The Booze Run!

A couple of days after our Dubai braai, we were getting low on alcohol! Now, that is no problem at all living in South Africa, it is the easiest thing in the world to nip into a bottle store or the nearest chain store and replenish stocks. Judging by our horrific statistics of alcohol-induced domestic violence and drunk drivers, not to mention foetal alcohol dependency, it is probably a little too easy to replenish stocks. In Dubai it is illegal to transport alcohol without a permit, and there are no bottle stores at all. The hotels serve liquor with meals but no-body ever drives after an evening out, and taxis are the only option unless you have a designated driver.

Six lanes either way!

So, off we set on a 'Booze Run', making sure that Catherine had the Alcohol Permit on board! The highways in Dubai are incredible, six lanes in both directions, with sand down to the very edge! We drove about 140 kms to the next Emirate, Umm Al Quwain and ended up at the Barracuda Beach Resort and the biggest bottle store that I have ever seen! Products from around the world are stacked from floor to ceiling, beautifully arranged and temptingly priced! Wines from South Africa stood  shoulder to shoulder with French and Californian wines, boxes, bottles and crates. We joined the throng of shoppers who were browsing the aisles and filling trolleys and loaded it all into the car.
Job done!

A sad end to a noble machine

On the corner of the road to the resort is an old airfield with a Russian Antonov standing in the sun. I wonder how and why it came to be standing there, abandoned and derelict.

A view from the car.

I can easily imagine how people could get lost in the desert, once you leave the road and head over a dune, it's miles and miles of sand with the odd tree dotted here and there.

A little out of focus as I was a little slow!

Camels cluster under the trees next to the road, it was so funny to see camels instead of cows behind the barbed wire. The temperature outside was 39 degrees, but thanks to the aircon in the car, we were a comfortable 21. Here we buy cars with petrol consumption at the top of the list, there everyone drives huge 4 x 4 petrol guzzling monsters with aircon efficiency at the top of their list! With petrol costing around R2.50 a litre, it costs very little to fill up.

It makes you want to weep!