A recent pleasure trip to the UAE accompanied by Faiz and my parents has relaxed my senses and rejuvenated my spirits to the core. The Arabian experience has left a mesmerizing effect on my mind and I am sharing here some wonderful moments spent there.
We landed at the brightly lit up Sharjah Airport at 9:30 pm on 8th Nov 2008. The moment we entered the airport premises a gush of exotic fragrances welcomed us to this mysterious land of deserts. Had heard about the perfumes of Arabia but wud be exposed to its effect so soon was unexpected. I knew that pleasant surprises were in store for rest of the ten days I was to spend in the UAE. The first surprise came in the form of an Arab officer speaking to me in crystal clear hindi, he took me through some sort of eye scan security check. Arabian women, wearing abaya and head scarves, efficiently handling the helpdesks at the custom counter broke my myth about them being "conservative n suppressed".....
Both my elder brothers and bhabhi’s alongwith the kids had come to receive us. My excitement levels were brimming with the realization of the fun we were gonna have in the next few days over this family reunion....an amazing feeling Alhumdulillah!!
We stopped to have some refreshments on the way to Al Ain from the Sharjah Airport. In the UAE, one can find ADNOC petrol pumps at regular intervals on the highways. They are unique in the sense that each such station will have a restaurant, washroom, shopping outlet and a masjid. All the roads are radar controlled and u better mind ur speed here coz it can cost u heavily if u get clicked!!!
On day one, we visited the Jebel Hafeet in Al Ain. “Jebel” is an Arabic word for “mountain”. The road leading to Jebel Hafeet was artistically lit and winding upwards like a creeper clinging to the night sky. Felt like the path led straight upto the heavens!
The Jebel Hafeet Mountain Road extends for 11.7 km up the mountain, rising 4000 ft. With 21 corners and three lanes (two climbing and one descending), the immaculate road is called one of the greatest driving road in the world. The road scales the mountain and ends at a parking lot with only a hotel and a palace belonging to the country's rulers. The "Mercure Grand" hotel atop Jebel Hafeet is a hotspot for famous movie stars from Hollywood n Bollywood, who come there to relax and unwind. We drove the roads where the climax car chase of the recent movie “Race” was filmed. The view of Al Ain city from top of Jebel Hafeet was breathtaking!!
At the foothill is a place called the Green Mubazzarah. Hotsprings along with green meadows spread like a carpet are truly amazing and a major tourist attraction. We had a nice picnic there and enjoyed yummy homemade food, especially my favorite koftas.
While in the UAE, I also tried a few Lebanese and Arab delicacies like shawarmas, khaboos, and hamoos. Umm yum yum yum….muh mein paani aa raha hai na?!!!!
Our next destination was the Sheikh Zayed Masjid in Abu Dhabi. This shrine is a brilliant illustration of Islamic architecture and artistic excellence. The carpets in the prayer halls are woven with superb finesse and lovely patterns. The galleries with mirror polished marble floors have a synchronous arrangement of pillars which are adorned with gold plated leaves giving them the typical palm look! The colored stones inlaid in the marble remind u of the craftsmanship in the mughal architecture of the Tajmahal. Truly this place is worth visiting as it not only is an architectural marvel but also exudes a sense of tranquility and peace!!
Some trivia regarding the masjid (source: wikipedia)
Sheikh Zayed Mosque is the third largest mosque in the world, located in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. It is named after Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan the founder and the first President of the United Arab Emirates, who rests in peace in the mausoleum in the same campus. The Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority announced that tours of the mosques will be given to both Muslims and non-Muslims in order to promote cultural and religious understanding.
The Sheikh Zayed Mosque made some world records:
• The carpet laid out on the vast expanse is the "World's Largest Carpet" made by Iran's Carpet Company and designed by Iranian artist Ali Khaliqi. This carpet measures 5,627 square meters, and was made by around 1,200 weavers, 20 technicians, and 30 workers. The weight of this carpet is 47 tons — 35 tons of wool, and 12 tons of cotton. There are 2,268,000 knots within the carpet.
• This mosque also holds the largest chandelier. There are seven imported chandeliers from Germany and are copper and gold-plated. The largest chandelier has a 10 meter diameter and a 15 meter height.
Phew!!!!!! :-)
Destination next was Hatta, near Oman border where we experienced the magic of the Desert with an adventurous motor bike ride on the magnificent red sand dunes. While heading towards the desert, we were caught in a sandstorm which reduced visibility dramatically. We had to pull up in a corner until the visibility returned to normal. Luckily, the weather turned quite pleasant by the time we reached Hatta. There was this amazing safari ride available but we decided to go biking instead.It was so much fun to ride the 4-wheeler desert motor bike….I bought a small alladin style lamp as a souvenir of this land of sand dunes n mystic folklores. The ambience was perfect....straight out of an Arabian Nights Fairytale---- desert, camels and falcons, sandstorm brewing at a distance…all things together added up to my imagination n I rubbed the lamp hoping a genie wud appear and grant me a few wishes!! Alas! It was an ordinary lamp after all.
In Dubai, we visited several interesting places like the Jumeirah Beach, Burj-al-Arab Hotel, Atlantis Hotel at Palm island, Ibn Battuta Mall and the Gold Souk. I would like to make a special mention of the Ibn Battuta Mall, which is one of its kind and the world’s largest themed shopping mall. It is an absolute “must visit” spot when u r in Dubai. The mall depicts the life instances of the great arab traveler Abu Abdullah Muhammad Ibn Battuta also known as Shams ad - Din, born at Tangier, Morocco, on the 24th February 1304 C.E. (703 A.H.).
Each region Ibn Battuta explored – Andalusia, Tunisia, Egypt, Persia, India and China – is reflected in the architecture and theme of the mall’s six courts. These courts strongly project the historical and cultural richness of this Arabian icon’s life, serving as inspiration to all those who visit.
Ibn Battuta Trivia:
Ibn Battuta started on his travels when he was 20 years old in 1325. His main reason to travel was to go on a Hajj, or a Pilgrimage to Mecca, as all good Muslims want to do. But his traveling went on for about 29 years and he covered about 75,000 miles visiting the equivalent of 44 modern countries which were then mostly under the governments of Muslim leaders of the World of Islam, or "Dar al-Islam". The accounts of his travels and excursions can be found in the famous book “Rihla”.
Click on the link below to follow Ibn Battuta on his travels from Morocco to Mecca, Turkey, India, China, and beyond. Includes many maps and modern day photos of ancient landmarks.
http://www.sfusd.k12.ca.us/schwww/sch618/ibn_battuta/Ibn_Battuta_Rihla.html
Well, well, this trip has certainly become one my most precious memories and I shall be relishing the wonderful experiences and tales of the UAE for a long long time…..there is much more to share but may be in some other post. For now, I sign off on a note that traveling does make a person wiser and opens the windows of the mind to a world of knowledge. And I pray to Allah that I get more such opportunities to travel around the world and realize and appreciate the unbound beauty and marvels of this planet. Aameen!!
Both of us looked at each other trying to reassure that finally the moment had arrived for which we had waited for 4 long years!!! I cud see faiz’s watery eyes thru mine…….tears of happiness rolled n we stood there speechless not knowing wat to say not feeling the need to express anything in words coz our souls were already congratulating each other. 
An amazing phase of growing up began……physically as well as emotionally….. it’s really amazing how motherhood comes so naturally into ur system. From the day I realized that I was expecting till the time I saw my baby for the first time, I went through a transformation from a woman to a mother. My priorities in life changed. I had never thought that I will leave my career at a time when it was flourishing….but I didn’t have the heart to leave my li’l girl at home and go to work.
i cudn’t thank God enough for granting me this one wish of having a daughter( I always prayed for a girl…..not that a boy wud mean any less to me…but in my heart of hearts I always wanted a girl)…….
Hardly did I know that this hydropower engineer designing dams would soon be changing diapers with as much ease. I always dreaded the diaper changing and potty cleaning stuff…even the thought of it wud put me off and I used to wonder how will I do it when my own child is born. 
that she can go to any extent to take care of her baby……sleepless nites, diaper changes, feeding sessions, n every other task that’s part of the baby raising package is too less a price u pay for such a precious li’l reward!!!
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