Fujeirah, Al Hayl

The EconoEmir wife is in town. We traveled over to Fujeirah the other day. Some observations:

1. The Friday Market isn't what it used to be. The shops are becoming increasingly homogeneous.

2. There's a great place for lunch in Fujeirah just down from the Big Golf Ball (Etisalat building), opposite the Pizza Hut. The name is Al Mallah. The cuisine is Lebanese/Indian. Atmosphere is nice. Food is great, fast, and inexpensive.

3. I was pleased to see that the construction around the mangroves in Khor Kalba appears to more environmentally friendly than I feared when I save it under development. It's a park, not the housing that I supposed.

4. The road to Fort Al Hayl has been improved, but one of the routes there described in my copy of the Jeep Guide seems no longer open. Shortly after you pass under the Adnoc arches on the road from Masafi to Fujeirah turn right towards the Driving Academy. Just keep going straight until you reach the fort. You'll come to Al Hayl village first and you may see a T sign indicating a deadend, but drive through the village and the paved road continues and takes you all the way to fort. The fort is under restoration, but it's not clear restoration is proceeding fast enough to keep up with the destructive forces of the elements.