Well, I couldn't use the camels having right of way again as the title.
That's just flogging a joke too hard. However, it's not really a joke.
We did sit behind another car AND a truck while a driver rode his camel,
and led another, across the busy roundabout. It was a sight to behold
and a characteristic part of our fantastic weekend away in Al Ain.
Filled with lush oases, Al Ain is the Garden City of Abu Dhabi, and it's
quite incredible to see just how much greenery is there! This is also
the place with the highest population of Nationals (Emirati) in the
Emirates, which makes for a wonderful experience. Places like Al Ain are
the reason we moved to the other side of the world. It takes a good
hour and a half (possibly more) to drive to Al Ain from Dubai, which is
inland in Abu Dhabi and pretty much on the border of Oman, though expats
can't enter Oman from there. To the Nationals, it was famous for being
the birthplace of the first President of the UAE with a rich history
around the oases and their underground water springs, which still use an
ancient irrigation system to nourish the thousands of date palms to
this day. It's quite a sight to behold the community treasuring this
simple and traditional life, including their history of camel breeding
and racing! Camels still have right of way here, no matter what you
drive.
It is
a quiet and peaceful community, far removed from the cosmopolitan
nature of Dubai. If Dubai is Brisbane city, Al Ain is Toowoomba
(Melbourne City vs. Rye for the Victorians, and Andrew has mentioned
it's like Palmerston North for the Kiwis) and a very welcome escape to
tranquility. Sure, there are still cars, shops, roads, buses, a mall,
and all the amenities, but it's all at a slower pace and less tightly
packed. Though still establishing itself as a tourist destination, Al
Ain has a few great little tourist hotspots! The Sheikh Zayed Palace
Museum was a fabulous way to have a look at how the Emirati royalty
chose to live, and a great indicator of their philosophy on life. Opened
to the public in the last ten years, and still used by the Royal Family
before that, it was the holiday residence tucked away in the greenest
city around. Amenities such as washrooms and sleeping quarters were very
simple. A bed, possibly a cushioned seat, and some space to move
around. Plenty of vents for the air to flow through, but that was pretty
much it. Journey downstairs however, and you find rows of coffee rooms,
gathering rooms, mothers' rooms, servant rooms and the like, all built
for communal sharing of sweetened teas and coffee, dates and light
conversation. Hospitality is the essential focus here, and decadence is
only a consequence of giving to others*.
Our next stop at the National Museum in Al Ain found us in a tent
outside of the museum compound sitting with Emirati men drinking
cardamom coffee and eating dates. We were all walking by, and a quick
look into the tent leads to the waving of hands and invitations to join.
As it's offensive to decline, we had to join them, but we would have
anyway. There's not a lot to be said once you settle yourself onto the
camel hair rug, as the language is still a barrier, but the hospitality
remains with body language and gestures, and we all still laughed in the
same language! I can't wait to take up a course in Arabic just for the
sake of being able to communicate and make an effort, which is always
appreciated. We finished munching our way through dates before bidding
our thanks and farewells before heading to the women's tent** to buy
handmade gifts and eat more amazing stuff! I don't know what it was, but
it involved filo pastry, a cream cheese of some sort, and crushed
pistachios - heaven! We finally made our way to the museum where it was
good to have a look at some of the history, jewellery and weaponry of
days gone by, but nothing beats that kind of interaction from outside
the museum. Awesome.Moving past the museum
attractions we drove along the highway to look at the camels, as the
camel farms line the highways in the winter. I don't know where they
hide in the summer, but rows of happy, happy camels chew their way
through the days on the side of the highways to their heart's content.
Venture a little further off the road though, and you can make your way
down to the camel racing tracks to watch the Nationals training their
herd. We were lucky enough to see some running by as we were driving up,
so Andrew jumped out camera in hand to take photos of the group as they
passed by. Waving hello was a simple gesture to say thanks for the
shot, however this guy pulled up his entire pack to stop so Andrew could
take photos! The Emirati are so willing to share with people who come
here, it's a shame that so many have come here to earn their money and
live in their own little secluded expat world. Once you reach out a
little, you only get rewarded with kindness and generosity. Though
Andrew didn't climb through the fence to pat the camels on that day, I'm
sure they wouldn't have minded if he did. We continued on our merry way
with a very happy Andrew sitting in the front seat....
These small attractions were fun, but nothing could prepare us for what
was coming next - Jebel Hafeet. We had to climb twenty minutes up the
Hafeet Mountain in the car. Now in Australia, this would often be tricky
with patches of unsealed roads, difficult turns, unsteady availablility
of overtaking lanes and dozens of cars unprepared for the climb. In the
UAE, there is none of that business. Built purely for access to the
Royal Palace positioned at the top, the 12 kilometres of three lane road
(two lanes for climbing) for the ascent to 1200-odd metres high was
immaculate and an incredibly smooth ride. Many know that I don't travel
very well, particularly around mountains. For the first time in my life,
I made it to the top of the mountain without gasping for air and
clutching for the car door at the top. Once you get there, you get a
full panoramic view of Al Ain, the Empty Quarter out to Saudi Arabia,
and all the red-sanded desert you could ever travel half-way around the
world for. With nothing but a parking lot, palace and hotel at the top,
it's not somewhere you could spend the whole day, but heck, I'd give up a
whole day just to get there. It's a stark reminder of exactly where you
are in the world: the desert.
And I love it.
*In the Bedouin (nomadic) cultures, no person in the desert is
ever left to survive for themselves. If a traveller comes to a community
in need of food, water and rest, it will be granted, and that community
will then take responsibility for that traveller until they pass them
along to the care of others. There is safe passage for all, and it's
passed on into modern life in the provision of fantastic hospitality and
care for strangers. A wonderful way to live!
**Separation of men and women socially is still deeply ingrained in the
culture. Leeana explained to us that in an Emirati wedding, traditional
couples still may not see each other while engaged, though they may be
able to communicate by phone, text messages and the sending of gifts for
up to a year.
