Al Ain - Day One
The oasis in Al Ain
Getting Acquainted With Al Ain
Waking up in a New Country
Sleep was sketchy for me on the first night in Al Ain. Di slept well thanks to the melatonin she took, while I declined. The jetlag will probably stick around for a few days, at least for me.
We heard the first call to prayer around 6 am wafting from the mosques in the area. Mid-morning Andrew took us for a walk around the neighborhood and we found Al Ain to be a bit rough around the edges.
The apartment, Hili Complex, is on the outskirts of Al Ain, At no point did we feel unsafe but the attention to detail and cleanliness is not as you may first expect by the facade.
Behind the manicured boulevards and hedges we experienced a different side with spacious sand areas, some of which I presume are ready for new developments and some left in decay with garbage randomly strewn about. As a nice break from the sun, we walked through a small oasis with traditional irrigation systems.
An old watchtower in the Hili district of Al Ain
As we walked along the streets the locals honked their horns at us and waved in a friendly and enthusiastic manner. It is obvious that we are westerners and Andrew had prepared us for this. He has experienced a very open and welcoming attitude from the Emirati.
Al Ain is unique for the United Arab Emirates as it has more than average vegetation and plant growth. The water comes from the mountains in Oman and is sourced from underground.
Another interesting fact is that we are right on the Oman border. The barbed wired fence is literally on the other side of the street from Andrew’s apartment complex.
We were staying in Hili, Al Ain, near the Oman border
We spent part of the afternoon at a mall getting a SIM card for my phone and some household items for Andrew's place. We met Andrew's friends at a bonfire/guitar get-together in the evening.
Everyone has welcomed us here with open arms. The last chord on the guitar was struck after 2 a.m., and Di and I took a cab home. All in all, it was a very full and rewarding first day.
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The photos in this article are made using a Fujifilm X-T1. Lenses: XF 14mm f/2.8 R - XF 23mm f/1.4 R - XF 35mm f/2 R WR (links to my camera and lens reviews). Editing was done with Lightroom and I have made use of Fujifilm’s film simulations in some of the photos.
