DAY NINETY ONE - The Eastern Mangrove Lagoon of Abu Dhabi

It was during my second day in the United Arab Emirates that I first glimpsed the mangrove lagoon. Cathy Harborow, the NYU Abu Dhabi Manager of Community Support, was taking me on a whirlwind tour of the city. After visiting the Grand Mosque our car sped up Salam Street on the eastern-most edge of the island city of Abu Dhabi, and as far as the eye could see were mangroves. I could not have been more surprised. Date palms I expected, and lots of sand, but mangroves? No.

Seeing my look, Cathy told me I was looking at the Eastern Mangrove Lagoon. And then she added the magic words, "you can go kayaking out there". I immediately started a mental list of Things I Want to Do While in Abu Dhabi, and first on that list was "Kayak in the Eastern Mangroves". 

I've lived in the Northeastern U.S. all my life, so mangroves are a novelty for me. The first time I saw them was only a few years ago when I went to Naples, FL, with my friend Susan for her Birthday Getaway. The hotel where we stayed had a lovely boardwalk that wound its way through a mangrove forest on the way to the beach. The second time I saw them was a half a year later when Doug and I went to Key West for vacation. We booked a half-day cruise which included paddling in a clear plastic kayak through mangrove islands. I found it exotic and fascinating. 

On the Florida Keys kayak trip Doug and I shared a kayak, and he steered. Yes, this is me trying to untangle ourselves from the mangroves. Need I say more?

When it came time to come up with ideas for Jeff's Christmas visit, I immediately thought this would be the perfect occasion to go on that kayaking trip in the Eastern Mangrove Lagoon. My goal for Jeff's visit was to have him experience the entire region: the cities and the countryside, the wide open deserts of the interior, and the shore and wetlands along the Arabian Gulf coast. 

I did some investigating and booked a 2-1/2 hour eco-tour with Noukhada Adventure Company because I liked the idea that all of us could learn about mangroves and their unique role in the ecosystem while having a nice paddle. When I called they gave me the option of single-seat kayaks or two-seaters. I said we'd all like our own kayak, please (see photo above). 

You've heard me whine about how challenging it is to find places in this country, especially if they're a bit off the beaten path. Well, this was another one of those challenges. The launch point, as best I could tell from the directions and map on the website, was off a highway on an unmarked dirt road. Doug's smartphone said it was an 18 minute trip. I said "Uh huh" and had the cab pick us up an hour before the launch time. 

The cabbie was confused, and who could blame him?  We drove down the highway and then doubled back over an overpass per the website instructions, but we saw no dirt road - just a LOT of construction and very large machines and workers. I could see the mangroves through the dust, but where, where where was the launch point? I tried calling Noukhada, but I went right into voicemail. So we retraced our route, and throwing caution to the wind we pulled up into that construction site. The cabbie gamely bounced through potholes and headed in the general direction of the lagoon. 

We rounded some bushes, and there it was. A few SUV's were pulled up to the shore with boat trailers hitched behind. A young woman sat on a folding chair at a card table, looking over what I assumed was a sign-up list. Several very tanned and very fit young men in sporty sunglasses were handing out life preservers to the dozen or so people milling about. As our taxi disappeared down the dirt track in a cloud of dust I vaguely wondered how we were going to get home again, but for the moment I was just happy to have found the place. 

Doug cleverly brought along a plastic bag so he could stow his cellphone, money, etc. We also brought along jackets because it was a cool morning, but the paddling kept us warm enough that we didn't need them. 

I will confess to enhancing the color of this photo a little bit, but truly the waters in Abu Dhabi are turquoise. I just love the glimpse of the city skyline in the distance and the clouds reflecting in the lagoon. 

Kayaks were pulled up along this small rocky beach. It took a little bit of doing to clamber down the slippery boulders to get to them. 

Our naturalist guide was an Aussie, and I think he must have been the owner of Noukhada Adventure Company. As he climbed nimbly into his kayak, a lab bounded over the rocks, jumped onto the bow and took what was clearly his place. We were all introduced to Edison. Then we paddled out into the lagoon for several minutes, putting distance between ourselves and the noise of the highway.

I found this photo on the web. The sprawling and cushy Anantara Eastern Mangroves Hotel & Spa is in the middle of the shot, with the mangroves on one side, and the highway and city on the other. Our launch point was out of frame to the left of the shot, but this gives you a sense of how close the mangroves are to the city. The launch point was located in a place where the waters open up and the mangroves are not so packed together as you see here. 

Once we rounded the first large clump of mangroves the skyline disappeared, and it was like we were in another world. The only sound was the dipping of paddles and the gentle swoosh of kayaks cutting through the water. Our guide stopped or or slowed down periodically to point out features of the lagoon. 

Photo courtesy of the web. The water was very shallow amongst the mangroves. If you pushed your paddle down you could easily touch bottom. We glided in and out of winding Mangrove "lanes", ducking under the occasional overhanging branches. 

We learned that the Arabian Gulf has one of the highest salt contents in the world because it has a relatively small opening out to the ocean (Straits of Hormuz), it is on the shallow side, and the high heat causes lots of evaporation. As a result there is only one species of mangrove growing in this area, the Grey Mangrove. Unlike the mangroves I saw in Florida, this species is relatively short and shrubby. 

The development of the past few decades - building construction and dredging - resulted in the natural mangrove lagoons being decimated in many areas. Fortunately the value of the mangroves has now been realized, and steps are being taken to not only preserve the lagoons that exist, but to replenish and expand them. Abu Dhabi has a long-range and very comprehensive plan (which I need to read up on and learn more about) called Abu Dhabi 2030. This plan includes establishing five national parks, the first of which is the newly designated Eastern Mangrove Lagoon National Park.

Twice during our kayak adventure, we pulled up on dry land for a little lecture and walk about. Our guide pointed out the roots of the mangroves which push UP out of the ground, rather then digging into the sand, so they can reach air and breathe. I was particularly fascinated to learn that mangroves remove the salt from the water and  "spit" it out through their leaves. 

In this new National Park the mangroves are supposed to be protected, and fishing is prohibited. As our guide lectured us (see photo above) a government patrol boat, the first of several, roared by, sending a damaging wake into the mangroves. He paused and noted dryly that this happens all the time. He said the day before he'd even come upon one of the government boats pulled into a quiet cove so the crew could fish! So while the government and biologists recognize the importance of the mangrove lagoons, clearly there is still much education that needs to be done, not only with the public, but perhaps first with the people hired to patrol and protect them. 

After 2 hours we headed back to the launch point, and as far as I was concerned it was the perfect time. My arms were beginning to give out, and I fantasized briefly how nice it would be to lean back in my kayak and be towed to shore. 

Doug, Jeff and I turned in our life vests, thanked the guide and assessed the situation. The kayaks were the kind where you sit on top of the boat, rather than tucked into it. As a result the water had dripped (poured, really) off the paddles and squarely onto our legs. We were all soaked from the butt down and did not have a change of clothes. Not that it mattered since there was no place to change. 

As we watched our fellow kayakers go off in their cars, Doug looked at me and said, "Now what?", and Jeff's eyes and expression echoed that very excellent question. "We walk", I replied, because really, what was our option?  

We headed toward the highway, dodging giant dump trucks and bulldozers, and turned in the direction of the Anantara Resort. I recalled it being not all that far away, and I reasoned that since taxis pull into resorts all the time, we could easily catch one there. 

The traffic roared by at our elbows at highway speeds as we trudged in the sun. Well, I thought optimistically, at least our pants will dry out. But they didn't. They just got caked with dust. The resort looked further away than memory served me, and we were running out of anywhere to walk. We could see construction fencing up ahead.  When we came upon a large patch of sandy dirt adjacent to the road, Doug, who was pretty disgusted and a little bit desperate at this point, turned and faced the oncoming traffic and raised his arm. Miraculously a cabbie saw him, pulled over and picked us up. 

Once safely home, showered, and dressed in clean, dry clothes, we looked back on the morning and gave it a unanimous thumbs up. Like me, Jeff had not anticipated coming to a desert country and having an Adventure like this, and he loved it. 

Just thinking back on that day has me smiling from ear to ear!

DAY EIGHTY TWO - Oh me, oh my, Oman!

Doug has been so busy and consumed with his job at NYU Abu Dhabi that it is not surprising that some personal matters have slipped off his radar. Thus this conversation one evening a month ago:

Doug: S**t! I just realized I have some frequent flyer miles with Etuhad that are going to expire tonight. 

Me: Tonight?!?!?!

Doug: Yup. Guess I'll just have to lose them.

Me: No way! Let's book a flight. Somewhere. Anywhere. Doesn't matter. 

And just like that we booked an overnight trip to Muscat, Oman. 

Oman is about the size of Italy 

Oman borders the U.A.E. to the East, and it's only a short 50-minute flight from Abu Dhabi to the capital city of Muscat. I had a window seat so I could see the desert below me for the first half of the trip. At first the dunes were small and in shades of beige, and then they abruptly changed to a rusty red and grew dramatically in size. I knew we'd reached the border with Oman when the desert gave way to jagged mountains. 

The view from my window as we went over the mountains. I've flown over the Rockies many times, and these mountains are very different.

As we approached Muscat, we descended through the clouds. The mountains were close enough to reach out and touch. Not really, but it felt that way to me. 

It didn't take us long to pass through the airport. Step 1 was to buy our tourist visa. As I stood in line I heard a cellphone go off right behind me, and I smiled as I recognized Elvis Presley's crooning. "Ah, another American", I thought, but then I heard the owner of the cellphone answer in an unmistakable Arabic accent. When reached the counter Doug and I went up to one attendant, and the man behind me walked to the attendant right next to us, so I was able to glance over and see that he was a middle-aged gentleman in Western business dress. The first question we were asked was our country of origin, and I heard the gentleman answer "Iran". Apparently The King's fans know no borders. I like that. 

Once through Passport Control, we collected our one bag, got a cab and pulled out into the bright blue sky and sunshine of Muscat. The city is long and narrow, situated between the mountains and the shoreline of the Arabian Sea. Like Abu Dhabi and Dubai, most of it is fairly new construction, but unlike those two cities, Oman made the very deliberate decision to not go the high-rise route and imposed a strict height restriction. As we flew down the very modern highway I was taken with the low-slung, white-washed architecture, the traditional crenelated roof-lines, mosques with blue-tiled domes and minarets (a very different style from what I've seen in the UAE), and beautiful landscaping of palms and flowers and swaths of green grass. The city of white and green contrasted sharply with the mountains, but at the same time it fit right into the landscape. To me Abu Dhabi feels like it was dropped from the sky onto the flat sands bordering the Arabian Gulf, but Muscat feels like it grew out of the earth. 

A fellow ex-pat had advised me to find a hotel in the city rather than on the outskirts, saying Muscat was fascinating to explore, that it had a more "Old Arabia" vibe to it, far different from Abu Dhabi and Dubai. So I heeded the advice and almost randomly picked the Grand Hyatt. I had company for most of the past month and didn't have a lot of time to do research. 

When I checked in I was surprised to hear the concierge tell me she was giving me a room upgrade. I loved the place already! Doug and I followed the bell boy as he trundled our suitcase down hallway after hallway, for what seemed miles. Finally we rounded the final corner, and as he unlocked the door he said, "You will love the view".

I walked into the room and gasped. The room was the biggest hotel room I've ever been in, and through a large french door opening to a balcony I could see the blue expanse of the Gulf of Oman. I think I danced across the room, flung open the door and stepped out. All I could hear was the gentle roar of waves crashing on the beach. 

This was the view from our 4th (top) floor balcony. The main pool was beneath our window, and the beach was a short walk away. 

This sounds crazy even to me, but when I booked this hotel, I had failed to notice that it was actually on the water, so to find this outside my window took me completely and utterly by surprise. Instantly my plan to drop our bags in the room and head back out to the city evaporated. The sound and sight of the water and the tranquility of this place enveloped me. Exploring the city could wait till tomorrow.

It was the right decision. Look at Doug, pants rolled up and shoes in hand. And doesn't he look so relaxed?

We explored the pool area and the gardens, and then we walked to the shore. It was clearly a public beach, and it stretched from horizon to horizon. We took off our shoes and waded into the water. By Jersey Shore standards, it was warm. The air temperature was maybe in the low 70's, so with a brisk breeze blowing, it was a bit cool for swimming. Good thing too, since I had failed to pack swim suits! 

We walked and walked and walked, and apparently I was still in bird-watching mode as I found myself checking out the terns and gulls. We even spied a heron wading in the waters, and I am proud to say I identified it as a Western Reef-Heron, having recently seen it with Linda at the wildlife sanctuary near Dubai. I emailed Linda this photo and several others, and she confirmed it. 

Western Reef-Heron on the hunt. 

After our long walk we stopped by the hotel poolside bar/restaurant for a drink. I was feeling tropical what with the water and palms and all, so I had a Mai-Tai. By this time it was cooling down, and I was very glad I had packed a wrap in my handbag. 

We stayed put that evening and dined at one of the hotel restaurants, an Italian one called Tuscany. It was fabulous. The service was excellent, and the food absolutely delicious. That evening we slept with the french doors open so we could hear the sea. 

We slept in a bit the next morning as Doug was seriously sleep-deprived. This will surprise no-one who knows him. After coffee we got a cab and headed to the Mutrah Souk, which is pretty much the #1 place to go when visiting Muscat. 

This is the Mutrah neighborhood. This picture (off the web) shows how it's tucked right between the mountains and the water. There is a sizeable port to the left (out of frame), and I am told small cruise ships come in regularly.

I like this photo as it clearly shows the blue-tiled minaret of a mosque. Most of the mosques in Muscat are decorated in similar fashion, which is quite different from the mosques I see in Abu Dhabi. Note the street lamps - they are very pretty. And look how close the mountains are! This is not an optical illusion - they are that close.

This is the main entrance to the Mutrah Souk. Do not be deceived by its modest appearance as the souk stretches beyond this in all directions, like branches off a tree trunk. It goes on for blocks and blocks. 

The souk was dimly lit, the floor irregularly paved, and it was lined with colorful shop after shop. Small alleys went out in all directions, and it was packed with locals and tourists. Oh yes, this was the real McCoy, just as I'd imagined it.

I loved the brightly-colored pottery and brass coffee pots stacked up on an alley stairway

All along the way the vendors called out to me, "Madam (accent on the 2nd syllable) I have a beautiful pashmina for you!" Another approached me with a bottle of perfume, offering to dab some on my wrist. Yet another gestured toward a table saying "Buy some frankincense, Madam!" 

This made me think of Carrie in the "Sex and the City" movie. Didn't she end up buying a pair of these????

Oman is more traditional than the UAE, and the shopkeepers follow the custom of closing at 1:00 and re-opening at 4:00 for evening hours. We had only 1 hour to shop before the souk closed for the afternoon, and Doug appeared greatly relieved. A shopper he is not. I suggested we walk along the roadway to the historical district of Old Muscat, which I thought was just around that bend. Note the pretty plantings. Most of the main roads looked nice like this, even well beyond the city limits.

It turned out Old Muscat was not just up the road. After a few kilometers we came upon a small park and this bike share. I immediately thought of my friend, Mary Jo, who loves to bike and took this photo for her. I would deem Muscat and the surrounding area very "bikeable" indeed.

Finally we came upon this - the gate to the city of Old Muscat. An honest-to-goodness city gate. I loved it! I read in my guide book that up until a few decades ago, these gates were actually closed at night.

As it turned out, once we got into this old section of Muscat, we discovered that it's not just the shops that close down in the afternoon. It's pretty much everything. No museums were open. None of the historical sites either. Big bummer. Doug was hot and a bit cranky by now, and we were hungry for lunch, so when he saw a cab coming in our direction, he raised his arm. And that's how we met Hassan. 

In the U.A.E. the majority of the population, 80%, is ex-pat, and they comprise most of the work force. In Oman it is the reverse. As a result you find Omanis in all lines of work, including driving cabs. I was delighted to actually meet and talk with a local. And talk we did. 

We told our young cabbie that we wanted to go for lunch, and Doug had the idea we should drive out to the Shangri-La Resort for the sake of the ride and the scenery. The cabs are not metered in Oman, so you always ask first about the cost. Hassan said it was about a 20-minute ride and would cost 10 Rials, which sounded fair to us. His English was very good, and he chatted all along the way, which is totally unlike the cabbies in Abu Dhabi who say nothing. Hassan wanted to know where we were from and what brought us to Abu Dhabi and how long we were staying. He told us about Muscat and pointed out different sights along the drive. When I exclaimed about a particularly breathtaking view, he immediately pulled over to the side of the road and ushered me out so I could take a photo. He loved that I loved his country and positively beamed when I told him how beautiful I found it. "You come back again," he told me. 

I took this photo as we approached the Shangri-La Resort which is several miles south of Muscat. The land is rugged, and there are many coves such as this one. Hassan pointed out several marinas - sport fishing and diving are very popular in this country.

When we reached the resort, Hassan asked how long we would be. He said he'd be happy to wait for us. We hesitated because of course in NYC the meter would be running, and we were quite sure it would be easy to get another cab at the resort when we were ready to leave. But as it turns out, it is not customary to leave the meter running - they don't have one - and cabbies routinely wait for a customer, whether they are dining or shopping. So we said sure, and when we were done, there was Hassan at the entrance as promised. 

On the way back to the Hyatt, Hassan asked if we "had time" because he had ideas of places we might like to see. By now we were feeling comfortable with him and thought why not. Our flight wasn't till late that evening, and we for sure had time. 

Hassan pulled up to the entrance of the Bustan Palace, an opulent hotel, and instructed us to "Run inside and look. Two minutes. I'll be here." So we ran in as instructed, and oh my goodness! It was absolutely amazing. I gawked, but for only two minutes. Then back we ran.

Next up was Old Muscat, which was where we'd hailed Hassan to begin with. It was after 4:00 pm. so everything was open, and Hassan suggested we go into the Bait Al Zubair, a private museum complex which contained Omani artifacts that spanned centuries: clothes and jewelry, swords and daggers and antique firearms, pottery and weaving. It was fascinating and beautiful. 

The front entrance

The palm frond house and gardens

There were also gardens with a traditional palm frond house, well and irrigation system. In and about the garden and in the courtyard was a temporary art exhibit of painted goat (I think) sculptures.

I really liked this "King Tut" goat

When we were done we walked back to the street but could not find Hassan. Did he get tired of waiting for us? We wandered around, found a parking lot, but still did not see him. Then there he was walking toward us. He'd gone into an adjacent mosque to pray, he said. 

It was dusk when we got back to the hotel, and Hassan asked when we were going to the airport. He'd come back and take us there when we were ready. He gave us his card, and several hours later we called him. It seemed the right thing to do.

I've been in this part of the world for almost three months now, and this is what I think. If you want sparkle and glitz, and if clubbing or shopping is your thing, then Dubai is your destination. If you want to visit a capital city that has lots of sporting opportunities and events and tons of 5+ star hotels and restaurants, then go to Abu Dhabi. But if you want to go to a place that is smaller and quieter, that manages to feel old and new at the same time, where you can simply relax amidst incredible natural beauty, then I recommend Muscat, Oman. 

I love Oman. 

DAY SEVENTY EIGHT - A visit from my "birding friend" Linda

When asked what I needed in terms of an apartment in Abu Dhabi, I requested 2 bedrooms in the hopes that we might have guests during our one-year stay in the U.A.E. Realistically, however, I knew the odds were low that anybody would be able to fly out. It's a very long flight and, let's face it, not cheap, so it would mean a significant investment of time and money. Imagine my surprise and delight, then, when my friend, Linda, told me she was coming for a visit in mid-January.

Linda and I go back 29 years to when we were neighbors in Baldwinsville, a town just north of Syracuse, New York, in snow country. Linda was relatively new in the neighborhood and spotted me across the street, 9-months pregnant with Jeff. I was not easy to miss! I remember hearing the doorbell ring one afternoon, and when I answered it there was Linda who, after introducing herself, gave me a little gift for the baby, a small quilted teddy bear in an embroidery hoop frame. It hung on Jeff's door for years, and I still have it tucked away. 

Our children are close in age, so Linda and I volunteered for many PTA events together. We drove our daughters through snow and ice to skate in Fulton, and we hung out at her backyard pool together for many a Summer. Several years in a row we took a weekend Girl Trip: the first to New York City, another to Concord, Mass, and then after Linda had moved to Cary, North Carolina, we met up for a weekend in Ashville. 

Once Linda's girls were in college, she and her husband moved back home to California, and Linda and I continued with cross-continental visits. She came to NYC for a theater weekend, and the next year I flew to Napa and toured the wine country with her. She came back to NYC for another theater weekend, and I flew to San Francisco where she and Randy had relocated. 

In the Fall of 2005 Doug and I and Linda and her husband, Randy, rendezvoused in Paris for a 10-day trip that took us from Paris to London to Tournai (Belgium) and then back again to Paris. By this point  Linda's pastime of looking at birds had developed into a serious hobby. Throughout the trip she was always on the lookout for birds, which amused us all no end. Her excitement drew us in, and it was fun. 

A few years later Linda, now an avid birder, invited me on a birding trip to Panama. She booked a 10-day guided trip with a handful of other birders that took us from the shores of Panama, to jungle trails along the Panama Canal, to the cool Highlands, and finally to a cloud forest on the slopes of the dormant volcano, Baru, on the Costa Rican border. It was absolutely amazing. 

So I guess I should not have been surprised that Linda would, without hesitation, book a flight to come visit me in the U.A.E. As she pointed out over lunch a few days ago, we do have a history of meeting up in some interesting places. 

So without further ado, here are a few highlights of Linda's visit to the United Arab Emirates:

After 24 hours of travel (San Francisco - JFK - Milan - Abu Dhabi) I wasn't sure what kind of shape Linda would be in on her first day here. She slept in, but she was more than ready to go for a walk later in the day. As bad luck would have it, we had uncharacteristically overcast and cool weather for most of her visit, so the water along the Corniche was not as turquoise as it usually is in the bright sunlight. She deemed it beautiful anyway. 

During Jeff's visit a few weeks ago, the two of us spied the cutest little bird along the Corniche, one that was clearly not native to the USA. It took us awhile, but we identified it as a White-Cheeked Bulbul. I was very hopeful that Linda had not yet seen this bird so she could add it to her Life List. As it turned out it was indeed a new bird for her, and we spotted it that first day of her visit. This is a photo she snapped. 

Doug and I took Linda out to eat at a variety of places. Here at Cho Gao we introduced her to a Lemon Mint, which is probably the most common "cooler" in Abu Dhabi. It's basically lemonade that is blended with a whole lot of fresh mint. And I do mean a handful of mint. VERY minty and not too sweet :-)

When Linda read about my trip to the Falcon Hospital with Jeff, she said she just had to go. I made reservations for the morning tour, and as I hoped, it was far less crowded than the afternoon tour Jeff and I had gone on. Linda was absolutely in heaven. Here she is watching the vet clip and sharpen a falcon's beak. 

And of course she got to hold one. We decided this one was a gyrfalcon based on it's size. They are the largest of the 3 breeds of falcons used for falconry in the UAE.

After visiting the Falcon Hospital we went to the Grand Mosque, and Linda loved it. The sun came out enough so that the water in the surrounding reflecting pools sparkled, and the white marble of the mosque dazzled.

But the excursion Linda most looked forward to was a visit to the Ras al-Khor Wildlife Sanctuary in Dubai. We'd Googled "birding in the U.A.E.", and this location came up as one of the best spots to find a variety of birds. Supposedly there was a bird blind complete with a Leica telescope on the sight. We booked a car service for the day, and at 8:30 a.m. the driver arrived to take us to Dubai.

The directions from the website were pretty sketchy as I've discovered is often the case in this part of the world. We had a map we'd printed off the website, but it was not terribly good either. It turned out our driver's English was so-so at best, so we explained as best we could that we wanted to see birds. The driver didn't say a word to that, but I could his eyebrows lift. Most people go to Dubai to shop at one of the duty-free over-the-top malls, and I would bet the farm we were the first clients ever to say we wanted to go to Dubai to find birds. We showed him the map and the directions, and when we said "Ras al-Khor" he said he knew where that was. 

One and a half hours later we found ourselves in Old Dubai along the Dubai Creek. The creek, which is really an estuary, dead-ends in the wildlife sanctuary, about 8 km. from the coast. We knew we were close, so Linda and I were hopeful. We could see gulls gliding above the creek which was filled with the most incredible array of old, wooden dhows piled high with cargo. We drove on, and then, to our surprise, the driver circled around and headed back. We told him to wait, that this was NOT the sanctuary. Clearly he was confused. We pulled out the map once again and pointed, and he told us that "no", that area was all built up. Linda, who would not be denied her birds, declared that she'd seen a bird report from a short while ago, and that there was in fact a wildlife refuge somewhere! 

So off we went along the highway. The driver pointed to the right where the creek opened up into a shallow pond with mudflats. We could barely see anything for the high construction fence blocking the view. He was right about the construction - there was lots of it. We drove on, and I was beginning to despair when suddenly the fence stopped, and I could see the wetlands. Then just ahead I spotted an unmarked turn-off mostly obscurred by trees and bushes, so I told the driver to take it. As we pulled in I saw trash cans with pictures of pink flamingos on them. "This is it!" Linda and I yelled in unison. 

We were so happy to see this sign. We'd just about given up we'd find this place.

It would really have been helpful if this giant flamingo were placed on the highway right at the entrance to the turnoff. It would have made finding this place so much easier. The man in the blue was our driver, and the other person in uniform was the full-time guard who could not have looked more bored.

We could not see out to the water and mud flats very well from the parking area as there was a fence and shrubbery in the way. The entrance to the bird blind was at the end of this walkway. We didn't know what we'd find till we walked through the door.

We walked inside and found a nice-sized room with windows on all three sides. There were stools, and a narrow shelf ran around the perimeter so we could lean on it to peer out with our binoculars and spread out our bird guide and note paper. The promised telescope was in there as well. 

Linda at the scope looking very focused (hah hah - bad pun!)

When we looked out the windows we literally gasped at the number and variety of birds. These pictures cannot possibly do the scene justice. Ducks were in abundance in this photo: Mallards, Northern Pintails, and Green-Winged Teals.

There are flocks of Greater Flamingos and Eurasian Spoonbills in the distance. Closer in you can see herons and egrets (Great and Little) on the left.

Great Cormorants and ducks and herons (Grey and Western Reef) galore.

I loved watching this Black-Winged Stilt. Other shore birds included a Red-Winged Lapwing, Common Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Common Snipe, and Ruddy Turnstone. Linda also saw two new gulls to add to her Life List: the Common Black-Headed Gull and the Slender-Billed Gull.

Western Reef Heron. Very cool bird. 

We saw a pair of Marsh Harriers skimming along the tree-tops, but the best bird of all for me was a magnificent eagle that flew in and landed right in the middle of all the other birds. I was stunned that its arrival did not cause the others to take flight, but not a single one seemed to care. It sat still for quite a long time, so Linda and I got beautiful views, but we were so enthralled we forgot to take a photo. I am going to cheat and paste an image (below) pulled from the web so you can what this bird looks like.

The Greater Spotted Eagle. It was HUGE. After it sat for a good long while it flew off and circled around so we could clearly see the markings on the top and bottom of its wings. 

All in all, Linda and I saw 29 different species of bird on our Dubai Day Birding Trip, and she added 4 new species to her Life List. 

For her last day, Linda and I mostly talked and talked. We had a leisurely lunch, she shopped for gifts at the Central Souk, and we just hung out. 

Linda took the red eye home last night, and as I type this she is on the last leg of her trip, flying from Amsterdam to San Francisco. I was amused to see her Facebook post from Amsterdam where she said was birding out the airport window, trying to identify a particular gull. 

I don't know when I will next visit with Linda or where it will be. But one thing I can guarantee is that no matter where it is we meet up, some birding will happen.

DAY SIXTY NINE - Jeff and I visit the Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital

This Christmas Jeff's present was a tour of the U.A.E.  In anticipation of his visit I read through several guide books for the U.A.E., Abu Dhabi and Dubai. I scanned the current issues of Time Out Abu Dhabi and picked up tourism brochures whenever I came upon them. I booked several all-day tours where advance reservations were necessary, and I also put together a little gift bag full of miscellaneous destinations and activities that I'd clipped from the magazines and brochures. I figured on our "free days" he could pick and choose from this Idea Bag. 

The evening before Jeff's last full day here, he went through the bag and decided he'd like to visit the  Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital. I never would have guessed that the two-hour tour of this facility would end up being one of the highlights of his visit, not just for him, but for me as well.

The hospital opened in 1999, and tours were first offered in 2007. There are several buildings on the grounds, but this is the main one and includes offices, the waiting area, treatment rooms, a surgery, and even a post-mortem room.

It was Sunday and Doug's first day back at work following NYU's Winter Break. Jeff and I headed out an hour before the 2:00 pm tour thinking it would give us more than enough time to get to the place. As is the case with most of the destinations around here, there was no street address to give to our cabbie. Instead the website's directions read as follows:

The Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital is located near the Abu Dhabi International Airport. Its premises can be found on the right side along the Abu Dhabi-Sweihan Road 3 km. after the Sweihan Bridge.

It turned out to be a good 35 minuted drive, and the premises were out of sight and far down a long, dirt side road well off the main highway, not on it. Fortunately the local cabbies are unphased with such "directions" and gamely bounce down dirt tracks when needed. 

We walked in the front door, through a lobby, and found ourselves in the patient waiting room. In the center of the room were several low, astro-turf covered perches for the falcons, and around the perimeter were chairs and sofas for the owner/handlers. The birds were hooded which keeps them in the dark and thus calm.

A falcon waiting his turn for a well-visit. On the average 100 birds or more come through each day. I was stunned at the number. Who knew so many people kept falcons?

There was a large crowd on hand for the tour, including several babies in strollers, toddlers and elementary-aged children who were a bit.... vocal. How's that for being tactful? Our group of tourists were from the US (almost all California residents), Germany, Korea, Australia and France. 

Our tour guide was a young, knowledgeable Emirati man with a delightful sense of humor..... and a lot of patience when it came to dealing with the younger crowd. We went into a display room where he talked to us about falconry in the UAE, past and present. Some facts Jeff and I learned:

• The bedouins originally used falcons caught in the wild to hunt for food, primarily hare and houbara (a bird).

• Now falcons are kept for sport only. The ones that are used have been bred in captivity, primarily in Switzerland, Austria, USA, Canada, Australia, and the UAE.

• It is illegal to catch wild falcons.

• Three types of falcons are used for sport in the UAE: Peregrine Falcons (the smallest but fastest, and in fact the Peregrine Falcon is the fastest animal on the planet when it goes into a stoop or dive at up to 180mph), the Saker Falcon (pictured on UAE currency), and the Gyr Falcon (the largest and most expensive).

• The females are significantly larger and stronger than the males, so it is the females that are used in the sport of falconry.

• Falcons need a passport to travel from country to country. The information on the passport includes what type of falcon it is, its sex, date of birth, and most importantly the identifying number on its leg band and the microchip that is under its skin. There is no photo as when the bird molts each year, the feathers come back in a slightly different color.

• Falcons can travel uncaged on aircraft, two to a seat. Of course the owner pays for the seat.

• They eat only meat and are usually fed one quail per day to keep them at their optimum weight.

• They are expensive! One current website entry I found quoted $275,000, and prize Gyr Falcons can cost considerably more. Falconry is clearly a sport for the privileged. 

Pictured are five, ten and one hundred dirham bills. The Saker Falcon also appears on the one dirham coin. FYI one US dollar = 3.65 dirham

After the lecture and a juice snack, we were ushered into a large treatment room. I would venture to guess that this kind of tour would never happen in the US because of the fear of a lawsuit. A tourist could get hurt and sue the hospital. Or maybe a bird would peck at or scratch a tourist, resulting in a lawsuit. Or just maybe a tourist would accidentally harm one of the pricey birds. Lawsuit. In the US I am quite sure I'd be peeking through a window, but at this place we all circled the perimeter of the room while a vet and his assistant explained the various procedures they performed in the hospital. 

All these falcons have already been treated and are just hanging out in this large treatment room  until their owners retrieve them.

Most birds come to this hospital for well visits which include trimming their talons and beaks. If a bird is sick, it is treated in another room so it doesn't spread disease. The bird is anesthetized for the procedure so it doesn't freak out and hurt itself or the vet.

In the wild a falcon keeps it talons and beak at the proper length and sharp by scratching and pecking at rocks, much like a cat keeps its claws sharp by scratching trees, posts and (sadly) furniture. But when in captivity, a falcon must have this done for him twice year. The little guy in red was fascinated with all of this.

If the talons aren't trimmed, they will grow too long and actually punch through the foot when the bird clenches its feet, resulting in a nasty infection. After the talons are trimmed, the vet uses a Dremel to shape and sharpen them. And look at how close we were able to get while the vet was working! Seveal times the little boy in the left of the photo reached up and petted the tail feathers. 

Once the talons were done, the vet removed the mask from the bird's head and went to work on the beak before it came to. He quickly trimmed the beak back and then shaped and sharpened it with the handy Dremel tool. It took a few minutes for the bird to come fully awake, but once she was okay the vet hooded her and placed her on a bench.

Anyone who wanted to was able to hold a falcon. Jeff is usually loathe to pose and have his picture taken, but in this case he really wanted to hold one of the birds and have me snap a photo. 

I wasn't planning on holding a falcon myself, but Jeff was insistent. A technician placed this little guy on my arm (and since it's small, I'm assuming it's a "guy"). No glove was needed as the talons weren't so fearsome as on the other birds. It was just a beautiful creature!

The final demonstration in the treatment room concerned feeding. The birds are handled all the time to keep them tame, including feeding time. They asked for a volunteer, gloved her, placed a falcon on her wrist and then gave her a dead, plucked quail which the bird proceeded to munch. And I do mean MUNCH because we could hear the quail bones cracking as the bird fed. Clearly those jaws can exert a lot of pressure. 

After the treatment room demonstrations we went outside and toured the landscaped grounds which included an enclosure for a pair of rescued owls, a large flying room where the birds can molt in air-conditioned comfort, and a ward or dormitory for birds that need to be kept for treatment (they each get their own room rather than a cage). We ended at a building that housed a small museum, gift shop and a large dining/conference room. They had a guest book, which I was only too happy to sign.

A falcon hospital. Absolutely fascinating.