intentions were. I was convinced they were either spies or prostitutes. In America, you can joke with a girl about being a spy...but not about being a prostitute. I assumed the same social rule would hold true in the UAE. I was still dubious, but also curious. After sitting down the one said they were off to see the Sheikh Zayed Mosque - something I saw a few days earlier. She asked if I would come along - they were taking a bus. I just got to the park and had more to see, so I was out. When it comes to record setting roller coasters or making friends, I've got priorities. We check visitation times and there's an hour visitation beginning at 8:30pm. The park closed at 8pm and the mosque is about 30 minutes away, so it would have worked. I wouldn't mind getting some photos at night of the Mosque and had no evening plans - so it was fine with me. The one who waited for me liked the idea, the other started mumbling about being tired. No big deal, I suggest, and bid them farewell. I swap information with the one who waited for me at the coaster.

Over the next hour or so I'd end up riding the Formula Rosa five times total, all in the front car. I had the chance to ride the Formula Rosa in daylight and in the dark at night - both experiences were different and awesome. I left the ride minutes before closing to ride the one other coaster in the park.  I really didn't expect the staff to let me on. Instead of turning me away, they said something like ' and last rider of the night is...' as I walked in. Unlike the Formula Rosa, which I'd learn requires at least 10 people on it to run, I rode this coaster alone. I figured I'd give the staff a show and was super excited throughout the ride. It wasn't anything special - the coaster car is a race car that's supposed to be crusing down a race track. There are two sets of cars setup so it appears both sets of cars are racing each other. The ride was entirely empty except for me - a first. It was kinda eerie riding a roller coaster alone at night. When I got off the ride the attendant was cracking up. "We didn't expect all that energy from you", he said. "We really should thank you for being so excited". I let him know I didn't expect them to let me on since I cut it so close. We chatted a bit more - I told them I was hooked on the Formula Rosa and wanted to at least try the other coaster. 

 

Me on the coaster ride

Yas Hotel 

Ferrari World is on a man made island called Yas Island. Both Amit and a friend in Cyprus suggested I visit the island and it was one of the first places in Abu Dhabi I toured. When I originally toured I was intrigued by a birds nest looking structure in the distance. I had asked a security guard about it, but he said it was off limits to the public - he must have thought I was pointing to something else. I'd learn through Amit the structure was a hotel, it's actually where he had his wedding reception. Anyhow, I wanted to grab some pictures and left Ferrari World for the hotel. I pulled in front of the hotel and asked valet if I could double park for an hour - "no problem". That's a reoccurring theme out here - everyone is so incredibly helpful.  I walked around an got some pictures and was off to Dubai. It was probably around 9:30pm at this point and the drive to Dubai would take about 90 minutes.

 

Yas Viceroy

Finding the Hotel

I had booked the hotel through booking.com using Kayak. The instructions to the hotel indicated it was 'near' a main road so I used that street with the GPS. Once I'd get on the street I'd struggle to find the hotel. I spent about 45 minutes looking and finally gave up and called booking.com. I was irritated, but the call center person was very helpful. She agreed the address was incomplete - but she had GPS coordinates and helped navigate me to the hotel. After about 10 minutes I was there. After checking in and dumping my stuff, I figured I'd check out the nightlife in the area. Dubai is not dry, but bars are limited to 3-4 star hotels. There were a couple of decently rated bars a short walk so I figured I'd check them out. I started with an Irish pub, but it was empty and full of smoke. I went to another pub in the same hotel up one floor - it had more people but still pretty quiet. On the way down in the elevator I chatted with two Indian guys heading out. I ended up tagging along with them to a bar in the next building over - they were going to hear some live music.

 

Jornand Hotel - my 2.5 star home for 3 nights

 

Bedroom

 

Small kitchen with washing machine

A Night in Dubai

The live band at the venue was playing cover songs by request. They were actually very, very good. They did a version of the Cranberries song Zombie and were indistinguishable from the original artist. Arun insisted on picking up the first round, so I had to stay until my turn came up. At about $10/pint, beer in Dubai is expensive and I did not care to be a freeloader. Both Raul and Arun are from New Dehli but have traveled around the world. Raul is into consulting and Arun works at Sony Music. He works in the promotion field and shows artists around when they do concerts in Dubai. He had a lot of stories and photos to share. I head out around 2am. While at the bar I dropped the Ukrainian a quick email and asked how the time was at the Mosque. She wrote back almost immediately and asked what I was up to the next day - they had a couple of ideas and I had nothing definitive planned. We set tentative plans to chat in the morning.

 

Raul, Arun, and me

Waking up in the desert

Waking Up

Although I was determined to make the best of the experience, the sleeping conditions were absolutely miserable. Instead of sleeping in a tent in the middle of a desert, we were sleeping in a storage shed with an open door. A tent allows a breeze to come through and screens out flies. Our shed had an open door that allowed flies in, yet no breeze. I was damp, warm, and felt disgusting. That said, the novelty of the situation made the entire experience neat to some degree. I think it was around 6ish when I noticed some of the others go outside with their cameras. The sun had risen a bit, but the sky had absolutely no color. The sun actually looked like the moon.

 

Sun in the desert

Breakfast at Camp

After hiking around some of the dunes and taking a few photos it was time for breakfast. I wasn't expecting much, which was a good thing. The offering was some kind of sausage, fruit drink, and bread. I had some fruit drink and bread. Shortly thereafter, a driver came and I would be off to the office. The driver would only take me and the Asian couple - the rest would be left for a different driver. Only Sarah was around, so I said goodbye. 

 

Breakfast

 

Sausage-like meat

Leaving Camp

Since we had been in the car for several hours throughout the Safari I figured the drive back would take at least an hour. It only took about 20 minutes. The drive back was interesting - the strong rains created mush throughout the desert that we would drive through. There was also flooding throughout the roads. The driver did not spend the night at camp - he told me they called for him the night earlier and he was the one who showed up to take us back to our non-existent hotels. He was with his wife and child and he had to take them back home because he didn't think it was safe for them to join him. He said the weather we experienced was a once in ten year storm. Amit would tell me it's even less frequent - he said he's never seen anything like it before.

Tragic News

After getting back to the office and getting in the car I sent Amit a text to see if anyone was home to let me in. Abu Dhabi was about a 90 minute drive, so I figured I'd head in that direction and kill time if necessary. I had desperately wanted to shower though. Afer texting Amit I checked my email on my iPhone.  I'm not sure why I didn't check it when I woke up...yes, it's a compulsive habit. I got an email from a good friend asking if there's a number he can reach me at, "It's important". I reply saying my local number works. Having a 3g connection, the Talkatone iPhone app, and Google Voice allows me to get calls anywhere for the cost of the 3g service. It's a completely brilliant setup. This particular friend isn't unnecessarily dramatic, so I knew it was one of two things. This particular friend is a pilot and he has keys to my plane. If the call pertained to the plane it likely was just physical damage. The plane is insured, so it'd be out of service a couple of months. Not really a big deal. The other possibility in my head involved a close mutual friend to us both. There's a lot here I need to leave out, so apologies for the necessary ambiguity. Within a minute the phone rang - such little time had gone by (less than a minute) I actually wondered who was calling.  "The good news is the plane is okay", my friend says. Once I comprehended the plane was fine, which was exactly what I didn't want to hear, I didn't need to hear anything more. He continued on to say the friend had passed away. "I didn't want you to find out by facebook.", he said.  

//Begin Rant
 
When someone in the military is killed the military issues a communication blackout severing internet and phone for soldiers. These blackouts can last several days. The purpose is to allow the army to notify next of kin and than allow them to spread the news on in decent manner. I wish everyone who used facebook had the (insert offensive expletive) common sense and decency to abide by this norm. I understand people want to pay their respects, but use some (insert offensive expletive) common sense.

//End Rant

I offered to come back and he insisted otherwise. I still would check airfare, but coming back in time for the services logistically was not possible. The earliest, at any cost, I could come back would be Tuesday.  I was numb to some degree and really didn't feel anything. Shortly after I called my mom to tell her what happened. This particular friend adored my mom. They were more than just facebook friends. I took my mom out for her birthday this past year in the city and this particular friend insisted on joining along. My mom was in disbelief as well. She went on facebook and was in shock over all the activity on the friend's profile. We chat a bit and my mom offers to send flowers and attend services for me. I hadn't really emotionally interpreted anything at this point - everything was reactionary...almost like I was a robot.

Returning to Abu Dhabi


Ferrari world is home to the Formula Rossa, the fastest roller coaster in the world. Since I enjoyed spending time with Amit's family, I had planned to spend one last night in Abu Dhabi after the overnight Safari to visit with them and go to Ferrari World the following day. Amit had written me and said the housekeeper (Eugene) was at home and could let me in. "Leave some sand in the desert for the camels", he requested. Once I got there I took a shower and Eugene offered to do my laundry. By the time I was done with the shower Amit, Khamsay, Shaan, and lunch were ready and waiting for me. Did I mention this family is awesome?

Wandering a Mall

 

Dubai Mall

After lunch Amit had to return to work and Shaan had a play-date. I had yet to check out Abu Dhabi's Marina Mall so I ventured that way. Emirates Palace was near the Marina Mall and I figured I'd walk around the property outside as well.  We had been there several nights before, but that was at night without taking in the outside. I started with the mall. The tragic news was slowly settling in and I was wondering the mall like a zombie. The malls here are ridiculous, so I was curious what the cinema was like. A movie would take my mind off things. The original Jurassic Park had been released in 3D - that sounded good. It wasn't in a premier theater (only a single film is), but it could give me an idea of the theater experience. The theater has assigned seats with two categories of seating. A small premium of about $2 USD is paid for the best seats in the theater - those seats are actually a little larger with leather padding (they do not recline though).

 

Upscale retailers like Valentino, Chanel, Fendi, etc. all have shops in the mall

 

The mall has a Mercedes dealership

 

An ice skating rink - remember that this is a desert

Movie Theaters in the UAE

With my 3D glasses, popcorn, and diet coke in hand, I was looking forward to seeing what the theater was like. I remember watching the original Jurassic Park at the theater almost 20 years earlier. The screen wasn't that large, but the chair was comfortable. However, throughout the movie a cell phone would go off at least every ten minutes. People who literally have conversations lasting a few minutes without thinking twice. Amit would later tell me it's spring break and children are out of school for 2 weeks, but these were adults without children. To Amit's point there were a bunch of kids being very loud on the other side of the theater. An usher would come in a couple of times throughout the movie to quiet them down, but the behavior of adults is what I would be most troubled by. Amit would later confirm my movie-going experience in the UAE was not a one-off and rather normal. I stepped in the theater right at the movie began, so I'm not sure if a 'turn off your cell phone' advisory was shown before the movie began. The UAE can build the best and fanciest theaters in the world - but the experience is ruined if the theaters are filled with people who can't keep quiet.

More Shopping

A day or so earlier I had asked Amit if there was anything I could do to help out the family. He said no, they have more than enough help. After talking I found out he was looking for a PC for his dad. He wanted an all-in-one machine, so I offered to help. It's actually something I would enjoy doing. One thing to note is that shopping in the UAE is very different than the states. Amit lets me know we'd be limited to the retail selection offered - online shopping isn't so big out here. Making the task a bit easy is the fact that the malls in the UAE contain all sorts of stores. Although I have yet to see a Target or Best Buy in the UAE, the equivalent type of stores exist and have locations in the malls. The malls are open very late, too - well after 10pm on most days. I'd wander from electronics store to electronics store snapping pics of the all-in-one desktop machines to research later.

Since Amit and family had been so nice to me, I wanted to get them a small thank you gift. I called Amit asking what I could get his parents. Since I had a beer with Amit and his dad when I arrived, I knew alcohol would be okay. I figured a nice bottle of scotch or whiskey would do for both Amit and his parents. I called Amit to find out his dad's drink of choice and he would give me bad news. Buying liquor in the UAE is regulated and requires a license to purchase. Also, they limit how much you can buy. So purchasing liquor would be difficult. Chocolate wouldn't work either. I see Bath and Body works, so a candle comes to mind. I find out that Bath and Body works no longer sells them. I'm directed to Carrefour, a Target like retailer. For the most part the selection of candles sucked, but I found something adequate. I picked up some gift cards and stationary as well.

One other thing I love about the UAE is parking. Parking at the malls is basically free. They do charge you if you're there for more than 4 hours during  the week, but that's a long time. Plus, the mall is right on fancy metro transit line.

I returned back to the apartment around 10pm. Amit was up, but the rest were asleep. We caught up on things for a couple of hours  and I was off to bed.


Tomorrow

I'd leave Abu Dhabi tomorrow morning for Dubai. Although technically in Abu Dhabi, Ferrari World was on the way to Dubai.

Deserts and Thunderstorms

Waking Up

I woke up around 9:30am, had some breakfast, and started to pack for the overnight safari. The plan was to leave by noon and be at the tour company by 3:30pm. The company had recommended I get a tripod for some photographs. I had picked up one the night before, but the weight limit of my camera and lens exceeded the capacity of the tripod. Amit actually had a kitchen scale that was useful in weighing the camera. Anyhow, the camera appeared to hold up fine on the tripod, but I figured checking at the mall for a different one wouldn't hurt. The Mall of Emirates was right on the way so it would be an easy stop. Plus, I could get lunch at Shake Shack before taking off! Yum.

Going back to Dubai

My journey in the United Arab Emirates actually began in Dubai. After catching some rest after arriving at the first hotel, I head off to Abu Dhabi where a good friend from college lives. Although Abu Dhabi is the capital of the UAE, much of the skyline and city life is in Dubai. There are a few exceptions - Abu Dhabi is home to Yas Island (Ferrari world, Formula One race track), Emirates Palace, etc.

The drive was to take about an hour and a half. The first stop was the Mall of Emirates. For the most part, parking at the malls is free (free for the first 4 hours during the week, free entirely on weekends). They have large garages and it's not impossible to find parking, but searching can still take some time. Once you do find a parking spot a man often will ask if you want a car wash - neat idea. I imagine there is a charge for the car wash, but since I have a rental and hate Europcar I have no intention to clean the car before returning it. While at the mall I did get some food at Chicken Shack, but wasn't able to find a better tripod than I had.

 

The little car is a car wash buggy. 

Attendants wash cars upon demand while folks shop.

Finding the Tour Company

While heading to the tour company, I noticed something I found interesting. The bus stops are air conditioned! In the pic below you can see the air conditioned booth behind the people waiting outside.

Bus Stops are air conditioned!

 

Driving in Dubai

Prior to 3:30 I was right near the landmark given to me by the tour company. Unfortunately, finding the tour company from there would be next to impossible. Shortly after 3:30pm the tour company called asking if I was still attending. I said I was and told them were I was - they spent about 20 minutes trying to navigate me to the office. In the end they sent a driver for me to follow that would take me to the office where I would meet a different driver for the tour. I'd notice later on the man who picked me up would later serve as bartender at the camp. 

Desert Safari

  

After a short stop at the tour office, the real driver for the Safari came out from the back and escorted me to the car. We made a single stop at a hotel to pickup a family that had also signed up for the tour. I actually scheduled my Safari date around them so I didn't have to pay for a private tour. A private tour was 4 times as much so I was fine sharing the tour. This tour, including the overnight option, cost around $100 USD. We were in an SUV with three rows of seats and they filled every seat up. 2 in the front and back, 3 in the middle. I'm so glad I was the first one picked up and got the front. I can't imagine how uncomfortable such a long trip would be in the middle. After an hour the driver stopped at a convenience store and suggested we use the restroom and pickup water. He deflated the tires to prepare us for off roading in the desert.

Quad Bikes

The first optional piece of the Safari was the opportunity to ride quad bikes in the dunes. The cost was relatively inexpensive; around 100-300 aed (about $27-$80 USD) for half an hour. They have a number of different kinds of bikes which is why the cost was variable. My bike was well powered, without a roll cage, and a value at about $40 USD.

 

Me on the quad

4x4'ing in the Desert

Part of the Safari involved a very intense 4x4 experience. I can't emphasize enough how off road the driver took the vehicle. I'm really surprised he didn't flip the thing and that we never got stuck. "Let me know if you get sick so I can pull over or slow down", he told us. "200 fine for vomit", he said. The family in the car was Indian, but they lived in the UK. I asked what currency he was looking to collect and he just laughed.

 

Me outside one of the 4x4 stop points

Arriving at Camp

We arrived at the camp late. I had to bring my things with me, but I packed light and my bags easily fit under the small table we all sat at. Although dinner had yet to be served, the Belly Dancing show had already been going on for some time. There were easily a couple of hundred people already at the camp. The camp was pretty well set up. It had a cash bar and all soft drinks including water were free. Dinner was served about an hour after we arrived - there was one long queue for that. The food included mostly barbeque - chicken, beef, and other such foods. It wasn't bad!

 

An empty camp - photo taken next morning

 

Belly dancer 

Overnight

Shortly after dinner the driver came by to pick up the family. I was the only one of the group who opted for the overnight portion.  He stopped over by me to ask if I wanted to return - I couldn't tell if the driver was suggesting I leave with him...but I wondered. It was almost like it was a game of chicken - they charge you the full price for an overnight knowing you'll chicken out and want to go back to your hotel. In any case, that wasn't about to happen. I've slept in a tent before and was looking forward to this experience. During dinner 1 or 2 belly dancers performed for about 45 minutes. This gave everyone time to get food, eat, and be entertained. Around 8:30 the people who were not staying overnight left - I thought this was quite early. I was told to go to the bar and to let the crew know I was staying for the overnight. The problem was, I didn't see anyone else there...I was beginning to wonder if I was the entire overnight group. Shortly thereafter a couple appeared who also opted for the overnight experience. We got to chatting over some beers and noticed it was getting very windy. Shortly there would be lightning and than thunder. The crew had setup 3 tents for us. One for them, one for me, and another for a couple we had yet to see. Sometime later we'd notice a Japanese couple. Sarah thought the woman was upset about the arrangements - I don't think the woman literally believed the overnight camping would be in a tent. Her male companion was wearing a mask the entire time - I think to keep sand out of his lungs. They didn't speak much English and they kept to themselves, so we talked with them very little.

 

Sarah (Australian), (New Zealand), Me 

After the tents went up, the wind really started to pickup. The tents started to blow over and the staff did what they could to keep them up. They had originally setup the tents under the few shelters setup around the camp. I imagine the shelters were built more to stop the sun than rain. In any case, within an hour a full fledged storm would make its way over camp. A driver comes back to the camp and insists we leave. "It's not safe here", we are told,"We're taking you back to your hotel". The Australian/New Zealand couple reply they don't have lodging. I had stayed with my friend in Abu Dhabi, since I had no local accommodations I figured I would play along with them. After about 5 minutes the driver comes back and tells us it's safe - they'll just move our sleeping bags and mattresses to the the shelter. The shelter was nothing more than a shed with overhead lighting and a straw roof. While it rained the shed leaked. They left the door open to allow a breeze, but it was nowhere near as comfortable as a tent. After getting settled I would leave the shed for a different shelter to try to take some pictures of the storm in the sunset.  For the next couple of hours it would rain like crazy. Since we were outside we were a bit of a mess with sand. Being wet, sweaty, and sandy is not comfortable. It was a bit too warm to use the blankets, but since the door was open there were flies - so you more or less had to use a blanket. Since I was wet, partially covered in sand, and the shed was uncomfortably warm with little breeze, I stayed out site most of the night and watched the storm. I took some pictures, but none properly illustrate what I saw that night. I'd later learn that this sort of thing never happens. Rain isn't uncommon in the desert - but rain the continues for more than 10 minutes is. While heat lightning isn't entirely uncommon, a thunderstorm is an entirely different story. Amit was born and raised in the UAE. He told me aside from occasional heat lightning, he had never seen a thunderstorm in the UAE. What happened that night was extremely rare.

 

 Inside a shed due to the storm

 

Closest I got to catching the lightning in the desert

  

Getting Sleep

It was probably around 1:30am when I returned to the shed. Sleeping was extremely uncomfortable.  I was damp, warm, and had sand all over my body. A few flies were circling around the shed and seemed to land on me every time I dozed off. The storm settled down by the time I went to sleep, but the fierce rain would come and go throughout the night.

Sheikh Zayed Mosque

Waking Up

I woke up very late today, well after noon. I don't like sleeping late when I'm a guest in someones house, but I was uninterrupted and up late the night before. Neither Amit nor I had any sort of hangover - drinking water the night before worked well. We'd hear later that Will was not so lucky and would need most of the day to recover. Amit woke up shortly after me and he had breakfast. Shortly thereafter, Khamsay returned with Shaan and we discussed what I should see in Abu Dhabi. They had both highly recommended stopping by Grand Mosque - one of the biggest in the world

Sheikh Zayed Mosque

After checking the Mosque's web page for tour times, I realized I had only 30 minutes to make it there. The mosque is open to the public and offers guided tours at designated times. Admission, the tour, and even parking, is free of charge. Donations are not solicited in any form at the mosque.The Mosque is also the burial ground for Sheikh Zayed - to some extent the George Washington of the UAE.

The mosque is surrounded by a half dozen or so parking lots. After being refused from the first parking lot, a parade of cars followed from one lot to the next.  We'd make our way to each lot, only to be turned away at the end of the lot by a guard. The guard at each lot would tell us we could park at the next lot. We finally found parking at the very last lot.

A college aged woman lead our tour group. The mosque is the third largest in the world - only the mosques of Mecca or Medina (both in Saudi Arabia) are said to be larger.

 

Exterior

 

Largest dome of any mosque in the world

 

Largest chandelier in the world

 

Largest carpet in the world

 

Exterior

 

Me inside Mosque

Shopping

Before I left for the Mosque, Amit and Khamsay suggested getting dinner at a nearby mall afterwards. They had heard great things about a place called Shake Shack. I didn't put this together until afterwards, but Shake Shack is where I ate my first day in Dubai when I visited the Mall of Emirates. Both locations have excellent burgers! After dinner I wandered the mall looking for a tripod for tomorrow's activities. One of the larger stores in the mall is a Carrefour, the second largest retailer in the world The store was enormous, similar to a Super Target in the states. I picked up an inexpensive tripod and head off to Starbucks for some coffee and to update my blog.

 

Controlled chaos at Shake Shack

 

Endless rows of shops - with several stories above and below

Tomorrow

Prior to arriving, Amit suggested I do an overnight camping safari. The safari would involve a guided off road desert tour,  individual ATV cruising throughout the sand dunes, followed by a bbq dinner and belly dancing.  Afterwards, we'd camp in the open desert. Summer had yet to hit, so the weather was still great for this sort of activity. I'd learn at dinner today that I was actually the first of Amit's friends to do the 'overnight' portion of the safari...