UAE Abu Dhabi and Dubai: December 2015

Monday, December 28, 2015

UAE Abu Dhabi and Dubai: Liwa and the Empty Quarter, Tal Moreeb and the Al ...

UAE Abu Dhabi and Dubai: Liwa and the Empty Quarter, Tal Moreeb and the Al ...: Wednesday, December 22nd, we headed off by car to Liwa and the Empty Quarter. It was a 3 hour journey through the desert (150 km from Abu ...

Liwa and the Empty Quarter, Tal Moreeb and the Al Dhafra Festival

Wednesday, December 22nd, we headed off by car to Liwa and the Empty Quarter. It was a 3 hour journey through the desert (150 km from Abu Dhabi).

Driving through the magnificent sand dunes

During our 3 day stay we visited the highest hill (of sand) in the world (Tal Moreeb) We were also invited to visit a farm while I was taking pictures of camels in the desert.

The first camels we came across in the Liwa desert

The highest sand hill in the world, Tal Moreeb, site of many competitions

We got to hold baby lambs, feel the babies moving inside the pregnant camels, and have tea with the farmers inside their trailer. The oldest was a man from Pakistan who had been here 20 years training racing camels.

Jen sitting against the camel

The nephew of the camel trainer

The camel racing trainer who invited us in for tea

One of the babies

We attended the Al Dhafra Festival which was amazing. We were welcomed by local Emirati guides who proudly shared the highlights of the festival with us.

This was a very proud camel

We were taken to the Camel Beauty Competition (Asayel, the local Emirate camel, and Majahim , the dark camels from Saudi Arabia). Some of these camels are worth a million dollars. The prizes for winning are four wheel drive SUVs, and cash prizes. People from all over Arabia come to compete. The camels are judged by type of camel, (in their categories) for upward straightness of ears, size and sloping angle of nose, size of eyes, height of hump, size of animal, length of neck, legs and feet, coat, etc.

Handcrafted camel jewelry

Here's looking at you kid

This young boy asked me to take his picture while sitting up on the fence of the camel judging

We were taken to the guest stand, offered the ubiquitous coffee and dates, and then into the corrals where the animals were being judged.

The royal treatment in the stands for the camel beauty contest

This man was an entertainer and joked that he would steal Jen away to marry him

A very proud and happy camel man walking back to the camps

We attended the falcon competition. There were 165 falcons sitting on stands in the central tent. They were taken individually to be released for their race which we were able to view from inside the tent and out. Their times and positions were posted and cheers ensued when a falcon beat the others.

The falcons waiting to race

Our attentive guide Ahmed at the festival with one of the falcons ready to compete

We were taken to the race track where we saw young camels being trained to race, some with robot jockeys controlled remotely by their owners, who drive alongside the camels in their SUV's where the owner can encourage them on.

We were invited to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al Nahyan's camp to attend lunch and celebrations in the desert camp.

Inside of the camp tent for the ladies

Ali's turn to have henna

Jens beautiful hands

Last day of school term at the Creative British School, Abu Dhabi and Concert at Emirates Palace

Last evening we attended a Milonga in Abu Dhabi. There were about 11 people there. The group can sometimes be about 20 people. There is a much larger Tango group in Dubai. While we danced, Jen and Sonia went to a hotel to have a champagne celebration for the end of their school term.

This morning we went to visit Jens school, and it was delightful to meet some of her students, fellow teachers and staff, and to see her classroom.

Creative British School Abu Dhabi (800 students)

Some of Jens lovely students

Jen showing us her classroom

This evening we went to the Emirates Palace Auditorium to attend a concert of poetry reading (in Arabic) by Adonis (which is very popular here) and hear music performed by the great oud player Naseer Shamma playing his own musical piece (Hilal-alsaba).

Concert stage

The Emirates Palace illuminated at night

Tree inside the Emirates Palace

Ali and Jen

Tea at the Emirates Palace

Sir Bani Yas Island

Anantarra Island Resort

Rocks Hydrax

After a 3 hour drive through the desert outside of Abu Dhabi, we arrived at the jetty to take us the short 20 minute ride to Sir Bani Yas Island. This was where the late HH Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan chose the island as a retreat and developed it into a wildlife reserve with the animals he was gifted.

The island is also the location of the only pre-islamic Nestorian Christian monastery (650 AD ) to be found in the UAE. and includes remnants of late stone age and early Islamic structures.
We went on a safari where we saw gazelles (2/3 of the worlds horned gazelles live here), cheetahs, Falcons, peacocks, South African flamingoes, Rocks Hyrax related to the elephant and Manatee native to the Middle East and Africa. (looks like our Yellow bellied marmot from a distance). It was a very elegant stay with excellent meals. We went Kayaking the next morning through the mangroves, and swam.

Cheetah

Santas Reindeer?

Horned Gazelles

Along the beach

While there I looked at a book in the library regarding Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan. He was the worlds greatest philanthropist. His foundation aided more than 30 countries with aid, including building universities, hospitals, research including cancer and disease research to the USA, businesses, orphans, relief to war victims with food, aid, shelter, earthquake relief, as well as he was responsible for the dredging of the Suez Canal from 11 meters to 16 meters so providing the world with passage. His son the HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan follows in his fathers ideals.

Beautiful tile on terra cotta pots

The Birthday cake that was in our room when we arrived

Beautiful lights in the Entrance

Dates and coffee everywhere we go to help yourself, and below, our hotel illuminated at night with the moon

Add caption

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

UAE Abu Dhabi and Dubai

Our Emirates Adventure

Peter Miller arrived at our door in Mexico at 3:30 am to so kindly drive us to the airport in Guadalajara. Our route took us to Dallas (where we had an 8 hour layover) and so we took a bus downtown to Grapevine to see the Christmas decorations there. We flew to London leaving an hour and a half late due to a broken air conditioner on the plane. Arriving late with a short layover, it took us forever to get through the heightened security and change terminals. It was on the board that our gate was closing and we ran until we could run no longer. Arriving at the gate we were ushered in by 2 attendants and then had a long way (4 blocks) to run onto the plane. So after hours of travel we arrived with swollen feet to be met by Jennifer. It was so interesting to see all the women in their flowing black robes called abayas and head scarves (sheila) and many wearing burqas (face mask) The men all dressed in their white kandouras and head coverings (ghutra) We arranged for car rental and drove to Jennifers' villa where she lives with 2 other female teachers.

At the break of dawn we heard beautiful voices. ( the call to prayer) It is called 5 times a day from the Mosque.

We were up by noon and after brunch we headed to the mall to pick up our bbq supplies for the Carols in the desert event. It was lots of fun to sing amongst the candles, lights, and fires in the sand dunes. We listened to more carols at home in the living room.

Jennifers' day off we drove to the centre of Abu Dhabi, walked along the corniche, (along the gulf) and visited the Emirates Heritage Village. We sampled Lugemat, dough balls covered in date syrup and some pancakes.

Jen on her way to work

Jen and Roger along the corniche

Skyline

Unique sail of this type seen here

Heritage Village making Lugemat

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

Today we went to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. It is one of the largest and most awe inspiring places of worship in the world. There are 82 domes and 1,096 columns made from marble and encrusted with semi precious stones. It has the worlds largest hand woven carpet (7,119 square meters and took 3 planes to get it to Abu Dhabi) and the largest Swarovski crystal chandelier.
The Mosque is illuminated in blue when the moon is a sliver and in white when the moon is full. There are no images of people or animals permitted. Prayer is called 5 times a day from this Mosque and broadcast to all of the surrounding mosques in each community. Men must attend a Mosque 5 times a day and women are permitted to pray from home if they cannot attend the Mosque.