Abu Dhabi, my traveling companions.

David Batzofin

December 6, 2015

2550

It is that time of the year again.

Time for YOU to help me get to the Number 1 spot for 2015.

How do you do that?

By voting…that is how!

The public voting phase is NOW open and runs

until Monday, 8th January 2016 at 23:59

When you click on the VOTE badge,you will be directed to the SA Blog Awards website.

Your vote for my blog will automatically be entered.

IMPORTANT!

Voters will be sent a confirmation email,

which they have to respond to in order to confirm their vote.

You can only vote for one blog per category.

VERY IMPORTANT!

If you have more than one email account,

you can cast one vote per address

Please use your vote wisely.

One vote per email address!

So multiple votes are allowed.

Should you decide to vote for another blog in the same category I will lose your original vote,

as your new vote will override your initial vote.

People often ask me about my traveling companions.
On media trips, often we are all strangers.
We might know of each other by reputation,
but as in the case of this Abu Dhabi trip,
we were from Durban, Cape Town and Johannesburg.
But…we had a BLAST!
Lots of fun in this vehicle.
Both Mark and Natalia are from Cape Town.

Listen to this as you read this posting…
It always puts a smile on my face.
Paul Simon together with Ladysmith Black Mambazo,
and check out the trumpet player!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fmf9ZJ_Yn0A

I took this “selfie” during a dune safari…
To take my mind of being sick.
I do not do “back-of-car” well…
Luckily for me, the dubious honour fell to another in our party.
No name mentioned…

One of my favourite images from the trip.
Natalia (who brought our group to Abu Dhabi)
and Charles from Cape Town.
(He has had a lot of 4×4 experiences, so this was an adventure,
but not a challenge…and he did not get ill)

And this is the other favourite…
The Capetonians…
Mark and Charles.

Our very own SpiceGoddess,
Verushka (from Durban)
taking pictures of our first desert sunset.

Our first meal…
at the St Regis Hotel, Saadiyat.
A great way to start off our “adventures”.

To the manor born…
Namritha in one of the suites at Emirates Palace Hotel.
We could ALL have stayed in this 680sq m apartment,
and never bump into each other.

Charles proving that fruit can be rearranged
for a photograph.

Occasionally I get to feature in a picture.
The chef is from this coffee shop.
He invited us in and “forced” us to taste several
of his cakes!

OK, this is an “in-joke”…
There are many moments in a media trip that cannot
be described once you get home.
I hope that we get an invite to the launch Mark!

Taking one for the team.
Mark and Charles tame(?) the roller coaster at Ferrari World.

Setting off on a canoe adventure.
Four of my intrepid colleagues.

Namritha won the “selfie” award…

At least one of us was paying attention…

Charles looks relaxed in this ride at Waterworld.
The moment after I took this,
this floor opened and he vanished…

By contrast, Mark did look concerned.
But I doff my proverbial hat to both of them for trying it.

Verushka at Waterworld.

And there HAD to be a “selfie stick”!

Namritha poses for MY camera,
rather than her own.

We had to remember that there are strict
dress codes, depending on where you are visiting.
Make certain that you are aware of local
customs and practices.
It will make your trip more pleasant and hassle free.
Many thanks to Natalia for putting the trip together,
and to the rest of the “team”
who were such great traveling companions.
We must do it again…