A Tip of the Cap to Sheikh Zayed, founder of Abu Dhabi

Only took two and half months , but I finally visited one of the most important (and touristy) sights in Abu Dhabi - the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, which is in recognition of the UAE's founding father who passed away in 2004 (his grave is on-site, but pictures are strictly prohibited).

See the FULL ALBUM (14 pics) HERE

I've been to a mosque or two previously (i.e. the historic Blue Mosque in Istanbul) and the Grand Mosque here is quite a bit different. Although the Grand Mosque lacks any real historic feeling, it certainly replaces any void with sheer wealth. Think 44 million Svorski crystals used in the 7 chandeliers, which are 9 tons each...think gold plated minarets...think stone and marble sourced from Morrocco, Italy, China, and nine other countries. Moral of the story: a penny was not spared when building the Grand Mosque. Regardless, this is certainly a must-see for any visitor passing through Abu Dhabi - glad I finally did!

36 Hours in Muscat: one of my new favorite places

Long story made short: I joined my pals/co-workers Rob and Ben embarked on a blind, unresearched, and no-expectations 36 hour adventure to Muscat. We showed up at 8:00am on Friday with no hotel and left the following evening with a great experience that included fishing with the locals, hiking in the mountains, bartering in the Muttrah Souk, eating like kings at a ridiculously good little joint, sipping fresh lemon mint on the waterfront...and most importantly, absolutely loving Muscat. A unexpectedly awesome place. Now enjoy the sights:

For the FULL SLIDE SHOW click here:

Muscat: one of my new favorite places in the world - relaxed, seaside town, with hiking, fishing, friendly people, great food...everybody should visit

Historic forts are everywhere


Hanging on the waterfront - did I mention the people were great?

In front of our hotel down on the Muscat waterfront

The waterfront at night

Nighttime

The life: hanging with the guys, sipping coffee and enjoying the Muscat night scene

The head scarves make us honorary Omanis, right?

The three guys are way cooler than the two in the previous pic

Hauling freshly caught fish off the boat

Dangling our feet in the Sea, fishing with the locals, enjoying Muscat -- doesn't get much better than this

Pedddling today's catch

A quiet corner of the Muttrah Souq (bazaar)

Just a trinket or two on sale - not a crowded store at all!

A beautiful waterfront in Muscat

The main mosque on Muscat's Corniche waterfront

Up in the mountains - beautiful

The trailhead - a bit different than the ones in Washington state

Rob and Ben pondering if hiking in Chuck Taylors, jeans and 90 degree heat was a wise choice....we survived

Thanksgiving in the Desert: Photo Flash

I'll follow up shortly with a real post that explains these pics from my Thanksgiving weekend here in Abu Dhabi, which included my first 5K diabetes walk, some boardgames and sheesha, a self-guided walking tour of the real downtown Abu Dhabi, and most importantly...a $10 Pakistani buffet with a midget greeting me at the door:

PHOTOS HERE

A second visit to Dubai: Balancing the new and old

My apologies ya'll - I've been slackin' for sure on my blogging/writing/photo posting responsibilities. Now that I'm back visiting Seattle for a few days, I'm getting a bit more breathing time (literally - the chilly air is nice and refreshing on the lungs!)

If I remember right, the last Evan in AD post was about the adventure to Oman. Since that memorable (for better or worse) trip two weeks ago, I managed to squeeze in another trip up to Dubai. Visit #2 to Dubai was quite in different. In place of the motoracing, indoor ski slopes and world's tallest building (we actually saw the Burj Khalifa again b/c you CAN'T not see it) was a refreshing replacement of some real culture down in the older area of Dubai. We had a chance to explore the souk markets and stroll along the waterfront. Sticking with my theme of pictures being better than (my) words, I'll let the pixelated action take it from here:
A fortress-like structure a block or so from the river. Wish I knew more of the significance/history, but I'm guessing it was important in protecting the waterwater trade routes. I could be way off though...

Me and a couple co-workers strolling through Dubai textile market area. Can you guess which one is me? I'll give you a hint - I didn't wear a skirt that day.

Two of the locals having a Saturday afternoon discussion

An impromtu game of cricket in the alley...moments like these are what make traveling so great.

More wandering through the souks



Daily life on the river through Dubai

My co-workers - a mix of nationalities: India, US and Syria. Getting the opportunity to meet, interact, and learn from so many people of different parts of the world and of different cultures is one my favorite aspects of working/living abroad.

Speaking of new cultures and areas of the world, any chance that I could rock this look back in Seattle? I'm thinking it could work for sure, especially if I tracked down a rainproof one...

Speaking of rain, I'll be living it up back in Seattle for the next few days, so I won't bother ya'll with any posts (I'm loving the fresh air and cool rain so far, but I doubt that'd make for an interesting blog post). So, I'll check ya on the flip side when I'm back in the heat in UAE next week.

Nightmare to 0man / Abu Dhabi Delight

This past weekend was one of lessons learned, unforgettable experiences (for better or worse), and the confirmation that Abu Dhabi still does have some traditional culture left amidst all the glitz, glam and Gucci. The two days were quite opposite - one unexpectedly unpleasant, the other unexpectedly enjoyable.

Friday (our Saturday) was bound to be an adventure - my colleagues and I rented a car and hit the road eastward for oman, the neighboring country known to be progressive and expat-friendly. Our main goal was to it to Sohar, a coastal 0mani town about a four hour drive away, for a day and night of exploration and R&R. Oh, and a few of us needed to renew our "paper" which requires and exit and re-entry.

Long story short: mission #1 (Sohar) was a big fail, but mission #2 was a success. It took about 90 minutes to get to the 0man border...three hours later we hadn't made it more than 10 miles in. Without divulging too many details (I'm a bit paranoid of what govts might be monitoring), we basically paid several ludicrious fees, were told numerous different stories, and were ultimately stopped in every way possible from continuing to Sohar. So, with an eye-opening three hour experience in 0man under our belts, we crossed back over the border and headed home.

The next day was much more pleasant. Determined to find some traditional culture within the modern metropolis of downtown Abu Dhabi, a few of found the Iranian souks down near the Corniche. As you'll see from the pictures below, life in these souks hasn't been affected much by the globalization and rapid development of the rest of the city. Old wooden ships still float in fruits and vegetables, crafts and artwork is displayed market-style on the concrete ground and no high-heels or Lamborghinis were in sight - a great combo and quite refreshing if you ask me...

So have a gander at a few of my favorite images from this past weekend - the good, the bad and the ugly:

Cruising through Al Ain, the border town to 0man - we're certainly not in Abu Dhabi anymore...

While numerous, the mosques still don't fail to catch my eye everytime I pass one

Western 0man lookin' a bit like Arizona

Okay, maybe you don't find this in Arizona - about 30 minutes outside of downtown Abu Dhabi


At the Iranian souk: loading watermelons from the old wooden boat into an old wooden truck, probably being taken to an old wooden building

New best friend

42 pounds of watermelon, courtesy of new best friend

Can't believe this thing still floats - pretty sure it was used in the Iranian pirate battles of 1542

Guess all of them still don't quite float!

Photo Dump: Masdar City tour / Cricket match / Oman desert adventures

I'm sticking with the theme that pictures are better than words (and also much easier!) For those of you who want to see ALOT of pics, check out my latest updates which include:

• our tour of Masdar City
• first cricket match between the two powers of Pakistan and South Africa
• adventures into the desert and into Oman (for a little bit - full story coming soon...)
• the Iranian souks in Abu Dhabi

CHECK EM' HERE

for those of you with shorter attention spans, here are a few quick shots:

Masdar City - a Masdar Institute building

My first cricket match: Pakistan vs. South Africa

Finally into the real desert! Just off the highway...

Crossing of the Cultures: Oktoberfest and Arabic Mourning

So a quick post: today I a unique juxtaposition of cultural happenings - one odd and delightful; the other a bit embarassing. It starts like this: I leave my hotel room enroute to the gym in the basement, but on my way, I'm pleasantly surprised by a full on Oktoberfest party happening outsideside. Huge German buffet, beer flowing, sausages, cabbage, preztels and mustard everwhere. Despite my intentions to get to the gym, I was lured into the this spectacle of deliciousness and fun - who would've thought I could find the festivities, tastes and atmosphere of Munich, Germany all the way in the desert?! Guess you can truly find anything out here.

Anyhow, after eating seven varieties of cabbage and multiple pork-based delights, I rolled to the gym, turned up the speakers and began my workout. This is where the embarassment and cultural faux-paux (?) occurs...the gym attending quickly came in, turned down the speakers and told me that no music is allowed for the next seven day...why? because the Sheihk Saqr, the Ruler of neighboring emirate Ras Al Khaimah, passed away this morning. Unlike the US, where folks might be sad, and flags are flown at half staff, the entire UAE nation has entered a mourning period for the next seven days (although gov't run offices will continue work)....so bottom line, I learned a lesson. Thank god I was the only one in the gym at the time - otherwise I would've felt really humbled.

So, two cultural experiences this evening. One a bit ridiculous and fun; the other a lesson to remember and respect.

In hopefully happier news, a few of us are hoping to cross the border (not sure which one) this weekend for a quick 36 hour adventure. Hopefully I'll have some pics of Oman, Jordan, or somewhere else new to post by Saturday evening...stay tuned.

Weekend Update #2: Daytrip Up to Dubai

Yesterday, on Friday (our Saturday), the crew hitched a ride up to Dubai (about 60 minutes north) with a co-worker/neighbor, Andrew the expat from the UK. We were up in Dubai for about 5 hours and I had the chance to see and do at least 4 several "life firsts":

• see motorcycle and car racing live at the track (we were literally in garages and pits at the Dubai Autodrome)
• see the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa tower (it was damn high)
• get my haircut by and Indian gent (best, quickest and cheapest 'do I've found in a long while)
• saw the indoor ski "mountain" inside a mall. Wasn't sure if I should laugh, be disgusted or go join the fake fun - I'll leave it up to you.

Definitely an action-packed day, that I'm almost postive, couldn't be found anywhere else in the world. Over-the-top? Maybe. A bit hilarious? Possibly. A unique experience and something new? Definitely. So, as they say, words just don't have any shot against pictures, so I'll leave it up the magic camera to tell you all the rest of the Dubai story:

The Khalifa Tower