Liz's Diary

Actually Hatta 2 squared, as I wrote it last week and it got lost in transmission... Ho hum!

We went to Hatta again with Rodica - saw the camels of the last post on the way home - but I really wanted to share the pictures of the falaj.

A falaj is the arab version of an aquaduct, and can be above or below ground.

I thought this was rather impressive. I'll upload in sections and see if I can succeed this time.

This is a view across Wadi Hatta, so you can see how arid the area is in general.

Here is the falaj at a point where the water is carried along a trough something under a meter high and across.

Looking into the water. There were numerous small fish swimming in it!

All along the length of the falaj, which sometimes was cut into the rock and sometimes went underground, there was greeenery.

Here are Ed and I beside a sizeable oleander bush! Notice my rather Edwardian swimming attire, and Ed's desert dress!

Wot camels?

Oh, right!

A trip to Sharjah is a bit like going from Cleethorpes to Grimsby, or Kenley to Croydon; so it wasn't a major expedition, but it was over a nominal border into the next Emirate. The intention was cultural - a visit to the impressive looking Islamic Heritage Museum, followed by the Maritime Museum and Aquarium.

We got as far as the imposing facade of the Heritage Museum, to find it doesn't open on a Friday until 4pm. As it was only 10am, we were a little early.

Plan B. We repaired to the nearby Radisson hotel to drink coffee and eat muffins beside a tropical waterfall (indoors, naturally) whilst reading an up to date guidebook to Sharjah purchased in the news kiosk. A pleasant interlude, but we discovered all of the quite numerous museums in Sharjah remain closed until 4pm on a Friday.

So there was nothing for it but to drive home the pretty way, winding around the four creeks, or lagoons, that make up the picturesque Sharjah waterfront.

Some people like beaches and yacht marinas; me, I'm a sucker for a dhow wharf since visiting the one in Dubai. I have many pictures already, but couldn't resist just one more... Not sure what all the steel towers in the background are - something to do with oil or gas, Ed thought. This is Sharjah Creek, or more properly Khaled Lagoon, and the business end of Sharjah waterfront.

Next along is the Al Khan Lagoon, where the Maritime museum and Aquarium occupy the peninsular that covers the sea exit.

Beside that is the Al Mamzar lagoon, which has two "prongs" formed by the Al Mamzar peninsular which juts into it. Opposite the Aquarium peninsular juts Al Mamzar park peninsular, which is back over the border in Dubai.

Interestingly, although the border between the two emirates is mostly nominal, with roads passing freely through and nary a sign to welcome you from one to the next, on Al Mamzar peninsular there is a definite fence between the two, that can be crossed by pedestrians as it is formed of low posts, but not cars. So from Sharjah one can enjoy the NE prong of the lagoon, whilst from Dubai one can enjoy the SW prong - unless one parks up and hikes a bit!

Crossing back over the border we had to make quite an inland loop to get back to the Mamzar waterside.

Then back along the Dubai Corniche, overlooking the man made islands of the now languishing Palm Deira resort. I loved the manicured pompom trees that were scattered along the promenade.

And finally the bridge to nowhere - an almost completed bridge intended to join the roads from the mainland on to the Palm complex, redundant for the moment and like the project, in abeyance.

We managed to get away for a day trip at least. We went to Hatta Pools, right on the Oman border but only a 90 minute journey from home.

The drive to Hatta is pleasant, past the Big Red sand dunes and into the mountains. At Hatta village we turned off into the mountains and then off the tarmac road to a well used track to Wadi Hatta, where, amazingly, there is a mountain stream that always has water. Where it has cut deeply through the surrounding rocks and formed a gorge, it has also formed deep, clear, cool pools that are very popular for swimming in.

We arrived at 9:30 am to find a large party of overnight campers just departing, leaving ouselves and a Japanese family of four in sole attendance.

We were surprised by the extent of the large pool, which was crystal clear and populated by shoals of little silvery fish. We waded in - the water was refreshingly cool, but still warm enough not to take your breath as it reached your stomach. I might have been more astonished by this if I'd gone in prior to our sojourn in Puerto Rico, but I'm used to non icy mountain streams now!

As we swam, we soon got out of our depth, but could still see to the bottom, as we progressed through the winding gorge. After about 200 metres we reached a gravelled shallows and beach. The pools the extended further on, but we decided to return to our bag of belongings and swam slowly back.

The gorge rose about four metres above us, creating cool shadows where it was narrowest, and dancing reflections of sunlight on the rippling surface against other walls. It was lovely.

I had opted against wearing a swimsuit, and had swum in my shorts and T shirt, so when we emerged I was nicely air conditioned against the increasing fierceness of the sun.

We decided to walk downstream and try to follow the river a little way. We reached a point where we couldn't go further without swimming again, so tried the top route. We explored for some time. The rock formations were incredible and I took some interesting photos.

By the time we returned to the large pool, a party of young men were playing in the water, jumping in from the clifftop and splashing happily.

We returned to the car and went to Hatta Fort Hotel resort for a leisurely lunch, before making our way back to Mirdif.

After only 2 weeks of term, we are having a week's holiday to celebrate Eid al Fitr - the end of the holy month of Ramadan.

We had hoped to go diving in Oman, but unfortunately my visa hasn't been processed yet, so I can't leave the country (Rick will know all about this problem).

A small consolation, if rather an unwelcome one, is that in fact even had my passport been fully in order, as I have developed a nasty head cold, I wouldn't have been able to dive anyway!

I think it's a combination of repeatedly going from super hot outside - daytime temperatures are still regularly over 40 c - to super cooled inside (we take the children out to play and the classroom has A/C) and meeting a whole set of new germs from the ones I was used to dealing with!

Anyway, the result is that we are holidaying at home. Which is partly a good thing as we have been told the government inspectors will be in mid October, so I can use this week to catch up on the things I didn't get a chance to do before school started, on account of my contract not starting till school did!