Dubai and Abu Dhabi always fascinated me as a crazy experiment in the middle of the desert. The reality turned out to be even crazier than what I had imagined...
I got the ticket to Abu Dhabi for free, using the miles I'd collected on my ČSA card. Once again it proved the wisdom of my grandma, who claims that whatever is free is worth shit. As an example she gives our healthcare system.
Likewise, a \"free\" ticket from ČSA is a ticket as a punishment. Departure from Prague at one in the morning. Departure from Abu Dhabi at two in the morning. The fees aren't free, the fee for changing the date wasn't free, and the ticket for eight-year-old Barka wasn't free at all. One result of those insane departure times was that we could actually only spend one night and two full days there. But in the end it was just about right :-)
A few interesting facts
- out of roughly 8 million people in the UAE, only 11.5% are local Emiratis!! 42% are Europeans, the rest Indians, Pakistanis etc.
- Europeans are the lower caste here, hired as cheap labour
- Indians etc. are then hired to wait on the Europeans and do menial work
- Emiratis have guaranteed, royally paid jobs in the state services. It's only recently that a rule was introduced saying they should actually show up for work (occasionally)
- the oil revenues are distributed this way among the entire native population, which creates stability and social peace
- Abu Dhabi is the cleanest and best kept city I have ever seen. Everything is brand new, built either of steel and glass in crazy shapes, or of marble and gold
- cars are sold here only in the most luxurious versions and trim levels with the biggest engines available
- the heat here is hellish and it's not wise to hang around outside. A walk from the hotel to the palace across the street (a 1km detour via the nearest crossing) almost cost us our lives. Especially because at the palace entrance they informed us that shorts aren't allowed in there.
