September | 2011 | Living the Travel Channel

Archive for September, 2011

Supporting Artisans

September 9, 2011

Posted by Kanga.

Meet our new kitchen table.

The table itself is not important. It’s just an Ikea table with drop leaf sides and a few drawers. The cats were disappointed to find the drawers too small for them to get into. No, the important thing here and the reason for this post is the table runner.

This was made by an Emirati woman as part of the Sougha program of the Khalifa Fund. Emirati women who are skilled in the traditional weaving craft used in creating bedouin tents have been encouraged to develop smaller products and keep the weaving tradition alive and well.

My first purchase was a carry bag just the right size for my iPad. We’ve made our purchases at the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair the last two years. They sell at other events and festivals, so keep your eyes peeled for Sougha products.

Info on other blogs & articles:

Cultural Arts Travelogue
The Office of the Brand of Abu Dhabi
Gulf News
The National

Posted in Abu Dhabi, culture, furniture, products/ads, Shopping, United Arab Emirates | Tagged Bedouin, preservation, tradition, weaving | 2 Comments »

A Drive Along the Border

September 4, 2011

This picture was taken near Ohala (Wahala). I’ve lived in very rainy, verdant places and in semi-arid desert areas. I find that there is a beauty to every variation of nature. Even this dry, rocky terrain is beautiful.

Our circuitous route on our Monday drive took us near the Oman border.

We had a debate about this fence as to whether it is the Oman border or not. DaddyBird argues that is it for something else, a restricted area of some kind. The map supports his position.

In the 21st century, this is what checking the map looks like.

Well, that is the last post resulting from our one afternoon road trip last Monday. Hope you enjoyed it.

Posted in road trip | Tagged desert, Oman | 2 Comments »

Exploring Fujairah: Part 3

September 2, 2011

Posted by Kanga.

This episode is about Wadi Al Helo, which is actually part of the Sharjah emirate, not Fujairah, but was part of our road trip. (Alternate spellings include Hilo, Helou, Halou)

We’ve driven through Wadi Al Helo several times, because it is on the Sharjah-Kalba road, but this time we actually got off the road to take a closer look.

Wadi Al Helo has a long history of habitation back to the early bronze age and is an archaeological site. In recent years, there has been some major work done as evidenced by at least three hillsides that have been carved out to form terraces where modern houses have been built.

We drove up onto one of these terraces and found exactly what we expected, a pleasant neighborhood with a mosque.

There are several government buildings in Wadi Al Helo, but we did not see any retail businesses. There must be at least one grocery, but we did not come across it.