Fujairah

Ater our adventures in Al Ain and Oman, Garren and I headed to the east coast of the UAE to Fujairah. Fujairah is an emirate that sits on the Gulf of Oman (Indian Ocean), and is growing in popularity due to its proximity nestled in between the Hajar Mountains and the Gulf of Oman. We drove through the Hajar Mountains, through a crazy highway tunnel built into the mountain - it was crazy long, and you couldn't see the end - it drops before you exit the tunnel. The unnerving part was the "Goodbye" sign we saw before we entered the tunnel...

We got to the coast and followed the highway north about 60km (36 miles) to the hotel/resort we called home for 3 days - the Rotana. We spent two days relaxing on the beach, getting some sun.

We went snorkelling on the second day. Having spent quite a bit of time in the Carribbean snorkelling and diving, it was really cool to see all of the different types of fish living in this part of the world. The staples were the same - parrotfish, wrasse, grouper, triggerfish, eels, etc. but were so different in colors and patterns that you wouldn't see in the Carribbean or Pacific Ocean (Hawaii). I was given a big picture book in high school or college, that had gorgeous pictures of diving in the Maldives - an island chain in the Indian Ocean. There were several fish that fascinated me in that book, ones that I have always wanted to see, and finally saw them in the short 30 minutes that we were out snorkelling. The Picasso Triggerfish being one of them. We didn't take an underwater camera with us, the water was a little murky anyways...

Here's a picture looking back at the resort from the beach... the Hajar Mountains towering over us

View from our balcony

We ate at this restaurant called Waves one night. We went inside, and picked a fish from their fresh fish selection and they grilled it up for us. Brought it to the table whole - head, eyes, tail and all (ok, no guts). It was really quite good and another great experience. The food at the resort had its moments of brilliance. We had a buffet breakfast every morning which was part of the room cost. It was so nice to eat a real breakfast - waffles, eggs, bacon (beef), pretty much anything you would want. Room service food, on the other hand, was a little disappointing - I have come to realize that what you read and see on the menu is not always what you get. This hotel was not the first, and I'm sure, not the last time this will happen. Oh well, live and learn!

We drove back on Wednesday, and drove through this village called Musafi. It could be my favorite little village that I have seen. I can't explain why, but it gave me a real serene feeling driving through, and really made me appreciate the peacefullness of the small villages of the UAE. Just outside of town was this massive market - fresh fruit stands, pottery, plants, rugs - booths stretched for a 1/4 mile on both sides of the street. Even had big inflatable cows - the plastic kind you win at the fair. We didn't get a picture, but we did buy some fresh mango and a couple of house plants.

Driving through Masafi

This is the highway in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, driving back into Al Ain. Every major road in Abu Dhabi has green space surrounding it. Even in the middle of the desert! You look either way, and it's nothing but sand, but surrounding the highway are beautiful green leafy trees, palm trees, shrubs. 1000's of miles of irrigated highway - can you imagine the water bill? It kills me, but I do enjoy the view. Only in Abu Dhabi though. The emirate of Dubai isn't as green. The great Sheik of Abu Dhabi - Sheik Zayed bin Sultan (now deceased) - wanted his land to be green! And so it is...