Days 3 & 4: Abu Dhabi & Dubai From Cold To Hot

Day 3: Abu Dhabi, Grand Mosque, Observatory at 300

Today we ventured to Abu Dhabi. Up front: I'm pretty sure the first time I heard of this place was on the Sex & the City movie. Apparently that film was not filmed in Abu Dhabi at all because the leadership denied approval. Abu Dhabi holds an even more strict, conservative reputation than Dubai as far as traditions go.



We took off mid morning to find the 'Sheikh Zayed'  Grand Mosque, sometimes referred to as the White Mosque, facing us, impossible to miss when entering the city limits. Non-Muslims are not allowed to enter the majority of mosques, but a few in particular allow other religions to proceed for educational purposes, although you are never allowed in the prayer rooms. The Grand Mosque is the largest mosque in the UAE. It is truly a place that takes your breath away. Every inch is immaculately clean and the smallest details minded. As we approached, men guided us to women's changing rooms below ground. If your attire breaks any of their strict dress code, as a woman, you are required to put on an Abaya - a long sleeved, loose black dress from neck to toes with a hood to cover your hair. Before heading below ground to change I took a selfie in front if the mosque to immediately find security confronting me. A woman taking her picture in front of the Grand Mosque is prohibited if her head is not covered. He stood over my shoulder to assure I deleted the selfie.

Having changed, we re-emerged into the blazing heat with our added layer, feeling as if we were about to start our first day at Hogwarts. Preceeding the mosque entrance, you'll find a massive, open, marbled square surrounded by gold leaf decorated pillars. The marbled floor dances with colorful floral patterns. You must walk around the perimeter to enter directly down the center, removing your shoes before entering the foyer. Every polished corner sparkles with gold and colors from the metal flowers slightly protruding from the walls to the chandeliers.

Next stop, Abaya free, we drove downtown to see the Corniche - a long strip of decorated sidewalk winding along the side of the street with the ocean to one side and skyscrapers to the other. After lunch break at no where other than the Olive Garden, we sought out dessert with a view. Observatory at 300 closed the day perfectly. Crossing the fanciest mall yet to enter an even fancier hotel, we felt a tad underdressed. The staff didn't blink an eye and directed us happily to the elevator to see the view from 74 floors up. They charge a small admission fee, but then credit you the majority back to use on food & beverage. We took a loop marveling at the city before choosing a spot with a view of the Emirates Palace. Not a bad end to the day!

Day 4: Groceries, Ski Dubai, Arabian Nights Tour

Dubai doesn't have free standing grocery stores like you'd find in the US. Instead, they include the supermarket within their malls. This morning we headed to the Mall of Emirates so my friend could tackle her grocery list (she's amazing by the way - we were in and out of there in 30 minutes with a toddlerand a full cart). The store is like a Walmart, but with wider aisles, perfectly aligned goods at the end of the shelves, and a man riding a zamboni-esque machine to clean the floors, even though the store had literally just opened. Of course every label has both English and Arabic - some familiar brands along with of brands.

On the opposite side of the mall you find Ski Dubai, an indoor ski facility. You can pay for lessons, two hours, or full day passes; or you can choose to zipline down the slope. They provide you with snow pants, a coat, skiis,and poles, but you need to bring or buy your own gloves and hat. I didn't have any or want to spend the money, so I had cold fingers instead. You board amotion-sensor ed escalator with your skiis after you're all geared up and checked in. A key card admits you into the chair kid area and monitors your time. One ski lift leads up the center and turns to the left,  dividing two clear runs. You can get off half way to do the bunny hill, or head all the way up: expert slope on the left, medium on the right (ending in the bunny hill), or cross over from one side to the other in the middle. Real snow, unreal that it's inside. First time for everything!  Such a fun experience and a good test to see what my recently healed foot can handle.

Later in the afternoon, our Arabian Nights tour guide picked our group up to venture out to the sand dunes. After a pit stop to stock up on water, we arrived to the sand away from the city and let air out of the tires. Less air allows the vehicle to sink into the sand a bit more and slide down the slopes less. We raced up and down the sand slopes, stopping twice for photo opps in the sunset, and hanging on for dear life in between. People have been riding the dunes for decades. Apparently when our driver started in 1998, only about 150-200 cars ventured through each night. Now? Around 2,000 per night.

Cars cooling down the engines 

We reached the company campsite where at least a dozen other cars gathered with us to have the cultural dinner part of the evening. Appetizers of falafel and shawarma and freshly made bread awaited while we had time to explore the camp: camel rides, sand boarding, hookah, henna, and a bar. You could also purchase sand art or dress up in local garb and take fun photos. Low tables with floor pillows  surround a concrete stage draped with oriental rugs. A traditional male dancer performed before dinner. He spun around and around for 7 minutes straight: hard to describe but it was mesmerizing. The buffet opened - males instructed to go to one side and females to the other - always separated in such ways here. Finally, a belly dancer preformed before the evening's end.

I would highly recommend this company and this tour for anyone - worth every minute and every penny.