A day in Abu Dhabi

Gail's new BFF Karen Carpenter (I'm not making that up) and her husband Dan picked us up yesterday at 11:30 for our big day 'o fun. We started with lunch at a little Vietnamese place. I had duck something, and while it did taste good, I struggled with it a little after finding bones in the duck meat.

We headed out to the Sportsman's Expo at the convention center after lunch. The first cool thing is that they only charged 10 dirham a person to get in about ($2.70usd). Not like in the U.S. where they gouge you for $20 or $30 just to get into the show.

We started with the weaponry exhibit. All kinds of hand guns, rifles, swords and knives. Some very old, and some cutting edge stuff. I'm not a big "gun" guy, but had to get a picture with the very cool rifle you see. The wood stock was amazing. It surprised me that I could walk over and pick up almost any gun or rifle. I got this "We're not in Kansas" feeling as I watched 10 and 11 year old kids pull the rifles off the displays and check them out.

The convention layout was much different than what we're used to in the states. Rather than cram every possible sq. inch was displays, this was very open and easy to get around to see the displays. The dune buggy that Gail is standing with has a V8 engine, and I'm told it gets about 8 miles per gallon while in the desert! Good thing we're sitting on top of a lot of oil here.

They also had RV's, camping equipment and all kinds of random stuff for sale. But the coolest thing by far were the falcons! At first I thought they were there as a display. Gail and I talked to the Emirati that was there and he informed us they were indeed for sale. There were many locals looking to pick up a new bird. I asked how much, and was shocked when he told me 100,000 dirham! That is $27,000usd! They are amazing, but DAMN! I didn't buy one this time, but I did get four of the little helmet blinders that you see on their heads. They are very kewl little bird hats.

The guy was really nice and showed us how to pet them. I wanted to hold one with the leather glove, but you really need to know what you're doing when they start flapping all over. The picture of Gail is priceless! Our friend offered to get a picture with both of us, and right before she snapped it the falcon threw a little tantrum and hit Gail's head with it's wing. Her second bird attack this month! She barely escaped with her eyes intact when a psycho cockatoo backed her down in Australia.

The other thing that is specific to this region is the Saluki dogs that were used for hunting in the desert for generations. Gail got a picture of the puppies. They are very cute. They are very thin and light so they are able run on the sand.

The Saluki is a slim, greyhound-like dog. The head is long and narrow, moderately wide between the ears, tapering gradually toward the nose with a slight stop. The nose is black or liver in color. The teeth meet in a level bite. The large oval eyes are dark to hazel in color. The long, mobile ears are hanging down close to the head. The neck is long and the chest is deep and narrow. The front legs are straight. The feet are thickly haired between the toes for protection from rough terrain. The long tail is carried low, well feathered with hair. The coat is short with long silky feathering on the ears and tail. A rarer, coarser, smooth variety with no feathering also occurs. Coat colors include white, cream, fawn, golden, red, grizzle and tan, black and tan tricolor of white, black and tan. They have an unusual gait when they are at top speed: all four of their legs are in the air at the same time.

The Saluki is the royal dog of Egypt, and perhaps one of the oldest domesticated dogs known to man. They were named after the Arabian city "Saluki" in the Middle East, which no longer exists today. Their bodies were often found mummified along side the bodies of the Pharaohs themselves, and their pictures appear in ancient Egyptian tombs dating from 2100 BC. The Muslims considered them a sacred gift of Allah, and they were never sold but only offered as gifts of friendship or honor. Salukis with a patch of white in the middle of the forehead are thought by Bedouin tribes to have "the kiss of Allah" and are regarded as special. Incredibly fast even over rough terrain, this desert sight hunter was used by the Arabs to hunt gazelle, the fastest of the antelopes, along with fox, jackal, and hare. They have also been successful as racing dogs. The Saluki was recognized by the AKC in 1929.

There is a little copy and paste action for you.

After a rough day of walking through exhibits, we headed up to the Aloft Restaurant for sundowners. It's a pretty swank open air rooftop units about 13 stories up, and has amazing views. Thank you Karen and Dan for introducing us to that! Wish it was closer to home. I enjoyed a variety of sushi (my first since arriving to the desert) and the others had various small bites. The beer was cold and the sunset was fantastic. The funky building in the picture is actually offset, it's not an optical illusion. The Carpenters dropped us off around 9, just in time to get settled in for Survivor! What a nice day.

Today (Saturday) Gail and I headed to the beach. We hadn't been since before Ramadan, since you can't have water in public, so it was great to get back and bob around in the Arabian Gulf. Back in the apartment chillin' now. I think I'll go across the street and get some vegetables and fruit.

Kayleigh and Rob will be here in two days! Our first visitors. So excited to show them the area.

That's all for now folks.....keep reading the blog, and feel free to post comments and questions. Oh, and Patricia, thanks for the birthday present! You rock!