For the longest time I thought both Dubai and Abu Dhabi were cities in the UAE, not the individual Emirates they actually are.
Visiting only Dubai wasn't enough so off I went to Abu Dhabi as well.
There I visited Masdar City, a fairly new, planned city meant to be entirely green and clean. I didn't get the opportunity to ride in one of their driverless cars because my own car complete with driver was on a tight schedule but I did walk around and take a look at the buildings and cooling tower in its courtyard.
In spite of being in the middle of the desert, thanks to this wind tower, the courtyard and surrounding streets are kept some 15-20 °C cooler. Neat!
I only popped in to the mall in Yas Island for a bit as I'd had enough of shopping malls and only wanted a bite to eat.
The Emirates Palace is a grand place worth a visit. I enjoyed wandering around there. I was labouring under the misconception that it was once a palace but has in fact always been a luxury hotel.
It's a rather odd setup because there are tourists wandering around as well as guests. I'm not sure I'd like to stay at a hotel with people floating around the whole time but I figure they don't always allow visitors because my guide said we'd have to try our luck and only after I'd been subjected to a long hard look were we allowed inside.
The jewel in Abu Dhabi's crown is the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. It's beautiful by both day and night.
Though I'd worn a long-sleeved top and full length trousers, because my wrists and ankles were still visible I had to don an abaya to enter the mosque. For the uninitiated, this is very warm attire. But the interior of the mosque is very pretty and beautifully decorated and for the opportunity to see its beauty, I didn't mind steaming gently.
Visiting only Dubai wasn't enough so off I went to Abu Dhabi as well.
There I visited Masdar City, a fairly new, planned city meant to be entirely green and clean. I didn't get the opportunity to ride in one of their driverless cars because my own car complete with driver was on a tight schedule but I did walk around and take a look at the buildings and cooling tower in its courtyard.
In spite of being in the middle of the desert, thanks to this wind tower, the courtyard and surrounding streets are kept some 15-20 °C cooler. Neat!
I only popped in to the mall in Yas Island for a bit as I'd had enough of shopping malls and only wanted a bite to eat.
The Emirates Palace is a grand place worth a visit. I enjoyed wandering around there. I was labouring under the misconception that it was once a palace but has in fact always been a luxury hotel.
It's a rather odd setup because there are tourists wandering around as well as guests. I'm not sure I'd like to stay at a hotel with people floating around the whole time but I figure they don't always allow visitors because my guide said we'd have to try our luck and only after I'd been subjected to a long hard look were we allowed inside.
The jewel in Abu Dhabi's crown is the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. It's beautiful by both day and night.
Though I'd worn a long-sleeved top and full length trousers, because my wrists and ankles were still visible I had to don an abaya to enter the mosque. For the uninitiated, this is very warm attire. But the interior of the mosque is very pretty and beautifully decorated and for the opportunity to see its beauty, I didn't mind steaming gently.
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