Day 5..preparing to go to Abu Dhabi

In preparation for leaving Dubai to go to Abu Dhabi…..I talked with the Marriott manager and left a suitcase in storage as I would be coming back on Saturday….so took the hotel shuttle to the Mall of the Emirates….then got to the Metro to get to the station that was nearest to the Bus Station….so as to catch the bus to Abu Dhabi. The correct station was one of the stations that I had not been in previously, and it apparently was the showplace station…for it was much larger than the others and the interior much more upscale looking. I inquired around and found that the bus stop from the Metro to the Bus Station was nearby….so off I went. Problem: to get to the actual location, you had to cross a 6 lane and the signal to do this was about a long block away. The actual bus stop was in a construction area….so as I approched the bus stop I saw the bus coming….and started out towards the street, only to have someone say to me…the stop is moved down a block. So, off I went at a slow, as opposed to a sprint, run…with my back pack on my back and my black carry case on my shoulder…..and the bus was moving faster than I was…so I ran faster. I finally got to the stop just as the bus doors were closing but folks yelled at him to open the doors and he did….and I got on breathing hard and sweating even harder.  A young man saw the ol’ man breathing hard so gave me his seat….and I sat and sweat and watched for the Bus Stop…which came up in about 10 minutes. So, got off the bus and started looking for the location to buy a ticket….lots of people, lots of little shops, but no place that said “tickets”. Now, please picture this….I get off the bus; it is very hot and I am still sweating; very bright outside the bus for it seems as if as the afternoon draws on the humidity increases and the moisture and dust and sand in the air gets thicker; and I am looking for my notes where I had the scheduled time; so I am kind of walking “blind”, if you will….and bang, I trip on a raised step and down I go flat on tum-tum. One thing that good ol’ OSHA has done in the states is to require that steps be marked…which is not the case here, and I proved that they should be….for the little 3 inch step was virtually impossible to see, even if you were in a normal situation and condition….let alone the way I was at that moment. Well, picked myself up, and a couple offered to help…but no damage done, so dusted my self off and started all over again (I think that is a song, Steve and Nancey Fischer).  Then asked one of the nearby “gawkers”, as this was probably the best act they had seen all afternoon….”where do I buy a ticket to Abu Dhabi?”…..and they pointed to a small office with 1 window and sure enough in letters about  2 inches high said “tickets”. I stood in line in the sun for a few moments and got the ticket and he said “hurry, the bus is leaving”, and pointed about a half block down the road….so off I went running to catch the bus. This is getting to sound ridiculous but is exactly what happened, and I am so blessed to have a sense of humor…as it came into play at this moment. As the bus is pulling away, again someone saw this guy running and got the drivers attention and he stopped and opened the door, and I literally “plopped down” in the first seat I saw….and of course, the driver looked around to say “women only in those seats”. I don’t think I have mentioned this previously, but on all public transport there is an area for women….and even on the Metro on one trip I sat down only to be told by another passenger, a woman, that this was the womens area. I do have this on video on the Metro….and here it was again on the bus. So, I got up and headed back the aisle and 1 seat was left….which explained why he was leaving slightly ahead of schedule….and I took it. I felt for the poor Indian sitting next to me, for again, I was breathing hard and sweating profusely…and for some reason that happened for the first time, the AC in the bus was barely working. All were fanning themselves….but off we went. Well, 2 hours later we made it to Abu Dhabi….I did doze a bit on the bus…and I did dry out….and got to the main bus terminal in Abu Dhabi…got a taxi to the Crowne Plaza….and then my afternoon in Abu Dhabi began with more stupidity on my part.
Well, quite a day…but all in the mix….and yes, must have been pretty funny to look at…but I don’t think anyone got my day on YouTube.
Today I got up early and decided to go for a morning walk, and quite frankly, the temperture was very pleasant with a very nice breeze. Probably 90 degrees but beautiful out early and I got some great photos of the many buildings and the Corniche along the Persian Gulf.  And, today has been one of those “overwhelming days” so far, and I still have the evening.
Started off with the walk which lasted about 90 minutes then came back and got ready for breakfast, which is included in my deal. There was an ad in the elevator that said “sumptious breakfast buffet”, and at the time I wondered about “sumptious” for breakfast….but 30 minutes later, I knew what they meant. For $30….it is one of those “all you can eat anything you ever wanted to eat and drink and have as much as you want of it all” type buffet’s. Now, this is not Hometown Buffet….but is Abu Dhabi style gourmet buffet, and from the 8 different cheeses to the 4 different egg styles to the 12 different pastries….this was probably worth $30 if you were a big eater. But, I made the most of it….and had a little bit of most of what was offered, including some camel milk (and it tasted good). Chicken bacon, beef bacon, 3 kinds of hashed potatoes, 8 juices, 12 different fruits, 5 yogurts…and on and on and I made a note of it….for I have never been at a buffet, including those in Beijing, where so much was offered, and it was delicious, and I stuffed myself.
I had timed my morning to leave for the church at 9:45 AM for their 10:15 AM service so off I went. The Evangelical Community Church of Abu Dhabi, and it is on the web….has it’s own building in a great location near the Korean Embassy about 10 minutes from downtown. Very traditional church service….no different than home with a good message…good singing with a typical worship band…and good preaching. The church was packed with probably about a thousand….and the service lasted about 90 minutes total. A great time for me, and really illustrated what I have been picking up each day…this is a very tolerant Muslim country…..and is staying true to the real founding principles of  Islam…..the opposite of what these terrorists are all about.  A great service for all.
I came back to the hotel and then prepared to go on the Big Bus Tour…a 2-hour bus trip around Abu Dhabi with translation over a headset ear piece that we were given in a little sealed plastic bad when we boarded. Very well done…recommended to all that visit Abu Dhabi.
Well, it is hard to summarize what I have seen and heard today so far, for I returned from the bus tour “overwhelmed” with the grandeur and extent of what can happen when money is not a factor. I have never seen anything like this….and the closest thing is in both Shanghai and Hong Kong, and maybe Beijing…but none of that matches Abu Dhabi. And, Abu Dhabi is significantly different from Dubai. For one to visit Dubai and think that that is the UAE is a mistake. Abu Dhabi is considerably different. First, it is very much more of a traditional city, in that almost all of the development is done in an area that has water as a boundary and part of Abu Dhabi is an island connected by bridges. Secondly, the whole feeling here is that there are more people than space for them….and that every person has a car, and no place to park. On street after street, cars parked in every possible location, and more expensive cars on these streets than I have ever seen. There are more Mercedes and BMW’s than Fords, Chevy’s, and VW’s…and Toyota’s and Lexus’s outnumber all of the others put together. On 1 block during my walk I counted 18 Mercedes, 16 BMW’s, and 14 Lexus…all in 1 block, and this goes on and on. The reputation of the city is that it is the wealthiest population of any city in the world, and if you look at their cars, and the cost of living in general…this is probably true. The oil money flows here in buckets….and the big difference between here and Saudi Arabia is that the leaders have taken the western capitalistic approach and built buildings, and schools, and hospitals….and on and on. Speaking of leaders, and this was pointed out on the Bus…most of the ruling family members have been educated in England or in the States….and the leadership is young, even though the Monarchy is old as are the family traditions.
Well, my photos will tell the story….but what I saw today overshadowed anything  I have ever seen in terms of buildings, in terms of architectural creativity, and in terms of building a city that has its people foremost in the minds of the leaders…whether it is a Mosque on almost every corner or a park area that runs for miles along the ocean, called the Corniche…or building one of the most exquisite hotels in the world, which I will go in when I come back Monday, or the most modern Mall….all built without thinking about where the money is coming from…just doing it with abandon. Nothing like it….is my summary.
Speaking of Malls…I am going to dinner at the Marina Mall…the biggest one in Abu Dhabi….so stay tuned.