Return to Abu Dhabi

Wednesday we returned to Abu Dhabi for the first of our last 2 days on the ship.  We took the ship's shuttle bus to the Marina Mall, not to go to the mall but as a starting point for our day in the city.  

From the mall we walked along the waterfront, across a bridge, passing monuments to pearling and, of course, the Sheikh.

Further on, we passed the Sheikh Zayed Memorial complete with an interesting piece of art depicting his likeness with geometric shapes. Hopefully, you can see it.

We continued on to our ultimate destination, the Emirates Palace Hotel which is a Mandarin Oriental.

We climbed the stairs to enjoy the views and enter the hotel.

Needless to say, the interior of the hotel was magnificent.

After a bit of walking around and gawking, we splurged for lunch by sharing a $33 sandwich.  However, they recognized our elite status (as established by our dear friend Marlenia - get well soon!) and comped us ice cream for dessert!

After our visit to the hotel, we walked back to the mall to catch the shuttle back to the ship.

By the port, there is an area of food trucks and in the evening, after dinner, we walked around there.

And now we're down to one day left.  Stay tuned for the wrap up.

Peace and blessings,

Linda and Larry

Belated Merry Xmas Post

Christmas Day was the first of our 2 fun days at sea before we arrived back in Abu Dhabi.  Thankfully, Santa and Mrs. Santa visited the ship on their way around the world.

The day also included yet another $200+ bingo win and a fantastic cognac tasting.  The tasting included 3 Remy Martin cognacs that culminated with a tasting of their Louis XIII.  The bottle that the Louis XIII comes in is Baccarat crystal and an empty bottle alone sells for $500.  The full bottle sells for about $5000!  So it was really special to taste even if it was just a 1/4 ounce. Quite an experience.

Our fun days at sea have been an exercise in killing time as continually zigzagging across the Persian Gulf.  

Happy holidays to all.  May the new year bring us all peace and blessings.

Linda and Larry

Sir Bani Yas - What?

Saturday we visited the island of Sir Bani Yas, which is part of the Abu Dhabi Emirate.  The island has an interesting history.  It was essentially a barren desert until the 1970's when Sheikh Zayed chose it as a retreat.  He then imported flora and fauna and created a nature reserve.  Currently there are 10,000 animals and 4,000,000 trees and plants relocated there.  Sailing in as the sun rose, it looked like a typical cruise company private beach island.

In the morning, we took a nature walk excursion.  Walking through the preserve we saw giraffes, barbary sheep, deer, oryx, and birds.

            

                                                                    

An interesting aspect is the method of obtaining water for the animals.  They use hydropanels which use sunlight to extract water from the air.

The sheikh has a palace in the center of the island, but has apparently decided that he also wanted one closer to the sea, so another palace is being constructed.

 In the afternoon, we hit the beach.  Now I can say that I have swam in the Persian Gulf.

If, Dear Reader, you'll allow me to philosophize a bit, Sir Bani Yas represents yet another conundrum for the area that we have been visiting.  There they have built something from nothing that is quite impressive, but for the benefit of whom?  For the sheikh to have a getaway to visit?  For the wealthy to play?  For the few who are lucky enough to be employed there?  Something to think about as we get ready for our final two days in Abu Dhabi.

Peace and blessings,

Linda and Larry