1 ~ Doha, Qatar/ Abu Dhabi ~ Sat 3/25/23

 March 25, 2023

The Schulthess' were kind enough to pick us up bright and early at 6:45am and take us to the Provo Airport! We boarded Breeze Airlines at 8:40am.  I was very surprised at how nice it was; it was a smaller plane but it had a lot more leg room than the larger planes and was very comfortable. Our flight to San Francisco was a little over 2 hours and then we had about a 6 hr layover. Once we boarded the Qatar Airplane we got nice and comfortable for the 15hr flight. I don't mind flying because I get to:

1) relax and sleep

2) read 

3) watch movies 

4) eat fun and interesting food 

5) meet a bunch of new friends and 

5) I get to sit next to my honey the entire time 🥰! 

Fortunately, I have figured out the exact amount of clothes and items to take on the plane; whether it's hot or cold I am well prepared!  The flight attendant accidentally spilled a half a cup of water on my jeans 😳 but even with this mishap I was prepared!

We arrived at the Hamad Int'l Airport in Qatar and had a couple hours layover then boarded the last leg of our flying adventure to Abu Dhabi.  We arrived in Abu Dhabi safe and sound and took a taxi to our hotel!

Our hotel, "The Crown Plaza", is gorgeous ~ Billy was a bit worried that it wouldn’t be very nice because it was pretty inexpensive! Abu Dahbi is the 15th richest country in the world but unlike Switzerland things aren’t expensive. Everything is so clean and most all of the employees everywhere are foreigners (those that are born here get a very, very large pension so they don’t have to work ~ pretty sweet but perhaps a little entitled).

A few different activities to do in Abu Dhabi

It was the month of Ramadan for Muslims around the world (March 22 to April 22 ~ the 9th month of the Islamic calendar).  This is a time where they fast from sunrise to sunset. They abstain from food, drinking any liquids, smoking cigarettes, intimate contact and even taking medicine, to name a few.          

In the above right hand corner picture, at the Jolibee restaurant, you can see how the windows are covered with paper or curtains; all eating establishments do this in the Muslim community to help avoid the temptation of eating. Restaurants and most stores are still open during Ramadan.

A beautiful city and a fun one to visit!