UAE – Dubai and Abu Dhabi

If Vegas and South Florida had a love child, it would be Dubai.  Opulence and glitz are everywhere.  You might have to throw in a bit of SoCal, too, as the freeways rival even the widest part of the 405!

Dubai is a nice place to spend a few days.  There is plenty to do and plenty of ways to relax.  I stayed in the Marina area, which is a bit far from a lot of bright lights.  Walking around the marina in the early hours was nice, before it got too hot.  That said, if/when I go back, I would probably stay closer to the center.

Abu Dhabi, one of the other Emirates,  is just a quick trip by far from Dubai.  It is famous for its incredible Grand Mosque, which is truly one of the most impressive buildings I have ever seen.

The inside is impressive.  Of course women need to cover their heads in the mosque.  When in Abu Dhabi…

This beautiful central courtyard of the mosque is supposed to be off-limits, but this young boy didn’t seem to know the rules.  Nobody tried to stop him either.

The other must see destination in Abu Dhabi is the Louvre.  The building is odd from the outside, but inside it is stunning.

The collection inside is equally impressive, with archeological artifacts from all over and curated to show civilizations’ advances at similar period in different areas.  I think this is one of the best museums I have ever been to.

As a side treat, we got to watch a bit of one of the camel races.  It was a hoot!

What’s even more of a hoot is that the jockeys are ROBOTS! Zoom in if  you can’t see them.  (Jordan, here’s a new market for you).

The day after Abu Dhabi I went on a Camel Safari in the desert of Dubai.  It was a lot of fun, but Camels are not exactly comfortable.

In addition to camels, Falcons have been important in the desert for a long time.  They are beautiful animals and I even got to hold one.

My time in the desert is not over.  I head now to Israel and Jordan.