Fujairah, UAE

Fujairah is one of seven Emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates and is the one with the largest oil reserves.  As we made our way into the dock we passed hundreds of oil tankers waiting offshore and surprisingly the largest importer of oil is Japan.  Fuel prices you would expect to be cheap in UAE but they are not. However at 60 cents per litre Australians would think that they had died and gone to heaven.  Another surprise was that Iran has the cheapest fuel in The World at just 6 cents per litre.
Philip and I did different tours today.  I did the East Coast Tour and Philip did the Desert Safari that he absolutely loved.  There was approximately 40 Toyota Landcruisers that made the journey to the desert for “dune bashing”.  They climbed hundred metre high dunes and then slid/glided down the other side.  Definitely not for the faint hearted!

My tour was rather more sedate.  We visited the old Fujairah Fort where we got a splendid view of the largest Mosque in Fujairah that can hold 32,000 worshippers,

and then on to a museum full of artifacts dating back to the 1st Century......

We passed the massive limestone mountains that are as barren as could possibly be, but surprisingly if you look into the valley there is a hint of green. You also come upon Oasis in the middle of nowhere where the date palms grow prolifically and the fertile soil is perfect for growing fruit and vegetables.

We drove on to the Friday Markets (but it is Thursday today?) and being the foodie that I am was completely enthralled by the pots and pans store and the different fruit and vegetables.

After the markets we continued our journey to the oldest (and smallest) Mosque in the UAE.  I was taken aback to see women worshipping here as I thought it was not longer used.

Back in Fujairah we were taken high atop one of the limestone mountains to afford us a good overview of the city.

Furjairah is very different to Abu Dhabi and Dubai with all their glitter and gold and indeed I would say almost neglected.  This however is changing as the oil is drying up in the other Emirates and Fujuriah now has the largest supply.  It was interesting to learn that only 20% of oil is obtained from the land and 80% from offshore rigs.
A day at sea tomorrow that is always welcome.