Al Ain Impressions

Some additional impressions from my past weekend. On Saturday, as I mentioned earlier, I took a bus (which waited until it was full before leaving) to Al Ain - a city in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, which is right at the border to Oman.

Behind this fortress (the picture shows part of the courtyard), they have a famous museum showcasing many fine exhibits from the country's past, ranging from 4000 BC until the early 1900s. Amazing to see the many trading links the UAE have had thousands of years ago, and also how similar some reminders of that era are to what we find in the Mediterranean or even wider Western European region (early weapons, pottery, coins...). Great to see there is a lot of history here, behind the glittering surface. I wonder if maybe even locals sometimes forget that.

Later that day I visited the incredibly green oasis of Al Ain - one of the things I was particularly keen on experiencing here in terms of natural phenomena, along with having a closer look at a desert. The oasis covers a huge area, and the climate is noticeably gentler in there, not as dry, not as hot as outside. They mainly cultivate dates here.

An Omani who showed me around a bit, walking here (picture) in one of the thousands of water channels that form a sophisticated system to supply the date palms with water.

Another highlight - visting the UAE's largest camel market. There must be hundreds and hundreds of these animals, in many shapes, sizes, even colours. Some are meant to be racing camels, some for milking, some for breeding, and some are sold for their meat. Meeting these animals eye to eye is both a great and slightly unsettling experience - as I could not in any way anticipate how they would act the next moment. And they do have big teeth. And one snorted saliva over my guide, with me just barely being able to duck away...