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So we took a few days to travel up to Dibba close to Fujairah on the coast of the Gulf of Oman. It was amazing to see the difference in landscape as we drove through beautiful mountains. It turns out the whole of the UAE is not boring sand dunes!
The place that we were staying at was really well kept and the location was fabulous. Right on the beach with a view of the Dibba Marine Reserve - a massive rock sticking out of the sea with coral reefs all around it - for the price we paid it was an absolute gem!
It took us a while to get into the idea of being at a hotel during Ramadan. We were hesitant to order anything consumable but it turns out they were happy to provide it. This was a dry hotel and the 'Hole in the Wall' (bottle store) was closed for Ramadan so we had an alcohol-free time which is actually fine with me. I think Jaco would have appreciated a beer or two but we managed to survive! At sundown the Muslim staff were given what looked like a large Iftar feast at the beach.
We went on a boat ride out to the Dibba Marine Reserve where we did some snorkeling around the reefs while JJ sat on the boat and sulked about the fact that he was sitting on the boat. He refused to get in the water with us so we had to go one at a time. That kind of thing is no fun for me on my own so I spent all of five minutes out but I did manage to spot Dory and some other large fish with yellow, grey and black markings. We spotted 3 sea turtles from the dock and from the boat which was a treat. Its amazing what you can find when you step out of your routine and go looking for a bit of adventure.
We seemed to be the only people staying at the hotel which really is a shame as it is a lovely place. The chef, waitresses and maitre d were there just for us which was great but a bit weird. During the day there were other people on the beach which we assume are tour groups that come to the beach and pool for the day. I don't know if living in the UAE has increased my modesty radar o
r if I'm just a bit backward coming from South Africa, but there was a horrid display on the beach that can only be described as mildly pornographic. Two Russian um...ladies...in g string bikini's where having a photo shoot in the surf, by the pool and in the baby pool (gross!). Now while I don't have an issue if a girl has it and wants to flaunt it, I do believe there is a time and a place for that sort of thing, and on a beach with perfect strangers and young impressionable girls in the middle of Ramadan is perhaps not that time and place. That's all I'm saying. When Jaco and I later saw one of those young girls of about 6 or 7 years of age striking the exact evocative poses that the other two...um...ladies had struck, my point about corruption of impressionable young minds was proven. There is something to be said for a bit of modesty when in view of the young (and those partaking in Ramadan). *Gets off soapbox*.
After leaving the resort we stopped at the Friday Market (open everyday) where I tried to buy some fruit and vegetables. The quality of the wares was excellent so I chose a few things (and by a few I mean 4 sweet potatoes, 4 mangoes, 4 pomegranates, 6 nectarines, 1 bottle local honey, 1 bottle date syrup, 1 bottle lemon juice). When we asked the gentleman for a total price he came back with an amount equivalent to
R600! Apparently the bottle of honey alone was R300. We are not stupid rich tourists though so we refused to pay that ridiculous amount. So he brought the price down R10...gee thanks! At this point they had already put the goods in the car so I had to go and remove the offending honey and the delicious date syrup so we could afford the few items we had left. If it wasn't such delicious-looking fruit I would have passed on the lot. We moved onto the carpet stalls from there where my eye was caught by a stunning rug (pictured left) that I had to have...but not for the price they had in mind! We managed to talk them down R400 which we were well pleased with as neither of us really likes to negotiate. So off we drove with 18 carrot (spelling intended) fruit, a new rug and 8 new flies to take home. It was a successful market day and a perfect trip!
Its the start of Ramadan this weekend (either today or tomorrow). This is the holy month of Islam when Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset for a month and its been interesting for me to see the run up thus far.
The shops are full of every kind of date you can imagine, in every form you can imagine: Chocolate covered, stuffed with nuts, plain, seedless...the list seems endless! There are also the most tempting-looking Arabic sweet pastries on display which are made from pistachio's, dates and other nuts. My favourite is a pastry similar to the Greek kataifi which, according to Wikipedia, is a shredded phyllo pastry. In Arabic its called Kanafeh. This particular one has pistachio's with lots of sticky sweet stuff surrounded by the kanafeh. Delicious! There are specials on food items and on serving items like plates and dishes.
The other noticeable thing about the run-up to Ramadan is that the shops have a very empty feeling to them. I was at the mall yesterday and, although most shops were open, it was definitely quieter than usual.
Jaco took a trip to the bottle store yesterday to stock up on our liquor supply and he came back with very little as they did not have stock. We were told earlier in the week that they were well-stocked. The only thing I can imagine this means is that the expats are freaking out and stock-piling for Ramadan. We would surely have done the same had we not had the benefit of having people in the know around us. The bottle store stays open but the hours are adjusted to 10am - 5pm. This is much more convenient than the normal hours of 9am - 1pm and 4pm - 8pm (or is it 10?).
During Ramadan we as expats are expected to observe a few basic rules. No eating, drinking or smoking in public in daylight hours, dress modestly (cover shoulders and legs) and no loud music. I am a little bit apprehensive about the implications of this as there will be no more trips to the mall over lunch times and catching a quick bite to eat there but its only a month and I'm sure I'll survive.
So that's about it for today. I am apprehensive, yes, but also excited to experience something new. I'll let you know how it goes.
Today I took our visitors to the livestock market in Al Ain to find some camel blankets and to see some camels. It was quite an experience!
The market consists of many, many pens of live animals (goats, cows, camels) that are waiting to be sold. It was exceptionally hot and rather smelly but we managed to get some blankets after a very complicated negotiation that did not result in any kind of discounted price that I could see. The general impression is that the people here will barter but the truth is that every time I've tried to do so the discount I get is either negligible or non-existent. Its also very difficult to haggle when the 2 parties do not speak the same language. Nevertheless, the experience alone is worth the price. They sold amazing things for camels in the shop. I kept trying to find out what they used the stuff for but I'm not sure I got the right information. Some stuff is for feeding, some for medicinal purposes like for when the camel has a bellyache and some just for decoration. It really is fascinating.
After this we went to see the camels. When we got there the handlers invited our visitors into the pen to be with the baby camels and took pictures of them. JJ and I stayed in the car as it was really hot but the handlers insisted we get out so we we went to stroke the camels and have our picture taken. They tried to get JJ to ride one but he was too frightened. They took many pictures and then included themselves while their buddies took pictures with cell phones. All this while the baby camels are milling about and, every now and then, sticking their noses out at us. When we were done, we went back to the car with the handlers right on our heels demanding 'Money money'. We gave them some Dhs10 notes and hot-footed it out of there with them knocking on the car windows and calling us back. Quite intimidating.
Next we made our way up Jebel Hafeet, the famous mountain here in Al Ain. We stopped at some look-out points along the way until we got to the Mercure Hotel near the top where we spent a very, very pleasant afternoon sun-bathing, swimming and riding the super tubes. JJ had an absolute ball and I think its safe to say that a good time was had by all. We left there feeling rather drained but content after an afternoon of fun in the sun.
We got back last night after spending 2 nights in Dubai with visiting family. Every time I go to Dubai I am reminded why I don't want to live there. Its wonderful to visit as there is so much more there than here (beach, shops, etc) but the traffic is a headache and the humidity is too much for me to bear.
Its interesting to see the UAE through the eyes of visitors. I think that everyone has a certain impression of this place and, no matter how much you try to explain it, it cannot be understood until you are here. You can tell people that it is too hot to go outside but its hard to understand how it can be that hot so they tend not to believe you. It needs to be remembered that this is the desert and that means sand and heat and not too much of anything else. Whatever else there is here is man-made and generally geared towards indoor living.
We visited the Atlantis Aquaventure park on the Palm Jumeirah which was really impressive. JJ had an absolute blast but freaked out when I was dumped off of my tube by a fake wave. He was very brave going down much bigger slides than I thought he would until he fell and grazed his foot and came crying to me that 'there was blood'. I didn't get to see the whole of the park as it was really too hot and humid to walk around too much but I believe they have a dolphin experience (for about R2000!) as well as quite an awesome tunnel through an aquarium that you do on the tubes (for a further R100). These prices are on top of the R500 per person (R300 for kids) that you've already paid to get into the park. A little steep, if you ask me, but it was an experience to remember.
Other than that we went again (3rd time for me) to the Aquarium at Dubai Mall because JJ just loves it there and for a bit of a mosey around the shops there. It really is a huge place and I am yet to see all I want to see there but one day I will!
What can I say about driving in Dubai? Driving in Al Ain is bad enough but it seems to be ten times worse in Dubai. The traffic lights are very very slow, the drivers are unpredictable, the traffic is unbelievable. It took me an hour to drive 25km. I spent the entire day in the car yesterday trying to get around Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman (the latter 2 being seaside Emirates next to Dubai) and then back home to Al Ain.
As much as there is to complain about Dubai, I still look forward to my next trip there as the change of pace and scenery is a nice variable on life in Al Ain.
Its been over 3 months since we moved to the city of Al Ain in the United Arab Emirates. Its a city in the desert, inland from Dubai and Abu Dhabi, originally started, from what I can gather, as an oasis.
We are living in a 4 bedroom villa in the district of Zakher, close to Jebel Hafeet, the most famous (but not the highest) mountain in the UAE. It is a semi-detached villa in a small compound of 5 villas. Our neighbours include 3 South African families and one British family. We share a wall with the British family who are really great people. They have 2 kids: a 5 year old boy called James and a 2 year old little miss called Robyn. JJ, our son, adores James and they spend every moment they can together. Their mom, Pauline, is rapidly becoming my good friend and we love a good chinwag over a brew with the kids screaming up a storm. We have spent many an evening having a braai (barbeque) and drinking up gallons of wine/ Savannah Light.
I am starting this blog to document our time in the UAE and our adjustment to life over here in the hopes that perhaps it may help others in similar situations or simply inform those that are far, keeping them close. I trust that an understanding of where we are at this time in our lives will be formed and that people will become educated in the ways of the Middle East along with me.
r if I'm just a bit backward coming from South Africa, but there was a horrid display on the beach that can only be described as mildly pornographic. Two Russian um...ladies...in g string bikini's where having a photo shoot in the surf, by the pool and in the baby pool (gross!). Now while I don't have an issue if a girl has it and wants to flaunt it, I do believe there is a time and a place for that sort of thing, and on a beach with perfect strangers and young impressionable girls in the middle of Ramadan is perhaps not that time and place. That's all I'm saying. When Jaco and I later saw one of those young girls of about 6 or 7 years of age striking the exact evocative poses that the other two...um...ladies had struck, my point about corruption of impressionable young minds was proven. There is something to be said for a bit of modesty when in view of the young (and those partaking in Ramadan). *Gets off soapbox*.
R600! Apparently the bottle of honey alone was R300. We are not stupid rich tourists though so we refused to pay that ridiculous amount. So he brought the price down R10...gee thanks! At this point they had already put the goods in the car so I had to go and remove the offending honey and the delicious date syrup so we could afford the few items we had left. If it wasn't such delicious-looking fruit I would have passed on the lot. We moved onto the carpet stalls from there where my eye was caught by a stunning rug (pictured left) that I had to have...but not for the price they had in mind! We managed to talk them down R400 which we were well pleased with as neither of us really likes to negotiate. So off we drove with 18 carrot (spelling intended) fruit, a new rug and 8 new flies to take home. It was a successful market day and a perfect trip!
