Day two – Al Ain, UAE

I woke up on Friday the 19th of July with a loose itinerary planned; Then, I realized it was Friday.

There are a lot of things different here in the Middle East compared to where I grew up in the USA, and one big one is workdays vs weekends. Growing up, the standard work week and school week is Monday thru Friday and the weekend is Saturday and Sunday. Even still, on Saturday’s and Sunday’s most businesses are open.

Here, in the UAE, the work day is Sunday thru Thursday and the weekend is Friday and Saturday, and almost EVERYTHING is either closed or opens late (after 3pm) on Friday’s.

So, I jumped online and double checked my original plan to see if the places I wanted to go would even be open in the morning, and they were not. I reworked my itinerary to make the most of the day by adding in the two places Edgar, the man from the car rental company, told me about. I looked up the locations, wrote down a few basic directions, and headed out the door.

First recommended stop: Jabel Hafeet Mountain.

Jabel Hafeet Mountain is the sole mountain in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and one of the highest in the country. From the apartment I rented, Jabel Hafeet Mountain was about a 18- 20 minute drive to the base, and the drive up the mountain was about another 10-15 minutes. The drive to the top was absolutely beautiful, so I stopped a few times along the way to take a photos.

Jabel Hafeet Mountain Road was built in 1980 and extends for 11.7 km (7.3 mi) up the mountain, rising 1,200 m (3,900 ft). With 60 turns and three lanes (two climbing and one descending), the road has been called the greatest driving road in the world by Edmunds.com.  The road scales the mountain and ends at a parking lot with a hotel and a palace belonging to the country’s rulers.

On my way down the mountain I made a few more stops before pulling into Green Mubazzarah which is an oasis park at the base of the mountain.

Second recommended stop: Green Mubazzarah.

Green Mubazzarah is a desert oasis at the base of Jabel Hafeet where water from deep underground bubbles up creating Mubazzarah Hot Springs. I’m sure this is a highly visited location in cooler months, but here in the middle of the Afternoon in July with 114 degree Fahrenheit weather, there wasn’t a soul in the hot spring and very few people admiring the park at all.

The park is huge, and the entrance to the park is free. I drove all around visiting the hot springs, the local BBQing area, the pond, the historical Mubazzarah Dam, the children’s playground, the “his” and “hers” swimming pools (20 Dirham to swim for one hour, no towel rental), and spent quite some time sitting on a park bench looking at the beautiful scenery with a bag of mixed nuts just wasting the day away.

After all, it was now only about 10am on Friday and none of the museums I wanted to go to opened until 3pm.

Before leaving Green Mubazzarah I pulled up to one of many water sources to fill up my water bottle. I carry with me a ‘Purewell Filter Water Bottle, BPA Free, with 4-Stage Intergrated Filter Straw’, so I can get water from anywhere and by the time it hits my lips, it’s safe to drink. This is perfect for camping, hiking and traveling as well as great for day to day use. If you’re interested, you can find one here: https://www.amazon.com/Purewell-Bottles-Integrated-Backpacking-Emergency/dp/B07JLS7VF2

When I walked up to the water source I noticed a swarm of thirsty bees hovering. Because of the heat, I took the risk.. as far as I know, I don’t have any allergies to bee stings, so I went for it.

The water was not cold, but it was much cooler than the air outside so every last sip was delightful!! I filled up my bottle a second time, and hit the road.

Before exiting the park I stopped at the “Waha Al Mubazara Cafeteria” which was really more like a convenient store with mostly just soda, chips and ice cream. I grabbed a small bag of trail mix and walked back out to my car. No sooner did I get into my car a white SUV driven by an Emirate man pulled up (I knew he was a local because he was wearing a Kandura), and he honked his horn about three times. The man from inside the “Cafeteria” came out to his window, took his request, went back inside, and then came back out with the items the man asked for. I was more than surprised to see this happen! In this kinda heat, that is some serious service!!

I drove out of the park and headed to Al Ain Oasis. Al Ain Oasis is one of several oasis’ in the region. This oasis garden embodies a three-tiered agriculture, characterized by ground crops, orchards and Palm groves. This system is vital for the self-sufficiency of the community and for the creation of the ecological micro-climate of the oasis. Despite the heat I opted to walk instead of rent a bicycle.

I walked through Palm groves, found the underground flowing water paths, and even stopped for an ice cold bottle of water.

As I slowly gave myself a self guided tour, I was greeted by one of the five prayer calls of the day. I followed the sounds of the prayer and discovered upon a mosque. Outside the mosque were the hundreds of pairs of shoes piled up belonging to all the men inside. I stopped to observe the ritual before turning my way back toward where I had come from to go sit in my car and escape the heat.

While walking out of the Oasis, a car (only locals can drive their cars on the property because there are still families that own homes within it’s walls) pulled up and the man driving the car rolled own his window to talk to me. He was wearing a perfect crisp Kandura (this has become a very attractive quality to me in my 30+ days living in this region) despite the dust of the wind blowing though the Oasis. He asked me if I had seen the water and if I knew where I was going. He told me his mother still lives within the Oasis and offered to show me around. His energy was warm and welcoming, and given different circumstances, I likely would have jumped in his vehicle and gone for the adventure, but I was soaked in my own sweat and feeling pretty hungry, so I declined his offer and in the back of my mind wished I might run into him again before I leave..spoiler… I never did.

I got back to my car and began to head toward Al Ain Palace Museum, but I still had some time to waste before it opened, so I stopped at a huge mall I was driving past. It was called Remal Mall. It was absolutely beautiful inside although most stores were closed. I spoke to a few people who were working in stores that were open, and gathered that the mall was still relatively new so not all the stores were fully moved in yet, but also… it’s Friday. I went to the food court which was located on the 4th floor and there were only three places open to choose from. I opted for the local Arabic spot and housed myself another Chicken Shawarma. This one came with a coke and cost $8 Durham. It was different than the one I got at Volcano in Jimi Mall, although it was also absolutely delicious!

Just after 3pm I headed to Al Ain Palace Museum. When I arrived there the sky was beginning to turn a heavy grey in the distance, and the air smelled like it might rain. I didn’t want to get too excited, but I grabbed a hold of my crystal and wished for rain; rejuvenation.

Al Ain Palace was one of the residences of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, the Founding Father and first President of the United Arab Emirates. He lived there with his family until 1966 when he moved to Abu Dhabi as the new ruler of the emirate. Al Ain Palace dates back to 1937 and was built in the traditional architectural style of Al Ain. Walking around the museum gave me an amazing glimpse into what life may have been like for the late Sheikh and his family.

As I continued to tour the massive grounds the wind picked up and the sand began to whip around hitting my skin like little needles. I decided to have a seat under a large traditional tent set up within the main courtyard and wait out he storm.

After the rain it was time to head to my last destination of the day, Oasr Al Muwaiji.

Qasr Al Muwaiji is a significant and authentic historic earthen building that bears witness to four generations of the ruling Al Nahyan family. From 1946 to around 1960 it was the home and diwan of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan and it is the birthplace of the present ruler of Abu Dhabi and the President of the UAE, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.

By the time I arrived at Qasr Al Muwaiji it was just past 5pm and I had been walking in the heat most of the day. I was extremely grateful to discover that this museum is mostly all indoors and air conditioned!! I read though the history of this magical fort and took a self guided tour though the current President of the UAE’s birthplace.

Just before closing time I finished up my visit to Qasr Al Muwaiji. It was nearly 7 pm and I was exhausted. I debated stopping by a hotel to have a drink before heading back to the apartment, but opted to just go straight back, eat a crappy version of a cup-of-noodle that I knew was on the coffee table, and call it a night.

My next day’s adventure was the big finale…my attempt to cross the Oman border for a fresh stamp in my passport!

Be well. Be happy.