I was in Al Ain over the week end for a Car Rally with the French Speaking association. Fun time all over (got in third, with only two adults in the team … woo woo). On Saturday, I stopped by Al Jahlil fort before heading back, to visit the two exhibits there. The permanent exhibit is called Mubarak bin London: Wilfred Thesiger and the freedom of the desert  and the temporary one, running until the beginning of May, is called Dawn of History.  I’ll write about Dawn of History in a next post, once I’m done with editing the pictures.

Wilfried Thesiger (1910-2003) is one of the last British explorers with strong ties to the Arab world, in the lineage of Lawrence of Arabia. He crossed the Rub al Khali (empty quarter) a few times in the 1940s. Among the friends he made in what was to become the UAE was a young man, Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who would become the founding father of the new nation.

In a reminder of the character and hardship of the region, the exhibit is spartan, with an exclusive focus on the pictures. The only extraneous material is a glass case containing samples of Thesiger’s arab gear, his bullet belt, and his Leica camera. The agency in charge of the project did a great job: lighting, signage, ordering … everything is perfect, and the visit is short enough to maintain my 6 year old’s interest – hats off!

The collection on show includes about 100 pictures (I think …). Wikipedia says Thesinger’s lifetime collection of pictures tops 20 000 shots. I don’t know how many of them are from his Arab period, but the curators certainly did a great job in chosing the best. From my perspective, the exhibit works as well from a historical as from an artistic point of view. One gets a great sense of history – with shots of daily life in the Arab world in the 40s. At the same time, all prints show a magnificent sense of composition and lighting, which makes them gorgeous works of art.

Unfortunately, the bookshop was all out of the english language catalog. The book looks like it’s as well made as the exhibit – and seems to include all the pictures … oh well, a trip to Magrudy’s should fix this.

I didn’t take pictures this time, because it seemed kind of pointless. I really, really encourage you to go and see for yourself.

Some pictures of a dig in Mleiha (Sharjah Emirate).

The director of the French archeological team, Michel Mouton, is a captivating storyteller, who paints a vivid picture of both the site and the work of archeologists…

Every year the Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage organizes a Camel Festival in the Western Region capital city, Madinat Zayed. Much hyped in the radio and on the streets, it’s actually very hard to understand what exactly is going on, if there is a schedule, and what’s not to miss.

We ended up in Madinat Zayed around 5 in the evening, probably after the day’s main events were done. So no camel racing, no beauty contest, no million dollar price tags … In the meantime, some pictures with the help of a magnificent sunset.

It’s an old cliché that the desert is teeming with life. But, this close to the road, we found a surprising number of signs. Camels of course, and a type of toxic zucchini that’s everywhere. Some traces of birds. I’ll stop looking when I find traces of snakes.

Pictures don’t adequately convey the feeling you get when you’re driving down the slope.
You don’t see anything but the two small avalanches of sand preceding each of your wheels, the only thing you hear is the marshal’s admonition : “don’t block your wheels”, and at the same time, you think “how would I know if I did? Last minute before the car topples?”. And of course the sheer terror of realising you have absolutely no control over direction.
Crazy, but oh so fun …

The last few shots before going back to civilization…