First Full Week in Abu Dhabi: A trip to the mall

As part of getting settled in Abu Dhabi (now that my ear has improved to the point that I'm willing to leave the apartment), I made my first solo trip to the mall. Some of you might remember my descriptions (and complaints) of the mall in Dubai - you can also read them here - so I was, perhaps, a bit nervous about making this trip.

Of course, I am much better prepared this time. I packed clothing that, if not typical of the region, does not seem to attract as many stares. And while I cannot say that downtown Abu Dhabi is particularly pedestrian friendly, it is immeasurably easier to get about on foot than Dubai. But for this trip to the mall, I was not going far. In fact, you can see the mall from our apartment window.

Al Wahda Mall, as seen from the twelfth floor of the Marriott Downtown

But even in this picture, taken at 1:40 pm on a workday, you can see that there is a bit of traffic. I took a timelapse video of the intersection. It does not operate in a way with which I am familiar. Most disturbing for a pedestrian is crossing the right-turn lanes, as pedestrians don't really have the right-of-way here, even in a crosswalk. Further complicating matters, I'm not familiar enough with the traffic flow to know when a car might or might not try to make a right turn.

It does make a lovely stream of traffic, though, as each direction of travel takes a turn. But both on my walk to the mall and my return from the mall, I had to stop at each corner as well as in the middle of each section of road that I crossed. There is a spot to stop there to wait for the light, but it is a bit narrow for my comfort. So, if anyone wants to take the time to figure out the most efficient way for a pedestrian to travel from one corner to the diagonally opposite corner, I would greatly appreciate it.