We drove off the highway and across a flat open field, following a stone path. We drove until we reached the base of a mountain. The ride was a little bumpy, as you can see!
http://www.blogger.com/video-play.mp4?contentId=9735d3e36140faf8&type=video%2Fmp4
Our destination: the Hanging Gardens (of Buraimi)
We had with us a book with some nice GPS maps, and directions for how to hike to our final destination. However, the book was quite large, so we left it in the Jeep. That was wise, because the terrain was rougher than expected...but perhaps it would have been useful later in the day!
We set out with our cameras and a bottle of water. We looked all around for "a lone tree," at which point we were supposed to start our climb. We found many lone trees, like this one:
So lacking a proper landmark, we decided to begin our ascent. The climb was somewhat tiring, but not grueling. There was no defined trail, but we did not really have to climb. It was more like walking up stairs (but replace the stairs with ever-shifting rocks and sand).
Halfway up:
After some time, we arrived at the cave at the top of the hill. The cave was nothing special - just some pigeons - but the height afforded some wonderful views in the late afternoon.
From inside the cave:
Rachel sees a man here. Do you?
Resting at the top:
Great blue sky! We do not see this in Chengdu!!
Cool rock formations (see the erosion of the rock wall?)
After some time at the top, we took stock of the waning sun and realized that we must get back down soon. We remembered from the book that there was an easier way down - supposedly less steep. So while it was slightly more out of the way, we figured that we could make up the distance by moving faster on flatter terrain. So, we set out.
Rachel does not like going down. I got a little bit ahead! Notice it getting darker?
Our destination: the Hanging Gardens (of Buraimi)
We had with us a book with some nice GPS maps, and directions for how to hike to our final destination. However, the book was quite large, so we left it in the Jeep. That was wise, because the terrain was rougher than expected...but perhaps it would have been useful later in the day!
We set out with our cameras and a bottle of water. We looked all around for "a lone tree," at which point we were supposed to start our climb. We found many lone trees, like this one:
So lacking a proper landmark, we decided to begin our ascent. The climb was somewhat tiring, but not grueling. There was no defined trail, but we did not really have to climb. It was more like walking up stairs (but replace the stairs with ever-shifting rocks and sand).
Halfway up:
After some time, we arrived at the cave at the top of the hill. The cave was nothing special - just some pigeons - but the height afforded some wonderful views in the late afternoon.
From inside the cave:
Rachel sees a man here. Do you?
Resting at the top:
Great blue sky! We do not see this in Chengdu!!
Cool rock formations (see the erosion of the rock wall?)
After some time at the top, we took stock of the waning sun and realized that we must get back down soon. We remembered from the book that there was an easier way down - supposedly less steep. So while it was slightly more out of the way, we figured that we could make up the distance by moving faster on flatter terrain. So, we set out.
Rachel does not like going down. I got a little bit ahead! Notice it getting darker?
We got to the bottom - well we thought it was close to the bottom - and finally saw why this place was called the Hanging Gardens. Above the wadi (riverbed) that we were following, plants were growing from the side of the cliff. We also heard running water - a shock to the UAE residents, since you do not hear much flowing water (other than fountains) in the desert.
Rachel reaches out to touch the dripping water:
This is where things got interesting. We were actually only halfway down, and at this point the light was fading fast. It was twilight. We had no lights, unless you count 2 cell phones. We were also following a dry riverbed, which means that the rocks were loose - so every step caused you to slip and slide as the rocks shifted under your feet as you stepped down.We fumbled our way as best we could - I fell a few times, causing some scrapes and the accidental busting of our camera's LCD...oops!
But without too much permanent damage, we reached the bottom and made our way back to the car. Of course, we got lost a few times trying to follow the path back to the road...but we made it. That's what counts, right?
We then had some well earned biryani rice, chicken, and lamb with tea; served the traditional way, sans utensils. Eating rice with your fingers while sitting on the ground is in no way elegant; thankfully, there are no pictures of the mess we made. :)
The camera is still usable - we have a viewfinder, so only the LCD was affected. Of course, there is some sand in it too from the dunes....but we have a new camera awaiting us when we return to Chengdu. Yay!
Tomorrow we will travel to Abu Dhabi for the day, and then back to KL for a couple days. More to come!
-alan
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1 comment:
This video worked! Neat!
Thanks so much for the blog updates so I can live vicariously through you during your vacation! It's almost as good as being there :-)
Love you guys!
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