Travel
ari and Other
in Abu Dhabi
A
cres of rolling sand
dunes stretched before
me, as if to infinity and
beyond. There’s a beauty
in nothingness, just
endless repetitive waves of
windswept earth.
Buckled into the front passenger
seat of a four-by-four vehicle, my
driver followed a string of others,
zig-zagging across the desert. At
times, everyone in the auto would
fly a few inches out of their seats,
causing stomachs to flip. Whoa; the
ride felt like a roller coaster gone
wild as the driver floored the gas
pedal to scramble up and over
mounds, turned rapidly and kicked
up sand, then descended with a roar.
We had no way of anticipating what
direction we would go next.
Abu Dhabi sounds like a fictional
place, but on a recent day, I found
myself in that city; the capital of
United Arab Emirates in the Middle
East. Seven emirates or states make
up the country governed by Sheik
Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Like
nearby Dubai, immense wealth came
when massive oil deposits were
discovered in the 1960s and the
two cities grew almost overnight.
I’d arrived in Abu Dhabi’s Jumeriah
Ethiad Towers the night before,
sticking out like a daisy in a bouquet
of roses. Single, blonde, Caucasian
women don’t usually check in at this
five star luxury business hotel. But
I’d entered the lobby lugging a
heavy backpack, a camera slung
around my neck and juggling a
tripod. I certainly didn’t look like
any of the local women dressed in
black abayas, but at least I looked
like I had work.
array of switches seemed like
something that should manage
the entire hotel.
The swanky, elegant hotel lobby
featured a wall of windows
overlooking a shimmering body of
water and huge circular chandeliers
that hung from a vaulted ceiling.
Hostesses wearing floor length
gowns, somewhat similar to
kimonos, were lined up, waiting
to escort guests to their rooms.
Mine was named Ming and when
we entered the suite, she showed
me how to work the control panel.
“Press this button to close the
draperies, push here to operate
bedside lighting, floor lighting, or
hallway lighting. If you wish to turn
on music or the television use these
knobs,” she said. Goodness, the
My 27th floor suite was overly
spacious, with floor-to-ceiling glass
windows overlooking islands that
dotted the Gulf. My king size bed
took up about a quarter of the floor
space. A three-partitioned
bathroom (separate toilet, shower
and tub areas) gleamed from
granite, creamy marble and gold
accents and included a classy touch
- a single fresh rose in a vase.
25
My luggage had been x-rayed before
it was brought to my room. Security
is high in Abu Dhabi, but always
discreet. I didn’t see the scanning
machines; nor could I pick out any
plain clothes guards. However, I