Arabian Dusk in Abu Dhabi

(insects chirp) From a hotel in Abu Dhabi, the shoreline opens in pale sand that meets the quiet roll of the tide. (waves susurrate) At this hour, the beach is almost empty, except for the faint tracks from turtles pressed into the sand. The sleepy sun is low on the water, turning the turquoise shallows to gold before the ocean carries the light away into dusk. As we prepare for our visit, let's take a moment for a brief wind-down exercise. Tonight's exercise is a really simple breathing exercise. So when you're ready, let's begin. So first, get comfortable in your bed. Now, just bringing the attention to the breath, just noticing where you feel it in the nose, the throat, the chest, the diaphragm. You're nice and relaxed. We are going to be taking a deep breath in for four, holding it for four, and then breathing out for six. So, are you ready? Let's begin. In for four, two, three, four. Hold it for four, two, three, four. Now breathing out for six, two, three, four, five, six. In for four, two, three, four. Holding for four, two, three, four. Out for six, two, three, four, five, six. In for four, two, three, four. Holding for four, two, three, four. Out for six, two, three, four, five, six. In for four, two, three, four. Holding for four, two, three, four. Out for six, two, three, four, five, six. Great. Now, returning the breath to normal. (waves continue to susurrate) Off the coast of Abu Dhabi, an island rises from the gulf, a meeting place of desert, savanna and sea. This is Sir Bani Yas, a vast sanctuary where conservation has turned the desert into a refuge for wildlife. (insects continue to chirp) The landscape here stretches in layers. Open desert gives way to green savannas scattered with flat-topped acacia trees that spread like wide, green umbrellas. Along the ridges, herds of Arabian oryx move in unison, their long horns pointing straight up toward the evening sky. Not far off, giraffes are wandering in quiet groups, their long legs carrying them slowly across the plains. Now and then, one bends to feed, its neck curving down to strip some leaves from a low hanging branch. Beneath this living sanctuary lies an ancient foundation. Millions of years ago, a mountain of salt pushed its way upward from deep within the earth, lifting the island into being. Even now, the ground reveals this history. If you look closely, you can see the faint glimmers of tiny salt crystals sparkling against the setting sun. (waves susurrate) The first glimpse of the Louvre Abu Dhabi seems to hover at the water's edge. Its wide, silvery dome floats above the gulf, stretching outward so that parts of the museum extend directly over the sea. From a distance, it appears weightless, like a giant shell drifting just above the tide. Beneath the dome, a lattice of steel scatters the sunset into thousands of shifting patterns....