Abu Dhabi City Tour

We drove around the city of Abu Dhabi on a city tour. The city is located on an island. It is a beautiful city and it is hard to believe you are really in a desert.

Abu Dhabi City Tour

Modern apartment houses in Abu Dhabi. The whole residential section was modern and is mainly separated from the business area.

Abu Dhabi City Tour

Some of the new skyscrapers in Abu Dhabi. What is amazing is that all these buildings were built in about the last six years.

Zayed House

Our first stop was at the Zayed House, a former residence of Sheikh Zayed, the father of the UAE.

Zayed House

The Zayed House contains memorabilia of Sheikh Zayed, including his three cars.

Heritage Village

Our next stop was at Heritage Village, an open–air museum of the “old life” in Abu Dhabi––that is, before oil was discovered here and the old was replaced by the new.

Heritage Village

One of the exhibits here was of the type of tent that the Bedouins used to live in in the desert. Quite a difference from Morocco, another Islamic country, where many Bedouins, Berbers, and sheep herders still do live in similar tents.

Emirates Palace Hotel

The Emirates Palace Hotel is one of only a few seven–star hotels in the world. Heads of state stay here when they visit Abu Dhabi. We didn’t go inside it, but if you want to you can have afternoon tea, lunch, or dinner here, but it is very popular so make your reservations early.

Abu Dhabi Sheikh’s Palace

This is the only palace in the Emirates that we saw in a full view. It is quite spectacular.

I put the rest of my photos of the city tour on a slideshow. Go directly to

http://www.peggysphotos.com/dubai–day–5a–city–tour/

or to Slide Shows, Dubai/Abu Dhabi, “Abu Dhabi, Day 5A: City Tour.”

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

This mosque was built in 2007 and is the eight largest mosque in the world. It is an artistic masterpiece.

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

Non–Muslims are allowed in the mosque except for Friday mornings, the Muslim Day of Prayer. But there is a dress code––women have to wear loose clothing and long sleeves and must cover their heads. Men must not show their legs or shoulders. This is the first mosque that I have gone into that required a dress code to do so.

Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

The inner courtyard of the mosque.

I have put my photos of the mosque on a slideshow. Go directly to

http://www.peggysphotos.com/abu–dhabi–day–5b–grand–mosque/

or to Slide Shows, Dubai/Abu Dhabi, “Abu Dhabi, Day 5B, Grand Mosque.”

Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital

An optional afternoon tour to the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital was offered and I took it with about eight fellow tourmates. I thought the tour was fascinating as it was so different from any tour that I had been on. Falcons from all over the world come to this hospital for treatment. The Sheikh of Abu Dhabi is reported to own 3,000 falcons and to have 80 people taking care of them.

Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital

A very surprising thing to learn is that each  falcon has its own passport.

Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital

The falcon waiting room––waiting for their checkups.

Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital

One of the falcons waiting. Hoods are placed on the heads of the falcons to limit their vision and to keep them calm. This is a centuries–old practice.

Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital

We watched a falcon being examined.

Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital

A falcon in the boarding room. We had driven through a desert area to get to the falcon hospital. I hadn’t seen an oil well yet in Abu Dhabi, so I asked Mounir where they were. He said they were far away from where people live. I told him that it is not like this in Los Angeles where we have oil wells right in the city and more in neighboring cities and many also along freeways. He was very surprised about this.

This ended the Gate 1 tour except for a farewell dinner. I left from Dubai at around 1 a.m. Dubai to Frankfurt, 8 hours; Frankfurt to Los Angeles, 11 hours. A long flight––I was far away from home. Great tour––I really enjoyed it.

I have put my photos of the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital on a slideshow. Go directly to

http://www.peggysphotos.com/abu–dhabi–day–5c–falcon–hospital/

or to Slide Shows, Dubai/Abu Dhabi, “Abu Dhabi, Day 5C, Falcon Hospital.