Our departure from India marked a turning point in our trip--from Asia to Europe. At the last minute, we decided to stop in the Middle East on the way. While Dubai is a more popular destination than Abu Dhabi, we were swayed by the idea of avoiding the crowds and commotion in the United Arab Emirates' other great city. While in Thailand, we had watched the news of the grand opening of the Abu Dhabi Louvre and knew that there were some great mosques in town. As we didn't know whether we would enjoy UAE and we were in a hurry to fly to Greece and begin our European adventure, we only booked a quick stop of two nights and one day.

The Emirates lie at the southeastern corner of the Arabian Peninsula, between Saudi Arabia and Oman. Of a population of nearly 10 million people, only 1.5 million are Emirati citizens; the rest are expats. The country is very modern and very cosmopolitan. We were really charmed by our time in Abu Dhabi, from the moment we were whisked from the airport to our hotel in the Corniche (at speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour; it's a thing) to being dropped off at dawn a couple of days later. Temperatures can reach 50 degrees Celsius in the summer, but the weather was positively Mediterranean when we arrived. This is a seaside town after all and the pace of life is leisurely and enjoyable.

Our first night, we found a terrific Lebanese family restaurant and had our first real Middle Eastern meal. After more than twenty countries on our itinerary, the food in Abu Dhabi still ranks as one of the best. The tea in India was a real treat, but the mint tea in UAE was a refreshing change. Thus fueled by hummus, shawarma, falafel and tea, we were ready for a fun-packed day at sunrise. In one of those delightfully unexpected moments that we've come to enjoy on this trip, we turned on our hotel television to catch some local news, only to tune into a live broadcast of a camel race. The two of us sat at the end of the bed giggling like children, mesmerized by the sight. It's safe to say that we'll always remember this moment and have now added camel racing to the list of activities we'd like to experience more fully in the future.

Instead of taking a car directly to the museum, we decided to ride the public bus. We headed off toward the bus terminal, walking around the city in the growing heat and experiencing daily life at the ground level. In addition to scenes of people's routines, we've come to love grocery stores around the world and make a point of stopping in one in every country we visit. Abu Dhabi has some of the most international shops we've seen, which reflects the role of UAE as a hub for the Middle East, Africa, Europe and Asia.
 

When our bus arrived at the Louvre, the largest art museum in the Arabian peninsula, we found ourselves in front of a low-slung, modern building, surrounded by a turquoise sea. The collection inside is seriously impressive, yet the crowds are still manageable. One of Jona's favorite paintings, "A Young Emir Studying" by Osman Hamdy Bey, was on display, as well as works by Gauguin, Magritte and other pieces on loan from the Louvre mothership in Paris. Leonardo da Vinci's "Salvator Mundi," the most expensive painting ever sold, is also on display. The building itself is a work of art, from the materials used to the design of the outside courtyard. 

With an eye on the clock, we jumped into a taxi and headed to the Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque, an incredible structure that looks like it has sprung from the pages of the "Arabian Nights." Our driver informed us that we were about to visit one of the largest mosques in the world on a Friday, which is an important day of worship for Muslims. The building can hold up to 40,000 people, but, he laughed, there wouldn't be that many people on this day. As with any faith, the busiest days are the special occasions. He also told Jona that she would have to cover her hair and maybe wear an Abaya, which she could borrow from a kiosk near the entrance.

We found the kiosk as soon as we entered the security check and within no time Jona was suitably attired in a blue Abaya, a long cloak-like hoodie, while I felt oddly under-dressed. Our timing couldn't have been better: the sun was setting and the mosque looked stunning. As we lined up with other visitors--mainly local and regional tourists--we listened to the call to prayer and watched men rushing across the massive courtyard to make it in time. After months of temples and pagodas, we were still in thrall to Islamic art and architecture, even after visiting the Taj Mahal, the most magnificent of them all. The Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, named after the late and beloved Sheik Zayed, is a modern structure in the ancient tradition, ranking with some of the most impressive buildings we have seen on our travels.

Of course, by the time we reached our hotel a couple of hours later, we wished we were staying longer. I don't think we could have planned a better first experience of the Middle East. We were thoroughly charmed by the Emiratis and their culture. Our trip left us longing for more and in fact swayed our decision to travel to Egypt. We had been on the fence about it, because we were pretty exhausted at this point, but we had both dreamed of visiting the pyramids since childhood. Traveling to Abu Dhabi airport in the cold pink dawn, through empty streets, we realized that a whole new part of the world had revealed itself to us. Despite the constant negative news stories to which we are exposed, the countries of Arabia are well worth exploring. Not only did we feel safe, we felt lucky that we did not miss out on this wonderful experience. I have no doubt that our future travels will include Lebanon and Israel someday. Sometimes, when I close my eyes, I feel like I'm still rushing around Abu Dhabi at breakneck speeds and loving the sensation. Now, if only I can find camel racing on the TV when we arrive back home.