Abu Dhabi (UAE)

We toured 6 of the 7 Emirates but I'll highlight Abu Dhabi, the capital. The largest Emirate, it comprises 87% of the UAE. Oil, discovered in the early 1960s in the "empty quarter," transformed Abu Dhabi into an economic giant. We hired a private guide and headed south for 90 minutes. Along the way we passed a future Bollywood picture studio and theme park. One of my biggest surprises is the extent the country is populated by Indians and Pakistanis, who form a majority. Our guide gave us a little flavor of life here for many. They are on two year work visas, renewable on good behavior. He said citizenship for South Asians is out of the question, even if born here. The majority of laborers are men who leave wives and children behind to live communally and send money home. During summer months tourist traffic dries up in 120F heat so they go home to see their families. On a cultural note, he said we don't see beggars because it's not only illegal, but within minutes of begging the police will pick them up and put them on the first plane out "with or without a passport." But I digress.

The moment we crossed the road into Abu Dhabi the highway changed. On both sides were miles of many varieties of green trees. It was a striking contrast. Our first stop was the parking lot of the Sheikh Zayed Mosque. We met with our Jordan driver's son there. Terry invited our Jordan driver to tell his wife we'd deliver goodies from her. There is nothing as universal as a care package. Anyway, the late Sheikh, ruler of Abu Dhabi, conceived and financed the mosque. A Muslim who helps build a mosque receives special dispensation, kind of like brownie points, for paradise. Construction was completed in 2007 and the Sheikh, who died in 2004, is buried on the grounds. It is the eighth largest mosque in the world, over 40,000 worshippers can pray simultaneously, and the word "spectacular" does not begin to describe it. The floors were priceless, the jewel-encrusted chandeliers enormous, the hand woven carpets like nothing imaginable, even the walls were amazing. Terry fit right in because, as is required, she was covered head-to-toe in a black abaya (yes, I have pictures). We then spent many hours touring, everything from the wharf to the fruit markets to a Heritage Village with craftsmen demonstrations and ancient homes. In the city itself, like the rest of UAE, architecture was modern, sleek, innovative. A building in the shape of a cobra, another built like an enormous coin, a mall designed like a huge Bedouin tent, too many unique designs to capture in words or photos. The "normal" suburbs, restricted to Emiratis, were streets lined with enormous mansions the size of a city block. Another cultural note is that in the Emirates Palace Hotel (across a lagoon from the Royal Palace) has a lobby, separated from the cavernous main lobby, empty because it is for the sole use of royalty - no proletarian rear ends parked in those chairs. We saw the royal yacht and, from afar, palace entrances. On the city skyline we saw three towers, all the same height, but designed to be an optical illusion. When we were in one neighborhood, the first building looked the tallest, in another neighborhood the second looked the tallest, and so on. We saw where horses race, camels race, cricket is played, polo is played. We passed an impromptu car show on the side of the road and I took pictures of a Lamborghini, a Delorean, a Ferrari, and cars I didn't recognize. Our impression of Abu Dhabi was favorable; how could it not be? It was spotlessly clean, no garbage anywhere, surprisingly green, with pristine beaches where water was so clear it was like glass. I entered tourist attraction after tourist attraction but paid nothing because the government pays all entry fees - for everyone. The crime rate is LESS than one percent, largely because there is no tolerance for it. The oil money opulence, as I wrote, is hard to describe. You need to see it, to experience it, to understand what it means. I am now recuperating from a medical condition my wife calls "acute jaw drop."