DAY 33 MARCH 9 ABU DHABI: YA BA DABA DOO!

What would you do with $600 billion in cash?  If you're the capital of the United Arab Emirates, rich in oil, the answer is easy:  go shopping.  Once aloof from the spendthrift ways of neighboring Dubai, Abu Dhabi- which so far has not experienced the unrest may Arab countries are facing are on a roll (although a slowed down roll of the past few years) in building high profile venues out of the desert.  A 1 1/2 hr ride form Dubai we noticed the obvious change from one state (Dubai) to the next (Abu Dhabi) on the highway- the former Sheik of AD planted 1.8 million trees along the expressway wanting to green the place up a bit.  The Sheik died in 2004 and the son took over and boy did things start to change around here.  With a population of 1.5 million of which 420,000 are citizens with EACH HAVING AN AVERAGE NET WEALTH OF $17 MILLION!  How's that for the family biz doing well.

YAS ISLAND:  IT'S ALL ABOUT THE CAR BABY!

First stop YAS Island.  YAS?  Yas Bocahita.

Bubbs checks out the formula one race track and most fabulous "seats"...talk about a high tech track.

The requisite Sheik's Super Yacht parked right in the middle of the track, bringing new meaning to SHOWBOATING.

Annie and Bubbs checkout the ultra modern Viceroy Hotel next to the track (the track is blue to match the water surrounding it)- remember this is a man made island attached to Abu Dhabi.

and right down the road is Ferrari World for all you Ferrari lovers.  Shout out to our pal Ferrari Fred- this place is all you!

more sleek and high tech exhibits and poor Bubbs can't fit in one to take for a test spin.  Whew....get back in the truck Chuck!

First stop Saadiyat Island- $27 Billion is being spent to develop this island a couple of miles from the city center.  The center piece of the project will be four world-class museums:  a branch of the Louvre, the Guggenheim Modern Art Museum, a Martime museum and the Sheikh Zayed National Museum (Foster and Parnters) along with a spectacular Performing Arts center.  Don't forget New York University is opening a branch here too. Who knows when completion will occur but impressive to see all the building going on...and don't forget the Human Rights violations that occurred in 2009 including charging the labors to work on the project, paying them less than promised and holding their passports so they couldn't bail.  Other than that what's up?

The Corniche- kinda like their Lake Shore Drive (and Dubai really doesn't have this..yet) is newly renovated and a beautiful boulevard...still under construction to really show off the city.


And how about the Emirates Palace Hotel!!  Built and owned by the Abu Dhabi Government at a cost of $3 Billion the 362 room behemoth is said to be the most expensive hotel ever built.  Talk about 1,000 Nights!   It took 20,000 workers 3 years to build. The landmark hotel lives up to every Western cliche about the petroleum-fueled opulence of life in the Gulf.  A study in Arabian baroque and excess.  The scale of the hotel is staggering: around 1/2 a mile long...114 domes, 1,000 Swarovski crystal chandeliers,  150,000 cubes of imported marble and of course gold sinks and fixtures in the upper end suites.-room rates $400-$11,500 a night.  Oh yes the Bocahita must stay over here next visit....

We stop off to check out their shopping venue and hey what is that?















I need to get a little closer....they wear bedspreads here?  A throw back to the 60's??  Bocahita thinks she'll just stick to the LBD (little black dress) version.

 Bubb insists we stop off at the fish market to check out the local catch of the day...

 Hey we have those back home....do these Sheik's fish?  Ah, I don't think so Bubbs.

Blue Crab....making the Bocahita hungry.  Ah, said Marshall,  I have just the place for the Bocahita.....












His good friend Mohamed snuck us in to the private dinning room for the Sheik's family- of course they own the restaurant, and dock and and and...

OH YES YES YES, said the Bocahita.  This is exactly what I had in mind.














HERITAGE VILLAGE UAE built by the Head Shiek to remind the citizens where they came from.  Come on Bocahita I know it's not a hotel or mall but I would like to see the "farm"- remember what the palmist told you.  I am all about the farm.  Oh joy.  Ok I guess I can do the fake village.

Here a camel, there a camel, every where a camel CAMEL!

And what about those famous Camel Races?  They use little boys (age 2-5?)...lots of flap from Human Rights folks supposedly banning the practice and now they use robot jockeys???  We are talking multi-million dollar camels.  The Arabs love this type of racing....are they still using kid jockeys?

The Sheik built this mock Bedouin Village on the breakwater looking over to the new and ever so shiny city of Abu Dhabi- offering a glimpse of AD in the pre-oil days- it's all about the Bedouin Baby! The Sheik wanted to remind his people never to forget where they came from- the village represents centuries of nomadic people wandering from oasis to oasis followed by the conversion to Islam....right up to today's prosperity.

KEEPIN IT REAL,  said the Sheik.





The piece de resistance....SHEIKH ZAYED MOSQUE

 While it may not be the largest in the world , it is 3rd (Mecca and Medina 1 and 2) it does hold many impressive records.  This gargantuan mosque is a staggering vision of Islamic pride:  a huge white edifice topped by innumerable domes and flanked by four soaring minarets.  Completed in 2007 the mosque is named after the first UAE President- he is also buried here.









There is space here for 40,000 worshippers!  And only 1 of 2 mosque's in the UAE opened to non Muslim visitors.  It is home to the worlds largest carpet made in Iran by 1200 weavers covering 60,500 sq feet.  It is also graced by the world's largest chandelier made in Germany....containing a million Swarovski crystals!









 It took over 12 years for 3,000 laborers to build at a cost of over???  Various numbers given... from $550 million to over a Billion.....I am sure well over a billion is more accurate.  It is absoltly unreal, and I thought the Taj was all that!


















It was not hard to be awestruck as we visited  this most enormous and grand Mosque.  Talk about Islamic Glories.

Abu Dhabi appears to be a bit more traditional and conservative than Dubai but equally impressive.  On the way out of town Marshal points out the new Bedouin village...courtesy of the government building and paying for some very nice houses for the new and improved Bedouins.


The big unveil is ABU DHABI 2030- so the AD can continue to manage the tremendous $350 Billion in infrastructure going on over here, when they run out of oil in 2030.  Yes they have experienced the tumble of pricing like Dubai, but doing their best to plan for the future.  The ruling family did not open the market to international buyers until 2005- 3 years after Dubai.  Peaking with a buying frenzy in 2008 when people were lined up to buy apartments and villas- throwing money at the developers....then the global recession hit and their market tumbled.  Many delays but looking like the train is starting up again.  Can't wait to come back and stay over at that Emirates Palace....or better yet get invited to the real deal.  Hello a shout out to the Sheik's- Bocahita is available for parties and weddings!