Eid 2009 Holiday Trips

Ok we just got done with Eid (religious holiday afterRamadan- kind of like our Christmas & Easter) and over the week break wewent on a few journeys

If you have Google Earth then you can take the GPScoordinates and check out the sites. If you have Panoramaio turned on (UnderLayers > Geographic Web) Then you can find more shots ? you have to zoom inclose to find some of the shots.

AlAin Oasis September 19, 2009


We really these are shots from the JimiOasis as we forgot to bring our camera on the Al Ain Oasis trip. This was anice trip that we took on last Saturday. It was good to get out and see theworking ?farm? right in down town Al Ain. The thing that surprised me the mostwas the city of Al Ain has 400,000 people. It seems like a much smaller citybut when you consider all fo the workers it is not hard to believe. They haveworkers everywhere. There are guys who put in flowers in all of the mediansjust to come and rip them out and then put new flowers in a month later.

The Oasis in the UAE are all monoculture date palm plantations. Granted there are several variety of date palmsin each oasis. As Brien the leader of the walks explains think of how manyvariety of apples we have.

After the Oasis we went and spent therest of the day at the Hilton. We are starting to sue our membership there morenow. We even spent the afternoon thereon Sunday after we got abck from our scouting trip to Subaitah.

WadiSubaitah, Oman September 20 & 21, 2009 GPS: 24°15'53.86"N 56°9'40.21"E

We missed the walk with the Emirates Natural History groupon Saturday so we decided to do the trip by ourselves. Luckily the leader ofthe group gives good directions and we found the site easily. It was a fundrive with a bit of 4X4 action to it.

Well Subaitah is an amazing oasis. It is truly a wonder toexplore and the real joy is that it is so small. The place is about 100 meterswide by 200 meters long. The walk into the oasis starts with a nice area thatis a tunnel created by over grown trees. After that you are on the cliff of thewadi (ravine) with the Oasis clinging to a small plateau on right side of thewadi. The Oasis is a typical of Oman having several species of plants in growthhere. There are mango, guava, lemon, and orange trees there are even somebanana plants as well, and of course the ubiquitous date palm.

Once in the heart of the oasis you come to a small villagethat has no electricity until now. You find some of the old (ancient) mud brickbuildings, several abandoned buildings and we were lucky enough to find the oneperson who still lives there. A worker from I am guessing Afghanistan orPakistan by the style of clothing worn. As I do not speak much Arabic and he does not speak much English wesmiled and said hello.

On to the falajah!!! The falajah is a blast as it hugs closeto the wadi cliff face. It is by walking this cliff face that you get to theswimming pool. There are some parts of the walk that you have to hug the cliffwall to make it past. It is a bit of a rush the first time but easy after that.It is not a long walk and then you are on level ground again and it is time toswim in the narrow but at times very deep pool.

One of the cool things about the pools are the DR fish. Youput your feet in the water and they eat off the dead skin. It is not unpleasantbut it can bet a bit unnerving as they can fight over who gets to eat you.


More to come!!!!

Jazirah Oasis GPS: September22, 2009 GPS: N24 19 13.3 E56 09 06.7


As Sudiyah September 24, 2009 GPS: N24 33.173 E 56 07.539


Madbah Wadi September 26, 2009 GPS 24° 5'31.43"N 56°7'12.99"E