Making Waves: Abu Dhabi

An old UCT friend of mine was down to visit his mother in Abu Dhabi, and I thought it would be a perfect opportunity to go and meet up. They were sweet enough to allow me to stay with them, so I could go and check out the city and have free accommodation. SCORE!

I really wanted to go and see Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, (yes the same mosque Rihanna posed in front of that subsequently got her kicked out of the country), so I made Tariq take me there, and I was even lucky enough to perform salaah in the main room. Normally they don't allow women to pray that side, but the Moroccan security guard couldn't get over the fact that I WASN'T from Paris, so he allowed me to go through. Ha!

Because I was still in training, I could only manage to get away for the weekend, which in the UAE is a Friday and Saturday.

On Fridays the trains and buses only start running after 1pm, to accommodate for Jumuah, so I left fairly late in the day, arriving at the Dubai bus station just before Maghrib.

An hour long train trip on the metro to get to the correct stop that would lead me to the bus station to go to Abu Dhabi.

And then nearly 2 hours later, and I'd finally reached my destination.

Such a gentleman giving up his bed for me! :)

Shukran Mr security guard!

"Omg, Tariq, just STAND there for a sec".

Then we went to check out Emperor's Palace, the second most expensive hotel ever built (about R63 billion to build it). It's also the house of the former UAE president.

Totes made him my bag boy for the day.

Only in the UAE will you see a gold-dispensing ATM machine.

Had the opportunity to try Olive Garden for the first time.

At only R140 for a meal of toasted chicken sandwiches, 2 drinks, refillable soup, refillable salad, and amazing breadsticks, one could very easily get fat lunching there.