The Search for Water

Al Qawa Water Pond, Wadi Shees, Sharjah, UAE

I’m gonna continue posting on Wadi Shees. It’ll be the easiest since I’ve already got all the photos sorted out way before. It’ll be a super-quick post (I hope). Actually, I am up to my neck with work, with a tender due for submission next weekend! But, what the heck, I still wanna post! (Well, that’s what I've been doing during lunch breaks!) No time to waste, here goes!


The road passing Wadi Shees – We drove past this road the first time in Oct 2020, on our way to Nahwa village. We saw a nice little pool beside the road that said “Drinking Water – Do Not Swim.” In a desert like the UAE, this is a gem! Where could you find clean, natural, standing water just beside a road?!? And so, we decided (actually, I decided, hehe) that we’d explore the village and the water pond the next time, and that’s the story of this post…


We’re back! Wadi Shees, March 2021


Let’s start – Wadi Shees Nature Trail, here we go!


The falaj irrigation system for the date plantation. The aflaj (plural of falaj) is a traditional irrigation system in Arabia. (Since this is supposed to be a short post, please Google it if you wanna find out more)


Whew, there’re quite a lot of stairs to climb! The theme for the day is Yellow! Go Hufflepuff, go!


Date palms surrounded by mountains, Wadi Shees, UAE


The village! Now, where’s the water pond? Let’s head back down towards the main road. There’s a path beside the road that leads to the pond


Here we are. Hey, mommy’s already stone-stepping across the pond! Let’s follow her!


Hahh… We have the whole pond to ourselves, no one thought of coming in?


Al Qawa Water Pond, Wadi Shees. Let’s go. I hear some voices from around. I think people are following our lead


Leaving Wadi Shees. The trees on the plateau above the road is Shees Park, a fairly new park created by the Ruler of Sharjah, to beautify this area. It opened in Oct 2020, on our first visit to the area






Shees Park, complete with artificial waterfall and streams, UAE, Oct 2020. We have the whole park to ourselves because it was a working day! (I was on leave) – Warning: Do not visit on weekends or public holiday! Don't tell me you're not warned.

That concludes another story from our “trapped-in-the-UAE-pandemic” days.