Tomorrow I've got to return from Abu Dhabi to Dubai, the other emirate.
Well, there are seven emirates but the only two anyone has heard of are Abu Dhabi (the one with oil) and Dubai (the one with finance, hotels, business, and tourism, not to mention the artificial islands and the world's tallest building).
The trip is about 90 miles by car on the highway, so it takes about an hour and a half to drive between the two cities. It's not a pretty road.
Most of the way there is about as much to see as when you drive down I-95 -- it's just 10-lane interstate highway about five kilometers inland from the water. The speed limit is about 65 mph and there is enough enforcement to make you pay attention if you are a foreigner. Emirate citizens do not seem to heed the speed limit or be subject to police action. Oh, yes, gasoline is about a dollar a gallon.
Interesting fact: this country has more Maseratis, Lamborghinis and Ferraris per capita than any other country in the world -- driven by teenagers.
The cars here seem to have only two speeds -- full out acceleration or full hard braking. Every driver we have been with has seemingly had the accelerator nailed to the floor or was standing hard on the brakes. Curves are taken at a breathtaking pace. I assume tires get replaced frequently. Road rage is a major issue.
It is a car mad country. The S-class AMG Mercedes serve as taxis, and the 750Li BMW's are pretty popular with the younger set. You see a share of Audi RS-models in the flood of well equipped Land Cruisers, Range Rovers, Lexus SUVs and Escalades from Cadillac. I've seen plenty of Hummers as well as Corvettes!
Among the wealthy Emirati men, a white Land Cruiser seems to be a badge of honor. The other day the weekly camel races were shown on television. As the camels raced around a track, the enthusiastic owners also raced around the track in their white Land Cruisers, leaning out the windows and urging their favorite steeds on to victory.
Modern and traditional transport vehicles, side by side.
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