Ten Days in the Middle East
November 22 - December 1, 2009 / Persian Gulf -- I had the pleasure of traveling to the middle east to witness the two owners of my company get married in Bahrain. There was a party of about 20 of us who started in Dubai where we spent three days touring.
The first day had us going by rented van to Abu Dhabi, about 100 KM (60 mi) from Dubai. Here we visited the Great Mosque, the Emirates Palace and the Abu Dhabi Mall.
The mosque was amazing in size and beauty. It is simply huge! The attention to detail in the building and decoration is evident everywhere.
The Emirates Palace is actually a hotel of the ultra posh extreme. It too is huge, with opulence at every turn. There is a multi-story atrium with a dome decorated in a beautiful design, rich marble and stonework and art everywhere. The outside includes a grand stairway across the entry drive with a cascading waterfall and a view of the developing downtown area.