Around the World

Amy Visits Abu Dhabi
by Amy Crook

I had the fortunate opportunity to visit Dan’s mother who is working for the US govt. in Abu Dhabi for three months. My father-in-law and I traveled together to Abu Dhabi. Upon arrival at the Abu Dhabi airport, I noticed that all the men and women were in traditional abayas and dishdashas. The abaya is an overgarment worn by some women in parts of Islamic countries of the Arabian peninsula such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where it is the national dress. The abaya covers the whole body except the face, feet, and hands. It can be worn with the niqab, a face veil covering all but the eyes. Some women choose to wear long black gloves, so their hands are covered as well. I thought they were so interesting, that I bought one.

Amy in an Abaya in Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque

After getting used to the people in different clothing, I concentrated more on learning about The UAE. Abu Dhabi has been long-inhabited but until the mid-20th century was sustained by camel herding, date production, and pearl diving. Most families lived in mud huts. When oil was found in 1958, everything changed for this area. The area changed rapidly with their new-found wealth, and today Abu Dhabi is considered both one of the wealthiest and most modern cities in the world. They are even building a new “upscale cultural district” which will include a Guggenheim Museum, a Louvre Museum, a Maritime Museum, and a Performing Arts Center. We were able to drive to Dubai and see the construction on Dubailand. (For more details see http://www.blogger.com/www.dubailand.ae) They are building a “family tourist area” complete with Legoland, Six Flags, water park, City of Wonders, Equestrian & Polo Club, Beautyland, Sports Arena etc. You should really check out the website. Fascinating! We were on our way to have dinner with the brother of the Governor of Palestine and stopped at the Dubai mall, the world's largest mall, complete with a ski resort inside! They really go big and upscale in the UAE.

The city of Abu Dhabi in the background

My mother-in-law had made a friend at the local LDS branch named Julie, who is there with her family for three years. Her husband also works for the US govt. She took us around Abu Dhabi to a fish market, a souk, and the mosque. I was able to shop at a traditional Souk and also visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque which is the third largest in the world. They would have built it bigger I was told, but were asked to respect the importance of the Al-Masjid al-Ḥarām Mosque in Mecca, and the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca. I found it very interesting to learn about another culture and religion.

The Grand Mosque

We went on a sand safari on our last night where we went four-wheeling in the sand, and then afterward went to a “camp” in the middle of the desert, had dinner, and a belly dancer for entertainment.

Amy on camel in front of a pyramid at Dashur

At Heritage Village, (a small sort of authentic replica of a Bedouin encampment ). Here you can journey to the past and experience traditional life in Abu Dhabi before oil revenues altered the landscape, economically and socially. In addition to bedouin tents, there are reconstructions of palm ('arish) and other houses, old fishing villages and traditional souks.

My father-in-law and I went home through Cairo, Egypt. We were only there for two days. The city is very polluted. I think they burn a lot of their garbage. In the rural areas they littered the sides of their streams with trash and dead animals. Very poor in the rural areas. I was quite shocked. Again, I learned a lot about this area. We visited three pyramid sites, including the famous Giza pyramids, and Sphinx. We also went to Saqqara which had the oldest pyramids (believed to be around the times of Abraham). We were also able to visit the Egyptian Museum and see all of Tutankahamen;s things. He was buried with approx. 3,500 items to help him in the afterlife including his famous mask, three mummiform coffins (the innermost being solid gold) nested within each other, and a throne.

Amy in front of the Coptic Church

We were also able to visit Coptic Cairo which is an area of Old Cairo which encompasses The Hanging Church, the Babylon Fortress, and the Church to which the Holy Family visited during their flight to Egypt. It was very interesting to see these Christian sights in a predominantly Muslim area. Five times a day, both in the UAE and in Cairo you could hear the Adhan, or call to prayer piped by speakers throughout the cities. The first one I could hear in Cairo was around five am. I knew it was still dark and I could hear it. The food was very interesting and quite tasty. One restaurant we visited for lunch boasted on their menu pictures of President Carter's visit there circa 1979. We had falafel, flatbreads, hummus, kebabs, and some grape leaf-wrapped rice thing that was very good. It was a very interesting trip all around.

Amy at Giza in front of Sphinx and Khufu's Pyramid

Food in Cairo