Wrapping up 2011

We had a busy couple of days wrapping up 2011. On the 30th, we visited the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. The light that afternoon was just stunning on all that white marble. It was beautiful!

And then for something completely different...we went go karting on Yas Island. Yep, you get to put on racing coveralls. That's Chuck and me with the dark visors. I'd never gone go karting before. It was a little terrifying going around the twists and turns of the track. We ladies came in 14th, 15th, and 16th...of 16. Sigh. Afterwards, we had dinner at Amerigo's at the Park Inn which had delicious Tex Mex and strong margaritas!

On New Year's Eve morning, the women got up and went kayaking around the mangroves. It was very peaceful. We saw lots of egrets and heron and even a flock of flamingoes wading in the distance. It was much easier than my previous kayaking experiences, possibly due to the lack of wind, which made it much more fun than I expected. (I admit it, I was a doubter.)

After re-energizing with a shower and some French pastries, we had a generous and tasty Indian thali lunch at Sangheeta followed by abaya shopping. And we fit in a nap before heading to celebrate the new year with friends. It was a crazy busy weekend, but we had so much fun!