The east side of UAE isn’t as modern as Dubai or Abu Dhabi. But it does still have its resorts. We didn’t stick around, but we hung out for a moment at Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort. It was a long ride, through the desert, across the mountainous parts of the UAE, all the way to the Gulf of Oman.
When we got to the Gulf of Oman, we needed a moment to stretch our legs. So, we hung out at Le Meridien Al Aqah Beach Resort. No one brought a change of clothes so we didn’t stay the night, but it’s obviously a nice place to chill out.
Eventually we hit the road again. The plan was to be back before it got dark but we lost track of time at such a luxurious resort. A bit too luxurious as we opted to find something to eat on the way back instead of the expat prices at the resort. Our first stop was a place for the sweet tooth.
Nduku got some but I still prefer the way we Americans load our sweets up with chemically sweetened suagrs. Sugars with names you can’t even pronounce. Their sweets are pretty good though.
As the sun fell, and our hunger wasn’t quite satiated, we found a vegetable stand along the highway in the middle of nowhere.
This isn’t like the produce section at a supermarket. These are fruits and vegetables plucked right off the tree, ripped out the ground or harvested just that morning.
But I needed some meat. So, we ventured down a little more and ran into this tiny shack that advertised food. It was called Naza Cafeteria, but when I stepped inside, well, it looked more like someone’s kitchen. Eh. It’ll do.
While waiting for the food to be heated up in the microwave, because I didn’t see a stove or oven, a few of local kids came in. Two were wearing a jalabeya and keffiyeh, the other in western clothes. At first they were indifferent but I could tell they were looking at me out the corner of their eyes. Surely not many Americans or foreigners come out here to Naza Cafeteria in the middle of absolutely nowhere in the middle of the desert in the middle of the night.
And, with all the propaganda we Americans are saturated with on cable news about how Muslims feel about us, though it was an ally country, I couldn’t help but feel like I was their enemy. But, what the hell. Why not. I asked if they would take a picture with me and lo and behold, I could almost see the anticipation and curiosity overtake them. Unfortunately, their English was only slightly better than my Arabic. And I speak no Arabic. But, it was one of those random moments that make a trip all the better.
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