Friday, March 4, 2011

We all asked about you, down on the farm (Little Feat)

It's Thursday night and we are on a farm in Ras Al Khaimah - a seaside town in the north of the UAE (close to northern Oman), and close to the straight of Hormoz, as the map shows.


The 'we' in question is Jacky and me, a large group of teachers from school and sundry farm animals.

We'd driven north from Al Ain after school finished on Thursday, for about three hours, to spend the night at my Principal's brother's farm. Mohammed (my Principal) has been keen for me to meet his brother for some time and we have been keen to journey up the coast as well. So we finally made the trip with about 20 teachers from school.

Jacky's bravery won out (she was the only female) and her first meeting with my teachers was a great success. We arrived in a convoy of cars to a great welcome from Mohammed's brother and had a fantastic BBQ of squid, hammour and tuna with all sorts of local delights.

A chicken was also brought out for Jacky during the evening. Thanks to Jacky and Ali's intervention, the chicken was given a stay of execution before the farm boy could use his gigantic knife!


These fruit are 'licious - like mini apples.

Below: Ali (the chicken saving PE teacher) is on the left with Khalifa (geography teacher who is also known as Abu Sultan).




Next morning we had a look around the farm at what we couldn't see the night before: different crops, tomatoes under cover (below), citrus trees, date palms, peacocks, Arabic cows, chickens and all sorts of goat varieties.



Mohammed's brother started the farm three years ago and has made great progress. He was a Colonel in the UAE army but he and his wives now have a variety of places to call home.


Jacky and I stayed in this outbuilding for the night. In the foreground is a swimming pool.

Below: some of the animals - sheep, cows, goats (yes - including us), deer etc.







This cute little kid had just been born and he took an instant like to us - followed us like a little puppy. Jacky, of course, wanted to bring him home!



On our way home we climbed some dunes to get to the coast line and the view over to Iran.





Love and peace - Wozza

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Just read a few of your blog entries. It's very interesting! I hope I will one day get to travel the world and see its sights and meet its people.

Alex
Mount Pleasant, Michigan

Wozza said...

Hey Alex - thanks for the comment. I have no idea how old you are but take heart in the knowledge that I only started with the travel bug and living away from New Zealand in 2003 (ie in my forties). Up until then I was of the, wherever you go - there you are, brigade.

My favourite travel quote belongs to Emerson - though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.