Emirates

I took off for a long weekend in Dubai en route to Kabul. Being back in the first world, if only for a weekend, is glorious. I'm eating too much (at every American chain restaurant I can find), drinking too much (alcohol isn't illegal here!), and shopping... well, I have restrained myself in that department, relative to my friends. Mainly I'm just happy to be in a sanitary environment again. Funny how one takes decent plumbing and basic hygene in public places for granted.

My colleague and I did manage to pry ourselves away from the wonders of Dubai, renting a car and setting off across the desert, passing hordes of camels along the way and sand dunes along the way. It was hot and dusty, but bearable enough for us to get out and explore a bit.

Away towards the Omani border at Hatta are rugged hills of multi-colored stone riven by wadis (dried river beds). We were hunting for some swimming holes, but never found them. Instead we trekked along and through the wadis, encountering an occasional oasis of palm trees but no water source large enough or clean enough to splash around in.

It was okay though. Our hotel pool more than makes up for it.