Wordless Wednesday…
Category UAE Travel
Thursday doors, 23/11/17. Al Lou’aluo’ayyah…
Al Lou’aluo’ayyah is a small town and beach on the East coast of the UAE. It’s on our stop-off list on an East coast day out, as the tidal zone on the beach frequently throws up interesting and unusual shells.
The beach is long and rather beautiful…
Jelly-fish, my first Mitra mitra shell ( I was so pleased) and brittle starfish…
In the small streets behind the beach we had a little poke around and I discovered a whole load of new and slightly different doors. All from older built properties, I hesitiate to guess the era, my gut feel is early 90’s. Metal-work with embellishment, all in need of a good maintenance work-over, but I really like them. Especially the falcon designs, one of the six national symbols of the UAE.
This one is my favorite…
Linking with Thursday Doors, hosted by Norm Frampton. Pop on over, hit the blue frog link and check out some more doors today…
Weekly Photo Challenge, Peek…
On our travels, when I’m the passenger in the car, my camera is always ready on my lap, my head swivelling, checking out the surroundings, just in case there is a shot to be had.
On this occasion in October 2017, we were driving fairly slowly down the corniche at Khor Fakkan, UAE in the late afternoon. The corniche traffic is usually slow-moving at this time as families are heading to the cool, tree lined park bordering on the beach, often to picnic in the shade after another long, hot day of the middle eastern heat.
I saw a flash of colour in the sky through the foliage, peeked out of my window and just caught the para-gliders through the gap in the trees as we drove past.
Wordless Wednesday…
Bull-butting in Fujairah….
One of those “Lets go and see what’s going on over there” moments. Continue reading
Thursday Doors: 20/10/16
Last week I posted some older-style traditional Emirati doors from Dibba on the UAE’s East coast for Thursday Doors.
This week, here’s some modern ones from the same area on UAE’s East coast. Continue reading
Monday Window: 17/10/16
Driving through Fujeirah, on the UAE coast on Saturday, I spotted a bank building with a pleasing design arrangement of windows. Continue reading
Thursday Doors: 13/10/16
Dibba is a port town on the east coast of the United Arab Emirates. This large natural harbor on the east coast of the northern Emirates has been an important site of maritime trade and settlement since the pre-Islamic era. Continue reading
Weekly Photo Challenge: Morning #5
Morning light from the rising sun casts shadows across the dunes, giving a surreal effect. Shot at the edge of the Empty Quarter, just before the Saudi border.
Monday Window: 13/6/16
For over five thousand years henna has been a symbol of good luck, health, and sensuality in the Arab world. The plant has been associated with positive magic and provides us with a link to an ancient age full of good and bad spirits, baraka and jnoun. Continue reading
Thursday Doors 28/4/16:Al Hisn Fort, Sharjah….
Al Hisn fort in Sharjah , the home of the Al Qassimi ruling family of Sharjah since 1820, but nearly totally demolished in 1969, when the present ruler, who was abroad, managed to rush home to try to stop the demolition.The Fort was restored 20 years later with the original doors and windows saved from the demolished fort. Continue reading
Monday Window: Blue Souk, Sharjah…
I found a plethora of windows at the Blue Souk, Sharjah, UAE on Saturday, so for once my post has more than one window! I think you will like them, the Islamic style of the Souk is eye-catching with the beautiful blue sky above, setting off the tiles and architecture perfectly. Continue reading
Wasit Wetland Centre, Sharjah, UAE….
I found a lovely place to visit last weekend, a small wetland in the heart of Sharjah’s Wasit area.Beautifully laid out, it’s a gem of a place to visit for a couple of hours. Continue reading
Monday Windows: Mysterious windows in old Dubai…
Just outside the Gold Souk in the old part of Dubai, I came across this building on one of the side streets.
What a mysterious and intriguing facade. Continue reading
Thursday Doors : Making Them
These shots are typical of locations where you see modern doors being displayed and made in small workshops somewhere close by, in the smaller towns around the Middle East region. Continue reading
Desert moments…
When I drive in the desert, utter calm descends over me.
Lowering the tyres to 12psi, the Pajero seamlessly floats over the surface of the sand, every dune unknown, accelerating up and over, easing the pressure as the car crests over and down the ridge.
Beautiful desert colours encompass the surroundings with sand hues ranging from pale yellow to deep ochre, offset by the cloudless blue skies. Continue reading
Thursday Doors: At Ras al Khaimah museum, UAE.
Real doors, opening into a room, not often visible here, normally I only ever see doors opening into a courtyard, privacy of the home and family is very important…
Finally, I found some doors in the UAE that I call doors, not solid, thick, meaty doors, I’m not sure I’m ever going to find those types here, but these ones are carved, slightly misshapen and quaint. I’m really happy to have found these doors. Continue reading
Tackling the trash: Ocean waste, a perennial problem.
Attending the Open day at the Emirates Marine Environmental Group (EMEG), located beyond Jebel Ali, our host, Major Ali, the lynchpin of this non-governmental organization introduced us to the stalwart work carried out by this non-profit group. Continue reading
Admiring the Arabian oryx….
Driving in the desert in the Emirates, if you are lucky enough, there is the chance to come across the Arabian Oryx or white Oryx (Oryx leucoryx). Continue reading
Thursday Doors
Beautiful wooden doors at Siyja fort, Abu Dhabi region, UAE.
There are many old forts restored in the UAE. This one is in Al Ain region, Abu Dhabi, UAE. This is a small little fort, off a road where not many people travel, but it’s beautifully maintained and a pleasure to visit.
Google maps: 24.020525, 55.632556
Monday Window
Starting off my windows with a very small one….
A little window of light at the top of the stairs… Siyja fort, Abu Dhabi region, UAE.
Desert driving for everyone – GNFD 2016…
Every year the Gulf News, an English-language paper in Dubai, runs a fun drive in the desert during the winter.The event has been running for 30 odd years, with a route carefully planned well in advance, tickets go on sale before the event and it’s always a sellout. Continue reading
To the South East corner of the UAE…
I always have to go to the furthest point and this one had been on the to-do list for a long while. It’s a long drive and there has always been some other exploration to take preference. Continue reading
Day tripping to Dalma Island…
Dalma Island location
Dalma island is situated in the Arabian Gulf, part of Abu Dhabi emirate and has been on the “to do “ list for a while. Everywhere that is possible to visit in the UAE, will be visited!
Dalma can also be referred to as Delma Island: the road- signs, as normal in the UAE, are a mix of interpretations of the Arabic translation. Luckily with this name not too much guesswork is required ! Continue reading
Travels in the Middle East and beyond 