Today we start our trip to the Middle East and we already are wondering what we have gotten into. It started with the desire of some of our family members to see Dubai and we decided to meet there for a couple weeks at the end of the year. However as we started our research we didn't see enough to do in Dubai not even for a week so we started thinking of alternatives. Suddenly we read about Oman, a neighboring state and a new self drive destination and after some checking it looked like a great destination and more to our taste (remote and historical - not so much wildlife though). So Oman and United Arab Emirates (UAE) it is then we thought. And then we searched for tickets and the cheapest route was with Air Jordanian through Amman. Coupled with the fact that our relatives had to leave earlier due to their plane connections we decided that instead of spending two additional days in Dubai we will spend them in Jordan on our return leg and visit Petra which has been a dream since seeing "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade". And so out of one country we were now planning a trip through three very different countries - which really was a blast (but difficult). Everything was bookable through the internet even a car that can be driven both in UAE and Oman and after making sure we bring nothing that can be considered objectionable by the Dubai airport which had a few horror stories on the internet we are ready for the trip.
While we are ready the airline decides to through us a wrench - we are rebooked on a later flight from Phoenix to New York. This is good as it is a shorter layover in New York but of course there is a but...the initial booking does not disappear. We wait for some time but then a few days before we leave we have to call American to understand on which flight we are booked - they tell us that we are booked only on the initial earlier flight while Expedia through which we booked is saying we are booked on the later flight and Air Jordanian is showing we are booked on both. With no way to solve the conundrum we decide to go to the earlier flight and if we are not confirmed on that one we can go on the later one. This is the day before Christmas which adds to the stress with the airport being chock full. There are no issues with the ticket though and soon we are on our flight to New York - no idea what would have happened if we would have decided to trust Expedia - maybe we would never have left for the trip.
The six hours in New York pass relatively fast especially that for half of the time we searched for any customer service agent to help us get boarding passes for the Amman flight (no luck getting those from Phoenix). Finally someone directs us to the gate where the Jordanian Air representative gives us to passes and we finally feel like we are going to make it to Dubai. The plane ride to Amman goes smoothly with acceptable food, huge seat TVs (US airlines are really behind at amenities) and even real metal cutlery. In Amman we pass easily through security and then have a few hours to spend in the airport which is partway under construction. We buy a book with a map of Jordan and something to drink and then start what becomes an unexpectedly difficult quest of finding a restroom. Finding one is not that difficult - finding one that is not cleaned right then is difficult. For what seems like eternity (1 hour at least) all restrooms that we found (about 6) are closed for cleaning so when one opens everyone rushed into it - really weird. The plane to Dubai leaves at midnight and we have to be taken by bus to the airplane which leaves soon after and in a couple hours we are in Dubai.
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| Drinking Columbian coffee in New York | Jordanian Air plane food |
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| Dubai shore | View from over the ocean |
We arrive in Dubai at 2 AM so there should hardly be anyone for visa processing, right? .....actually it is very wrong! It seems that all the airplanes from India with workers arrive at that time and the lines are huge and barely moving as the processing for the work visa seems complicated. It takes probably an hour before we have our picture taken and receive the visa and then we pass through customs without a problem and are on our way to the bus stop to wait for the shuttle which arrives in due time. The hotel check in takes a bit also as they need to copy passports and so on so as soon as we get to our room (it is already 3:30 in the morning) we fall down and go to sleep.
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| Airport hotel | We didn't use it enough |
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| Good to have in the morning | Hotel bathroom |
In the morning after a short breakfast we take the shuttle back to the airport to get our rental car. It takes a bit especially to get the Oman insurance but as soon as everything is in order we are on the road out of Dubai towards Al Ain. As our relatives do not arrive in Dubai till the next day we have one day to spend on our own and we decided to do a short trip to Al Ain which is about 1 hour away and is the birthplace of the first president of the UAE. It is also the largest inland city in UAE (and the third largest in the country) with multiple oases and a Unesco world heritage site - all good reasons to visit it. We avoid getting lost and are able to make all our exits in Dubai and soon are on the way to Al Ain on a 4 lane divided highway. At almost every 500m there is a speed camera but we are not sure how well they are working as we have seen people going 20km/h and more over without any photos taken. The road is interesting passing through the desert a few times and we also get to see our first camels - these ones are on trucks and carried from one town to another.
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| Our terminal - an older one | New Emirates terminal |
Our first stop is Hili Archaeological Park an Unesco World Heritage site. We are not sure if we need to pay to enter and the person at the gate waves us in so we do that. Right from the entrance we see that it is quite different from what we expect - it really is a park with play areas for children, lots of rules and well landscaped vegetation and interspersed in all this there are the archaeological remains of a village and a few tombs from the Bronze Age (3rd millenium BC) which make it an Unesco site.
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| Entrance to Hili Archaeological Park | Nicely landscaped |
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| Lots of rules | Very few people in park |
The first building we see has only the foundation left but it is quite symmetrical and you can imagine what the room layout was so many years ago. After a bit more walking we arrive at the main excavated settlement in the park - it is not as renovated as the first building we saw and we have trouble initially identifying whether it is the foundation of a new building or the remains of the old ones before seeing the sign right next to us.
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| Signs are also in English | Foundation of old building |
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| What is this? | Apparently the settlement that built the tombs |
One thing we did not expect in the park was the multitude of birds. Surprisingly we saw quite a few parrots which we didn't even think existed here but the birds that got us excited most are the hoopoes which we never did see before even though we lived in a country full of them. They are quite cute as they walk across the lawn but it is difficult to take pictures of them as it seems that they never stop in their movement.
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| Chickadees - quite large too | Interesting birds |
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| There are even parrots here (rose ringed parakeet) | First hoopoe we have seen |
The grand tomb is the most well known sight in Hili especially due to the stone carvings on the walls depicting two oryxes and two humans. It is also the largest tomb found in the UAE and it has been reconstructed in 1975 and it is an interesting sight.
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| Grand tomb - reason that it is a Unesco site | It is likely reconstructed quite a bit |
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| Interesting detail on the front "entrance" | Detail on the back |
We walk a bit more through the park and find a new mosque which has a public restroom (only male though..first time we have seen this). The whole park is oasis like with lots of trees and is surrounded by a colorful fence. In fact on one side it likely is also the border to Oman which is right next to the park. As we exit we discover one more tomb which we explore before leaving the park.
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| Mosque in the park | Colorful fence |
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| Last tomb in the park | Interesting tree |
Our next stop is close by - the Hili Oasis. We wanted to see at least one oasis while in the Arabian Peninsula so knowing one is nearby we decide to stop here. The person at the gate lets us in when we ask him whether we can visit and the area looks deserted. We park the car in an empty spot and start walking on the deserted paths. As the buildings also are in a state of disrespair it is a very interesting walk where we just try to not get lost.
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| Hili Oasis | Palms in the oasis |
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| Trail in the oasis | The wall doesn't look that stable |
What we want to see are the different irrigation channels and there are a lot of them but none of them are flowing. Probably they use them only in the hotter months but we still see all the palms and dates that made this oasis town such an important place in the medieval times.
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| Oasis irrigation system | Channels flow in front of homes |
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| Can you see the dates? | Or at least we think they are dates:) |
Next we go to the hotel which is quite nice looking. The receptionist is very friendly and even gives us a Christmas gift - not what we expected in a Muslim country (of which customs it seems we still have a lot to learn). In fact in the middle of the lobby is a Christmas tree and while we initially assume this is for Western tourists there really don't seem to be any besides us. The rooms are huge with great windows overlooking to our surprise the border with Oman. In fact we have a nice view of a local border crossing (not for foreigners) which is quite interesting. The room like all rooms in the area have at least a sign (this room has multiple signs) showing the direction to Mecca for prayer. It takes us a long time to decide what the sign is for before turning on the TV and seeing the building from the sign on the TV screen surrounded by praying people. Given that we slept only about 4 hours in the previous hotel we decide to rest a for a few hours and then in the evening go to a nearby mall to buy provisions.
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| Hotel - quite impressive | Huge room |
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| Serving the TV remote | Qibla (Mecca) arrow on the ceiling |
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| We can see the border and Oman right out the window | This is the border post for residents |
The mall that we choose is an interesting place as Al Ain is more conservative than the other major cities. There are few foreigners and there are lots of people dressed in traditional clothes both men and women usually separated in groups by gender. After looking a bit at the stores we eat some arabian fast food which is acceptable but a bit dry. We enjoy people watching before walking down to the supermarket and buying some provisions (cheese is easy to buy but deli meats are few and difficult to find) and then returning to hotel to catch a few more zzzzzs.
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| Inside Al Ain mall | First food bought in UAE |
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| Fast food - a bit dry with no sauce | Kebab strips |
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| Palace Museum |
After a full night of sleep we are refreshed and start our visit of Al Ain with the Al Ain National Museum one of the major museums in Al Ain. FInding the museum is a bit difficult due to the divided highways but we get there in the end and the parking lot is quite empty which is good. The museum encompasses a fort that can be seen only from the outside and the main building with exhibits.
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| Eastern Fort (Sultan Fort) | Al Ain National Museum |
The main building has two rooms separated by a corridor. The first room is dedicated more to the cultural history of the area with local costumes and descriptions of local customs. It is quite interesting with nice exhibits of silver jewelry which were customarily an indicator of status among women and a small collection dowry chests.
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| Museum room view | Dowry boxes |
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| Silver objects were and are important in the region | Nice artifacts |
The connecting corridor has a few dioramas and an interesting collection of weapons from different epochs with some pistols being quite unusual. The second room is dedicated to archaelogical finds with an interesting area about Hili, which we visited previously, and a few other sites that we never heard before but seemed interesting to visit.
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| Diorama of traditional life | Some interesting pistols |
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| Older collection - Hili in the background | Old pottery from the area |
After exiting the exhibits we wander around the Sultan Fort to take a closer look at the fort. The entrance is closed, not sure if it is ever open, but we see lots of parrots and pigeons nesting in the fort with the parrots being more unexpected for us of course.
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| Entrance to Sultan Fort | Fort door detail |
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| Inhabitant of the fort | A bit more unusual |
Next to the museum is Al Ain Oasis and we walk into it for a short distance but it is not that different from Hili Oasis which we enjoyed more due to its more remote feeling and the decaying homes.
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| Entrance to Al Ain Oasis | On the side of the road inside the oasis |
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| Irrigation channel near palms | Some channels are blocked by stones |
As we drive to our next point of interest - Al Jahili fort - we have time to look at the city. It looks to us similar to Dubai - neat, tidy and modern with futuristic buildings, flowers and fountains everywhere.
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| Streets are not this empty usually | The whole city is nicely landscaped |
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| Modern building | What is this building? |
Al Jahili is considered to be the most interesting fort in Al Ain and we agree with that assessment when comparing with the other forts we have seen. Even the first look from the parking lot is impressive and as we approach the entrance gate looks more and more intimidating. Inside the only drawback is that it looks like it just has been built with no pathways, vegetation in the interior courtyard. Possibly this is how an old fort looked - nothing really to compare against.
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| Al Jahili fort from the parking lot | Close up of the impressive entrance |
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| Interior fort | Interesting tower |
One wing is dedicated to Thesiger, a British explorer who was fascinated with Arabia and Africa and did multiple trips in both regions. In Al Ain he met, stayed and hunted with Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan the future ruler of Abu Dhabi and president of UAE which is one reason for the exhibition being hosted in this fort. The pictures of the dunes, bedouins and landscapes are beautiful and it is an exhibit worth visiting if in the area.
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| Hallway of Thesiger exhibition | Former ruler of Abu Dhabi |
The interior fort has a few shaded hallways which are wellcome after the relentless sun even now in the winter. While there is no furniture there are interesting details and decorations along the hallways and in the rooms even though overall the impression is a bit austere.
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| Close up of interior fort | Outside corridor - shaded |
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| Corridor roof detail | Looks like calligraphy to me |
Returning towards the entrance we go to the distinctive tower and go up to the highest level for a nice view of the area. It looks recently renovated but it is still very intimidating. Right next to it in a wing of the fort is the visitor center where we get some additional information about the area. Unfortunately it is more focused on Abu Dhabi and today we are already returning to Dubai but who knows we might be using it another time.
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| Close up of tower | Very intimidating |
As we have to pick our relatives from the airport in a few hours and the drive back is only about a hour we decide to visit one more attraction before leaving for Dubai. We settle on the Palace Museum, the former home of the ruling sheikhs at the edge of the Al Ain oasis. The first thing that we see is the 4x4 used by the king (or something similar) and decide to take a few pictures. As we take pictures we are approached by a local who seems suprised and a bit indignant that we wear our photo camera over the shoulder. He seems to assume that we are doing that in order for it to not get stolen and tries to convince us that it is safe in UAE - which we more than agree with but we carry it this way so it doesn't bounce on the chest which he doesn't understand. It is a bit weird and an example of how assumptions and preconceived ideas can lead to misunderstandings.
In the next courtyard is the official audience tent of the sheikh - large and ventilated - which I assume was needed during the summer months. Even now the shade is most welcome.
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| Palace museum front | King's 4x4 |
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| The official audience tent | Interior of tent |
The rooms here in contrast to Al Jahili fort are fully furnished, there are multiple meeting rooms, sleeping rooms for visitors and the rooms for the ruling family all of them interesting to see and walk into. Actually this is the most exciting thing in the museum that you can enter into the rooms and feel like a visitor in the not to distant past when the sheikh was still living here.
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| You can walk in the museum rooms | Like the colors |
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| Conference room | Regal bed |
The kitchen also has a large collection of pots and pans as well examples of the supplies needed like coal and different vegetables and we have fun exploring it.
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| Kitchen - those pots are huge | Coal is always needed |
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| Traditional tea serving station | For all your grounding needs |
Outside there are a few small lakes which the birds seem to enjoy and which likely were a luxury when created. While returning to the entrance we take in all the different ornaments and details that we missed and almost get lost in the maze of buildings before finding the correct way out and to our car.
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| I am sure this was a luxury back then | Every good palace needs a well |
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| Beautiful window | Another nice detail |
The return through the dunes is again interesting especially now that we are less tired. The speed limit cameras on the highways are not stressing us that much anymore as we notice many people rocketing past us without any photo taken. There are again quite a few trucks carrying camels it seems like it is something quite popular. Entering Dubai we make all the right turns (easier when you follow the airport sign) and arrive almost on time to pick our relatives.
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| Dunes on the road | This is how camels are transported |
The drive from the airport to our hotel should be short but there is an extended gridlock and we barely move towards the hotel. It takes probably an hour to drive the 1 km to the hotel so we are happy when we arrive and park the car and after checking in can relax for a couple hours in our room.
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| Hotel inside elevator | Relaxing bed |
In the evening we exit again on foot this time to a nearby Iraqi restaurant that we decided on previously. The food is quite good and it is a lot of it which means we have what to eat also the next day. The lamb especially is well done and we cannot stop eating it.
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| Appetizer plate | Lamb for two (very good and more for 4 people than 2) |
Because we are too full we decide to take a stroll after the restaurant to the nearby Al Ghurair mall. We spend there a hour looking at the different stores that were not that different from what we have seen in other countries before walking back to our hotel for a well deserved rest.
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| Usual rules for a mall in UAE | Inside of mall - not that different |
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| Dubai panorama |
Today we have a full day to explore Dubai but the first thing we explore are the traffic jams of Dubai. They are especially bad when crossing the couple free bridges over Dubai Creek for all the other ones tolls have been introduced in the recent years. After crossing the bridge the traffic clears a bit up as we drive towards the main Dubai street, Sheikh Zayed Rd.
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| Traffic in Dubai - especially on the free bridges | The rulers of UAE=Sheikhs of Abu Dhabi and Dubai |
The main draw is that Sheikh Zayed Road cuts through the skyscraper area for some great views. And it also passes right next to our first objective Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa.
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| This is the high rise area | The Dubai skyline everyone talks about |
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| Skyline with the new Metro system in front | Interesting building on the way |
After getting lost a few times on the way here we are happy that Dubai Mall is well marked and we follow the signs to the large multistory parking garage. We make an effort to remember where we parked the car - after all Dubai Mall is one of the largest malls in the world. Like all major malls in Dubai it has a few attractions beside shopping but before taking a look at them we wander through the mall trying to understand the layout that even for us was difficult to follow. To our shame we went the wrong way a few times but given that we didn't have a fixed route all was well. The stores are mostly similar to what you find in other malls but there are more of them of course. The most interesting thing we found was a sculpture ensemble of divers on a wall of water - quite interesting.
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| Dubai Mall - quite big | They even have a plane inside |
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| Interesting decoration on the ceiling | There is carpet on the floor |
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| Look at those divers! | Looks scary from below |
Next it is time to take a look at the first attraction near Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa. it is for now still the tallest manmade structure at ~830m and obviously it is quite difficult to capture in one frame on the camera which led to some contortions as we tried to get it in frame. We decided to approach it but to our surprise we cannot go from where we are to the tower - we have to enter the Mall again and go through it. On the way we eat a short lunch at Tim Horton's before finding out that there is a water fountain show at 1 PM and our clock is showing 12:58PM which leads to a scramble to the closest door. We get a good view of the show which is interesting and similar to the one in Las Vegas at Bellagio.
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| Burj Khalifa - first view | Close up of Burj Khalifa |
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| Water show at Dubai Mall | Short but impressive |
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| Mall view from outside | Lots of skyscrapers in the distance |
Next we reenter the mall to see the other big attraction - the Aquarium inside the mall. While you can pay a hefty amount to walk through a glass tunnel below the aquarium you can also see the fish (and divers) from the large windows in the wall which is what we do.
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| Aquarium entrance | Looking from the outside |
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| Divers in the tank | Playing with a shark |
Before returning to the car we exit the mall also from what appears to be the front entrance for another view of the mall and skyline. After gawking a bit we return to the car and start towards our next destination.
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| View from front of mall | Another view of the skyline |
Due to our efforts to avoid all tolls we get lost, find the way only to promptly take the wrong exit. After two circles in a large commercial and residential area our GPS finally finds the satellites and we can start following it towards the seashore. We plan on finding a free public beach if at all possible. Driving on the waterfront street is not as bad as we expected and after some time we find a sign towards a public beach. Following it we get to a dirt parking lot with a few other cars. We park and walk to the beach where there are lots of people running, playing, rising kites and generally enjoying the weather. No one is taking a bath or sunbathing so we decide not to try to enter the water especially with a police car close by. Still we enjoy the nice views of the downtown area and Burj Arab, the second iconic Dubai building, in the distance.
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| View from public beach | That is Burj Arab in the distance |
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| View inland from the beach | Ship with island in the background |
The next stop is Palm Jumeirah - initially we assumed we cannot do that but reading online it seemed possible so why not try it?! We find the correct tunnel and soon we are on this artificial islands which are featured seemingly in every documentary about Dubai. The only problem is that it is rush hour and everyone is heading in and also we don't know exactly what we can do on the island with mostly residential properties and a few hotels, the most known one being Palm Atlantis.
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| Driving on the artificial Palm Jumeirah | Palm Atlantis |
In the end we drive to the end of the trunk to the crescent island that works as a breakwater for the development. Driving along the exterior there are fewer and fewer people and in the end we find a spot to park to take in the the view. And what a view it is - we can see almost all the different Dubai attractions from Burj Khalifa and the skyline around it to Burj Arab and the Mall of Emirates. It is a great spot to relax before returning to the craziness of the traffic.
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| Skyline from Palm Island with towering Burj Khalifa | Mall of Emirates indoor ski slope roof |
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| Great view of Burj Arab | A curious resident of the area |
As we drive back towards the mainland we notice that the sun is setting so we stop again to take in the sunset and to snap a few pictures of course.
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| Sunset from Palm Island | Quite a beautiful one too |
The last attraction for the day is the Mall of Emirates which is close to Park Jumeirah. But before seeing the people we have to find a parking space and with what seems to be half of the parking spaces closed we are forced up and up to the top of the parking garage where we have to argue with a man to not clean our car (which is still clean anyway). It seems something common to do in Dubai as we had the same offer in Dubai Mall. The Mall itself look from the beginning to be a more conservative mall based on the mix of people and the number of people exiting the mosque right by our entrance. Or it might have been the simply the different time that we were visiting it compared to Dubai Mall. It has some beautiful Christmas decorations - a few huge globes. But what we are looking for is the major attraction - the indoor ski slope. The entrance is expensive but again you can view the people inside through a few large windows. It looks impressive and probably it is quite welcome in summer.
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| Mall of Emirates globes | Globes have snow scenes inside |
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| Looking at the indoor ski slope | There are other activities also |
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| This is the bottom of the slope | Children play area in the snow |
After all this walking we are tired and hungry so we stop to eat a few sweets from a shop we noticed as we were walking through the mall. The sweets are good and the coffee is also welcome giving us enough energy to return to the car and start on our way back. With the streets emptier everything looks good until we pass the bridge and exit one exit too soon directly into a mall. It is 10 PM so the security looks wondering at us as we make a loop through the parking lot and exit again to the road and the arrive at the hotel where we fall asleep almost immediately.
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| Well deserved dessert after a long day | They were good |
Today the plan is to leave Dubai and drive to Sohar in Oman with a detour to Sharjah in the beginning. Sharjah is in a different emirate, named also Sharjah, but it lies so close to Dubai that it feels that we never left the Dubai emirate. The buildings are interesting and less flashy than the ones in Dubai however the signage for tourists is quite bad. Case in point we are looking for the Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization which according to the guidebooks is the premier museum in Sharjah but there are no signs to it anywhere. We are circling the area on one way streets multiple times even stopping at the wrong museum once until finally finding it.
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| Sharjah governmental building | Close up of impressive building |
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| There is also some impressive modern architecture | Sharjah waterfront view |
The museum itself looks great from the outside and has a large parking lot that is quite empty this early in the morning. The major reason we chose this museum from the many in Sharjah (which specializes in cultural offerings) is that it promises to give us a glimpse and teach us more about the Islamic culture and achievements. The museum is arranged on two levels and we decide to start with the bottom one first.
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| Sharjah Museum of Islamic Civilization | The temporary exhibition sounds interesting |
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| Long hallways with exhibitions on both sides | Not a lot of people in the museum |
First things we observe are the multiple celestial globes some of them very intricately designed with all the zodiacal constellations. As the people in the region used the stars for navigation and were known as being great navigators it is no surprise that there was such a focus on astronomy.
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| Golden globe | Globe with the zodiac signs |
The next section is a section about Islam where we learn about the major mosques in the Islam world, Mecca and what the pilgrims do when doing the hajj (pilgrimage to Mecca that every able bodied and financially secure Muslim must do). There is also a collection of old Qurans and a copy of the Black Stone in Mecca (an Islamic relic dating according to Islamic tradition to Adam and Eve).
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| Looks beautiful | Another beautiful mosque |
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| Lots of old Quran | This looks especially old |
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| Huge carpet (for praying?) | Copy of Black Stone from Mecca |
The next section concerns the advancements in chemistry done by Islamic scientists as well reproductions of different contraceptions invented by different scientists most of them driven by water or manpower. The contraceptions can be started with the press of a button to see what they were doing which is quite fun as long as the button works.
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| Chemistry equipment | Wonder how this was used? |
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| Water was used to power many contraceptions | How to roast a goat (or whatever it is:)) |
There is another section about astronomy and a section about medicine even though initially assume it is about torture. The last section in this part of the museum is advancements in military warfare including some biological warfare grenades which are pottery grenades filled with scorpions. I think that will give the enemies a scare but not sure how effective they were.
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| Well known astronomical observatory in India | Astrolabs - important for the Arabian sailors |
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| These are all medieval medical instruments | Not torture - back treatment |
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| Military equipment was also important | Bombs/grenades were filled with scorpions |
Wandering around we also explore the central area with stairs and elevators that connect the different floors. There are interesting views of the museums and a beautiful ceiling at the top floor representing the zodiacal constellations.
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| Looking from the second floor | Beautiful windows |
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| Top floor sitting area | Celestial ceiling above sitting area |
Next we visit the temporary exhibition which is about the first capitals in the current territory of Iraq. It is informative and has some interesting objects and a nice mirror illusion that takes a bit to get used to.
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| Beautiful old Iraqi plate | Interesting duck figurine |
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| How many of them are there? | Just one...and mirrors |
After the temporary exhibition we move on to the second floor where there are multiple artifacts in chronological order showing the evolution of Islamic nations. We like the calligraphy section and the pottery is also impressive.
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| Lots of pottery | Nicely decorated |
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| Made out of calligraphy | Ceramic landscape scene |
Of course there are also gold and silver objects and even old doors. It is a nice exhibition and overall the museum we felt was worth visiting to learn more about the Islamic culture.
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| Ceramic duck | Old door in the exhibit |
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| Nice golden amulet | Decorative and musical objects |
After exiting we walk to the corniche to take a look at the boats in the harbor - right in front is an older one and we try to determine whether it is part of the museum and in the end decide that probably it is a private one.
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| Older boat in front of the museum | And a newer boat leaving from the harbor |
Exiting Sharjah is much easier, we just have to go perpendicular to the sea and soon are on the road to Oman. It passes through the interior so we have opportunity to see dunes and sands before entering the mountains which are quite lifeless but at least there isn't a lot of sand. On the way we find a new road not shown on the GPS which is 4 lane divided cutting almost one hour on what we expected to make to the UAE/Oman border post - another example of the breakneck pace of development in the region.
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| Building a mosque in the desert | Interior desert view |
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| Mountains on the way | View of the mountains from a rest stop |
The same is in evidence even when exiting the country - there is a sign that we have to stop for control but when we go to the kiosk a sign says - please proceed for 1 km to the new border station. Exiting UAE is fast and professional and after a bit of driving (the border posts are quite far apart) we arrive at the Oman border post which also appears new. Unfortunately it is understaffed and with no one at the tourist kiosk we have to enter in line at the general kiosk which also handles work visas and is very slow going. People try to enter in front of the queue incessantly sometimes leading to load confrontations. We ask around and no one else seems to know about the new visa that allows you free entry for a limited time to Oman if you entered Dubai by plane in the previous days. No form that we have to complete is mentioning the new visa so we become resigned that we will have to pay the expensive entry visa - who wants to argue even with documentation after staying 1:30h in line?! However the border agent is awarding us the free visa without visa and really fast - how much time we could have saved if the tourist kiosk would have been open...and soon we leave the border post and are in Oman.
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| Oman entrance paper - at least we understand the year | The back is more easily readable |
Sohar is quite close to the border, probably about 40 minutes and we find the hotel easily. It sits on an unpaved side road however the hotel seems impressive. After checking in we have to go to exchange money and the hotel recommends two exchange houses nearby and of course we also need some food so we go out to explore the area. One thing that we soon learn is that if UAE is building at a high speed its infrastructure then Oman is building it at turbo high speed - everything is under construction. And to do that they need workers mostly Indian/Pakistani it seems. Due to this the roads are choke full not with Omani but with Indians which takes a bit to get used to. Driving standards on the frontage road is quite bad with everyone parking/stopping/turning haphazardly but we soon get used to it and start doing it ourselves: "When in Rome do as the Romans do :)". We find the first currency exchange house but it refuses to change old US bills - really?! The second one accepts them and we are proud holders of Omani rials that we soon use to buy some food from the supermarket that seems to carry products geared towards Indians (no cow) and of course towards Muslims (no pork) so in short no meat mostly (not sure what they have against chicken).
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| Sohar Hotel - good for the area | Big room |
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| Even has a bath - most hotels in the area have only a shower | Mecca prayer |
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| Every room has a Quran | and a praying mat |
After our tiring expedition we return back to the hotel and enjoy the view from the window before falling asleep. Tomorrow is our first day in Oman and we assume it will be quite busy so we have to be rested.
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| View at night over the city | Sunrise in Sohar |
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