Finding New Roads #2

Firstly, I have to attribute this image to G who is on an indefinite Blip hiatus, but still taking great pictures...

First visa run of the year and it was a bit of a trial. Through the week, I became aware from reading the online version of Gulf News, that "expats" (read foreigners) will not be allowed on a small section of the E44, which is the road which runs from Dubai to Hatta. There is a pocket of Oman that we have to drive through, then re-enter the UAE before hitting the main border crossing. The section driving through the pocket is now closed off, which means driving around the bit of Oman, adding 40 minutes to the journey - each way.

When I was growing up, there was never an issue with this. Then, around 2011, a check post was put up and you had to show ID to enter this space. Now it is not accessible. You would think it should be the other way round. I'm sure there's a good reason, but we don't know it. Yet.

So, this is a taken on a dual carriageway that is so new (2 years), it didn't show up on the GPS and does not have a name yet! The other thing I did for the first time is sit it out at the UAE border office whilst G did the last bit on her own. The UAE have started charging an Exit fee of $10 (!!!).

Didn't get home till nearly 10pm. Think this was a 7 hour round trip. The last thing you need when you have a very swollen throat or lower back pain!! And I had to drive on narrow mountain roads which were completely unlit with "continuous curves" (as the road signs warned).

Oh, and my extra... on another new road that we tried (Huwaylat to the E102), there was this little row of shops where we stopped for spiced tea. I had already taken a few pictures for my blip, then saw a motorcyclist approaching. and took a picture of him on the road. To my surprise, he came and parked up near the shops. He was the delivery boy! (Yes, really).

And all the time we were there drinking the tea, locals pulled up in their flash vehicles and hooted for someone in the shop to go to them, take their order, and then deliver it. Even for items from the grocery store! True story. (And before you ask, they weren't retired or disabled.) And that is life in Sunny Dubai!