Stress Release

At the end of a week, one of the advantages of being on the edge of the countryside and also having a Jeep, is the ability to run off and release the stress.

Wadi Sheba has many small branches and each turn brings a new discovery.

There are remains of farms and also makeshift shelters for the goat herders that are made in the small caves in the wadi walls.

In the larger expanse of the valley, the mountains rise to end the drive.

Rock climbing has always been something I love, but here in the UAE it can be challenging. The rocks and cliffs are numerous, but the danger is the crumbling nature of the rock. Many years of heat and dryness make it risky in many places.

Spotting an interesting spire standing alone on high, the challenge was too much to resist.

Once reached the rock formation was incredible,

and the other reward was a view to remember.

The descent was as challenging as the climb, and the acacia trees were no use for a handhold.

They have thorns that protect them from the browsers such as goats and donkeys.
Now for a relaxing evening and ready for the week ahead.

Eid and the end of Ramadan

The Eid Al Fitr holiday marks the end of Ramadan and is a time for friends and family to get togther. Sort of like a Thanksgiving event. During this holiday period many people converge on Dubai and Abu Dhabi to meet people, shop and sightsee. Since the majority of people were heading south we decided to head north to Musandam.

The sun rose over the mountains as we planned an early start.
The drive was spectacular and the rocks continue to amaze each time I visit. They are contured by years of wind,

and water,

and in recent times by man.

We stopped at Bukha fort for lunch.

In the end we all relaxed on the beach, snorkeled around the rocks and pools,

and the kids built a sandcastle.

Finally it was time to pack it all up and head back.

Happy Eid Al Fitr.

Sheba Wadi

The weekend arrives and time to head out, this time towards the wadi the contains the remnants of Sheba Palace.

No, not the Queen of Sheba but an ancient family called Sheba that once had a palace on one of the hills.

All that is left is part of the central room and one can see the outlines of the walls that once surrrounded the buildings and grounds.

Then onward into the wadi so that SLS can continue his training as a wadi basher.


First there is the bump and roll (Quicktime) as we go deeper into the wadi.

Then there is the run out onto the flat as he emerges
And pass by the original off-road transport.

Goats in trees (maybe a movie hiding somewhere here).

Then home to our dumpster diving goats.

Did I mention we have a lot of goats wandering around here?

Happy Birthday Albert

Albert, our favourite person in RAK, with the best j0b as manager of Centaurus, just celebrated his birthday.
His friends collected at the sailing club to have a BBQ and pasta night, along with a few libations.

Then he got his birthday wish.


May the coming year be even better mon ami.

First Impressions

We spent a quiet weekend, recovering after weeks of non-stop activities.
No adventures, just visiting with friends and doing little else.
Finally …….

But this week was the first visit to the “big city” for SLS.
He captured his first impressions of things being built along Sheikh Zayed Road,

Iconic structures like Burj Al Arab,

And modern style of the Fairmont,

And then return through the desert of endless sand.

Local News

Sometimes the news stories here are unusual.
----------------------------------------------
Khaleej Times Online >> News >> THE U.A.E
Maid caught before black magic could ‘control’ employer
By Sadiq A. Salam 3 October 2006

RAS AL KHAIMAH — A UAE national says he has managed to save his home from the spell of black magic in the nick of time. His Asian housemaid allegedly tried to place a totem in his house so that she could ‘control’ her employers.
A few days ago, the maid gave her sponsor a letter, written in her mother tongue, to be sent to her family in her home country. Before dropping it at the post office, the man had a doubt and requested a person to translate the letter into Arabic.
"The person told me that in the letter, the maid asked a family member to send her a new totem because the earlier one had been ineffective," said the UAE national on condition of anonymity.
The domestic help allegedly told her family that she planned to mix the totem with food or dinks in order to control the man or his wife.
The employer reported the case to the authorities and they ordered that the woman be deported.
"I have disclaimed all my legal rights and cancelled her labour contract," he added.
This case is apparently not one-off. The law enforcement authorities here have been receiving complaints from several families claiming that their housemaids are placing totems in different parts of their houses and adding strange items that are believed to have magic powers to the food items and drinks served to them.
The totems, it is said, are mostly in the form of stones, animal bones, dried leaves and branches or even strange drawings and writings on papers hidden in various corners."They reported to us that they found some talismans carefully concealed in various parts of their houses or added to foodstuff and drinks," a senior official of the RAK Police Department told Khaleej Times.

Driving Lesson

Time to start the off-road experience so it was off to Wadi Al Baih to test SLS in the Jeep.

There is a project to build a road through one branch of the wadi, however it gets well squeezed between the cliff walls as you proceed.


The end of the road is reached, no where to go but down.


Lock the wheels in, plow through the sand, rocks and dirt and we arrive.
SLS is a natural in the Jeep, nary a glitch in the shift.

Where exactly is an old “farm”, mainly abandoned, with the remains of a stone shelter still standing.

There is also the old graveyard which is traditional Arabic, a simple stone marking the head and no inscription or other marking.

Climb up,

Then examine the view and continue on.

SLS is now hooked on 4WD although his heart will always belong to other vehicles.

Finally we rinse the dust from our throats at the sailing club as dusk falls.