As we are expecting visitors, Dubai is our next destination. The border crossing goes quickly and we are already on our way to Al Dhannah. At the Al Dhanna Mall we buy a SIM card and change money. The security service allows us to stand in the parking lot overnight. This gives us the opportunity to eat out again.
Al Dhanna was once a seasonal fishing village with a handful of inhabitants. Today, the industrial facilities are among the most modern in the Middle East.
It is a good 300 km from Al Dhannah to Jebel Ali. Jebel Ali beach is currently the only beach where camping is still permitted. However, this is only possible with the approval of the authorities. We are trying to obtain this permit online in various ways, but the online portal is simply not working. The security guards can’t manage it either. So we are allowed to stand on this not particularly beautiful beach almost illegally.
We need water again. We don’t get any water from the official water distribution system because they can’t bill for it. However, there is a small tanker nearby that gives us water for too much money and pumps it into our tank.
Bad news: our visitor is at home sick with a high temperature and his doctor advises him not to fly. Before we leave, however, we decide to visit Dubai Marina. I’ve been wanting to go to the hairdresser for a long time and I want a more travel-ready hairstyle. So we go to Dubai Marina for a day, where I find a hairdresser who specializes in perms. Dared, done – and afterwards a delicious lunch in one of the many restaurants on the waterfront. A beautiful day.
Our journey goes back to Saudi Arabia, as we have decided to travel the north-west of Saudi Arabia for the remaining 3 months. So we head for the border again, but pay a brief visit to Abu Dhabi. We are allowed to stay overnight in the parking lot of a shopping center. And the location is ideal for a walk at dusk.
Before crossing the border into Saudi Arabia, we find a quiet spot right on the Arabian Gulf and conclude our first visit to the Emirates.
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I like your new hairstyle.