Day 2 Abu Dhabi continued

I am so frustrated, I must have deleted my second part to describing day 2. Probably because mom and I were so lazy after the Spa. We literally came back to the apartment and slept a good part of the afternoon. I guess the "lavender" aroma therapy helped with Insomnia.

However, before the Spa we walked all around the Abu Dhabi Mall. This is a three story mall. Mom thought it was a really big mall. We saw all the Abaya shops and noted how it was very much like an American mall. All I could think about was what she would think when she saw Marina mall tomorrow.

We basically got dinner ready for Tricia and Sarah, a homemade enchilada dinner including sopapillas. I think it will be Tricia's favorite part of our visit.

Day 2 Abu Dhabi: Pictures of the Spa

Mom and me at the Spa Day! Check out how fancy this is. We had our own room for facials and massages. Look at these fancy duds, the robes were so comfy and the slippers nice.

Day 1 Abu Dhabi - the Corniche

Hello everyone, it is our first full day in Abu Dhabi. Sunday doesn't count because we basically got off the plane and went to bed. :-) What we primarily did today was walk all along the Corniche (the man-made beach). We saw the "public" beach, the "singles" beach, as well as the "Family beach." Basically women are allowed on all the beaches, but only women and families are allowed in the "family beach" area.

(Pictures coming soon, we don't have a cord to mom's camera.)

We walked probably about 4-5 miles as we walked to the Emirates Palace. The grounds are huge and extensive. If we had taken a cab we would have gone in. However, instead we took pictures from outside the walls and walked back to the Prestige Car Building, where my sister's apartment is. (Basically, in Abu Dhabi there are no addresses, you get around by telling the cab drivers the "names" of the building you want to go to.)

(Pictures coming soon, we don't have a cord to mom's camera.)

On our walk back we stopped at a grocery store (Food is very important) called Spinny's. Spinney's is probably one of the larger grocery stores in town and yet it is smaller than most grocery stores back home. What makes Spinney's a big deal is that it has the forbidden pork room. Basically, because this is a Muslim country, pork is kept completely separate from the rest of the store. You have to walk through a door in the back of the store past the sign that says "non-Muslims only" to buy some real bacon. Otherwise you have turkey bacon, veal bacon, or other strange tasting kind of meats.

(Pictures coming soon, we don't have a cord to mom's camera.)

Spinney's is also one of the few places you can buy alcohol. Alcohol is technically illegal here, you must have an alcohol license in order to buy alcohol. To buy alcohol you have to go in a separate unmarked door next to Spinney's and then walk out with a "black bag" carrying your purchases. I didn't buy any alcohol because we don't have licenses but my sister explained this to me.

(Pictures coming soon, we don't have a cord to mom's camera.)

On our way back we also passed a number of Mosques. They are pretty much on every corner/block for Muslims to stop and pray in. Here are just a few. Mom took pictures of the many fountains as well. It is amazing how "green" everything is here and how much water they use.

Finally, we get home just in time for Tricia to get here and then we are off to dinner at one of their favorite expensive restaurants, Oceans.

We leave Saturday morning and get there Sunday night... that is a long flight.

At the beginning of the trip we are anxious and excited, but also a little scared. I am most thankful that the airspace in Europe was opened again, but I am not counting my chickens yet because we have to make it to and out of Frankfurt.

Mom getting ready to leave Phoenix for a 26 hour flight.
Mom's blank passport at the beginning of the trip.
Proof I was there too.

Here is a picture of us in Frankfurt, we only got the chairs...


The flight was really long, but three planes later we finally arrived in Abu Dhabi Airport. We made it. I don't have any pictures because we were so tired I am not sure we remembered to take any. The Abu Dhabi Airport is lovely though, I will take a picture when we leave to go to Barcelona. We each watched at least three to four movies before getting to Abu Dhabi, and even though we left Saturday morning, we got to Tricia apartment about 11pm Sunday night and went straight to bed.