Well, as some of you are no doubt aware, Debs came over last week for a visit. It was great to see her, even though she did manage to arrive with a nutter in tow. Some stray woman she picked up who we then offered a lift into Abu Dhabi, before we realised that (despite living here for 30 years) she didn't know where she lived! Well, after realising that after 6 weeks, I knew Abu Dhabi better than she did, we managed to negotiate a route to her home. I don't know how Debs manages to find these people, but she has a knack for it!

We managed a few trips, one to Dubai, and one to Al Ain. Both were altered plans, as we arrived in Dubai, and within 10 minutes of arrival, I got a message telling me to start work at 6:30am the next morning. Of course! 7 weeks of doing nothing and the first day I had gone away for the night, this happened! We had just booked into a hotel next to the Palm Jumeirah, and discovered that without realising it, I had booked a suite! It was stunning! More rooms than there are in our apartment, and 3 balconies. So we decided to stay, and I would leave at 4:30am, leaving Debs to check out. Dave very kindly offered to drive to Dubai and pick Deb up around midday for me. So that was what we did. As a result, we didn't get much done in Dubai, but we managed to meet up with our neighbours from Newcastle who were over on holiday. It was weird seeing so many familiar faces from so close to home after 7 weeks of feeling like I'd moved to some kind of alternate universe.

It was all over too quickly (as is so often the case!!!) and Debs went. It was great to see her, but this week has been a bit of a "homesick" one as a result. Worth it though. Above is the compulsory picture of the Burj Al Arab hotel!

Well, I made a few references early on to my "Monster Truck", and I got it a couple of weeks ago. The Toyota FJ and the Dodge Durango fell out of favour after I sat in this baby...
Yes, I bought myself a Hummer H2! 6.2 litres of shock and awe! This thing is huge. Pictures don't do it justice. This is the only time in my life I will be able to afford to buy and run this beast, so it simply had to be done!
I know I'm not a tall person (understatement of the year), but these pictures give you an idea of the scale of the car compared to anything else on the road.
Yes, that is a ladder. I've actually been up there on the roof taking pictures of lightning a few days ago.
Mean or what? The weird thing is that everybody stares at it as you drive past, but almost invariably they smile. I've also caught people walking past it smiling and just saying the word "Hummer". For a mean monster, it really makes people smile! Dave reckons it looks like a Tonka truck. He has a point. Jeremy Clarkson said that it makes you feel like you're a 7 year old boy again. He also has a point. I'm going to make a detailed post about the driving soon. That should explain to you why I bought a Hummer!

I loved the way he sits down to dinner! Food on the table, rock for a chair, and a really serious expression as he eats.

The hyenas look incredibly powerful and fierce close up. I wouldn't mess, put it that way!

At least I don't need Mike for this one! Flamingos. Fasands of 'em.

A Zed and Two Noughts...

Yes, more zoo pictures! I loved this one. This is a massive enclosure with giraffes, rhinos and zebras. It's a really good sized area and actually manages to look very natural. I sat for ages waiting for this pic to happen.

The cheetah is my favourite of the big cats.

And here is Debbie's favourite zoo animal. The meerkat. This one made a real connection with me.

More Al Ain Zoo Pics

This was a great series of pictures of the lions. Stunning creatures.


Got some fabulous pictures of the wolves howling. The whole pack started up. Stunning to see, and spooky to hear. Kind of made me miss the dogs though...

May as well start with some pictures of a day trip that Dave and I took just after we lost access to the Net. This is Al Ain zoo. Al Ain (for those who don't know) is an Oasis city in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, right on the border with Oman. It's a lot greener than Abu Dhabi is (but then again, the Tory Party's environmental policies in the 1980's were greener than Abu Dhabi), and there are no skyscrapers. It's also a lot quieter, with fewer cars and slightly less mental driving. Some of them are even known to use their indicators!

Where's Mike Charlton when you need him? I have no idea what this is! As you may have guessed, don't expect David Attenbourough quality commentary on these pics!

It was really weird to see a swan in the zoo! To them, it's a rare creature I suppose.

"A wonderful bird is the pelican,
Its beak can hold more than its belly can"
Still my favourite bit of poetry of all time, closely followed by McGonigle's "As I was walking doon the road, I saw a coo: a bull ba goad"! You probably have to read that in a Scottish accent to understand it.

He's feeling a bit horny.

I liked this picture. It came out well, and I'd swear they posed for the camera.

I'm back!

Well, it's been far too long since I did this. I lost my Internet connection after leaving the hotel, and then it took ages to get it connected at the flat. Things happen at their own pace here in Abu Dhabi! You can't rush anything along, you just have to bide your time until it happens. It's really frustrating at first, but you just have to settle into it and accept that that's how it is. You can't change it, so you may as well get used to it...

So apologies to anyone following this for the prolonged silence. I'll be trying to make regular entries now.

The Corniche

I've been a bit lax with the blog lately, but I've hardly had any time to be honest. Plus of course, the fact that I don't have proper Internet yet hasn't helped. So this series of photos were actually taken a few days ago. We walked to the Corniche. That'll be the last walk I take in Abu Dhabi! Not designed for pedestrians, to say the least. From now on I'll be doing the American thing and taking the car if I'm going any more than about 3 blocks!

When we got there, it was nice. Lots of "local colour", with the dhows and the fishermen making their nets on the quayside.

Here's one of me with some Dhows behind me, and the Abu Dhabi skyline in the background. Kind of shows the contrasts that you find out here.


And here are the local fishermen making their nets.


After taking in the scenery, we found a floating restaurant to eat in. We decided to go native, and just picked the first three local dishes off the menu! I have to say it was actually really good, luckily! Still don't know what we ate though, although they do a great drink of lemon juice with fresh ground mint leaves mixed into it. Much nicer than it sounds, and very refreshing.



Moored next to the restaurant was the dodgiest looking dinghy I have ever seen! Not to sure about that sail's effectiveness either!

Marina Mall

This is me in front of the Marina, just in front of the Marina Mall. Now that is a shopping centre. Might have to keep Debs away from there when she comes over! They have loads of designer shops, and even one that mixes a totally individual perfume or aftershave for you to suit your exact personal tastes! No prices in the window of that one mind you! And yes, the sea really is that blue.



And here are a couple more of the view from that spot. There's a fair few Dirhams invested in that collection of boats. Speaking of investing money wisely, I'm off to look at cars today! So far my favourites are the Toyota FJ Cruiser (Google it: they don't sell them in Britain) and the Dodge Durango (Google it, they don't sell them in Britain: might be something to do with the 8 seats and the V8 5.7 litre engine)!

The Streets of Abu Dhabi

This was a video I took of the view from my hotel room window. Gives a vague idea of what the traffic is like. Busy.

It's Abu Dhabi Baby!!!

Well, after a long time planning it, finally I arrived in Abu Dhabi. This place is very different to life in the west. That's not necessarily a bad thing.

I stepped from a world where the temperature is about 1 degree to a world where the temperature is about 18 degrees. At 11 o'clock at night. In the winter. It was lovely to feel warm for the first time in about 2 years!

We were picked up by the company driver, who took us to the hotel. But before he did that, he took us to see a flat that he knew was available for rent. The landlord showed us round. at 11:30 pm! It was lovely, and the upshot is that after a couple of days dithering, we decided to rent it. We should get the keys this weekend, and be able to move our things in over the following week, while we still have our hotel rooms available.

The apartment is ideal, only about 5 minutes away from work, and has two bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, and 2 living rooms. Which means we can share without having to get in each other's way too much, and we can both have our own space whenever we need it. It also means we have room for guests, so form an orderly queue!

I can't believe how friendly people are here. They literally can't do enough to help, and if you need something done, there are plenty of people around to do it for you. Wherever you are served, you are served with a smile, and people want to take the time to talk.

Despite what you might have been told about the Middle East, in the UAe there are plenty of bars, and it is surprisingly liberal. As long as it's not flaunted in front of the local people, they seem quite happy for us westerners to be left to our own devices.

The picture above is the view from my hotel room window. Dave's room has a much better view, with an impressive panorama over the whole city. Spectacular at night! There's a lot to do, and it's all pretty daunting and very different to what I'm used to, but I'm confident that I can cope with it all. So far, so good anyway!