With a happy heart I return home to Seattle. I didn't clinch the title as Jauntaroo's "Chief World Explorer", but I would bargain I gained just as much as if I had. My journey to the top 5 candidates of this worldwide search opened my mind to possibilities that I once only dreamed about...which I now see as realities that are within reach. There's so much to say about this whirlwind experience, but for now please enjoy the "article" about Abu Dhabi which I wrote after our 2nd day...
Beep, beep, beep, beep…click...ksssschhhhhhh. I felt like I was standing in a scene from The
Italian Job as I watched the sales person in the perfumery at Emirates
Palace crack open the large vault, exposing exquisite bottles of perfume draped
in gold casings. He extracted the
bottles and removed the glass stoppers so I could smell the indulgent
essences. I was floored when he quizzed
me on the price of one bottle of perfume – a shocking 500,000 UAE dirham or
approximately 60,000 USD! I could
understand the lofty price after he tipped the bottle upside down and a shower
of tiny sparkling diamonds trickled down like a snow globe. This was just the tip of the “opulence
iceberg” in Abu Dhabi, a spectacular city mixing modern luxury with ancient
cultural traditions.
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| The Emirates Palace Hotel |
The lavish hospitality in Abu Dhabi has far exceeded my
expectations. Beyond the spectacular
food, first-class amenities, and gold encrusted ceilings lies the true spirit
of this city…its people. Every person
whose path I have crossed has been genuinely warm, welcoming and hospitable. It’s hard not to fall in love with a city
where people are eager to show you their culture and make you feel like a part
of their world.
Our first adventure into the hearts of the Emirati people
was a trip to the Falcon Hospital. As we
walked into the facility there were 3 domineering, fabulous looking creatures
perched on their owners’ arms, waiting to be admitted. And when I say admitted…I truly mean
admitted. This facility is a
veterinarian’s dream – outfitted with every possible amenity to make sure that
these fabulous birds of prey are healthy, beautiful, and well maintained. The hospital had an ICU, surgery room, a
malting cage, a stock of feathers for feather transplants, and the equivalent
to a falcon nail salon – complete with special lotion and laughing gas. Errrr…perhaps there isn’t normally laughing
gas in a nail salon.
It’s no surprise that falcons are treated with such great
care; they are the pet of choice in Abu Dhabi and there are over 33,000 domesticated
falcons in the United Arab Emirates. I
was intrigued by the falcons, to which I had admittedly never given much
thought. Once I had a falcon resting on
my own hand, I was captivated by its brilliance and I instantly understood why
Emiratis are fascinated with these grand creatures.
Outside the “Palace walls”, so to speak, awaited the Arabian
Desert with rolling hills of the finest sand and activities like dune bashing
that had me on the edge of my seat. We
hopped in a 4WD SUV and were egging on our driver as he took us on the ride of
a lifetime - up to the peaks of dunes and then slip-sliding down the other side
as we narrowly escaped a few barrel rolls that had my heart racing and my
throat sore from screaming.
As the perfect contrast to the wild desert drive, we were
dropped off at the peaceful Arabian Nights Village where even Bedouin tents
have been outfitted to exude luxury. The
red carpeted walls and softly lit lanterns were so inviting I was ready to
crash but the belly dancers and buffet dinner beckoned. Since when have I been
known to pass up a buffet?
Abu Dhabi has been an adventure beyond my wildest dreams and
my only wish was that I had more time to explore this city decked out in
superlatives – the fastest roller coaster, the largest carpet (with 2 billion
knots), the first gold ATM, and the list goes on. But to me, Abu Dhabi will always be the most wonderful,
most unexpected journey.
