On Monday, my coworkers and I drove to Al Ain for a meeting with all the library supervisors in the college system. We drove out of town past the camel race track, so we saw camels being exercised. (Sorry, no pictures). The road to Al Ain is long and mostly straight. It is notorious for accidents because some drivers really put the pedal to the metal.
Lots of bushes and trees grow along the sides of the road giving the illusion of green, but in some of the other photos you will see what lay a short distance beyond this green fringe — red dunes.
My camera doesn’t do such a good job of getting the true color. These pictures are pale in comparison to the real thing.
This is the wall around what is generally referred to as “the unfinished palace.” It was quite ornate and impressive. Construction has been stalled due to financial concerns. Some say it was questioned exactly where the funds were coming from…
The following pictures are of the dirt devil that crossed the road in front of us. I didn’t expect any of these pictures to come out due to the fact that we were in constant motion, but I kept snapping just in case.
I enjoyed the trip. It was nice to get out of the city and see something new. Having come from Oregon High Desert, I think the desert has a beauty all its own. Everyone in the car is fairly new to the UAE, so we would point and say “camel” everytime we saw one. There were some in pasture areas and also some roaming about loose nibbling on bushes.
Archive for October 17th, 2008
The Road to Al Ain – without Dorothy Lamore
October 17, 2008Deodorant?
October 17, 2008So, it’s been asked:
“I was also wondering, do Arabs wear deodorant?”
Really I don’t know for sure. I can tell you one thing for certain: they DO wear perfume!
In the malls the third most common type of store- after the number-one-by-far category ‘Designer Clothing’ and strong second place finisher ‘Extravagant Jewelery’- would be ‘Fancy Perfume’. And we’re not talking a few varieties here. We’re talking more-kinds-of-perfume-than-you-thought-possible selection. I’ve seen fancy wine markets with fewer vintages. And picking out a perfumes seems to be taken no less seriously than choosing a fine wine. And why not? This purchase isn’t just going to linger on your lips and tongue for a few seconds; you’re going to be sharing it with everyone you meet all day long and possibly for weeks to come. If it doesn’t work out it’s going to take a thorough round of ablutions to start over again with a hopefully more successful fragrance.
And the fancy stores or not the lone bastion of such any array of aromatic variety. Most stores, even some small humble neighborhood markets have an ample selection available. The Gift Village store downstairs from us- rather like a large Walgreens without the pharmacy, but with a healthy sampling of souvenirs- has an aisle full of a remarkable number of perfumes for both men and women; many of them quite inexpensive and yet not unpleasant.
And therein lies the good news in that while there are certainly plenty of the overly flowery and froofie fragrances, (Say that five times fast, willya?) in such a grand selection there are also some that are quite tolerable, more along the lines of musk, sandalwood and other spices.
So while while we cannot yet answer whether the Arab people are prone to wearing deodorant, it is quite evident that they do were perfume. Happily, they seem to wear it in discreet amounts since one does not frequently come across someone reeking of it. (Kanga’s experience with this may vary since she works with a large number of well heeled young ladies!)
Admittedly this information has not been scientifically verified since we are not in the practice of going around deliberately smelling the Arab peoples, or any of the many other peoples that populate this teeming city. However I count it a very good thing that although we have often been out amongst large crowds, we yet remain largely ignorant of their aromas.
There have been occasions when we could not help but notice an individual’s smell; but then the construction workers that put in 12 hours a day toiling in the sun rarely have the opportunity to freshen up before walking down the sidewalk to the bus waiting to take them to their accommodation. That being said, I would wager that they would still compare favorably to the average Western construction worker. I suppose we Westerners are of larger stock and therefore probably have an exponentially greater number of sweat glands.
Always happy to impart to you the intellectual gleanings of our travel experiences!
(Posted by Daddybird)
Not Unusual Here
October 17, 2008If you scare easily or are already afraid for our safety, don’t read any further.
Unfortunately, the driving exhibited by the SUV in the YouTube video below is not unusual here. Aggressive driving here is beyond belief. They honk, they flash their lights, they tailgate like nobody’s business and lane lines are considered mere suggestions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOW-3SCSDw0 (You might want to mute it for language content.)
Add rampant jaywalking and you have an average day in Dubai.
Amazingly, we’ve only witnessed one accident in the two months we’ve been here. We were standing at a bus stop and heard a delivery truck slam on his breaks trying to avoid the taxi that was cutting in front of him. He didn’t make it. He yelled at the taxi driver who acted like it was just another day on the job. No biggie.
Everyone drives aggressively, but they are also constantly aware of what everyone else is doing. Does that count as driving defensively? As a passenger, I’ve gotten fairly jaded and it doesn’t phase me anymore. It is amazing how close people drive to each other and manage to not collide. I suspect that Paul will do all the driving when we finally get wheels. He didn’t like my driving in the States, he definitely won’t like it here. I would fit right in. 😉
Living the Travel Channel 