Wednesday 1 July 2009

50C in Abu Dhabi







It was a little warm in AD yesterday, 50C plus and humid enough to soak us. You see Sue, Kathryn and I went out and about in AD just after midday for a few hours. It was meltingly hot. We visited the Emirates Palace Hotel, wandered around in the air conditioning while occasionally venturing outside to take photos. The biggest problem was that everything fogged up, my glasses the main culprit. Could have caused a nasty accident.


Kathryn is stopping over with Sue and I on her way to a study tour of Germany and the UK. She was such a trooper yesterday, from the cold of NZ to the humidity of Singapore to the intense heat of AD all in less than a week. I'm not sure I would have coped so well. Such a trooper to put up with our driving too. Her comment: You won't be able to do THAT back in NZ. What, cutting across three lanes at well over the speed limit and stopping suddenly in the lane with the hazards on so we could plan our route? How could THAT be a problem, mmmmm wait, maybe Sue and I have acclimatised in more ways than one.


We finished our wandering at the cultural village after much needed refreshments. I managed to buy some interesting souvenirs, although I suspect the heat was affecting me when I looked at the haul this morning in the cold light of morning. Oh well, I'm sure the kids will just have it confirmed that I am slightly eccentric. They'll nod and smile in that way they have when they regard someone who should be committed, well I hope they wait until I get the photo before the men in white coats come to take me away. What photo? Don't worry, it will be added here so watch this space......


These photos are of the Emirates Palace Hotel and the dates growing in the cultural village. Note how they are tied in bunches around the palm. Kathryn, who worked in the date industry in the Middle East in the '70s, told me that they were tied to ensure even weight distribution so the palm doesn't fall over. Makes perfect sense as many of the customs and practices here do.

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