Fujairah is a day’s trip from Dubai. One of the seven city states that constitute the United Arab Emirates, and an old historic harbour town, Fujairah is about 132 km from Dubai. Regular buses ply between the two states and movement is free and does not require a fresh visa, although Fujairah is another city state.
The journey is fascinating once the bus leaves Dubai with white desert sands fringing the roads on both sides. Here outside Dubai we finally actually get to see the true face of the Arabian desert.
The sand stretches away into the horizon, and is dotted with short and small bushy plants – they may be cacti, but I can’t make out from inside the bus. An occasional junction town and village make for fascinating sightseeing.
Past the halfway mark of the journey, the landscape changes dramatically from desert to mountain. Rolling mountains line both sides of the road and extend as far as eye can see.
Just before Fujairah, right on the highway we passed the Friday Market at a town musically called Masaafi. I wished the bus would let me out to explore that dream market. It was straight out of Arabian Nights. A long row of wayside shops on both sides of the road, selling everything from fruits and vegetables – a colourful array, if ever there was one – and gleaming junk jewellery and artefacts mostly pots, jugs and jars [Omar Khayyam suddenly made a lot of sense.*]. And oh, the carpets, rugs and mats hanging in glorious display all over the carpet stalls – cherry reds and cobalt blues with intricate designs, oranges and deep greens and browns - what can I say?
If I had a camel I would load him with goodies and walk him across sea and land all the way to Chennai.
* A Book of Verses underneath the Bough,
A Jug of Wine, a Loaf of Bread--and Thou
Beside me singing in the Wilderness--
Oh, Wilderness were Paradise now!"
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