After an early morning bus transfer from Dubai, it was a day of Arabic culture in Abu Dhabi. Because they were culturally significant sites, I had to spend the day hiding in the backpack as I didn’t meet the clothing attire requirements.

Even hidden away, I could hear Mamfa exclaiming “Wow” as he walked into Qasr Al Watan, the Presidential Palace. I snuck a peak and it was amazing. The stunning white marble and gold in a towering dome was spectacular in its opulence and scale. The photos just don’t do it justice but maybe the video below gives some sense of it.

The second stop for the day was the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque – the third largest mosque in the world, that was finished in 2007. It was gleaming white marble in the 38degree sunshine. It was pristine. Having the luck to be the only attendees on the cultural tour, we learnt a lot (including that the chandelier in the main prayer room weighs 12 tonnes and the carpet is the largest single piece of carpet in the world and weighs 35 tonnes). When full, the mosque accommodates up to 60,000 people.

Mamfa finished reading “Three Wishes” by Liane Moriarty. 4 stars – quite enjoyable.

On this day in history (30 May)

1911 1st Indianapolis 500: Ray Harroun driving a Marmon Wasp for Nordyke & Marmon Company comes out of retirement, wins inaugural event; average speed: 74.602 mph (120.060 km/h)