Last night I got a message that a package had arrived, so I began the day at the post office to pick it up. The lady I dealt with said it was probably in Dubai and would arrive here in a day or so. Dubai? Really? Then why text me that it's here?
Deep breaths.
Note to self - find your zen place . . . quick.
Before I left home I decided I wanted to see the Al Ain Oasis, so that's where I went. I refused to let the post office situation ruin my day. The oasis sits in the business district. I had passed by it several times but didn't realize what it was.
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| Aerial view of Al Ain Oasis from the web |
It reminded me of the yellow brick road in the Wizard of Oz. Except the road wasn't yellow, it was tan, the color of the sand. The gushing water of the oasis has been banned from tourism because of bad behavior by tourists. What you can see is the falaj, the famous irrigation system that is thousands of years old. It is a water management system designed to get water to homes and the few crops that grow in the desert (palm dates).
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| Path in the oasis |
I drove in, parked Luther on the side of the road, to take a closer look. A security guy soon found me and asked me to move Luther. No problem. Once he was safely parked, the man gave me a tour. He took me down to one of the troughs so that I could feel the water. I assumed it would be cool. It wasn't. It was as warm as bath water.
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| Me feeling the water - it's warm |
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| Me near the falaj |
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| My guide |
Although I'm not sure I got everything my guide said, I think the dates are created with something that is produced from the male palm tree that is attached to something else on the female tree. Real scientific explanation, right. The following website does a much better job than me:
http://books.google.com/books?id=cjHCoMQNkcgC&pg=PA138&lpg=PA138&dq=how+are+palm+dates+created+in+the+uae?&source=bl&ots=u_Yr4u5HUY&sig=OFVSoGnOhGJVsyOgLRQbHAORJP4&hl=en&sa=X&ei=moUaT52oKITmiAL867HXCA&ved=0CHEQ6AEwCQ#v=onepage&q=how%20are%20palm%20dates%20created%20in%20the%20uae%3F&f=false
You can tell a male palm tree from a female because the leaves of the male trees grow from the ground up. The female trees grow at the top of a long trunk. Also the leaves of the male trees are tougher and stronger. All this I learned from my guide.
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The falaj
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| Another view of the path in the oasis |
Side note 2 - I'm eating dates as I write this. They have an interesting texture. Chewy and nutty.
After my exploration in the oasis, I went next door to the Al Ain National Museum. It relatively small for a museum, but it had some great artifacts. Outside were life-size replicas of the hut structures used for shelter long ago. There was also a bar-b-que pit like the one my teachers used. The open pit next to it is where they burn the wood and fan the flames over the meat. It appears they've been cooking like this for years.
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| Bar-B-Q Pit and Smoker |
When I left the museum, I noticed a horse and carriage. I inquired about riding and went back into the oasis, this time riding in the buggy. It was cool with the shade of the many trees. This reminded of the redwood forest in California where you see miles and miles of the giant trees. Here, it's miles and miles of palm trees.
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| Me on a carriage about to go for a ride through the oasis |
I'm including lots of pictures. I hope they're big enough for you to see. If not, you might try opening them in another window. I've also included a link to a great video on the UAE. It's about 30 minutes long, but worth the look if you have the time. It's an aerial view of the country and some of the shots are spectacular. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0d3UqSVRbQ&feature=fvwrel
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| Coffee Pots |
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| Ornate Vase? |
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Actual well used long ago
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Lady in "mustache" veil
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Fort outside of the museum
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Fort outside museum 2
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| Cannon |
Faye.. have you figured out your address yet? I guess so, will you please e-mail it to me. Thanks.. and I treat myself with peace and quiet, just resting alone in my thoughts.
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