Forts of Fancy

Somehow, my head’s just not working. This weekend is the UAE’s National Day. It’ll be a 3-day weekend holiday, but we’re not going anywhere this year, because on the week after next, we’ll make a trip to Uzbekistan! And we’ve gotta save up. Can’t go everywhere, can you? (But, how I wish I could… hehe).

Anyway, I meant to send out a post before the weekend. I’ve finished my tender assignment, which is due next week. (Yup, I’m ahead of time, for a change, haha. Not rushing like mad). Now, I have time to post something… I’ve not sorted out the photos of the trip we made last year during UAE’s National Day (we went a thousand kilometres across a barren land to Salalah, Oman …and back!) Guess, I’ll post some photos of some forts of the UAE. These aren’t real forts by the way. These are forts made for tourism, you know, like the castle in Disneyland. Here comes some forts of fantasy! Happy Birthday UAE! Happy Birthday Justin! (Justin’s back from Singapore for a visit, and his birthday coincides with the National Day weekend.) Now, where shall we go for his birthday???...


Hey guys! There’s a castle there! Wonder how we could get there…


Ta-Da! We made it! Najd Al Maqsar Fort, Khor Fakkan Road (part of Sharjah), UAE, Jan 2021




This fantasy ‘fort’ / ‘heritage village’ is on the Khor Fakkan Road opposite to the Rafisah Dam. Sharjah’s Ruler really spruced up the place… brand new road connecting Sharjah to Khor Fakkan. A revitalized Khor Fakkan with loads of new monuments and attractions. A dam with a nice park (Rafisah Dam). Kudos!




The village is actually a ‘hotel’, believe it or not, with rooms that you could rent. It wasn’t opened yet when we visited in Jan 2021. Workers were putting the finishing touches to the place at that time


The path behind the Najd Al Miqsar ‘Heritage Village’


While I’m at it, I might as well post these photos of the Flag Fort (or Flage Fort as was actually written on the signboard at the time of our visit Jan 2021), some of which I’ve posted 2 years earlier for National Day


‘Flage Fort’, Al Taiba, Fujairah, UAE


UAE zindabad! (What the heck, I dunno the Arabic equivalent of that word)

And God, let peace prevail in Gaza, and beyond… Why are Thy children fighting in Thy land? From the river to the sea, there should be 2 lands (or maybe 3). From the river to the sea, there should be 2 nations at peace with one another, and free. Hand-in-hand, to chart the future, for their generations to live in harmony… Amen.