Posted by Kanga.
It may be a little challenging to find, but is well worth the effort. Oriental Restaurant in Fujairah is fantastic.
Beef noodles and fried rice.
Chicken in special sauce.
Prawns sambal.
The food is very delicious and reasonably priced. We’ve already been back a second time. This is definitely a “tweetup” worthy place.
Posted by Kanga.
It’s about time for some cat antics, don’t you think? It has been a busy and exciting two months for Oliver & Bert. Constant rearranging and unpacking of boxes meant lots of curiosity inducing movement.
A recurring theme is to be as high up as one can get. Even as I write this, Bert is on top of the bookshelves in the living room.
The arrival of the laundry machine resulted in a thorough examination, inside and out.
And the boxes, oh the boxes! To be up high AND in a box, that’s the best.
Apparently, my laptop bag is made of catnip, because it inspired a great deal of excitement.
Oliver frequently takes a respite in the corner behind the refrigerator.
Even the door tops had to be explored and the air conditioning vents as well.
The addition of several bookcases was a boon for the desire to be UP.
And, of course, there is the daily lounging in the sunny window.
Posted by Kanga.
Today’s grocery discovery was Shasta brand sodas. Of all the American soda/cola products this is one I didn’t expect to see.
We picked up a few other interesting sodas.
Barr American Cream Soda comes from Glasgow and claims to be “refreshing the nation.” The graphic reminds me more of a bar of soap than a refreshing drink, however. Old Jamaica Ginger Beer “with fiery Jamaican root ginger” comes from Kegworth, England. Idris Fiery Ginger Beer comes from Chelmsford, England with the challenge to “try it if you dare.” (It’s not fiery. Even I don’t think so and I’m pretty wimpy.) Our old friend A&W Root Beer comes from New Jersey (and as we discovered previously smells like surgical spirit.)
Posted by Kanga.
Last week, our beautiful friends Devina and Shruti came to Fujairah. We met up at Delhi Darbar Restaurant for breakfast.
The challenge for me at any Indian restaurant is finding something that has no, and I mean NO, chili peppers. DaddyBird prefers food the spicier the better. The bowl at the lower right is vegetable korma and was supposed to be mild, but it was a no go for me. I managed with paratha (bread), green salad, and an omelette. I could see and avoid the peppers in the omelette. Despite my chili aversion, the food was lovely and ridiculously cheap. Four people ate their fill for 53 AED ($14.50).
Posted by Kanga.
The businesses here are often small by American standards, but this is the epitome, I think. This man has a small booth in a parking lot on a busy street where he does watch repair. I don’t have any broken watches, but I could use some new batteries, so I will have to go back some evening.
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
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 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.
Below the terraces, in the valley, are farms and palm groves.
Posted by Kanga.
Okay, there are no bears, but there are plenty of goats and donkeys just roaming around, nibbling on whatever they can find.
Donkeys come in a range of colors from light tan to black. They usually travel in pairs.
And sheep, too! In the background is the Ohala Fort/Castle. (Alternate spelling Wahla or Wahala) This is close to the Oman border.
It is amazing that they find anything to eat in this harsh environment, but they do.
Posted by Kanga.
Here are the signs we saw on our road trip.
Surprisingly, we see more actual camels than these signs.
Hmm… red cars stay to the left? Red trucks, too?
There are a wide variety of speed bump warning signs. There are also a wide variety (and plethora) of speed bumps.
And the opposite of humps –
