Last Day and The Grand Mosque

I went downstairs to ask the concierge to call a taxi for me. Since it was my last day I knew I had to go visit the grand mosque in Abu Dhabi. Everyone talked about how great the mosque was and that it was one of the biggest in UAE. 

 The taxi driver got me there fairly quickly. As soon as he pulled in I was in shock of the beauty and structure of the mosque. I walked up to the front desk because I noticed all the women had to change into black Abayas. The lady looked at me and was able to guess my size. I put the Abaya over my clothes and was able to go into the mosque. I took several pictures of everything. The chandelier alone was made purely of swarovski crystals and weighed over a ton. Everything in the mosque was clean, perfect and expensive. I also had to take off my shoes to go into the mosque. There were lots of people some were praying, some had tour guides explaining the history of the mosque and others were taking lots of pictures and videos.I couldn't help but feel amazed at how much work must have been put into building this mosque.

Outside there were speakers on the top of each pillar. There was a man singing a prayer through the loud speakers the whole time I was there.  After about an hour, I watched as the sun went down then decided to head out to get something to eat. As I went outside I realized that I needed a taxi. I had to walk about a quarter of a mile out of the mosque to find a taxi. I asked the driver for the nearest Souk to get something to eat.

I made it to the Souk to find it fairly empty. The upper floor was a little more populated but overall there was barely movement. I browsed through some stores and decided to head home since it was getting dark.  I made it to my hotel, a little tired so I decided to order in and relax. My last day in Abu Dhabi was a good one and I couldn't wait to take my flight tomorrow to get back home to the U.S.

This was the end of my great journey.

Fairmont Bab Al Bahr, OH MY!!

Ceiling in the lobby

Lobby

Concierge

The minute I arrived in front of the hotel, my breath was taken away. I couldn't believe how opulent the hotel was structured. Everything about this hotel was first class. The service was remarkably perfect. I couldn't and didn't have one bad thing to critique. Their color schemes, the decor and even the uniforms were perfect. 

I went up to the lobby to check in, to my surprise the man at the front desk didn't want to accept the photocopy of my Visa. I was scared that I'd have to pay for the hotel stay because it looked so expensive. I explained that I was leaving and that Nirvana was paying for my stay. I was so scared that I called my husband and told him what was going on. He told me we would just have to pay because I needed somewhere to stay. The man decided to call over the manager. I explained everything to the manager. I gave him the number to Nirvana and the problem was solved. I felt so lucky because you never know when good things can turn over for the worst.

Bathroom

Office Area

View from my room

He gave me my keys to my room and the bell hop told me he'd have my luggage in my room. I tried to tip him but he wouldn't accept the money. The lobby and hallways were amazing! The architecture was so amazing. I was in awe more and more as I took steps further. The elevator had a see through wall so I could see outside and the view was great. I took pictures of every corner of this hotel. I don't know if I'd ever see anything like that again. As, I approached my room, the bell hop was leaving my room. I slid the card through the slot and and opened the door to more beauty. I did a quick tour as i took some pictures. I loved the view and bathroom the most. I can't explain how impressed I truly was of this hotel. There was fresh complimentary fruits and water. The bathroom had bath salts, colognes and soaps for gratis too! I took a long relaxing bath then went outside to look at the water and find out what I could eat. The stairway to get down and go outside was beautiful. I went outside taking more pictures of the hotel because it was lit up so nicely. I went back inside to walk down the long hallway to get to the restaurants. I believe there was two or three restaurants but one was at a more decent price. I went to a restaurant that had pasta. I love pasta. The restaurant had a quiet ambiance. There was jazz type music playing as I walked inside. The hostess asked me how many people, I told her one. She directed me to a nice quaint two seated table. I was seated next to a long table area where some business men were seated. I ordered my food and ate it quietly. The food was so hot and full of flavor. I ordered a simple pasta dish and ate it quickly. I noticed some Emirate men approaching the table with the businessmen. They seemed to be having a late dinner meeting. I asked the waiter for my bill, once it arrived I paid immediately and made sure to leave a good tip. I went back to room, watched some television until I fell asleep.

Staircase down to restaurant areas

The next day, I decided that I would go to the grand mosque. I ate the complimentary fruits and had water as my breakfast. I took a long bath to make sure I enjoy and savor that bathroom. It was so nice!  I got dressed into my long sleeve shirt, skirt and made sure to cover my head. I wasn't sure if I'd be allowed to go in with my hair out. Before I left, I made sure to take some more pictures and take a look outside before I left.

Pick up

The next day, I woke up early because of anxiousness of thinking will I get my phone call soon. I went outside  to the balcony to feel the hot breeze. I had also washed by hand some of my clothes the night before. I had put them out to dry on the balcony rails and chairs. It was WAY too expensive to have the hotel do it so I did it myself. The was a breeze that was so warm as the sun was beaming hot rays onto my skin. I took all of my clothes down and went back inside. I watched some television, the cartoons and music videos were very interesting. I like to try and do new things so I enjoyed the new experience of watching the foreign music videos. I saw the Arabic sword dances and lots of Moroccan videos. As the time passed, I realized maybe the phone call wouldn't come. Finally, my phone rang! I answered it quickly to Omar from ADEC immediately apologizing. He said he had forgot me and was having a man name Ahmed pick me up at 14:00. I was so happy! I had everything ready so I just made some final checks to make sure I didn't forget anything.

I got a call a little before 14:00 by Ahmed that he was in route he told me he'd be there soon. Once he arrived, he grabbed my luggage to put into the van. I got in and realized I was by myself. I didn't like that idea at all but I had my phone with me just in case.

Saying "deuces"

 The ride was very quiet and long. The driver tried to make small talk but I wasn't interested in talking to him at all. I was afraid if I spoke to him that he'd become too friendly. During the drive, I took pictures hoping to take one of some camels but to no avail. I didn't see a single camel on our two hour drive. Once I got home I realized all of my pictures looked the same. Sand, sand and more sand. The most interesting  thing to look at were the trees.   

 After an hour had passed, the driver needed to make a stop at the gas station. He asked if I wanted anything, I said no thank you. He shrugged like, oh well and went in. He came back pretty quickly and seemed to drive at a faster pace. We arrived in Abu Dhabi!! He got lost trying to find the hotel. He asked several people for directions until he decided to call for help. He was able to call Omar who helped him get there. As we pulled up, I nearly gasped at how beautiful this hotel appeared!