As Al Rowdah Academy has the nine different campuses (I think I said ten last time, which is what someone told me... but I added up the campuses on our list and right now, nine), and as the director I will be visiting them every couple of weeks. They are spread out across the country -- eastern, northern, and western.
Yesterday, Tuesday October 9th we went to Al Ain. That's pronounced about how it looks, al-ane. It's on the eastern side of the UAE (pretty much due-east of Abu Dhabi), on the border of Oman. (Will again suggest pulling up a map of the UAE!) It's about a one to one-and-a-half hour drive from Abu Dhabi. Al Rowdah has two campuses there, each with different educational programs. (One is health science, the other has a mix of programs such as fashion design, jewelry design, IT, and human resources.) I have yet to meet anyone working that isn't passionate about the work they are doing for students.
Ever since yesterday's drive I have been eager to share the view along the way. I would be disappointed that I didn't have my camera with me if I didn't know I will make this trip many times over the next year or so; and I now have an idea of photos I want to take. And I notice sites and views and different shots that Tim will enjoy taking when he visits in February.
We started out in the morning. We = myself, Shaikha (pronounced shake-uh, Al Rowdah assistant director and an amazing resource for both work as well as the history and culture of the UAE), Linda from Kaplan International, and our wonderful drive Ramuz (pronounced rah-muz).
The UAE has lots of sand. LOTS. Around the Abu Dhabi area, I would describe it as yellow-ish in color. Along the road to Al Ain you see miles of sand and dunes; these are not the largest dunes or the ones that are the draw for four-wheeling and camel rides, although you do see four-wheel tracks and camel tracks beyond the wire fencing. And yes, saw my first camels. The first one I noticed was hanging out in a penned area with a horse. Along the way and every now and again you see other fenced or penned areas with two to four camels. For whatever reason, seeing them made me smile. Perhaps because they are one of the quintessential symbols of this desert region, and they are just, well, fun.
As you get closer to Al Ain, the sand begins to change color. It becomes much more orange, and the dunes adjacent to the roadway just before you enter the city area are just a little larger. They make this entrance into the city. They are smooth from gentle winds, with some curved shapes that are picturesque.
And surpringly (to me) in the distance -- just a bit further east -- are some very large mountains. Apparently on top one of them is a hotel, reportedly with an amazing view. They look rugged and rocky, with little vegetation. Maybe a bit like the mountains along the Owens Valley and highway 395 in California.
Al Ain has a very different feel to it than Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi is most definitely an energetic city, and in many ways is fast paced. Al Ain feels much more suburban. There were housing areas we drove by that reminded me of the older sections of Scottsdale, in style and color and natural rock and arid plantlife in front yards. Other areas are what is becoming "typical" UAE architecture ... yes, I promise to take photos!! The people I met love living there, stating that it is indeed a slower paced life there.
It was toward the end of the day when we headed back to Abu Dhabi. The sun was beginning to set; that beautiful time of day where the sun is hitting things horizontally with that golden hue. Near Al Ain, those orange colored dunes were radiant with the evening sunlight on them. At that time of day, umber might be a better description of the sand in that area.
Driving along, I saw signs for "Farm Access". The farms grow vegetables, such as cucumbers, tomatoes and eggplant. All farms are required to grow palm trees. And farms are being encouraged to grow organically.
Palm trees were planted years ago when the highways were built. Sheik Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan was the architect behind the uniting of the emirates. I look foward to reading more about the history of the area and about him in particular; he sounds like he was a visionary. And he remains so very highly regarded, much like our founding fathers, but with even more of a sense of the word "father" for the Emirati. He required then and it is required now, that trees planted between the two sides of the highways, and along the sides of the highways. On the road to Al Ain, it's mostly palm trees. Where they draw their irrigation from I forgot to ask. (There are rubber tubes feeding water to the palm trees, for miles and miles. Actually, that would be kilometers and kilometers.)
By the way, the word Sheik is pronounced "shake".
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