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Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital Tour: In close quarters with birds of prey
Wearing a long white robe and a head-cover, a young Emirati man with a stubble is introducing the bygone nomadic life of his ancestors. He, the guide, and we, the tourists, stand forming a circle. At the centre of the human ring is a glass showcase with several sculpted falcons. I am in Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital—a government hospital dedicated to the treatment and upkeep of falcons. Established in 1999 as a government subsidized falcon veterinary centre, eventually it delved deeper into research and development of medicines. In 2006 the falcon hospital was capable of providing care to all species of birds. In 2007 it opened a facility to provide…
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The Abu Dhabi Skyline: From the skyscrapers to the Corniche
While my car darts through the Capital Centre neighbourhood in Abu Dhabi city, I come by an architectural marvel that challenges physics. The Capital Gate Building is a 35-storey record-breaking structure that leans 18 degree to the west. It is more than four times the current incline of the Leaning Tower of Pisa in Italy. Apart from the Hyatt Hotel, the building houses several offices. I also wheel past Al Bateen, an upscale neighbourhood where the current residential palace of the ruler of Abu Dhabi is located. Like the citizens, the royals, though extremely active on social fronts, are exceptionally private people. My guide informs me that one out of…
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Qasr Al Hosn: Through a tourist’s perspective
Abu Dhabi takes its high rises quite seriously. I am waiting for my guide Georgette who has gone to arrange my tickets and secure my entry to Qasr Al Hosn — the oldest stone building in the city of Abu Dhabi. I stand on one of the broad pavements adjacent to this national monument. A huddle of skyscrapers surrounds me. I crane my neck up trying to count the number of floors, a seemingly impossible task. An unfamiliar booming noise sends me limping a few feet away for cover. My ears ring and in a few seconds I conjure up horrible thoughts of never seeing my loved ones again. A…
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Wahat Al Karama: The Oasis of Dignity in Abu Dhabi
In a shallow patch of water, barely ankle-deep, an inverted reflection of the pristine white Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque wavers under the late afternoon Sun. Georgette, my guide, informs me that the artificial freshwater pool is drained and refilled every day at 5 PM except during this time of the year—Ramadan. I am at Wahat Al Karama, which means ‘Oasis of Dignity’, a monument dedicated to United Arab Emirates’s heroes who lost their lives on duty— the country’s first war memorial. The site is across the street from the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, deliberately constructed close to the mosque so that the departed souls of young men and women to…
