I awoke exceptionally early to the realisation that I was too ill to travel. Telling sister Pam the bad news that she may have to travel alone to Switzerland was difficult but I just didn't feel I could get on a plane. Luckily we weren't flying until the following day so I put off calling the airline and making a change.
Stupidly I didn't get a medical certificate from the Dr the night before to allow me to stay home from work so at 7.30am Pam and I set off for my school. I sign in and introduce Pam to some of the staff. As I'm working she helps decorate the door and puts up some posters in my classroom.
I'd been told that I could sign in and leave by 10am. Yeah right! I'm feeling lousy (to put it mildly) so I check if we can leave. The response is 12 noon Inshallah! Allah may be willing but I'm not prepared to wait that long. At 10.30 I attempt to leave and tell the Principal I have a plane to catch. We head outside to the rental car to find the gates shut and the security guard standing in front of them telling us we can't leave without a paper from the Principal. She is standing at the door and I've just 'okayed' it with her but back inside I go to get the requisite paper then we are allowed to exit the compound (or prison as sister Pam begins to refer to it as).
First stop is Emirates airline to find out what the story is if I can't fly in the morning. No problem, says the man as he coughs all over me. It must be catching as another customer sounds worse than me. Take some medicine and get on the plane. No wonder bird flu and suchlike spreads around the world so quickly! But I am reassured to find that I have until 1am tomorrow to change my ticket if need be.
Instead of the much needed sleep my body craves we head off to Marina Mall to have a look around, ending up with a wonderful lunch and drink in the observation cafe. From here we had a fabulous view out over the Arabian Gulf and back over the Corniche to Abu Dhabi.
Suitably awed we head off to our next destination - Emirates Palace Hotel. Once again we are wowed by the glitter and glamour of this amazing hotel as we wander around and check out the art works on display, priceless treasures from the Ming Dynasty.
Our next destination is our high tea, and I mean high! I'd booked a Groupon voucher for this at the new Etihad Towers opposite the Palace Hotel. We both had fabulous clothes to wear for this special event but as we'd come straight from work we were still in casual clothing. Oh well! Let's bluff our way in. As we enter the hotel we find ourselves on a floor of well dressed businessmen and women. Feeling under-dressed we ask for directions to the observation deck restaurant. We are escorted through the building into a corner where a receptionist ushers us to a lift hidden in the corner. Obviously it is difficult to access the floor where we are going. She shoos us into the lift and while standing outside presses the button to floor 74! I nearly die. Pam laughs at the expression on my face - priceless! I had no idea it was so high up that we were going.
We exit the lift and are greeted by more staff and shown to our booked table by the window. What an amazing view. A reservation card with my name on it is waiting for us. We are seated, offered a hot towel and sit back to enjoy the treat. Looking around we're pleased to see that most others on this floor are casually dressed and are there more for the view than anything.
Our three tiered tray arrives and we sample the delicious morsels of food. What to start with, decisions, decisions?
Another wow moment in Abu Dhabi.
As we were unable to eat all the sweet treats I ask for a doggy bag to take it home. After about 20 minutes (while I'm silently dying up there) I call the waitress over and ask what it taking so long. Pam and I had joked that they'd had to go out and buy a bag to put it in. Well we were right, they'd had to send out for a box to put the food in. After 30 minutes it finally arrived. But wait, it gets even better. Along with the box comes a form - a waiver form saying I'll not hold them responsible for me taking food away. I had to put what I was taking and why. It was like signing your life away.
Another only in Abu Dhabi moment.
While we were waiting for this we checked out the bathrooms. This is becoming a pastime of ours and I couldn't resist a few snaps.
Finally we head home to a well earned sleep to see what the morning will bring. Setting the alarm for 2am I crash by 8pm.
I'm relieved to say that I got up, dosed myself up with medicine and caught a taxi at 3.30am downtown to catch the Emirates bus to Dubai to begin the next leg of our journey.
Stupidly I didn't get a medical certificate from the Dr the night before to allow me to stay home from work so at 7.30am Pam and I set off for my school. I sign in and introduce Pam to some of the staff. As I'm working she helps decorate the door and puts up some posters in my classroom.
I'd been told that I could sign in and leave by 10am. Yeah right! I'm feeling lousy (to put it mildly) so I check if we can leave. The response is 12 noon Inshallah! Allah may be willing but I'm not prepared to wait that long. At 10.30 I attempt to leave and tell the Principal I have a plane to catch. We head outside to the rental car to find the gates shut and the security guard standing in front of them telling us we can't leave without a paper from the Principal. She is standing at the door and I've just 'okayed' it with her but back inside I go to get the requisite paper then we are allowed to exit the compound (or prison as sister Pam begins to refer to it as).
First stop is Emirates airline to find out what the story is if I can't fly in the morning. No problem, says the man as he coughs all over me. It must be catching as another customer sounds worse than me. Take some medicine and get on the plane. No wonder bird flu and suchlike spreads around the world so quickly! But I am reassured to find that I have until 1am tomorrow to change my ticket if need be.
Instead of the much needed sleep my body craves we head off to Marina Mall to have a look around, ending up with a wonderful lunch and drink in the observation cafe. From here we had a fabulous view out over the Arabian Gulf and back over the Corniche to Abu Dhabi.
Suitably awed we head off to our next destination - Emirates Palace Hotel. Once again we are wowed by the glitter and glamour of this amazing hotel as we wander around and check out the art works on display, priceless treasures from the Ming Dynasty.
Our next destination is our high tea, and I mean high! I'd booked a Groupon voucher for this at the new Etihad Towers opposite the Palace Hotel. We both had fabulous clothes to wear for this special event but as we'd come straight from work we were still in casual clothing. Oh well! Let's bluff our way in. As we enter the hotel we find ourselves on a floor of well dressed businessmen and women. Feeling under-dressed we ask for directions to the observation deck restaurant. We are escorted through the building into a corner where a receptionist ushers us to a lift hidden in the corner. Obviously it is difficult to access the floor where we are going. She shoos us into the lift and while standing outside presses the button to floor 74! I nearly die. Pam laughs at the expression on my face - priceless! I had no idea it was so high up that we were going.
We exit the lift and are greeted by more staff and shown to our booked table by the window. What an amazing view. A reservation card with my name on it is waiting for us. We are seated, offered a hot towel and sit back to enjoy the treat. Looking around we're pleased to see that most others on this floor are casually dressed and are there more for the view than anything.
Our three tiered tray arrives and we sample the delicious morsels of food. What to start with, decisions, decisions?
Another wow moment in Abu Dhabi.
As we were unable to eat all the sweet treats I ask for a doggy bag to take it home. After about 20 minutes (while I'm silently dying up there) I call the waitress over and ask what it taking so long. Pam and I had joked that they'd had to go out and buy a bag to put it in. Well we were right, they'd had to send out for a box to put the food in. After 30 minutes it finally arrived. But wait, it gets even better. Along with the box comes a form - a waiver form saying I'll not hold them responsible for me taking food away. I had to put what I was taking and why. It was like signing your life away.
Another only in Abu Dhabi moment.
While we were waiting for this we checked out the bathrooms. This is becoming a pastime of ours and I couldn't resist a few snaps.
Finally we head home to a well earned sleep to see what the morning will bring. Setting the alarm for 2am I crash by 8pm.
I'm relieved to say that I got up, dosed myself up with medicine and caught a taxi at 3.30am downtown to catch the Emirates bus to Dubai to begin the next leg of our journey.
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