De-Tour to Abu Dhabi…

I decided to leave Oman until last, as I had heard the there was a lot more to see and do there, than there is in Qatar and Bahrain…

A large group of guys gathered around to watch me load the Big Fella...

I left Dubai as early as the crowd of well-wishers would allow me too, having answered so many questions from the crowd of people who had surrounded me while I was loading the Big Fella, that at one point I was afraid that I might have to spend another day there in order to get an early start…!!

The flags on my panniers drew attention from all the folk who had either visited or lived in the countries I had ridden through… I was questioned by an Ethiopian woman from Gondar, a Sudanese guy from Gedaref, a pair of Egyptian carpet sellers, a Turkish shoe salesman and an Algerian who wanted a blow by blow account of my trip through his country…

It usually takes me 15 minutes to load and get the bike ready for take-off, but today, it took the better part of an hour…!!

Dubai's spectacular skyline...

Dominated by the 828 metre high, Burj Khalifa...!!

I headed out of Dubai by cutting directly across the heart of the city before turning south and heading away into the desert, towards Al Ain, which is on the Omani border…

I rode through Margham and Muraqqab, and on past Al Faqa, looking for the fabled desert that I had been expecting…

All I found was a three laned highway, lined with palm trees and neatly tended verges, the sands of the desert itself held at bay by the shrubbery and trees planted as windbreaks…

I caught a few glimpses of the desert proper, once I reached the outskirts of Al Ain, and after working my way through a number of detours caused by the massive road building project taking place there, I stopped at a small supermarket to buy water and a snack or three…

While I was taking in my surroundings, and having my hand shaken by every person who walked in and out of the shop, a pair of cyclists arrived, resplendent in their colourful Lycra riding kit, and sporting big smiles…

Both were doctors who lectured at the local medical institute and we were soon discussing my rides through their own countries…

The younger was from Belgrade in Serbia, and the older one (Antonio), was Spanish, I think… We shared a packet of Pringle crisps while we chatted…

I explained that I was heading for Abu Dhabi, and before I could go any further, I was asked whether or not I was going to ride up Jebel Hafeet, the mountain I could see rearing up in the far distance…

“Is there a road going up there…??” I asked…

“Oh yes, they replied, many bikers come from Dubai and Abu Dhabi to ride up to the summit… It is the highest point in the Emirates… Over 1100 metres above sea level…!! You must go and see it…!! But be careful, as the road is very dangerous, with many bends and steep curves…!!”

On our entry to Al Ain, we received a solemn greeting...!!

Even out in the smaller towns, their malls are built to impress...!!

We were sidetracked by an exciting description of the road to Jebel Hareet...

The road through the desert is lined with palm trees and well watered verges...

After determining that the foot of the mountain lay about 15 km away, and the road then climbed to the summit over a distance of a further 12 km, I decided that I would make the detour and see what this “Jebel” was all about…!!

It turned out to be a real cracker…!! It twisted and wound its way over a few narrow ridges on its way to the top, and for the first few kilometres, I had to keep myself in check, as it had been a few weeks since I was last on the bike, and the front brakes felt “different” to what I had become used to… It also seemed that the Big Fella was lighter in front, as each time I pulled off from a standing start, the front wheel tried to “grab some air”…

Perhaps it was just a little exuberance from the Big Fella, after being shut up in a crate for so long…!!

And the description was correct...!! What a ride...!! Almost 12 km of it...!!

With about a third of the road up to the summit under our belts, I began to feel a little more comfortable on the curves, and settled in to the seat, letting the bike hold me like a glove as we cruised quickly up to the parking area at the top of Jebel Hafeet… It felt good to get the “lean” going again…!!

A dusty haze hung over the desert and the town of Al Ain...

The view from up there was spectacular to say the least, despite a haze of dust which hung out over the desert…

The mountain seems to rear straight up into the sky, leaving the desert floor far below… Al Ain lay almost a kilometre below us, and yet only a few kilometres as the crow flies…

Parked at the top of the mountain...

Busloads of locals, as well as dozens of cars bearing families from the surrounding area, were already occupying the parking area when I got there… A 2 m high fence surrounded the entire area, to prevent the unwary and downright reckless, from falling to their deaths from the yawning precipices that surround the picnic area on three sides…

While I stood watching a few Pakistani gentlemen, who had climbed through a gap in the fence, and were daring each other to go as close to the edge of the drop-off as possible, a white cat wandered over and jumped up onto the Big Fella’s seat…

Seems I attract dogs, and the bike attracts cats…!!

Befriended by a cat...!! As soon as I parked, it came running...

This sign says "Leaps of Faith Not Recommended"...

For the next 12 km, it's word of mouth only, Dudes...!!

The cat hung around for a while before realizing that there was not going to be any handouts, and then wandered off to bother a small group of folk who had left their car door open… Without so much as a pause, the cat hopped onto the back seat and began nosing around for something to eat…

A short while later, it was back on the bike… This time I shared a biscuit with it, and then got one of the many guys who had come up to take photos of the bike, to take one of me with my feline friend…

Then it was time to tackle the “down” run…!! A whole new set of curves, this time from the opposite direction…

We zoomed down the mountain, passing a group of guys on their BMW’s, who were on their way to the top… I thought of turning back to chat to them, but was already running late, as I had advised Malcolm and Elspeth Wrigley, that I would be arriving in Abu Dhabi at around lunchtime…

All the "Al's" you'll ever need...!!

It took another hour and a half to get from Jebel Hafeet into the outskirts of Abu Dhabi, riding along the six-laned carriageway that links Al Ain to the capital of this the wealthiest of the Emirates…

I began searching for a service station, having noticed that the Big Fella was gasping for refreshment… This time my luck, as well as the fuel, ran out…!! With a quiet cough, the Big Fella’s engine went silent, the throttle “dead” in my right hand…!1

Luckily I was in sight of a service station, and used the momentum to free-wheel as far as I could which left me about 200 metres short of the forecourt… I had extra fuel in my canisters, but was loath to have to use this in sight of the pumps…!!

I walked over to a group of attendants and sheepishly explained my predicament… Within minutes I was being pushed up to the nearest pump amid the raucous laughter and jibes of my new-found friends…!!

A few of them were from Nepal, and wanted to know when I would be in Kathmandu…!!

“Soon…!! Real soon…!!” I replied…

“Do you have our flag to put on this box…?” they asked…

They were very impressed when I fished the Nepalese flag sticker out of my pannier and showed it to them…

High fives, all around…!!

On the highway to Abu Dhabi...

If you can imagine it, they will build it...!!

The Wrigley Residence, Abu Dhabi... Comfort and hospitality guaranteed...!!

After refueling, I made my way across the island on which the majority of Abu Dhabi City is situated…

I came to within a few hundred metres of the Wrigley residence, before calling Malcolm to advise him that I was at the co-ordinates that he had given me, but was unable to locate the house…!!

He very kindly came to fetch me, and as it turns out, there are a number of new roads that have been built in the area, that my Garmin program was completely unaware of…!!

Within minutes of my arrival, I was sitting down to a delicious lunch, and recounting my adventures to date…

Elspeth got me settled into their spare room, and after shedding my riding kit and taking a quick shower, we set about getting to know each other…

Thanks to Anette and Gareth Stevens in Cairo, who have known the Wrigley’s since their time together in Morocco, I was once again experiencing the generosity and hospitality of a family that made me feel at home immediately…!!

Before going to bed, we managed to punish a few bottles of red wine, and sample a variety of Malcolm’s whisky…

Needless to say, I slept like a log, after this my first day back on the road and in the saddle, since the 27^th of December…!!

It had been an eventful and fulfilling day…!!

©GBWT 2011