On the way, we passed several wild camels and some magnificent horse stables, all surrounded by endless desert. Except for the occassional glimpse of human existence, the desert was incredibly empty. Anyway, we arrived at this resort, a valet parked our car, and we walked right in without anyone stopping us to ask who we were or if we were guests. We eventually made our way out to the pool where there was a giant chess board, and the boys began playing chess. I desperatly wanted to go swimming since it was well into the 100s at this point, but I had not brought a swimsuit since I didn't know we would be going here. Kendal also wanted to go swimming, so we tried to buy swimsuits there, but the only ones the resort had where Dhs 820 (around $300) and we weren't spending that. The pool staff brought us fresh fruit while they played chess, and we sat around for awhile before leaving to continue our journey. The whole time not one person in the resort stopped us; the entire experience was completely free, which would never happen in the US.
Then we got in the car, which was surprisingly cool for the hot summer weather and continued towards Al Ain. I was now told we were going to Jebel Hafeet (jebel=mountain). It was about another hour drive to get there; we wanted to be able to see the sunset by the mountain but also wanted to get dinner. So we stopped at a mall near the mountain, bought some KFC and Subway, and then drove to the mountain. It was a very strange site.
The mountain was obviously meant to be desert-like and barren, but thanks to an intricate weaving of pipes and sprinklers, a strange green plant was able to grow all over the mountain side. Where the sprinklers didn't go, the plants didn't grow. The green was nice on the mountain side, but all the exposed piping, sprinklers, and wiring took a lot away from the natural beauty of the mountain. At the base was a fresh hot spring where people could put their feet in the warm water (I didn't do this until the end of the journey).
As I had been unaware we were going to a mountain, I had worn sandals, but of course this did not stop me from climbing it. The green plant was good for pulling oneself up the steep mountainside. We did not climb the actual Jebel Hafeet (that would have taken a long time) but we got to the top of one of its smaller edges. From there we could see well into the distance, until the dust and humidity obscured the view. We sat there watching the sun set and soon discovered it would be impossible to see. Thanks to the dust and humidity, the sun disappeared from view before it actually sunk below the horizon, but it was still an incredible sight.
Afterwards, we put our feet in the hot springs and then went to see the three horses and one camel that were there for people to ride. I, missing Timmy very much, was excited to see horses again, but unfortunately this was not a good experience. The mini horse (for kids) seemed fine. The bigger riding hors seemed miserable and thin, and then there was the carriage horse who was the thinnest and working the hardest. He was having a difficult time breathing (probably due to the heat and being overworked) and just did not look good. I wanted to buy them all and give them a better life, but all I could really do was walk away. The camel was groaning and seemed to be unhappy, but camels usually do anyway. In the end, I sort of wish I hadn't gone over to see them.
When all was done, we left around 7:30 and in about two hours arrived back on campus. It was a very fun and interesting day, which hopefully means there are many more to come.
-Lindsay
Small Pool at Bab al Shams:
Giant Chess Board:
Hot Springs:
Jebel Hafeet:
Me Near the Top:
The Crew:
Sunset:
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