The Backpacker

There is one other thing I have noticed in the UAE. Round-abouts. They are everywhere. They are beautiful, of course and every one of them have names. Some which don't, go by the names of the structure built on them. Like a jug with six tiny cups in Fujeirah is often referred to by people as Jug-round-about. Many such names come to mind. Some by the designated names on the boards and some by virtue of what the good people of the respective municipalities have put on them.

But the round abouts in Sharjah take the cake. While not really visually more appealing than its RAK/Al Ain counterpart, they are more fancy...in terms of their names. They are actually called "Squares" more than circles or round-abouts, a matter over which I have taken to pondering of late, with no answers. Why call it a sqaure when it is actually round? Why cant they have square RA's instead? Well, that is not practical, then why name it so? Is it to throw people off track?

While we are at it, I aslo ask myself why there are so many round-abouts? All of them placed nealty in rows, each lane running around it always confusing and dangerous and pray, why so many?

Anyway, after criss crossing through much of the UAE territory, I have finally decided to photograph every round-about in the seven emirates. I love them, they capture the imagination. They are mind boggling. They are also cute. Imagine entering an emirate through a round-about that has a huge earthern pot, complete with small cups into which kahwa..excuse me, water is being poured at an interval of three minutes? Dosent that speak well of the hospitality? What would say of a round-about that has a pearl oyster, complete with a pearl necklace pouring out? I would call that "rich". But let me not go on like this. I will let the pictures speak for themselves.

Find them on.....    http://www.photoblog.com/user/backpacker

Then again, UAE has much old stuff, what we call history, lying around. After the Wadi Beih and its seducing mountains and meandering, trecherous roads it was back to civilisation...somewhere in the vicinity of the Al Shams area. (Notice how UAE has names like Al Rams and Al Shams!). There is an old heritage village, which was of course closed, the day being Friday and all. It was also the first time I had seen wild camels. Real wild fellows. Not the brown, lean, domesticated types, but the hunky, fierce looking dark fellows, nipping off leaves from thorny trees.

Back to history. If you are standing at the heritage village, take the road to the left. It is narrow, but there is not traffic so it matters little, (but avoid the goats.) Drive along with the mountains on your right till you reach the end of that road. Rising right out of the past is a tower. I suppose it is called that anyway. Made of mud and straw it stands there, like a sentinel, guarding some important secret of the past. I never found out what. Beside it is a run down house with crumbling walls and wild growth around (see pic) and the mountains in the backdrop. If you have been disappointed with RAK before, this sight is enough to restore faith and spirit of the by gone era. There is magic here, more felt than seen.    

First you notice the mean looking gun, after which you raise your eyes to meet his. If there is a smile, you can step out of the car and greet him either in English or Arabic. Not that languages matter when there is a smile in your eyes. Even the gun does not matter.

After the pleasentaries, you can cast your eyes around. You are at the end of the road. There is a red bar across the road through which you cannot pass unless you have a visa. After all, you are standing at the UAE-Oman border. Not that anyone would attempt to get into Oman that way, but when you have 'lost it' and are determined to clamber over the mountains for a glimpse of the country beyond, then that is when the mean- gun comes of use.

I have, till date discovered three entries into Oman. Two are very respectable...the one beyond Hatta and the other beyond Al Jeer (Ras Al Khaima), entering the Musandam (Oman). The third, of which I am about to write is not really an option.

It is madness!!

There is no dearth of 4WD's in the emirates. But here you will notice that not many self-respecting Land Cruisers would risk its engine and body in order to stand atop a mountain best left to itself.

How to get there? It is easy. RAK, a beautiful emirate is quite friendly to tourists. What you need to find is the road leading to Wadi Al Beih. You can go there in many different ways. If you are hung up on driving, then (like me) reach the round-about with a huge lantern on it. (This is on the way to the RAK Intl Airport). Take the left. Keep going. You will be driving along the mountains and common sense is enough to guide you to the Wadi. Naturally you take the road going into the mountains from the main road. This wadi, now dry of course, is quite a sight. I suppose in the rians, the whole of the region is flooded, evident from the patches of road washed of in low areas. Otheriwse you can drive right through till you reach what I said was the lasts stop...literaly.

The govt is constructing many catchment areas, a good move, I say, seeing that so much water can be put to good use. Halcrow, some big construction company has undertaken a project in the area called the Al Jais project, which, from the look of it I understand is to build mountain roads.   

The mountains, are so to say, mountains. They shoot up to the skies, their faces peppered with rocky outcroppings (would make sturdy footholds!!), and standing in a manner that can only be described as "seductive." I guess this is the only wadi that one can drive into, that is, if one is not looking to walk between the narrow depressions in the mountains, but is content to gaze at it as it disappears somewhere beyond. 

To say it is mindboggling would be an understatement. A lover of mountains would want to embrace all of it at once. One rocky mountain overshadows the other, forming delightful nooks you can rest in away from wind and sun...but you must get to a respectable distance up.  

You can go to Musandam from RAk. After the Nakheel bridge follow the signs. You will be cruising past huge factories, some with conveyor belts running overhead. On the left you can catch glimpses of the sea and old, now dying mangroves. You may even see sign boards such as "Al Rams" before you reach the small last town that appears to lead straight into the mountains. This is Al Jeer. The roads are motorable and pretty good and bingo, you have arrived at the border. There are procedures to be followed to enter Oman territory. 

Hey Mr Gordon. That would be great. I will gladly show you the mangroves.

Write to me on anj_thomas@yahoo.com

Dear Mr Mark,

I do not if you will come back to my blog again, but thanks for taking time to go through my blog in so much detail.

Khor Kalba, is an amzing place to go, really and is quite mind boggling. So much green bang in the middle of a desert. I may have been attentive, but hey, you have outdone me in that!! You noticed that I was attentive :-) As a traveller I guess I do pay heed to small things, and as a writer those observations translate into words!  

One look at the delicate ecosystem and you will know what I am speaking about. People come there to fish and if they do not find anyhting to catch, they simply take whatever is available, snails, crabs, birds etc. It is quite sad and I really hope I do not have to go back to Khor Kalba if there are no more birds or fishes or even crabs to look at. It is quite unfortunate that people do not realise that one small act of carelessness could mean the end of a life-system that has perhaps taken hundreds of years to create.

If you do have the time, do visit the place once. Hope you come back to my blog also:-)   

The mangroves at Khor Kalba, (which straddles the Oman/UAE border) are perhaps one of the oldest mangrove forests in Arabia. Khor Kalba lies on the east coast just south of Fujairah. The tidal creeks are beautiful, full of fish, crab and even a supports a large variety of birds. This delicately balanced ecosystem is being threatened due to development in the region. 

The rich, healthy green belt of impenetrable mangroves lie between wistful rocky mountains and the sparkling blue water. Fishing is an added attraction in these parts, for as the tide receeds, thousands of crabs appear. The mangroves are a home to a unique variety of bird__ 'Kalba White-collared kingfisher'.

It is a magical place, serene and of late has been attracting people by the droves. Whether this bodes well for the mangroves or the life forms that it supports will be revealed in time. Chances are that with tourists who do not head warnings and fish to theri hearts content, will only destroy this delicate ecosystem.    

If you can figure out how to reach here...it is relatively easy. Reach Fujairah. Your nose will lead you to the sea.Then drive along the coast to Kalba, a cute little town facing the green-blue sea, keep driving till you reach what can be called "an awe inspiring sight" where the road ends and waters begin. Across the water you can see the cluster of mangroves, and if you raise you eyes above that top of the tallest mangrove, you can catch the wistful mountains in the backgorund, rising into the skies yet longing in some way to reach down to the waters...and peace!  

Ask me why, I love water. I am a water person, no doubt. But I try real hard to be otherwise, I can be a mountain person too, not a wonderful rock climber, but an average one and can climb down facing the rock, except that (and since physical fitness is not on the priority list at the moment) sometimes the wealth and goodness of UAE’s abundant gastronomic delights, the centre of gravity is displaced (I have a feeling the tummy area that houses most of the balanced CG…whatever!!) and occasionally I have to scream or slide down the mountains in order to reach the road.

Hence the cuts.

Then, when the roads are wonderfully laid out with no traffic to sabotage the wonderful strolls on the road, then I can be a worthy road person too. Except that in the desert, on a Friday, even very early in the morning it is advisable not to indulge in that particular activity. Trailers soundlessly arrive from around a bend and may, just for the kicks, throw you off balance without much effort. If you are determined to stand firm on the center lane, the speed with which it will pass you pass is enough to set you flying, sometimes on to the speed lane on the side which is quite unhealthy if there is another truck or car speeding along. And the roads, through the length and breadth of the UAE are divided by iron railings, not, in my opinion easily avoidable even when a crash is evident.   

Hence the bruises.  

There is something about swimming in these waters, (The Gulf of Oman flows into the grooves forming sort of an island of mangroves) that is quite adventurous. First, this is where people come to fish. When the tide is high, the water can be dangerous and wash you away over the breathing roots beyond. Secondly, since it is sort of backwater, much of the 'shelled' variety of sea beings live here (or die), which means that if you are careful enough, you could really injure your feet if you walk over the shells. This lagoon is not for swimming. It is risky and could mean...

...More bruises!!

If you are aware of these things__ earlier experiences of swimming in similar waters, then it is worth a try. The water is certainly cooler than the weather anyway. Two hours of languishing in it is quite sufficient, I should say. My arms still ache from all the swimming. 

Then there is Khor Fakkan. More water, more fun. But here, it is advisable that one does not 'reveal too much', this place being in Sharjah and all, it is frowned upon. A boat ride and some jet skiing can be undertaken here without much trouble. The thrill is worth all the salty sprays that blind you from time to time :-) The endless strech of blue-green sea, blue orgreen I cannot say...the colours play a trick all the time. They change very fast)       

People have asked me questions relating to travel. No, am not an authority on travel, yet I try, in best possible ways, explain why I travel the way I do. 

I travel because I love to. The destination has never mattered. It could be wandering about with 20 km radius of my home, but I must do it at my pace, see things that I see, observe or feel without interference. It is about being with myself. I never travel in groups, and never with groups of people I know. Their reactions are so predictible, their line of thought can be drawn beforehand. There is no surprise element. There is no excitement of meeting strangers, no scope to explore the way you want. My pace would sometimes involve watching a bird nesting on cliff top at the same time overlookng the cemetery listed in the heritage site. For me, travel is not about how many things I see that others have seen before me, but seeing that I am seeing and feeling differently. (As far as taking picutres is concerned, there are plenty of people around who would gladly press the button for you!!) 

I would, if it came to that, travel with people I know little about. There arises no question of gossiping or rushing. Relaxing in the company of strangers is soemthing one has to master. It gives a sense of protection, excitement, newness. Makes you feel that you are in a new place. Eating with strangers, talking to them in signs or laughter, making your arrangements, freedom to go wrong, freedom to do things right...these are important for me.

Yesterday a friend asked me why I had not asked him along to Hatta. I said I did not like friends for the above reasons. His answer: "Maybe we should have been strangers then." 

"Yes, perhaps," I said. He hung up.

Why do not people understand that traveling is about oneself. Each individual has their idiosyncrasies to put up with, why have other's added to yours? I have never had a "lost feeling" moment on any journey, long or short. Of course I have never scaled a noteworthy mountain yet. It is said that mountains can really depress you.

Lets see if I can set a new record.   

...There is more.

Left to myself, I would not have heard of Munay. But I found Munay precisely because I was in the process of getting lost after being left to myself ! Hurrah! Who says nothing comes of nothing! I say, not many have found Munay because getting lost is a knack I have mastered. People usually stick to places they know or have heard about and Munay would, even if one tried hard, feature on the list of places to see, however travel-starved one could be. Munay hugs the Oman border, is a smallish settlement in the mountains and is the end of motorable roads which disappear suddenly into piles of metal and rocks. It starts from the right of the round-about at Al Huwayalat which has a petrol pump, is surrounded by Wadi's, bone-dry when I saw them and a few houses scattered here and there.

(To reach here, keep going ahead of the round-about at Hatta which has a replica of an ancient fort built in the centre and few flowers bloom when the asses and goats do not trample over them, then turn left ahead. It is a road you can easily miss unless you are looking hard for some road to take you right into the belly of the mountains.)

If you find it, I must say you have looked hard. The beauty of the place has to be seen to be blieved (thats why I have one video tape dedicated solely to capturing the mountains and the roads). The roads dip and rise through the mountains and occasional flat areas that perhaps in the rains are flooded. Warning signs are everywhere, indicating slow movement or the existence of wadis. Looking at them in the blistering heat of August, it was hard to believe that this place could actually have flash floods! But they do, and when that happens, the going is dangerous. A quick look at the mountians is enough to guarentee a mean flash-flood in the season. There are places you can stop and marvel at the nature comprising chiefly of rocks, rocks and some more rocks. You can even scale them quite easily, for they are hard with multitude of projection here and there. However to attempt that in summer is quite a foolish task, because here not only the sun blazes down in fury, the rocks contrieve to burn your fingers if you attempt anything like that.

(In pic: Al Huwayalat town)

It is an experience worth having. It is the sun that adds to the beauty. You look for a place to rest, there are no trees in sight, you cannot get off the car barefoot, one car in twenty minutes passes by, you are thirsty, you may find an opening under the overhanging rock, lucky if you dont find creepy desert crawlers....then suddenly you see asses!! They appear from somewhere and just stare at you, with their mouths open (well, not really so!). They stand there, unmoving, uncaring, mocking and then turn away just when you are ready to capture the 'picture of the year' (perhaps a smiling ass). 

Keep straight ahead till you reach another round-about (in the emirates everyone eventually reaches a round about). The left takes you to Sharjah, the right to Munay. The place you are at is Al Huwayalat. There is a fuel station and you can fuel up for yourself, if you please. (see pic). Be warned, Munay is not a place one goes to if one is looking for "a place to go". You go there only if you have no idea why, you are simply following a motorable road, you have nothing better to do or you dont care where you are going as long as you are seeing something new and different...even the shape of the rocks!! I am a standing example. If someone told me the rock at Timbaktu is an inch shorter than the one at Hatta, I would probably go there too. But it is a pleasent experience to be surprised...at seeing the same thing in a different place...even Munay!! 

You do get to see an occasional surprising green patch of farmland, happy goats, palm trees and lots of rocks. Marvelous, really :-)   

http://s35.photobucket.com/albums/d180/travelblogs/

I have never been surrounded by so many mountains. Never felt the force of the winds on the mountains. Never seen dirt roads wind around the mountains in such tight embrace...never thought the mountains could provide so much solace...

Mountains make up for most of the landscape in Hatta and its neighbouring areas. They come in a variety of shapes, size, colours and texture. While some of them are soft and powdery and fossil-like with giant openings on their surface, others are made up of hard, sturdy rocks. But all of them peacefully co-exist and even support various life forms between them.

I was surprised to see wild asses in the mountains!

Hatta     

An adventurous owner of a 4x4 will tell you the unlimited possibilites at Hatta. Not being an adventurous owner of 4x4 (my claim limited to being adventurous sans 4x4), my 'limted' time and resources however did allow me to explore at my own pace. One should never forget that where a 4x4 can go, strong, sturdy legs can go faster!! 

Anyway, heading to the mountains began on a rather joyful note. An early start in summer is advisable. Hit the Emirates road, turned off at the junction heading to the Dragon Mall and kept right on. One round-about after another, before finally crossing Lehbab where early adventurers looking for a quick spin on the sand dunes had already appeared. Kept  straight on, with the glorious desert awash with the first rays of the sunlight chasing me all the way, the breakfast-by-the road, brief chat with the camels and finally I was at the round-about (again!) from where one road took you to Oman, the right road deposited you at Hatta and left back into the mountains.

(An interesting incident before all this. From Al Madam round-about when you take left (Al Ain being straight), and chug along with relish, the dunes flatten out into black surface, the roads are empty and seducing, the distant hills look sleepy, you must keep an eye on your mobile phone. For somewhere between there and Hatta, you are actually on Nawras connectivity. Etisalat gives up on you for a while and you are greeted with Shell Oil, adverts for hotels and resorts in Muscat and you can even see Omani flags waving at you from the top of Omani-looking buildings! Just when you are ready to reconstruct your thoughts on geography, Etisalat appears on your mobile phone and all is well again.)

Let me get to the water now. Yes, when I say water, I mean just that. From Hatta (frankly I have no clue if this is a part of Sharjah, Dubai or Ajman because the signs at the post office said Ajman), just before the police station, turn left towards the offices of the Hatta Mineral water. Keep your eyes open for a giant white wall which is actually the outside of a huge catchment area, I think that is what it is called. Step on the accelerator if you are driving an automatic car, try not to loose speed for if you do, your car will only groan and inch forward and that...is not a very pleasent experince when there is the call of much excitement on the top. When on top, drive slow. Peer into the depths. You will be surprised, (after all the dry wadi's you see along the way), the sight of water is a comfort for sun-burnt eyes. 

I jumped over the short fenced wall and headed straight for the cool, green water. Once there did I see that one could, (if one is really smart enough to spot the dirt track before one starts to climb upwards), drive right to the waters edge from the other side!      

Any way, to find water between tall, rocky moutains was nothing short of miraculous and I want to return when it rains. Wonder if the water ever reached the high gates during the rains.  (See that tree? Dead...and right beside the water!) The place is excellent for camping out, I must say. The seclusion is amazing, and it is safe. There is water and the really daring can swim in it. Dont take my word for it though, do it AT YOUR OWN RISK.