The Picnic Times

Good morning! The view from our tent in Jebel Jais, Ras Al-Khaimah, during the crazy COVID times – end of Oct 2020

Know how we overcame the boredom and challenges of being stuck in the UAE during the travel-restricted COVID years? We took to the hills with our tent, food and barbecue grill! And it felt like the entire UAE had the same idea as us… So much so that when we went up to Jebel Jais, UAE’s highest mountain, the road was jammed with cars, and tents set up at any empty space you could find! It was a friggin tent city in the mountain. But that is a story I’ll leave for next time. For now, here’re some of the photos of our picnics in the UAE.

We had our first camping night out during the COVID times in mid Oct 2020, on Jayden’s birthday near Nahwa, on a weekday. All alone in the night and quiet as hell (coz it ain’t known for being a camping site, like Jebel Jais). But it turned out nicely, and nothing disturbed us. And from then on, picnics are the things we looked forward to in winter.


This was us barbecuing at home (shh… luckily, no neighbours complained)


A hookah (or better known as shisha here) is a nice complement to a barbecue


There you go! Barbecued chicken Filipino-Chinese-Mediterranean style

We upgraded to a slightly larger tent, and went up to Jebel Jais to a completely opposite atmosphere. Sleepless night, from all the tents around us, some with lights that could light up a friggin stadium, crazy people who could talk from night till dawn (tents aren’t exactly soundproof) and rival camps playing rival music in Arabic, Hindi, etc. What a din! I’ll leave the photos for next time (coz I’ve not sorted them out yet, hehe).




A picnic at the foot of Jebel Jais when coming down…


Hey, a gap in a road, why not eat here… There you go! – On the Khor Fakkan Road, in the stretch between the Al Multaqa Tunnel and the Al Saha Tunnel – Jan 2021. We were returning from an outing to a fort near Khor Fakkan




And while we’re at it, let’s do some exploring…


Looks like it goes nowhere (where cars could go), except to a tunnel that goes thru to the other side of the highway – I have no idea whether this place belongs to Sharjah or Fujairah. The internal boundaries of the UAE are mighty complicated


Another picnic, this time on the Masafi to Tayybah Road, Fujairah – Jan 2021


Oh no… ambushed by goats! Shooo! Go away


Wadis and hills are not the only place we could picnic. How about a desert? Near Umm Al Quwain’s camel race track, north west of Falaj Al Mualla – Jan 2021


Of course, there’re camels. But when there’re livestock, there’re always pesky flies around


That’s all the photos for now! Leaving one photo of our first trip to Wadi Shawka – Feb 2021. The kids having lunch at a visitor’s shelter at the entrance to the road to Wadi Shawka Dam. We would later find out that the road to the dam is not the greatest route to get into Wadi Shawka (cars are blocked by the dam, you could only trek in). There’re routes where you can actually drive into the wadi. Yahoo!

Sigh, there's only about half a month left for picnic season, before 'glorious' summer (or what I call the scorched months) comes...

Forts of Gulf Arabia, Part 2

Bukha Fort, Musandam, Oman – Notice that little fort in the distance dwarfed by the towering hills behind? That’s the Al Qala’a Fort according to Google Maps. I thought it was just an extension of this Bukha Fort, and even labelled as such in an earlier post, ahem… But heck, no one's gonna notice, hehe…

Another express photo-post coming up! Busy month this January. Committed to finishing big chunks of work before the end of this month, and then there’s Chinese New Year next week. So here goes.

Continuing from the previous post (where I featured the Al Jazirah Al Hamra Fort in Ras Al-Khaimah), here’re more forts we visited not too long ago, if you're into these kinda things. The kids sure are. And so’s the old man, hahaha. Shhhh… don’t tell the missus, she’s not very keen on forts or museums. She’s more of a nature-type of person.


First off the list – Bukha Fort in Musandam Oman. This is a fort I’ve featured before in my first 'Forts of Gulf Arabia' post a long time ago (in 2009), and also in more recent posts in 2019 & 2022. It’s a small but picturesque fort, surrounded by the towering barren mountains of Musandam (ain’t it? Especially in Anu’s photo in my 2009 post?)


Hazel and Jayden looking at something in the depths of that bottomless pit… Nah, just kidding


Justin, exploring the ramparts of the Bukha Fort – the mosque beside blends in nicely




Next up, Khasab Fort, in Musandam’s capital, Khasab. Didn’t visit it on our first visit in 2008. We finally visited, with Dad and Hazel in 2019 – Khasab, Musandam, Oman




Exploring the castle grounds… The fort features traditional boats. And here's a link to a photo of Jayden in one of the huts in the castle


Finally, the little visited Falaj Al Mualla Fort in Umm Al Quwain, UAE


We decided to just stop by, on our way past this town, a little visited area of the UAE. There were no visitors, and an attendant had to open the museum just for us ‘privileged’ visitors, ahem…


See, that’s our car, a lone, solitary car in the fort’s car park, surrounded by empty roads and sand dunes


The fort-museum has creepy mannequins in it. Wouldn’t wanna be trapped here overnight


OK, time to go – Falaj Al Mualla Fort, Umm Al-Quwain, UAE


Hey, this is a nice place for hide and seek! Boys are boys. I’ve posted a few photos of this place in my earlier posts in 2021 and 2022

There you go, express photo post done!

The Cheaper Emirates

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! 2023 is here. And I pray that God will continue to provide hope and blessings to all, especially to the downtrodden, the needy and those in despair. I pray that men will set aside their personal agendas and hatred for those different from them, and strive for the good of mankind and make this world a nicer place.

This is a super-express New Year post.

For new year, we’ll usually head out north, to the cheaper emirates (i.e. the emirates north and east of Dubai) to have a scrumptious meal, usually seafood, haha. (Yeah, yeah, you can call us cheapskates, but a penny saved is a penny earned. Hah!)

This new year we headed out to Sharjah. (And I’ve not downloaded any of the photos yet). So here’re some photos of the past 2 years of what we did on New Year. Bear with me, OK?


Driving up north to Ras Al Khaimah. It’s always fun to find somewhere to drive to!


The day before New Year’s Eve 2021 – Seafood restaurant found! Al Anfalus Fish Restaurant, at Al Jazirah Al Hamra, Ras Al-Khaimah. Wow, isn’t that a nice dish?!


Let’s check out the little castle nearby, and the ghost village behind… spooky (Nope, we didn’t proceed far, before getting out of the ruins…) – Al Jazirah Al Hamra Fort, RAK, UAE


A stop at a liquor shop before heading home… We ran out of whiskey! It’s New Year, OK? – Barracuda Beach Resort, Umm Al Quwain, UAE


One year later… And this is New Year’s Day 2022! Again ended up in Al Anfalus Fish Restaurant, hehe – Ras Al-Khaimah, UAE


This is another spooky place… (Ras Al-Khaimah seems to be full of 'em). The haunted Al Qassimi Palace, an abandoned palace in RAK for decades. Used to be a ‘haunt’ for those seeking adventures of the paranormal kind, until the owners realized the money-making potential of the place and refurbished it. Now’s it open to the public but charges a fee (hefty for us cheapskates …What? It’s just a mansion now that they’ve beautified it?!?)

OK, end of post. See ya!

The Story of Jayden, Year 7

Jayden, Love Lake, Dubai, Dec 2020

Finally, I finished looking thru all the photos of the little one between his 6th and 7th birthday (after 3 months!), and here they are, a summary of his Year 7 adventures, stuck completely in the UAE, thanks to friggin COVID. (I’m getting sick of this word…). Enjoy!


Here’s he at home, explaining what his monsters can do. Hey, did it kill King Kong? Nov 2020


Al Jazirah Al Hamra Old Village Fort – Behind this fort is the abandoned ghost village of Al Jazirah Al Hamra, spooky eh? Ras Al Khaimah, Dec 2020


With his Koko at the zoo (he loves aquariums and zoos, by the way), Dubai Safari Park, Jan 2021


Another fort! The little visited Falaj Al Mualla Fort, Umm Al Quwain, Jan 2021 – We were the only ones there that afternoon. The watchman had to unlock the museum just for us. A whole fort to ourselves!


Hey Harry Potter, where’s Ron and Hermione? Fooling around at home as one of his favourite characters of that time – I think this was British Book Character Day, or something like that. Their school has all sorts of ideas to make parents use up their money – Feb 2021


Gong Xi, Namaste, I’m confused… Malay clothing, Indian greeting, Chinese decorations, …ahh, what the heck, we’re Malaysians! Malaysia, truly Asia! – Mar 2021


Last trek of the season, Wadi Ghub, Fujairah, Mar 2021 – The weather turns up the heat from April onwards… Waiting eagerly for the end of Oct again to go outdoors


Another of his all-time favourite character, Spiderman – Apr 2021


Oh, it’s stifling hot! May and June 2021 were the skating months where the kids went every other weekend to rack up their skating skills (coz that, and swimming, were about the only things we could do that’s free …nah, we aren’t stingy, …just thrifty, ahem) – Nshama Town Square Skate Park, May 2021


Museum trips are still OK during the summer months. Hey, where’re your legs??!? Sharjah Science Museum, Jul 2021


Jayden with friend Viva and the Fox of Fabyland at Dubai Festival City, after a playdate with his Koko, Arya, Mashel, Viva and their moms at Bounce Trampoline Park, Jul 2021


Pulling faces with Koko, at Ce La Vi Restaurant, atop the Address Sky View Tower, Downtown Dubai celebrating Mommy’s birthday, Aug 2021


Abu Dhabi reopens! Abu Dhabi finally relaxed its internal border controls regarding COVID-19. Before that, all entering the emirate of Abu Dhabi from other emirates had to show COVID-19 PCR test results not older than a certain amount of days (it changes from time to time) – Hey, look at my piece of salt! At the Al Wathba Long Salt Lake, Abu Dhabi, Sep 2021


Expo2020 Dubai finally opens! I AM THE MUMMY!! At the Egypt Pavilion, Oct 2021


Happy Birthday! Jayden at the South Korea Pavilion on his 7th birthday, Expo2020 Dubai, Oct 2021