Abu Dhabi

Technology yet again proved it's worth as a backpacker. Staying in touch with a friend I met at the pyramids in Tikal, Guatemala gave me cause for a necessary trip to Abu Dhabi to visit half way around the world. After a seemingly unnecessary, arduous journey from Dubai to Abu Dhabi I was greeted with a warm welcome from a long lost friend.

After being picked up from the bus station we drove through the city to Yas Island to visit Ferarri World! Still being a poor backpacker we quickly toured Ferrari World where the worlds fastest roller coaster is and left. With a beeping empty tank button in the car, we headed out across the desert in hope to find gas before running out of petrol in the 40 degree sun. Joking the whole time "that we will dig for oil" in the event we run out of gas we luckily made it to a gas station about 20km later.

We picked up the 4 and 6 year old my friend nanny's from school and headed to the Grand Palace of Abu Dhabi. We spent a few hours swimming in the fountains in front of the Palace by people being proper, beneath the skyline of the city. When we were done we took the children out for some peddle boating around the harbor. After being exhausted of peddling around as a tour guide for the kids, we headed to the a famed needle tower restaurant above the Marina Mall overlooking the sea.

As one of the most classy of places, where billionaire businessmen were meeting with its grand view, we had a most hilarious dinner in our wet street clothes and 2 small children. Not realizing how fancy this rotating restaurant above one of the wealthiest cities was, we sat down and ordered dinner. I felt just like one of the children and am surprised we were not asked to leave for lacking class and eating spaghetti with out fingers!

After dinner it was time to leave and I was sad to say goodbye to two funny children and my long lost friend. However, I got a chance to see the main sites in the city of Abu Dhabi, relax, and have a day of acting like a child all for free! Very much a vibrant city, I would like to visit again someday!