Luxerious a reoocuring adjective here in the Unitd Arab Emirates, and Abu Dhabi does not fail to impress. After going to the Grand Mosque, we headed to Emirates Palace, a BEAUTIFUL seven-star luxury hotel that, literally, looks like a castle. Although I was not able to go into any of the rooms , I hear that many of the suits are furnished in gold and marble, and there is even an entire floor dedicated to Emirati royality and dignitaries. To a poor college student, this type of wealth is unfathomable! Nevertheless, I tried my hand at the royal life with some of the best cheesecake I have ever had in my life, and a gold-dusted cappuccino. Gold-platted seems like the only way to do cutlery here, so along with the gold flakes on my cheesecake and cappuccino, I swear the utensils were also gold. The hotel even has the world’s first gold vending machine in the lobby. That’s right folks, I said a gold vending machine where you put in your credit card and you can get gold dispensed to you as if you were getting a coca cola. I am starting to learn to always expect the unexpected here in the United Arab Emirates and that nothing is too luxurious or outrageous here.

Our first stop was the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, which is the largest mosque in the UAE. I have been to my fair share of beautiful churches, from the eastern orthodox churches in Greece, to the catholic masterpieces of southern Germany, but after seeing this beautiful piece of artwork, I have determined that the Muslims seriously know how to build a place of worship! Named after by the late president of the United Arab Emirates, His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Sulta Al Nahyan, also known as the father of the UAE, it is said that the mosque truly unites the world since it used both artisans and materials from countries all over the world. Everything from the pearly white marble, to the colorful semi-precious stones and chandeliers, the Grand Mosque was breathe-taking.

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When we arrived, the women had to go into a separate area so that we could put on the black Abaja that they provided us, along with the headscarf. Honestly, that just added to the whole experience! I loved being able to put on traditional clothing and walk around the beautiful mosque! We wer guided by an Emirati woman who gave us a new look into Islamic culture and practice, including an explination of the eriee and mysterious call to prayer, which to this day will give me goosebumps.

Although not the most famous of cities in the United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, should not be overlooked. It is located about 1.5 hours from Dubai and is home to the iconc structures of the UAE, including the Grand Mosque and the famous hotel, the Emirate Palace. Although it is the second largest city in regards to population behind Dubai, the Emirate of Abu Dhai is the largest of the seven emerates, and is also the richest. the houses the important offices ofhe federal government, and is the home for the Abu Dhabi Emiri Family, as well as the President of the UAE. The city has had rapid genderfication and urbanisation projects with the help of the extremely wealthy residents and has turned into a cosmopolitan metropolis. The city alone accounts for over 50% of the total GDP of the entire United Arab Emirates. Thanks to my chaperon's I was taken on a day trip from Dubai to the heart of Abu Dhabi.

 

I really did enjoy Abu Dhabi, but I am really happy that I decided to stay in Dubai instead. The city is not meant for someone like me on a student backpacker's budget. The luxury is a part of the Emirati experience, and in a lot of ways, I felt slightly left out of the real authentic Emirati parts of the culture, not just in terms of the status of my bank accounts, or that I wil come out of school with nearly $20,000.00 worth of student loan debt, but mainly because this outlandish lifestyle is completely and totally foreign to me. We inhabit two entirly different worlds that, on a rare occation, will come together and realize that we don't have very much in common. Nevertheless, living like princess has been my life goal since age three, so at least I now know where to go when I want to pursue this career full time.