Welcome to Ras Al Khaimah
07/07/2005
Moved from the pseudo modern glass/steel city of Dubai
to the northern most emirate (least developed), Ras Al Khaimah.
New economic free zone being developed, funded by the Sheikh. Buildings in place and clients operating already.
Drove thru 100+ km's of desert and sand dunes on a new highway just opened to make this area more accessible.
Blue glass buildings with state of the art networks and Cisco IP telephony solutions, in the middle of a dusty field.
First day spent reviewing business processes and reading RFP responses from Oracle and SAP for ERP solutions.
Very business and techy.
Leave the industrial park but the driveway is blocked by goats rummaging in the trash, but they are scattered when the camels arrive to do the same. The cows did not show up until the next day.
Not much to do so I go to the closest hotel (Hilton) for a beer (few other options). Feel like I am back to the "Empire" except the hotel is modern.
Bar is full of men, few women, and the range is mainly German and British oil workers dusting off for the weekend. A few tourists round it out for a very eclectic group.
Beer is cold and the club sandwich is good albeit with fake bacon (no pork).
Band is announced. Seems the local (UAE) owner vacationed in Colombia and brought back the band he liked there.
So there I am, Heineken in hand, club sandwich in belly, listening to a Colombian marimba band (mediocre) play Tequila among other selections (in Spanish). The two girls that sang a little and kept some rhythm, then proceeded to dance (nicely) with a couple of the patrons.
Polite applause punctuated by the sound of play at the pool table.
Enough of this so outside for a stroll on the corniche, past tents with a few people smoking sheesha, and a view of the small dhows putting out for night time fishing.
Off to my local hotel and relax to the call to prayer, mosque directly beside the hotel with amplified speakers on the roof.
Wake to morning call to prayers (5 AM) and view the panoramic from my window before striking our for another technology intense day.
Moved from the pseudo modern glass/steel city of Dubai
to the northern most emirate (least developed), Ras Al Khaimah.
New economic free zone being developed, funded by the Sheikh. Buildings in place and clients operating already.
Drove thru 100+ km's of desert and sand dunes on a new highway just opened to make this area more accessible.
Blue glass buildings with state of the art networks and Cisco IP telephony solutions, in the middle of a dusty field.
First day spent reviewing business processes and reading RFP responses from Oracle and SAP for ERP solutions.
Very business and techy.
Leave the industrial park but the driveway is blocked by goats rummaging in the trash, but they are scattered when the camels arrive to do the same. The cows did not show up until the next day.
Not much to do so I go to the closest hotel (Hilton) for a beer (few other options). Feel like I am back to the "Empire" except the hotel is modern.
Bar is full of men, few women, and the range is mainly German and British oil workers dusting off for the weekend. A few tourists round it out for a very eclectic group.
Beer is cold and the club sandwich is good albeit with fake bacon (no pork).
Band is announced. Seems the local (UAE) owner vacationed in Colombia and brought back the band he liked there.
So there I am, Heineken in hand, club sandwich in belly, listening to a Colombian marimba band (mediocre) play Tequila among other selections (in Spanish). The two girls that sang a little and kept some rhythm, then proceeded to dance (nicely) with a couple of the patrons.
Polite applause punctuated by the sound of play at the pool table.
Enough of this so outside for a stroll on the corniche, past tents with a few people smoking sheesha, and a view of the small dhows putting out for night time fishing.
Off to my local hotel and relax to the call to prayer, mosque directly beside the hotel with amplified speakers on the roof.
Wake to morning call to prayers (5 AM) and view the panoramic from my window before striking our for another technology intense day.
posted by Sand Land Dad at 10:29
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