2016 New Year,New Adventure: Gold leaf cake & coffee, Gold vending machine, Ferraris and Lamborghinis, just everyday stuff here!

The flight was jam packed, as people boarded they were all trying to switch seats to sit beside a cousin or an adult kid! I had a five year old little guy beside me who asked everyone that walked by if the plane was going to crash! Thank goodness I am not a nervous flyer. Finally, I showed him how to find the kids movies on the screen and that kept him quiet for about 8 hours. As we were arriving in Abu Dhabi he watched the plane land on the screen and was in awe - perhaps a future pilot in the making.
No landing card to fill out - they do however do a retina scan of everyone entering. You have to stand on the green feet and stare into a piece of glass. The screen displays a green check mark or a red X. The future is here.
Years ago, I arrived on the small island of Yap, Micronesia, to dive with mantas. From the plane window I could see men dressed in grass skirts and I thought to myself- wow, isn't that nice that they put on a costume for the tourists! Well, not so much, that is how they actually dressed. It was like something right out of the old yellow National Geographic magazine. Well, the custom and immigration officials here were all dressed like they had just come across the desert and jumped off a camel - white robes and white head scarves - think Lawrence of Arabia ! Pretty cool ...not a costume! Just a reminder that you are not in Kansas.
Andrea met me and we immediately drove to Masdar. A relatively new city on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi. They have committed to spend 1.7 billion US on renewable energy development and a carbon free lifestyle. We parked the car and walked into the hub, had lunch and then went for a ride on a self driven pod car,ultra smart rapid (not really) transit. No driver, we just pressed a button indicating where we were going and off it went. It stopped to let other pods go by! NO ROAD RAGE HERE!

Pretty Cool pod car!

Then a quick stop at Ikea- yup, one Ikea is just like the other!
Drove in Abu Dhabi and dropped my bags and Andrea's Ikea goods off at her apartment in the Ethiad Towers. Pretty swanky, turn left at the Ferrari, wrapped in a beautiful red cover, walk past the yellow Lamborghini, swipe a bunch of cards and you're in. She has the most awesome views of the water - will have to take pics tomorrow. Some of the stores downstairs in the atrium include Fauchon's, Cartier, Versace, Burberry, and VanCleef & Arpels to name a few. Now I know where to go if I can't sleep - window shopping at it's best.
We ended the day by going to the Emirates Palace for Gold Leaf coffee and Gold leaf cake. When in Rome ...life is good.
OK, I have not slept for 30 + hours so it is bed time for Bozo.
A few pics from today ....