this weekend was relatively calm. we decided to stay around RAK, since i'm sure i'll be traveling to dubai many times during the next few weeks. may as well give my poor child a break from being strapped into his carseat like a straight jacket.
there are several notations on the RAK map of ruins and historic sites. there are even a few signs on the main roads in the city indicating direction toward said cultural locales. since we will be having some visitors in the coming months, i want to be as prepared as possible to show all that RAK has to offer. and so, we drove north.
aside from the map and the 2 signs 40 km away from the ruins, there is absolutely nothing further explaining what/where/how to visit. we attempted to get to the dhaya fort, but alas were unsuccessful, as we bounced and 4wd our way down the dirt road to nowhere. and even from what we could see of the fort, there does not appear to be any sort of path leading to it, which would mean a strenuous hike up a rocky hill (and back down!). in short, not the place we want to be exploring with an 18 month old child.
the other supposed places of interest proved to be just as difficult to reach (and dare i say difficult to understand why they might be a place of interest?). it appears as though no one has as of yet decided to undertake the project of creating accessible trails to these places and organizing them as heritage sites for tourists and locals to enjoy. but oho, i paused myself there and did a google search. turns out we "somehow" took the wrong road and missed the path. (maybe if there was a sign at the road where you're supposed to turn, we wouldn't have had a problem, although judging by these photos, still not the type of hike i'd like to take with julian.)
we also missed how to get to shimal, which is also an alleged amazing archeological site, home to a palace of the queen of sheba. like i said, had there been better signage, this post could have been a lot more interesting.
anyway, we did have an interesting drive north up the coast, a few kilometers short of the omani border (c'est-a-dire the musandam peninsula, which is part of the sultanate of oman). the mountains never cease to amaze me, mainly because there is virtually no vegetation on them. it's pretty weird if you think about it. just rocks. the water was gorgeous, we saw some interesting little fishing villages and a few goats standing on cars, you know, the usual.
after our "adventure" (julian slept the whole time), we headed off to run some errands, including visiting the al hamra mall, which is getting more and more shops every day. they got a carter's! too bad it isn't as cheap as it is at the outlet malls where we shop in NJ. and i am happy to report that while at spinney's, they happened to have received a shipment of fresh lemongrass, galangal and kaffir lime leaves, so i filled up the shopping cart and cooked some tom ka gai (thai chicken coconut soup) for dinner. mmmmm. love. the. thai. food. (on a side note, i've sort of forbidden talking about southeast asia, as it makes me get all excited and sad at the same time because i just want to hop on the next flight and experience the wonder. again.)
we also decided to join the hilton beach club so that we can use their beaches, pools and gym. quite reasonable, actually, and lucky for me, i don't have to wash towels, carry sand back in the car, juggle a cooler, chairs, a child, his toys, etc. every time i want to "relax". plus, it's really nice. makes you feel special. and who doesn't like to feel special?
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