Abu Dhabi sunset: a new drink?

So yesterday evening, I went to the beach. The light around sunset is amazing, there is water nearby, and the onshore breeze is a nice respite from the broiler-like temperatures farther inland. I brought with me my iPod, a notebook and my camera, an old-fashioned film-eater that nonetheless takes great pictures despite my best efforts.

Here is the shot I arrived there for:

A beautiful Tuesday sunset, but I didn't quite capture the light the way I wanted to. And the vertical shots weren't composed as well as I would have liked.

The flagpole there is incredibly tall--several hundred feet. The domed building next to it as the Abu Dhabi Theater (or Theatre, as we say around here), which, given its proximity to the Heritage Village, I think is basically just used for traditional productions.

Also nearby,

Are the birds fooled?

Now, in my other post I mentioned a "Tony Scott sunset," and this is what I was talking about. The sun turns a brilliant orange and seems to simply melt as it nears the horizon.

One positive of humidity: Brilliant sunsets.

However, a problem I ran into almost immediately after getting my camera out of the back is a major drawback of the aforementioned humidity, and one that I can't figure out how to get around. I obviously store my camera in my hotel room, which is fantastically well air-conditioned. And then outside it's like a million degrees out, and the result is insta-condensation. On the UV filter and at both ends of the lens. The result is akin to a generous smearing of vaseline on the glass:

Palace Hotel in back, fishing boat in front, haze all over.

Another hazard is the temptation to take pictures of everyday objects. Hey, that sign's funny. Look at how congested the intersection is. Those construction workers are holding hands. And so on.

Traffic is dangerous unless you are dressed like an emirati.

So in conclusion, we see that there is brilliant light here, but a host of issues that I have not yet overcome. As I said before, about a 25 percent success rate on photo taking. Anyone with expertise, feel free to weigh in.

Oh, and I almost forgot: Film processing here is the best... film processing... ever. I got prints, a CD (just for you, dear reader) and they threw in a 36-exposure roll of film. Awesome.