Let's Play in the Dirt, More Exploring and a Lesson Learned

Day 14 - January 3rd

It’s a very sad day for me today.  We got news that my cousin, David, who had been battling cancer for several years, had passed away.  Growing up, he spent a lot of time at our house – he loved my dad and we all loved him so much.  It’s always hard to lose family but it’s especially hard when you are 7,000 miles away and can’t get home to be with everyone.

I haven’t talked about the bathrooms here.  All of the bathrooms (in home and public) have these sprayers next to the toilets.  The UAE doesn’t have the necessary sewage system to handle the waste properly so these sprayers are installed in all the bathrooms.  After taking care of business, you are supposed to rinse off with the sprayer, pat dry with toilet tissue and then put the tissue in a receptacle.  Well, NO, I’m not doing that – it’s gross!!!  This girls is from America and I’m using toilet tissue – as much as I want! LOL In most of the public restrooms, they have bathroom attendants who take care of the bathrooms.  They are constantly mopping and cleaning up after the people who use these.  I don’t know how they keep their clothes and shoes dry because the floors are always drowning in water.  

Well, today I decided I would try the sprayer (aka The Bum Gun) in the privacy of Andrea’s bathroom.  (Note to self:  Never use the “Bum Gun” sprayer in the morning when the water is ice cold.  Wait until the afternoon after the water is warm.)  Talk about – take your breath - that will get your blood pumping early in the morning! LOL

A side note about the water:  Since the water tanks are on top of the buildings, the sun warms the water – by afternoon, the cold water faucet is rather warm – in the middle of summer, it is hot water coming out of the cold faucet.  Andrea tries to wash her clothes in the morning when the water hasn’t been heated by the sun all day……especially for clothes that you normally wash in cold water.

We’re on the road again, off to Abu Dhabi. 

I’m still in search of sand dunes but this this time we play it smart.  We drove off the main road between Al Ain and Abu Dhabi into the small city of Al Yahar and the followed the road to where we could see sand dunes.  We parked in a neighborhood (on concrete) and walked across the street – the dunes were beautiful.

I’m telling you – these dunes brought out the kid in me.  I just wanted to run and play.  I have such fond memories of putting my toes in warm sand in the dirt road around the fields near our home growing up.  This was different – it was coarser and in places, it was surprisingly cool.  We could tell it had been windy – lots of ripples in the sand.  We played in it and took lots of pictures.

 Back on the road to Abu Dhabi and our next stop – the Aldar HQ Building.

• The first circular building in the UAE
• The shape of this building is achieved through the use of structural diagrid, a diagonal grid of steel
• Home to restaurants, offices and a hotel

Our next stop U.S. Embassy:

Here are a few valuable lessons I learned today:

Number 1 – Ignorance is not bliss.

Number 2 - It is not better to ask for forgiveness than permission.

Number 3 – No matter if you are a US citizen (and an overzealous tourist who is proud to be an American), you cannot take a picture of the US Embassy.

I thought it would be extra special to have a picture of the three of us in front of the US Embassy since Andrea is living there.  Well, you can’t do that!!!  I won’t go into all the details but let’s just say we were momentarily detained by 6 Abu Dhabi police, 1 security guard, 1 Emirate Liaison for the US Embassy and 1 US Embassy security personnel  asking me questions - all because I took a picture (a rather cool looking picture, I might add) of the embassy.  I was crying and saying, “I’ll just delete the picture. I’ll just delete the picture.”  At one point, I was just ready to give them the camera. After many tears and many questions, we were released.

The US Embassy Security Personnel explained that the AD police take their jobs very seriously.  While I appreciate that, I was scared to death. Thank you for protecting us!

Once we were released and I got in the car, I just cried and cried and cried.  I just kept thinking we are leaving tomorrow and what if I am on “Watch List”.  How will I ever explain that I was just an innocent little southern belle?

After I compose myself, we headed over to The Corniche.  This is the road that runs alongside the beaches in Abu Dhabi. It’s lined by beautiful beaches on one side and the skyline of Abu Dhabi on the other side. There is beautiful inlaid tile in the sidewalk and canopies and benches along the way as well as gazebos.  We walked out onto the beach and down to the water.  Andrea and I were brave enough to put our feet in the water but it was cold.

 You probably can tell by the look on Andrea's face - the water is freezing!

Then we went to dinner at Friday’s in downtown Abu Dhabi. Friday’s is Andrea’s favorite place in UAE.  We rode around a while and then went to the airport to pick up Andrea’s friend, Christine who was flying back from a visit with her family in Vienna, GA.  Christine and I chatted all the way home – she is such a delight and has been really good to Andrea.

Once we are home, reality starts to sink in – we are leaving the next day.  We have a few hours left to spend precious minutes with our daughter. It’s been a great two weeks and we have loved every minute of it (except the Embassy incidence.)