Shifting into Roam Mode

As things begin to heat up here in Abu Dhabi, it's time to move on for upcoming months. Presently (late May), the temps here are up to 110F during the day, normal weather for late spring/early summer. I enjoy the sunset swims in the Arabian Gulf, though lately the water isn't very refreshing as it's about the temperature of tepid bathwater. This time of year the hotels here cool their pools to make the swimming feel less like taking a warm bath.

Two more days to prepare, then I fly on Gulf Air from Abu Dhabi to Cairo -- the "mother city" of the Arab world. Though I'm keeping my travel options open, the first leg of my travels, after some days in Cairo, will likely include Alexandria, then the Sinai Peninsula. From there I'll take a ferry across to Jordan. As I haven't been able to secure a visa for Syria here in Abu Dhabi (likely due to friction between the US and Syria) I might try to get one at the Jordan-Syria border. If not, I'll have to bypass Syria, and instead possibly fly from Amman, Jordan, to Beirut, Lebanon...

By the way, the photo above is a view of Abu Dhabi and the Arabian Gulf from my apartment. People who have heard of Abu Dhabi often think of rich oil sheiks. True, there are some extraordinarily rich people in this city. On the other hand, over 90% of the people living in Abu Dhabi are foreigners, mostly male, and mostly from less-developed countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Iran, Yemen, Sri Lanka, and the Philippines. Due to the demographics (i.e., some super rich and many very poor) in this oil-rich region, you will often encounter strange goings-on. For example, the other day when biking to the city beach I noticed a man bathing in a public fountain. Housing for laborers is notoriously dingy and crowded in Abu Dhabi, so likely the fountain made a pleasant outdoor bathing alternative.