Fujairah | Living the Travel Channel

Posts Tagged ‘Fujairah’

Donkeys

December 15, 2011

Posted by Kanga.

These donkeys found a clump of green. Life is much easier for the donkeys during the cooler months. It seemed like we were seeing fewer donkeys with the advent of cooler weather. My theory is that they don’t have to travel as far to find enough to eat.

We usually see donkeys in multiples of two, so five is odd. I walked toward them until it was clear that they had noticed me and were on the alert. The two that are looking straight at the camera did not flinch the entire time I was taking pictures.

Posted in animals | Tagged desert donkeys, Fujairah, United Arab Emirates | 1 Comment »

Fujairah Celebrations Continue

December 12, 2011

Posted by Kanga.

The Al Saif sword competition and accompanying celebrations continue through December 17th. So, last Friday we headed down to the Fort to see what was happening. We were too late to see the bull butting contest or the camel race, but some of the camels were still out basking in the attention of their admirers.

This little fellow was lucky enough to get a ride.

We had a tasty snack of lamb and chicken skewers.

A wide range of traditional items were on display – pottery, tools, platters, coffee pots, etc.

More camels – these are taking a rest. In the background, a horse and a miniature pony who have been giving rides to children.

Two majlis tents were available for those wishing to sit, rest and enjoy each other’s company. (Majlis has a variety of meanings, but generally refers to any area where people sit comfortably and discuss.)

The activities at the Fort have been very enjoyable, much like a county fair. These are genuine foods, activities, sports, and arts of the local area.

Posted in camels, celebration, culture, Fujairah, historical site, United Arab Emirates | Tagged culture, Fujairah, Fujairah Fort, historical site, United Arab Emirates | 2 Comments »

Curry House

December 11, 2011

Posted by Kanga.

We recently had dinner at the Curry House (in Fujairah) an Indian, Arabian, Chinese restaurant. This combination is advantageous for us, because DaddyBird can have his food spicy and I can order non-spicy dishes.

1970’s decor is alive and well.

Condiments for the international menu include soy sauce, chili pepper sauce and ketchup. Ketchup (or catsup) seems to be the global condiment. We find it everywhere. I think sushi restaurants are the only places we haven’t been offered ketchup.

I had garlic chicken, chappati (flat bread) and salted lassi (yogurt drink) and DaddyBird had three spicy dishes with plain appam (pan bread) and tea. All this cost us 66 AED ($18.00 US)

When we ordered, the waiter asked about spiciness and we were able to explain that my dishes should not be spicy at all and DaddyBird’s should be very spicy. We will definitely be going back regularly.

Posted in food, Fujairah, restaurant | Tagged Curry House, food, Fujairah, Indian food, United Arab Emirates | 4 Comments »

Happy 40th U.A.E. National Day

December 4, 2011

Posted by Kanga.

On December 2nd the United Arab Emirates turned 40.

We went to the Fujairah Fort to join in the celebrations. There was music, dancing, food, and fun.

The third week of the Al Saif sword throwing competition was held in this arena.

The swords used have thin flexible blades to reduce the chances of injury. Competitors balance the swords, feign mock fights, and toss the swords up into the air as high as possible.

The sword must be tossed from inside the circle on the arena floor and, hopefully, caught safely while remaining inside the circle.

I don’t know all the details of the scoring system, but points can be lost for loss of headwear, failure to catch the sword, or landing outside the circle. Two young men compete at a time and when done stand before the judges for evaluation.

After the competition finished, the little boys not, yet, old enough to compete took the opportunity to try their hands at it.

Posted in celebration, Fujairah, United Arab Emirates | Tagged Al Saif, Fujairah, Fujairah Fort, National Day, sword competition, swords, United Arab Emirates | Leave a Comment »

Tea, Surf, and Cat

November 5, 2011

Posted by Kanga.

We spent a pleasant evening at the Hilton with our friend, Rupert. Where we sat near the beach, drank tea, and listened to the surf. (In the spirit of full disclosure, I had hot chocolate instead of tea.)

If you look very closely at the horizon, you might see the ships and tankers lined up out there.

I dipped my toes in the Gulf of Oman for the first time. The sand here is dark, an almost chocolate brown. (I don’t know if that’s because of the actual composition of the sand or the occasional addition of crude oil.) The sand was soft and the water was cool.

There was even an affectionate kitty who wanted to be petted, until he discovered how good cheese cake tastes. Then his priorities changed. After he figured out cheese cake had run out, he decided that being petted was still good. He came by several times during the course of the evening.

Posted in beach, cats, Fujairah | Tagged beach, cats, cheese cake, Fujairah, Gulf of Oman, Hilton, tea | 1 Comment »

Bithnah Fort

October 15, 2011

Posted by Kanga.

Saturday afternoon we visited the Bithnah Fort…

which is across a wadi from the town of Al Bithnah…

and surrounded by date palm farm.

Restoration is still in process.

The restoration includes decorative stonework and woodwork.

I hope they don’t cover this wall in plaster. It is beautiful, as is.

This Mobil oil barrel probably didn’t expect to end up part of a water well.

The mountains are quite beautiful.

Al Bithnah is between Fujairah and Masafi. The fort can be seen from the highway. It is a short drive with good signage, BUT the road is not paved and goes through the wadi. We made it with our compact car, but had to drive very carefully because it is very rough roadway.

Posted in Fujairah, historical site | Tagged Al Bithnah, Bithnah Fort, Fujairah, historical site | 3 Comments »

Thar be Rain Here!

October 12, 2011

Posted by Kanga.

I finally got to enjoy a rain storm here in Fujairah. It happened suddenly at approximately 2:30 pm. Lightning, thunder, and torrents of rain for a goodly while. It was still raining, although more gently at 3:50 when I left work.

Sand is not as absorbant as you would think. Basically, the top few inches get soaked and then turn into temporary cement, so this results in a lot of water not being absorbed causing large puddles.

A flooded roundabout is a special kind of lake. (Sorry, no picture.) It slows people down, but doesn’t really improve their roundabout manners.

Posted in Fujairah, rain | Tagged flooding, Fujairah, rain | 1 Comment »

Exploring Fujairah: Part 1

August 29, 2011

Posted by Kanga.

I have the week off for Eid, so no work this week, just work around the house and fun. Saturday was spent twiddling my thumbs while the Ikea delivery men assembled our new wardrobes, book cases and kitchen table. Sunday was spent ignoring all the unpacking, cleaning and rearranging necessary after this influx of furniture. So, when Monday rolled around, I decided we should get out for a drive and see things we’ve never seen and take pictures of whatever we come across. Our route was rather complex, looping around and doubling back. I’m going to publish it in multiple posts, so hang in there.

First, Al Hayl Castle:

This small fort is southwest of Fujairah city. The way is well indicated by signs, easy to find. (Click here for more info about the castle.) The caretaker was eager to give us a tour. He is Bangladeshi and his English is quite limited. He insisted on taking pictures of us posing in several locations.

He included his finger in most of the pictures, so I will just post this one.

DaddyBird was very brave and went up these stairs to see the second story. I did not. They are very narrow and the steps are very tall and the handrail is very wobbly.

And what castle doesn’t have a few holes through which to shoot arrows?

Here is a picture of our guide. Despite the fact that I was taking a picture, he felt compelled to point something else out to me.

This is the view of the valley from the watchtower.

This is the floor of what the caretaker told us was the store room. He said that they would put apples here and that the juice would drain down. That would not have been my guess.

This little lizard was quite well camouflaged.

We tipped the caretaker 10 AED for his trouble, but he was not impressed with this amount. So, if you go and get his tour, you might want to more generous than we were.

You can see all the pictures here.

Posted in Fujairah, travel adventures | Tagged Al Hayl Castle, antiquity, Fujairah, historical site | Leave a Comment »

Ramadan in Fujairah

August 15, 2011

Posted by Kanga.

We are halfway through Ramadan and you might be wondering how Ramadan in Fujairah differs from Dubai. There is certainly less activity in the daytime. There is no public dining in restaurants prior to iftar (meal after sunset to break the fast). You can, however, get “take away” food from several restaurants. In the afternoon, there is temporary market area where one can buy food for the evening meal (Ramadan Food Market).

Even at iftar time, the restaurants don’t seem to be busy (unlike Dubai) and I assume that this is because most people are eating at home with family. The bars are closed for the entire month and their employees are on vacation or re-allocated to other restaurants.

Following the meal there are prayers at the mosque, so the town is still rather quiet until this is over. Then shopping and other social activities begin.

Around 10 pm, things start to pick up. The Maktoum Championships are in full swing, including a wide variety of sports competitions – swimming, bowling, cricket, football (soccer), motorcross, interactive games (video gaming),”women’s games,” basketball, volleyball, tug-of-war, and more. I don’t know what the “women’s games” are and will refrain from making a stereotyped joke against my own. It is just a chance for them to compete in a protected venue.

So, we stopped to watch the first two motorcross races Friday night. The first one started at 10:15 pm.