I woke up on Thursday the 18th and began to pack a few things I thought would be necessary for my trip. I knew the basics (towel, shower gel, shampoo) were taken care of through my Airbnb accommodation, so I just focused on what clothes I would be most comfortable walking around the extreme desert heat in while also simultaneously being completely covered, and a few basic snacks.

I said goodbye to the kids ad their nanny and walked down the stairs to catch a taxi to the Crown Royal Plaza Hotel on Yas Island where I had booked my rental car. I met Edgar and gave him all the identification he had asked me to bring. Because I do not have a local UAE phone number, I also gave him the name and phone number of my brother. He looked at the name, then looked at me and back down at the name.

“You’re Mr. Andy’s sister?”, he asked me.

“Yes, we have different surnames, but share the same mother.”, I responded.

“Oh, well what did we quote you per day for the car?” he asked.

“178.60 Dirham per day, sir”, I responded.

“Well, I’ll give you a ‘friends and family’ discount for this trip since you’re Mr. Andy’s sister. I’ll give you the car for 157.59 Dirham per day.”

Sweet!! We’re off to a good start already!

Edgar finished up the rental agreement and gave me all the details about the process of crossing the Oman boarder (which we planned for the 20th) He told me what fees to expect and then gave me two recommendations of places to see while I’m there.

“Green Park, it’s called Mubazzarah Park, and Jabel Hafeet Mountain! Make sure you check those places out!” he told me.

I told him I would and then walked outside to inspect the car and begin my journey.

As I drove away from the city of Abu Dhabi and into the desert I saw vast desert. White sand as far as the eye could see. There was hardly any traffic at all and the speed limit hovered from 120km/h to 160km/h. I toggled around with the radio and found plenty of local radio stations that gave me the authentic feel of driving though the middle east. As I got closer to the city of Al Ain, the ground began to change dramatically. What was once vast flat lands of white sand were now a redish brown sand that the wind had formed into several unique sand dunes.

I arrived to Al Ain around noon and since my check-in at my Airbnb wasn’t until 2pm, I decided to go straight to Al Jahili Fort and begin to site see. I parked near a Starbucks Coffee Shop along the border of the Central District Park, went inside for a restroom break and an iced latte, and then walked through the park toward Al Jahili Fort. I knew it was on the premises and figured it wouldn’t be too hard to miss considering everything I had read about it’s massive size.

The park was beautiful. The grass was well maintained and there were several beautiful water fountains to admire during my walk.

Then I saw the fort standing taller than the date palms and trees that surrounded me, and I walked towards it.

Al Jahili Fort was amazing! It’s one of the largest traditional forts in Al Ain. The different elements of its ancient mudbrick fortification provides a strong physical and visual link to important local and regional events in both the nineteeth and twentieth centuries.

Al Jahili Fort is of special significance because it is strongly associated with Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa, also known as Zayed the First, who ruled from 1855 to 1909. The construction of Al Jahili Fort itself is dated to have began in 1891 and completed in 1898. It’s date of completion, 1316 AH, (1898 CE) was inscribed on a wooden panel at the enterance of the fort, which displays the following two verses:

A door of goodness opens in this glorious chapter, Where joy and happiness reside.

The blessings of honour said, ‘Mark this house, A house of high standing built by Zayed bin Khalifa.

The oldest parts of the fort are the multi-tiered round tower and the old fort. These were constructed in size and layout for it’s defensive features. The courtyard and interior walls are dated to have come shortly after and were used to gather people and livestock during raids.

The entire fort was open for exploration, and I was the only person walking around the grounds admiring it. There was also an air conditioned exhibit within the fort that tells the story of Mubarak Bin London (birth name Wilfred Thesiger). This is a permanent exhibition that highlights the story of British explorer Wilfred Thesiger, known in the Arabian Peninsula as Mubarak bin London, who enjoyed an international reputation as an explorer, photographer and writer of travel literature.

The exhibition is filled with photographs taken by Mr. Thesiger as well as a 5-10 minute movie clip in which Mr. Thesiger himself discusses the details and experiences of his journey crossing the Empty Quarter to Abu Dhabi from October 1946 to May 1947. While I sat watching the clip I was offered dates and hot tea. It was a pleasant way to close up my visit to Al Jahili Fort.

Around 2 pm I began to walk back to my car to go check into the Airbnb. As I walked toward the car attempting to pull up the directions, my phone was unable to connect to any kind of signal. I popped back into the Starbucks to grab some water and use their Wifi to pull up the driving directions and was on my way to the apartment.

Al Ain is filled with round abouts instead of traffic lights. While I did find this slightly intimidating at first, the controlled chaos was something I acclimated to very quickly and, frankly, think I prefer over the 4 way traffic stops we are so accustomed to in the US.

I checked in with Elena and Victoria, my Airbnb hosts. They gave me my key and we talked for a little while getting to know each other. Elena is from the Philippines and works at the local university, Victoria is from Malaysia and works in real estate. They have been living in Al Ain for 4 years and have still not been to the places I was planning to visit during my stay.

I decided to lay down and relax for awhile. 2 hours of walking around in 46 c weather (114 f) will really take the energy out of you. Around 4pm I decided to get up and hit the Al Jimi Mall. Elena and Victoria told me there was a place there called Volcano that had really good local Arab food.

After a delicious lunch that cost me 5 AED (1.36 USD), I headed south to the Al Ain Zoo.

I arrived just before 5:30 and was told there was a bird show at 6pm. I entered the zoo and hustled towards the bird house to catch the show. I just knew it would be my chance to see some form of Falconry, and I was not left disappointed!! They had several birds of prey showing their hunting skills! Falcons, Eagles, Owls and Vultures!!

After the show I walked around the zoo admiring as many other animals as I could before the zoo closing time of 8pm. As the sun began to set the winds began to start up giving a slight breeze of relief from the days heat. I decided I needed a drink.

I did a quick search and found a Trader Vic’s close by. Considering my desire to feel anything close to home, I decided to head that way for a taste of something familiar. I had two drinks, enjoyed some live music, and then drove back to my Airbnb accommodation.

I showered off the day’s sweat, and drifted immediately off to sleep excited about the next day’s adventures.