Monday, October 25, 2010

United Arab Emirates

Radhika had a class to go to in Abu Dhabi from September 25 to October 2nd for GE, so I decided to go along, as the Middle East is not strong on our radar of places to visit. It seemed like a good way to at least check out the area to discern if there was any reason to return one day for a deeper look.

We had a mid-morning flight out of Amsterdam, arriving in Abu Dhabi in the late afternoon after connecting in Paris. The hotel GE had her staying at was the OnetoOne Village. It's a little on the outskirts of the city center, but by taxi it's only 15 minutes at a cost of 4 to 5 euros. The first room had a dirty bathroom, so we asked to change rooms. The next day we encountered more problems, and while Radhika was at her class I moved our belongings to the upgraded suite, courtesy of the manager. We had numerous problems within the first 14 hours, so the upgrade and breakfast buffet was the least management could do considering this was supposed to be a top-notch property.

Summer was giving way to fall, but I couldn't be convinced of that. Over 100f degrees/40c degrees every day with little cloud cover. At midday the streets and outdoor public places were deserted, except for one dope with a camera. Shade, any shade, was more precious than a peanut butter sandwich. I have never been so heavily drenched in sweat outside of a sauna! I seriously considered dancing through a children's water park that I came across while photographing the downtown area. I stood there (in the shade, of course) looking at the cool water spraying out of the caterpillar, palm tree, and from the ground, and considered how uncomfortable I would be walking around the city soaked for the next odd number of minutes until I air dried. I eventually decided against it, but the margin was very close!

If the city were a cake than construction cranes would be the icing. I have never seen so many cranes (until we went to Dubai on Friday). I believe I read somewhere that 70% of the worlds construction cranes are in the middle east or perhaps just in the UAE! I can believe that. There are many buildings in various stages of construction, all due to the fact that they have the wealth now, knowing that it is finite, and are trying to develop the place for tourism in the future when the proverbial and literal well runs dry. But it seems they are making it only as a place for the rich and well to do. It may be the first place I have been where my interest was not engaged too deeply. As far as natural things to do, there's a desert safari. But after just doing that in Namibia, revving up a 4X4 through soft sand or being bounced around in one was about as appealing to me as a body waxing. I looked at the online offerings from searches, "what to do" in Abu Dhabi, and there was nothing of interest for me other than the sleek, new construction. The Ferrari Experience would open in a month, and a F-1 race also occurred in November, but that didn't help me now. So, I would do my morning swim, eat breakfast, and head out to the usual starting point near the Marina Mall. From there I had many subjects within reasonable reach, strategic locations to cool off, and meander into the downtown area. I had to be careful with respect to the big temperature changes between the air conditioned 22 to 25 degree Dunkin Donuts for a smoothie and 42+ degree outdoors, as condensation would "dew up" my equipment and that's never a digital camera's friend. Before I would leave the hotel room in the morning, I would place my camera bag outside for 20 minutes so it slowly acclimated to the warm temperature. I wasn't always successful at this, as the images made at the Grand Masque illustrates. Going inside the cold mosque and then out into the hot early evening could not be avoided. Luckily my equipment cleared rather quickly because the cold, dry air didn't have time to penetrate deeply into the camera/lens material. And the effect bore interesting, ethereal results as you can see from the pictures in the album.

We went out one night with a group of some of Radhika's fellow classmates. There were people from different parts of the world. It was a nice dinner place in Abu Dhabi, one of the most upscale restaurants in the city. I enjoyed some sushi, but not being a huge fan I had other items off the menu that were good, and was the only one to order (ahead of time) the chocolate soufflé. Great move on my part if I do say so, because it was toe curling good! I offered a taste of it and a little envy crossed their face at not having one of their own. There were at least two dance places in this complex where the restaurant was located, so we checked them both out. Very top scale, and we stayed at the 2nd one for most of the evening. It was subdued and quiet, at first, and then more people came in and the music started pumping. It was an odd clientele, and there was a sense of some in the female crowd that they were there for "curious" reasons. That's all I will say about that. Anyway, a fairly good time, but for me at least, as most of these things go, I could've split an hour or so before we actually decided to leave. One in our party was really hammered, and Radhika and I helped this person get along. The place was so vast we had trouble finding an exit. Back and forth we went on different floors until we found someone to ask and we escaped to a taxi. We tried to take this person to their place, but they couldn't muster the power to inform us where they lived, so after pulling the taxi over when our driving back and forth in what was thought to be their neighborhood was over, we took them back to our hotel where we luckily had a separate room and a big couch where they would crash. Of course the taxi, persons clothes, and parts of Radhika's and my clothing were a little "soiled", and the taxi driver was given extra above his fare for "cleaning fees". Wasn't the right night for me to where white slacks and a white shirt! After washing the stains out of our clothes in the sink we went to bed as they had a class in the morning. Our guest slept thru the night and was a little late to class after going home for a cleanup and clothing change. Like oh so many Daytona Beach Spring Breaks I experienced in my younger days.

Something that is quite unique for the UAE is that Emirate Nationals make up only 14% of the population! That means the other 86% are foreigners. The majority of those come from two places, the Philippines and the Indian subcontinent. The former are found primarily in restaurants and stores, basically the service industries, where the latter proliferate on construction sites. The native population is basically well off financially. The government meets healthcare, retirement, education, and the entire social needs. There doesn't seem to be much to worry about if you belong to that 14%. I did not see one Emirati driving anything close to a Kia! As a matter-of-fact, I think all of the Hummers that smart Americans dumped over the past 3 to 4 years ended up over here where gasoline is as abundant as sand. Also, apparently one must be careful with their interactions with local females. We were in the mall, and as we passed what appeared to be two young Emirati females, one smiled and looked at me for more than a passing moment. I smiled back, which is when I received the warning from Radhika (and NOT the one you think). I was informed that cultural differences could cause a misunderstanding with members of her family by my smile or attention. My reply was basically "She started it!” Radhika said she saw the woman's behavior, but me being a visitor and her a citizen, it would be better to show restraint in being friendly. I guess that can be true as this is a place where holding hands in public is about as tolerant as it gets. Dubai is more liberal due to the higher flow of tourism that it sees, but Abu Dhabi is still a little tighter on cultural matters. So...no more smiles in return to the Abu Dhabi chickies from me!! Radhika and I continued our walk around the mall, in search of a place to eat. We asked a gentleman at an information counter if there were any restaurants with outside seating, as we didn’t want to just sit in what was a fairly empty mall. He gave me a look that didn't require words, but offered them anyway. "We don't have anything outside." Now, that look and inflection means everything in this story, because the American version would've been something like "Are you f'ing crazy!? The food would cook as it sat on your plate! If you want to salt it you just lean in and let your sweat do the job!!" Too much? Don't be squeamish, it's only to convey how damned hot it was outside, and how oblivious I was to dinner + outdoors = miserable. Days later in Dubai, we saw restaurants with tables outside at the Dubai Mall, and Radhika asked me if I wanted to sit outside! I borrowed that expressive look from that guy back in Abu Dhabi and asked "Are you serious? No way."

We spent only a few hours in Dubai, which lies 90 minutes north up the coast of Abu Dhabi. Just enough time to have a light dinner at the mall with one of Radhika's classmates, see the current worlds tallest building, and the Barj El Arab. Our flight took after a little after midnight from Abu Dhabi International, so we left Dubai via taxi in time to make the airport, and after spending the few dirhams left in our pockets on Twix bars and Emirate Dates, we boarded our crowded flight back to the place of drab, cloudy, rainy weather, pot-seeking/red light district visiting tourists, and increasingly more grumpy Dutch as the sun index decreases. Next trip? USA in November.

The album for this post can be found at:


http://www.photoshop.com/user/johndp/?rlang=en_US&trackingid=BTAGC&galleryid=1e983c37a0734383928674279d4a5b30&wf=sharegrid

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Africa - Part 14 (Cape Town and Departure)

The next morning we looked at the various options that would take us from Walvis Bay to Windhoek in time to square matters at the 4X4 rental and get to the airport in time for our late afternoon flight to Cape Town. From shuttles to buses to renting a car, the latter gave us the best option. After visiting several rental companies that were within walking distance from our hotel, we finally found one that actually had inventory. It was necessary to wear a hat to protect my repair work, as it was still windy outside, with sand and other debris flying around. The air quality seemed poor, and we were told that yesterday’s sand storm was the worst experienced in a long time. Just our luck! We got some breakfast and were then on the road. Radhika seemed a little nervous for me, but I was okay driving, as yesterday’s accident didn’t seem to leave me with any psychological scars or newfound fears. But I was a little more careful, as I could see the scrubby bushes along the side of the desert road bending at the mercy of the gusting winds.

We found our way to Aloe Car Rental after the 4-hour drive. We were already not happy with them due to what we perceived as their preoccupation with the state of the vehicle and the amount we owed them for the insurance, with little to no interest in our condition resulting from the accident. Radhika had told me that as I was getting my IV from the EMT, she was talking to the Aloe owner, who was telling her how much we owed them for the damage, without any inquiry or concern regarding our health. No class move there. After a brief shouting match between us and Hertie and Surita, the German owner and his wife, I said we were short on time and needed to get all the paper work done so we could get to the airport and make our flight. We still had to stop at the police station to make an accident report. The police station was supposedly along the route to the airport, but it did seem a little out of the way, and a long line waited for us as we (Surita, Hertie’s wife went with us) arrived. Surita was being non-complementary towards local law enforcement and I soon learned why. We skipped the long line as Surita explained that we were on our way to the airport and had to make a flight. The place was a madhouse, and the woman who was helping us (if you can call it that) ignored us, turned her back, talked with colleagues, and was loathe to answer questions. It was the worst encounter I have ever experienced with a law enforcement organization anywhere. It was embarrassing for them, the city, and the country. The accident report was a joke. We couldn’t get out of there soon enough. I told all of the people waiting in line I felt sorry for them as we left the building. Radhika was “shooshing” me all the way out. We had been told by the ambulance crew that the police in Windhoek were “lazy”, and indeed they are.

We parted ways with Surita and without delay made haste to the airport. Dropping off Radhika at departures, I was fortunate to be able to turn in the rental with relative ease. We both got on the flight with less than 10 minutes to spare. Any hiccup along the way would’ve meant another missed flight. We were happy to be out of Namibia and hoped our now even more abbreviated visit to Cape Town would wrap up the trip on a good note. Jan had already been there a day, but was relocating to where we had originally made reservations. She had arrived the day before, but her flight out of Windhoek had been delayed to where she didn’t touch down in Cape Town until close to midnight. By then she couldn’t pick up the rental car I had reserved or make it to the place we had reserved for our first night’s accommodation, so she got a place not far from the airport. We were picked up at Cape Town airport and taken to Acorn House, a B&B style house not far from Table Mountain. It was early evening, but we stayed in and enjoyed the atmosphere and relaxed a bit after our last 48 hours. We would get a fresh start the next morning.

After an early breakfast we went to the Cape Town waterfront. It is the nicest, prettiest city we would visit. We shopped a little and ate lunch before heading to the dock where the Robben Island tour departed from. This one of the main attractions to do here in Cape Town: a visit to where Nelson Mandela spent over two decades of his life. What a disappointment!! The ferry ride there and back was nice. From there you are put on a cramped bus and listen to a narrator drone on, make attempts at tasteless jokes, see little of interest, and waste precious time at the only stop made mostly so you can buy drinks or trinkets in a shop. We finally get to walk around with a group led by a former prisoner, and while part of that is interesting, much of it is not. I tried to stand close, as it was difficult to hear and understand his words when he spoke. There was also information on prisoners when we went into cellblocks, but were moved so quickly through it that one couldn’t take the time to read much about the history or people attached to this place. I got fed up and went out on my own for a while, reading what I wanted and making pictures. We were no more than cattle whisked from place to place with very limited time to absorb and enjoy. Awful treatment and management of such an important and solemn place. The three of us were sick with disappointment.

A cab took us to where we picked up our rental car, as we would be driving a couple of hours east to a small coastal town that was part of our original itinerary. We should be able to do some whale watching from shore and other relaxing activities. Jen had made the reservation, so she drove us all to Hermanus Bay. We arrived there in the evening after stopping at a service station for final directions to the B&B’s location. It was a really nice property located right on the coast. We just chilled out in the hotel and our rooms, with Jen retiring quite early. We stayed up several hours more reading and relaxing. The next morning we would eat breakfast and walk across the 2-lane road to the coast. There were rocks and boulders along the shore to scramble over, and a trail that was a nice walk with occasional rests on provided benches with views of the bay. We could see flukes and fins, hear the sound and see the spray as whales came up for air. When whales were sighted, a person armed with a horn, the Whale Crier, would blow his or her Kelp Horn, alerting people that whales were in the vicinity. It was pretty cool to hear that medium-pitched moan echo across the bay. The walk was peppered with great expansive views of the bay coupled with smaller “micro-worlds” of colorful flowers. We kept an eye on the time, as we had to be back in Cape Town that evening in time to return the car and get back to Acorn House. I wanted to make a slow drive back along the coast as I had read it was very beautiful, so we wrapped up our trailblazing and hopped in the car to head west along the coastal road.

We took some roads off the main one when the possibility of something promising appeared, sometimes rewarding us and other times deciding that it would be better to return to our known route as not to get confused or turned around. We stumbled upon a penguin sign, and following it led us to a neat little park where we paid a small entrance fee to check out the little stinkers. And boy do they ever! Good thing the wind was strong near the coast. We spent quite a while walking the wooden walkway built several meters above ground level that went all the way out almost to the tip of the rocks where water met land. They are clowns. They don’t appear to do much; it’s just that everything they do is funny. Just standing still, they are a riot. You can really make an imagined conversation between them with the way they look and interact. I’ll show you what I mean in the album that I put together for this post.
After our penguin encounter, we headed back for Cape Town, which wasn’t too far away now. We came in on the main highway, and along the perimeter of the highway were shantytowns, where hundreds of people lived. Just as in Johannesburg, it seemed straight out of “District 9”. I tried to fire off a few exposures from our speeding car. We easily found the rental place, turned in the car, and took a taxi to where we had dinner reservations. We first had drum lessons with a small group of other diners, and then ate dinner in a large room while a dancer and show entertained every 15 minutes, or so. It was late by the time we left the restaurant, so we almost immediately went to bed when we returned to the B&B. The next evening we would leave, but the morning would be spent at Table Mountain, our last adventure coming on the 13th of August, our 15th wedding anniversary.

Jen left before us for the mountain, as she wanted to hike up it. We were content to take the cable car up so we had breakfast and then had a cab take us up to the Table Mountain drop-off. We got our tickets and too the car up. As you elevate you also slowly rotate clockwise, so everyone gets to see all of the views. We walked around once at the top and then took a trail to a distant point that was a good hike across uneven terrain. Keeping an eye on time to get back to Acorn House for the ride to the airport, we left in plenty of time, getting a cab immediately upon returning to ground level. We got back to the B&B where there was a bit of a panic. Jen had called the airline to confirm our flight and was told that we were on an earlier flight (by about 90 minutes, I believe). How that mistake happened we still don’t know, but after checking with our travel agent the correct information was verified that we were on a later flight. Still, the drive to the airport was terrible as traffic was at a standstill. The manager at the Acorn House had informed us that it wouldn’t take long at all to go to the airport during the time of day we would be traveling. This was just another of the numerous small bumps and annoyances that occurred after our accident. We were hoping for a smooth time to finish up the trip, but little problems kept popping up. Like the first night we spent at Acorn House. We woke up the next morning in the cold! Seemed like the power went out to our room overnight so we had no heat. Then there was no hot water in the shower, so here I am walking across the property in a towel going to use a shower in an unoccupied room! The Robben Island disappointment, overcharging taxi driver - luckily time works in such a way that after only a week or two the memories that remain strongest are usually the pleasant ones. We did make the airport in plenty of time and arrived back into Amsterdam the morning of the 14th. It took about a month for the glue to completely disappear from my scalp, and just a little longer for the last remnant of a thorn to work it’s way out of the heel of my left foot that I picked up on the first day at Sesriem. Since returning, I did considerable research and discovered the accident and death rates in Namibia in general and especially the area where our accident occurred are very high. I’ve communicated with several Namibian authorities concerning the terrible lack of preventative measures industry, tourism, and the government take in order to alert and safeguard automobile travel there. Our rental agent, Aloe Car Hire, accepted no responsibility in providing us with any information or briefing on driving in the country. The owners were not even present when we picked up the vehicle, leaving duties to a person who had difficulty speaking English. I would strongly caution anyone visiting the country to take extra caution there. If I knew the accident and death rates, along with other advisories and warnings that some other car agents give to their clients, I would’ve taken added care while driving.
I’ve finished this story of our African adventure and am ready to go back any time. A great experience – a truly unique one from any other. I can say that Alaska (2000) and Norway (2008) were both beautiful and very similar. European cities do have their distinctive flavors, but similarities are there too. Africa (Botswana and Namibia) is almost a different planet. It’s not just the wildlife and game, but the people, landscape, the feeling you get by being there. So many times we said “When people say they’re in the middle of nowhere, this is what they really meant!” Namibia is the most sparsely populated country on the planet, and you can feel that in most places. The US is big, and driving across Kansas, through the Everglades, or so many other places where people are scarce is an experience, but what we felt in Africa was quite different and perhaps a little tricky to convey. But we would go there again, for sure. Jen is eyeballing Kenya next year…we’ll see.

The album for this post can be found at:
http://www.photoshop.com/user/johndp/?trackingid=BTAGC&rlang=en_US&wf=sharegrid&galleryid=26b3e5a857644ba1965196ce2cd82d4b