I had an opportunity to visit UAE as I was invited to attend a conference in Abu Dhabi last week. Well, U.A.E is not in my wish list. But since I needed to utilize the conference budget, so I just took up the opportunity. Additionally I could also meet my ex-housemate. I planned for a 5-day stay in this country. 2.5 days in Abu Dhabi and the remaining days in Dubai. I had only one expectation for this country - skyscrapers and odd building designs. True enough, that's what they have. Besides, plenty of malls (especially in Dubai) and theme parks. After this trip, I found that this place is not my type. I was looking for some local cultural and historical influenced places; there weren't plenty. I skipped the desert; keep it for future trip to Jordan. The only cultural influence is the influx of expatriates (Filipinos, Bangladeshis, Indians, Pakistanis). You will see these people a lot more than the locals. By statistic, expatriates consist of 80% of the country population. The local people (the so called Bumiputra) hold the important work titles. Sounds like Malaysia?
I flew with Qatar Airways. It was a pleasant journey. I first reached Abu Dhabi International Airport. As I always prefer metro and bus to get to the city, I found that the airport lacked of signage and information on the bus services. Anyway, the airport staff were very helpful to point out the direction of the bus stop, which is just outside of the arrival gate, on the left side. Getting to the city center by bus just cost AED 4. That's considered cheap. The bus stopped at the city air terminal, which is a stone's throw away from the Abu Dhabi Mall. It's also near to where I stayed - Strand Hotel. As the first two days I was attending the conference, so there wasn't much time to explore the city, other than the nearby Abu Dhabi Mall. On the third day, I took time to explore the must-see venue in Abu Dhabi - Sheikh Zayed grand mosque. This is not an old mosque. So the design is quite contemporary. I would say this was the highlight of my visit in UAE. Of course one can choose to go to Yas Marina for the Ferrari theme park and F1 circuit. Later in the afternoon, I took a bus ride to Dubai. That was about an hour and half journey. Getting there was easy. Later that evening, I met my ex-housemate Mr Wong and his wife, whom is also my friend during the student ministry period, for a dinner.
I actually didn't have any specific itinerary in Dubai. So I just targeted the major attractions - Burj Al-Arab, Burj Khalifa and the old school building in the old quarter. Because there was so much time for me there, I even went to IKEA Dubai, and dropped by the Hard Rock shop for some t-shirts. Too much window shopping will bore me. Luckily there's a Kinokuniya bookstore in Dubai Mall for me to kill time.
Finally, I left the country on last Friday, with a bit of disappointment. I reckon that Dubai is a place for splurge. Probably it's good to come back again next time to see what new things they have added. Or perhaps a layover to meet friends, if they are still working in UAE.
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| The twin towers that I passed by as I commuted to Al-Bustan area. |
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| The entrance to the Sheikh Zayed grand mosque. |
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| The front facade of the mosque. |
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| The pillars that seemed endless. |
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| Inside the grand compound. |
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| The floor tiles that form a unique floral pattern. |
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| The decoration on the ceiling was gorgeous. |
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| One of the chandeliers inside the mosque. |
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| Another great chandelier. The hall is covered with fine carpet too. |
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| Passing by Aldar HQ circular building, on the way to Dubai. |
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| Skyscrapers in Dubai, as viewed from the metro. |
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| There's a ski facility inside the mall! |
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| Burj Al-Arab as seen from Souq Madinat. |
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| Burj Al-Arab - some people said it's a 7-star hotel. |
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| Al-Ahmadiya school - the oldest school in the country. Unfortunately, it was closed for maintenance. |
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| Outside the school compound. |
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| Solace in Kinokunuya bookstore. It's huge and comfortable. |
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| Burj Khalifa |
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| The newly built Dubai Opera. Unfortunately, I couldn't find the way in. |
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| Burj Khalifa |
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| Neon lights on Burj Khalifa. |
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| It's time to go back. Terminal 1 was rather quiet. |
All photos were taken with iPhone 5s
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