Old Souk, Al Ain

The weekend started off with a early visit to the Old Souk in Town Centre of Al Ain. The vendors beginning selling at 6am and several are there until 10pm, daily.  Being a Friday morning I assumed it would be pretty quiet.  Much to my surprise there was a mosque located right next door to the entrance of the souk.  First stop, produce aisle...there was such an abundance of vegetables and fruits.  The variety was pretty spectacular and impressively stacked in a small space. It seemed odd to be taking so many pictures of the same vegetables and we did get a lot of stares, but the colors were to good to pass up.

 

 

 

Outside we came upon a woman that is a regular at the Souk.  We were told she travels there everyday and can be found in the same spot.  She brings with her many homemade items.  This morning she took the time to explain her wares and their uses.  She had honey, henna and frankincense that she passed around the group of about 25 people.  She explained that she has been wearing her burka since the day she married, because she believes a woman's beauty is in her eyes and that should be the main focus on her face, her eyes.  She also allowed us to take her pictures, which is also a rarity. 

 

Next, we went back inside to the fish market and there we were entertained by Amar, our guide and his knowledge of the various fish for sale.  The vendors were encouraging him as he showed us the fresh catch for sale.

 

 

 

 

As we strolled along we saw various dry spices being sold and then the area that sells the camel blankets, muzzles, and other colorful accessories.  Some of the ropes were being braided as we stood and watched.  There was even camel shampoo for sale.

 dry spices

 

 

 dry spices

 

Our last stop before the end of our educational tour was outside where tobacco was being sold.  The leaves were right there on the sidewalk and the man selling took a great interest in our group.  He asked who we were and when our guide mentioned we were mostly teachers, he asked our guide to tells us we had "better do a good job of teaching our children."  Then we learned about the change in tobacco and cigarette smoking.  Nowadays those that still smoke use a thin pipe rather than cigarettes.  The morning ended and we were encouraged to come back and shop whenever we pleased. 

tobacco leaves

 

 

 

Jumeirah at Etihad Towers

High Tea

March is a busy month for birthdays.  Between the family in the USA and friends here in the UAE, there are a total of 8 birthdays to celebrate.  This weekend was no exception.  Three of my co-workers here in the UAE were celebrating their birthdays so we decided something special was needed to commemorate the occasion. The Emirates Palace offers a pretty special deal and the venue is pretty special too.  We, however, chose to go to the 74th floor of the Etihad Towers to look out over the city of Abu Dhabi while we sipped tea and ate our finger sandwiches.

Emirates Palace from above

 

 Abu Dhabi skyline

 

 Finger Sandwiches

 

 Dessert in the desert

 

 Laura and Sherry, two of our birthday girls

 

From the moment we stepped into the elevator and zipped to the 74th floor we were showed the most attention imaginable.  We were escorted to a table for 8 after taking a stroll around the floor to view the sights from each window.  In true form we all commented on the dirty windows and what a shame it was that no one managed to keep them cleaner for our viewing pleasure.  Then I remembered that Tom Cruise only works on windows in Dubai.

 

After we made our tea selection, an attentive staff hoovered around the table and saw to our every need.  Two of the birthday girls received beautiful bouquets of white roses, which were received with large smiles and much appreciation followed by a decant chocolate cake that we all enjoyed. After a few more photos ops, we reluctantly left with the promise to return for the next birthday celebration, but unfortunately we have to wait until September. I'm sure we will find an excuse to return before then.