Hello and goodbye Abu Dhabi

We are now sitting at the airport again after our short stopover in Abu Dhabi and waiting for the flight to Brisbane, and we have more than enough time.

Upon arrival and after passport control and a reception for all travelers with tea and small sweets, as well as a dancing and singing group of men who performed Arabic dances, we took the bus to the city, where we occasionally had the impression that we may have taken a wrong turn with the plane and instead landed in India.

Our 4☆ hotel was the icing on the cake. We had a pool that is in the sun all day and the refreshment is about the same as jumping into the Dead Sea, a fitness center with a view of the city, and most importantly, a functioning air conditioning, all for two nights for two people at a price of 70 euros. We pay almost double for our four-person room in Auckland.

The next afternoon, highly motivated and full of plans, we wanted to explore some things on foot to get an impression of the city. What was noticeable was that we were pretty much the only idiots who decided to sleep in and start the sightseeing tour at 41 degrees at noon. In the end, we gave up after 5 hours.
In these 5 hours, we actually managed to go to the water, which amounted to a total distance of maybe one kilometer. We took a break in every tiny bit of shade. So for people like us who can't handle the heat, the city is definitely not for us.

Life in Abu Dhabi can only be tolerated after sunset, and suddenly the city is packed. It's really not recognizable that Abu Dhabi is a capital city. It's super quiet, and we didn't hear any police, fire department, and only one ambulance the entire time, which would be unthinkable in any other capital city. The people are more laid back, which is certainly due to the temperatures. It's also very clean. The staring of the locals was unpleasant, even though I followed the dress code, which is to cover shoulders and knees.

It was also unusual how attentive the cars drive without honking and paying attention to others. After vacationing in France, it's a dream. It's no longer a matter of luck to cross the street alive. The bus connections are also good and cheap, as well as the food.

We will hopefully land in Auckland on Thursday at 2 p.m. German time.