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Fujairah, UAE November 26


We are back in Fujairah today, were here on November 19 on our way to Dubai and I wrote notes about the excursion we did that day. So today we had tickets for a beach resort and turns out there was an oil spill at the beach yesterday!  We were still invited to spend time at the resort and to use their pool and facilities but we couldn’t justify a 45 min drive there and back to use a pool when there are two pools on the ship.  We did, however, take the shuttle to a Mall - this was fairly small and really nothing much for us to look at as mostly kids clothes, a cheaper department store, jewellery and perfume!  Gosh, the Arabs love perfume!  They try & spray the poor unsuspecting non-Arab people every few metres!  We did look through a supermarket and fruit & vegs were SO  much cheaper than at home! Lebanese cucumbers about 20cents a kg!  

And now a bit about the history of Fujairah - it is  one of the seven Emirates that make up the UAE.  It’s the only one with a coastline solely on the Gulf of Oman and none on the Persian Gulf!  This Emirate sits at the mouth of the important trade route, the Wadi Ham, through the mountains to the interior and the Persian Golf Coast.  Known as the Shamaliyh, the east coast of what is now the UAE was subject to Muscat until 

1850 when it was annexed by Al Qasimi of Sharjah in an agreement made between Sheikh Sultan bin Saqr Al Quasimodo and the Sultan of Muscat.  Am sure by now you’re as confused as I am!!!  The Emarite of Fujairah is also rich in late Islamic fortresses as well as being home to the oldest mosque in the UAE, which I mentioned in earlier notes. 

Have had a very nice dinner with a couple from the UK and had a first tonight - G actually came to the show and I felt like I wasn’t a single on this ship!  Usually I sneak in and sneak out so as not to look obvious! 


  

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