Marhaba Arabia!
24-26 August
Dubai / Abu Dhabi
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
We agreed on Monday (21 August) to go to Dubai for the weekend so we prepared all the necessary documents, including my visa application requirements for Canada (in case we'd have time to go to Abu Dhabi where the embassy is located). On Wednesday, ex-roommie wanted to back out, saying that we might as well go the following week. I don't like planning something then not executing so I contacted my cousin in Abu Dhabi and told him that I would like to go there on 25 August (just to apply for the visa). He agreed so I told ex-roommie that I'd be going to Abu Dhabi since she was not keen on going to Dubai anyway. She panicked and asked me to wait for her decision until Thursday morning (Thursday morning?! If we're going to Dubai, we should be leaving on Thursday night!) Anyway, at 10am on Thursday morning, we decided we'd go to Dubai together and go to Abu Dhabi the following day where they'd leave me to stay with my cousin.
We were bumped off twice before getting on the last flight. Dubai is just an hour's flight from Doha though an hour earlier. Our flight was delayed for about 45 minutes and so we arrived in Dubai at almost midnight and we still had a 45-minute drive to Emirates Hills where we'd be staying for the night. Ex-roommie's sister lives there and she prepared a very nice room for us, almost like a hotel room complete with amenities...and more.
Visa on arrival is available for GCC residents in the managerial level of employment and with at least 1 year residency in the Gulf. Since it was my first time to go there, I was afraid I won't be given visa or will be held at the immigration for questioning, though my officemates told me that I won't have any problem at all as I am an officer, still I was nervous. Well, they were right, there was no need for worries as I got the visa on arrival. I paid Dhs102.
In the morning, ex-roommie's sister prepared a breakfast that she said was specially made so for people from Doha--bacon(!) and eggs. Porky, porky! Heheh. Then we went around the city after a while, going to the Jumeira Beach and then to the condo unit that they have recently purchased at Dhs2M (around Php30M! Yay!).
From Dubai, we drove through the vast desert region and reached Abu Dhabi in about one hour and 30 minutes. We had lunch at Zen restaurant located at Al Ain Palace Hotel. Afterwards, I met my cousin and aunt (my father's sister) at the Al Noor Hospital where they work as nurses (though my aunt works at Mafraq but is currently the sheikh's private nurse). My cousin toured me around the city pointing out the places of significance but I was not in tour mood because of the heat (43C) so we ended up at the Marina Mall where it was more comfortable. We went to their place later and had chicken shawarma (Abu Dhabi style---too much chicken!) for merienda and then beef tapa for dinner.
The following morning, I went back to the hospital to meet my aunt who wanted to accompany me to the Canadian Embassy located at the Abu Dhabi Trade Towers (west wing of the Abu Dhabi Mall). We submitted the application (Dhs480) and was asked to just come back at 230pm. (Whoa! Efficient service huh!) We went to my aunt's flat for lunch and she cooked yummy tilapia and served calamansi juice. What's special about the juice is the fact that they came from the Palace. Haha!
Speaking in Arabic, my aunt arranged a taxi ride for me from her flat to the airport. The agreement was we'd call the driver 30 minutes before I planned to leave. Unfortunately, my aunt lost his number, but fortunately still, the driver came even without us calling him. Hehe.
The airport was a 45-minute drive from my aunt's place but it took me an hour to arrive at the airport since the driver was driving at a leisurely speed. He enjoyed my company too much that he even asked me to go out with him for snack before we went straight to the airport! Ngek! (Oh yes, kahit dito, security guards and taxi drivers pa rin ang target market ko! Haha!)
At the airport, the duty officer told me that the flight was full and that I could try again 2 days later when the flights would be open. I almost fell for her joke and the other staff were laughing hard at my expression. Hmp! Crazy people. Haha. I only had a problem with the cork remover I bought so I was held at customs and they confiscated it. A little drama here and another sad face there, the customs officer returned my cork remover and asked the duty officer to put it in as checked-in 'baggage.' Luckily, I introduced myself as crew earlier so the duty officer helped me get it on the flight by checking it in---yep, just that one piece! Hehe.
Dubai / Abu Dhabi
UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
We agreed on Monday (21 August) to go to Dubai for the weekend so we prepared all the necessary documents, including my visa application requirements for Canada (in case we'd have time to go to Abu Dhabi where the embassy is located). On Wednesday, ex-roommie wanted to back out, saying that we might as well go the following week. I don't like planning something then not executing so I contacted my cousin in Abu Dhabi and told him that I would like to go there on 25 August (just to apply for the visa). He agreed so I told ex-roommie that I'd be going to Abu Dhabi since she was not keen on going to Dubai anyway. She panicked and asked me to wait for her decision until Thursday morning (Thursday morning?! If we're going to Dubai, we should be leaving on Thursday night!) Anyway, at 10am on Thursday morning, we decided we'd go to Dubai together and go to Abu Dhabi the following day where they'd leave me to stay with my cousin.
We were bumped off twice before getting on the last flight. Dubai is just an hour's flight from Doha though an hour earlier. Our flight was delayed for about 45 minutes and so we arrived in Dubai at almost midnight and we still had a 45-minute drive to Emirates Hills where we'd be staying for the night. Ex-roommie's sister lives there and she prepared a very nice room for us, almost like a hotel room complete with amenities...and more.
Visa on arrival is available for GCC residents in the managerial level of employment and with at least 1 year residency in the Gulf. Since it was my first time to go there, I was afraid I won't be given visa or will be held at the immigration for questioning, though my officemates told me that I won't have any problem at all as I am an officer, still I was nervous. Well, they were right, there was no need for worries as I got the visa on arrival. I paid Dhs102.
In the morning, ex-roommie's sister prepared a breakfast that she said was specially made so for people from Doha--bacon(!) and eggs. Porky, porky! Heheh. Then we went around the city after a while, going to the Jumeira Beach and then to the condo unit that they have recently purchased at Dhs2M (around Php30M! Yay!).
From Dubai, we drove through the vast desert region and reached Abu Dhabi in about one hour and 30 minutes. We had lunch at Zen restaurant located at Al Ain Palace Hotel. Afterwards, I met my cousin and aunt (my father's sister) at the Al Noor Hospital where they work as nurses (though my aunt works at Mafraq but is currently the sheikh's private nurse). My cousin toured me around the city pointing out the places of significance but I was not in tour mood because of the heat (43C) so we ended up at the Marina Mall where it was more comfortable. We went to their place later and had chicken shawarma (Abu Dhabi style---too much chicken!) for merienda and then beef tapa for dinner.The following morning, I went back to the hospital to meet my aunt who wanted to accompany me to the Canadian Embassy located at the Abu Dhabi Trade Towers (west wing of the Abu Dhabi Mall). We submitted the application (Dhs480) and was asked to just come back at 230pm. (Whoa! Efficient service huh!) We went to my aunt's flat for lunch and she cooked yummy tilapia and served calamansi juice. What's special about the juice is the fact that they came from the Palace. Haha!
Speaking in Arabic, my aunt arranged a taxi ride for me from her flat to the airport. The agreement was we'd call the driver 30 minutes before I planned to leave. Unfortunately, my aunt lost his number, but fortunately still, the driver came even without us calling him. Hehe.
The airport was a 45-minute drive from my aunt's place but it took me an hour to arrive at the airport since the driver was driving at a leisurely speed. He enjoyed my company too much that he even asked me to go out with him for snack before we went straight to the airport! Ngek! (Oh yes, kahit dito, security guards and taxi drivers pa rin ang target market ko! Haha!)
At the airport, the duty officer told me that the flight was full and that I could try again 2 days later when the flights would be open. I almost fell for her joke and the other staff were laughing hard at my expression. Hmp! Crazy people. Haha. I only had a problem with the cork remover I bought so I was held at customs and they confiscated it. A little drama here and another sad face there, the customs officer returned my cork remover and asked the duty officer to put it in as checked-in 'baggage.' Luckily, I introduced myself as crew earlier so the duty officer helped me get it on the flight by checking it in---yep, just that one piece! Hehe.
