Back in the UAE - and checking out Abu Dhabi

The flight from Muscat to Dubai is only about 45 minutes.  And unbelievably, Emirates Airlines actually tries to give you a big snack/small meal during that time period!  So the flight attendant asked the gentleman sitting next to me if he would like some tea or coffee?  His response was "I'll have some tea later" to which the flight attendant replied: "there is no 'later' on this flight.  If you want tea you'll have to have to now."  Brilliant response.

So I was back in Dubai and checked into my hotel (not the same one I was at the last time I was here) by early afternoon so I decided to go for a walk.  It's kind of lovely what you can find when you're just exploring the streets, without any real destination in mind.

One thing I did know about this hotel though was that it is very near the Textile Souq and the Dubai Creek so you can guess what another destination of mine was during my afternoon walk.  

That night I again went on a city tour of Dubai - but this time it gave me a chance to see the city all lit up. 
Now I've already said that photos out of a moving vehicle aren't really a forte of mine, and night photos (when you have to leave the shutter open for longer without moving) out of a moving vehicle were nearly impossible.  But I took as much advantage of red lights that I could... and hopefully these few photos will give you an indication of Dubai at night.
And one had to think they lit of the Burj Al Arab specifically for me at one point...

Today I decided that I really couldn't come to the UAE and not see the capital city - Abu Dhabi - so off I headed down the coast to another emirate.  A quick geography lesson for those who don't know, or who are interested - the UAE is made up of seven emirates (kind of like our provinces), and Abu Dhabi and Dubai are both emirates.  The ruler, or sheikh, of Abu Dhabi is also the president for all the UAE, and then each of the other six emirates also has its own ruler
Abu Dhabi and Dubai are two totally different cities!  Whereas Dubai is all about being flashy, having the world's biggest whatever it is, and attracting tourists, Abu Dhabi is just starting to develop.  It's got a much more laid-back feel to it, and it seemed to have more noticeable green space than what I've seen in Dubai (not that green space here in the desert is at all easy!).  That being said, it does have a lovely looking skyline even now, and some very interesting looking buildings.  I don't think it wants to be another Dubai (or I kind of hope not anyway) but it is going to make sure it has its own place in the UAE.

(In the background behind the bridge is one of Abu Dhabi's petroleum plants.)

Abu Dhabi doesn't have nearly the number of tourist attractions that Dubai does, but it does have two that are absolutely awesome - one is the Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan al-Nayhan Mosque (also known as the Grand Mosque) and the Emirates Palace.

The Grand Mosque was conceived by the late Sheikh Zayed (the 'father' of the UAE, which remember only became the UAE in 1971).  There are more than 80 marble domes on its roofline, and the roof is held up by over 1000 pillars.  It truly is a remarkable structure, both inside and out!

I figured I'd better include at least one photo of myself just so that you know I am actually here --- so yes that is me underneath the abbeya and shayla that I needed to wear in order to enter the mosque.

The Emirates Palace is now a hotel but it was the former residence of the former Sheikh - the current Sheikh lives in a new palace not far away that you're not allowed to visit or take photos of.  

Back to Dubai in time for dinner and my treat to myself tonight (just in case this whole trip isn't) ... a massage tonight.

I'm going to be doing another desert safari tomorrow night and depending on how late we are getting back and how tired I am, I may or may not have time to post again tomorrow night, which means I could be accessing the blog next from Hong Kong.
I'm here in Dubai all day tomorrow (and tomorrow night) and then my flight to Hong Kong is early the next morning. 

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time here in the Gulf - I hope the blog has helped to show that.