My second day in Abu Dhabi was a bit tougher for me because of a serious case of jet lag. It is 8 hours ahead here, and I was texting with some friends while I was trying to fall asleep and THEY were going to bed back home while I was still awake here. When Ray came in his room to get ready for school at 7:15am I was up to greet him good morning. I eventually fell asleep and woke up at 2:45pm, feeling bad that I had wasted the better part of the day. Ray and I went to lunch (having to call first to make sure they were open because of Ramadan hours) at a place called Cafe Arabia, where I had an amazing dish called foul medames (fava beans, chickpeas, tomatoes, onion, parsley) and a grilled halloumi panini (halloumi is a type of cheese).
After our lunch we walked to Mushrif Central Park. The park was pretty empty (again, because of Ramadan) so we had the place to ourselves, and it was very beautiful. The grass, trees, fountains and flowers made you forget that you’re in the middle of a desert.
And though the park was empty, that didn’t stop Ray and I for getting scolding for swinging (and yes, just normal happy swinging, nothing crazy like doing twists or jumps) on the playground because they are for kids only. So, note to everyone who is traveling to Abu Dhabi- no swings!
After the park we headed back to Ray’s apartment where we later in the evening met up with some of Ray’s friends to go to Yas Viceroy. This is a luxury hotel, that is very uniquely shaped, which is a very common thing here in Abu Dhabi, every building looks nothing like the building next to it, which actually really works.
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| Yas Viceroy Hotel |
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| the lobby of the Yas Viceroy |
The hotel is in an area called Yas Island, which is where there is a big F1 race every year. We came to the Yas Viceroy because Ray had a groupon (and if you are traveling- there are loads of great groupon deals all the time apparently) for appetizers, Ramadan drinks (non alcoholic juices) and shisha at the rooftop bar. Shisha is called hookah back in the US, and I’d never done it before, but it’s basically tobacco with molasses and favors (I had mint apple and the friends had strawberry, grape and watermelon), smoked in a water pipe. And though the shisha pipe was huge and lasted all night, it was nothing like smoking a cigarette. I wouldn’t do it all the time, but I enjoyed the authentic cultural experience while I was in Abu Dhabi.
Day three in Abu Dhabi Ray had booked us an afternoon tea (through Groupon) at Etihad towers. There are actually 5 towers that make up the complex, 3 being residential. There is a fun scene in the movie Furious 7 in which they drive through the buildings that Ray showed me and was pretty interesting to see because I was in those buildings.
We were at the top of one of the towers and had amazing views of all over the city. (There were people up there not having tea and just taking pictures as well). Also, the tea service was so tasty, way more food that either of us needed, but it was lovely, relaxing and a great time.
Since we were already parked in a garage we decided to take a walk to the Corniche, which is the word for beach in Abu Dhabi. Again, because of Ramadan, there wasn’t anyone on the beach. It’s summer right now, so it has been very hot, probably around 110 degrees every day, but the day before when we went to the park Ray and I had commented that it felt actually pretty cool considering, not the 97 degrees it said it was. So, we felt pretty confident that a walk down the street to the corniche wouldn’t be bad, but we were so wrong! I was in a skirt and short sleeved shirt, and I usually am not too much of a sweater, but I don’t think I’ve ever felt so hot in my whole life, including during my time in Africa. And because it’s Ramadan, it’s illegal to drink anything outside. We walked to the beach and put our feet in the water (which wasn’t cool or refreshing, but fun to do!) but we were so gross and sweaty, my hair and clothes were sticking to my body.
Our plans were to go to another site after our walk but we felt so disgusting and so thirsty that Ray took us on a detour, an underground walkway that led into a mall, and it was such great relief! The air conditioning that hit us the moment we walked into the door was the greatest feeling I’ve ever felt in my life. We ended up spending time in a mall before heading to a bar in a hotel just to cool off and have a drink. After several hours there we headed to the Emirates Palace, a beautiful hotel, just to be turned away because Ray was wearing shorts, which is not allowed there.
It was a wonderful day, and despite the heat it was so nice to spend time with my friend, and I met more of Ray’s friends that evening. It’s been a relaxing trip so far with us moving at our own pace, very different from the pace that Ray and I are used to when we are traveling with kids. So this is what traveling as an independent adult feels like! More to come…
