Dunes Were Bashing

Hey everyone,

Time for another installment. I am happy to say that myself and my partner in crime have been making the most of the time spent here. I mean, might as well take advantage of a trip halfway across the world, right?

Between visiting a local movie theatre (where ringing mobile phone seem to be welcome), trying out the local dry cleaner (my shirt smells... tangy), and trying to explain to cab drivers in broken English the correct way home, it's been a pretty unique experience. I hope I don't sound like I'm complaining, because I actually think it's awesome - I love this stuff. Before I get into the next few stories, keep in mind that the weekend in Abu Dhabi spans on Friday and Saturday (Friday being the Holy Day here) and due to a scheduled power outage near IMV's office, Thursday became a day off (this week only). Woo hoo! 3-day weekend!

We tried out a dinner cruise along the Abu Dhabi Corniche (that's the boardwalk along the Persian Gulf) on Thursday, and it was incredible. The city lights in the huge buildings were astounding against the black background, especially on a calm night. Not to mention, the food was great; I just wish someone had prepared me for the sheer quantity of the meal! We filled ourselves with salads, mezza, and seafood before being presented with an additional THREE full courses. I tried to represent the bottomless pit club, but alas, I was met with grave failure (not literally). Oh well... better luck next time, Curt.

Thursday was actually a a really good weather day, so it was spent exploring the Mina (port) area including a fish market, carpet souk, and Iranian souk. We also checked out the Corniche (on land). There are many beautiful gardens here - I'm impressed any work gets done around this place. If a guy had a skateboard, I know where I'd ride it. On Saturday, we also went out to the gold souk and central market, which was pretty cool. All the prices at that place seem to be negotiable. Anyone want a discounted Wii with mod chips?

The last thing I'll tell you about in this edition is the Desert Safari Trip where we got to experience 'Dune Bashing'. That means get your 4x4 SUV and use it for what they were built for: offroading and driving over sand dunes like a maniac. A tour company picked us up late in the afternoon and took us on a rollercoaster ride through the sand in what was probably the craziest ride I've had in a non-roller coaster. Pictures will be up soon, but there were times where we were practically sideways. Thanks to the sand and our good friend centripital force, we were reasonably safe. Totally worth it. After the ride, we managed to grab supper in a desert camp complete with camel rides, good food, and shisha.

Well, hope all is well with you guys. Drop me a line when you get the chance.

Curtis