Hili Archaeological Park and....... Weather in Al Ain

This morning, Kim and I hiked to Hili Archaelogical Park, about 2 miles down the road.  There was not one person there when we arrived, and only a mother, father, and 2 children when we left.  It's a large park area, beautiful with grass and flowers, and a few scattered remnants of an archaeological dig.

This is the pathway leading in from the main entrance.  It reminds me a little of DisneyWorld if you could be there when there are no visitors!

This is a picture of the foundations of one of the buildings that was part of a larger settlement. Pottery found here belonged to one of the Bronze Age Phases (3rd Millennium B.C.) and additional pottery shows that it was reoccupied during the Iron Age (1st Millennium B.C.)

This is the central fountain, with the ubiquitous mosque in the background

There were various play areas for children, but I found this the most fascinating.  It was huge.  I'm not sure I would  let my children slide down this monster.  AND....right behind this is something called "Free Fall."  It was like a straight wall that children would slide down (NOT A SLIDE--a STRAIGHT WALL!) and then land at the bottom.  Kim said it might be entertaining to watch the children get hurt!  I can imagine broken limbs!!  They do not have the same concern over here about lawsuits that we have in the U.S.  Many times out walking we will see things that are SO dangerous, but there are not even warning signs of danger.....much less barriers to protect people.

This is a close-up of a carving on the Hili Grand Tomb. It is an oryx, an animal that is indigenous to Arabia.  This rock carving was created more than 4,000 years ago. This tomb is the largest monument in the U.A.E. in terms of the size of the stones used.  It was excavated in 1965.

On another note, it's been an interesting contradiction in weather this past week.  First, we had BIG rains!  Here is a picture of the rain standing on the basketball court and 2 little kids running around kicking the water.

Then, just yesterday we had an awesome sandstorm.  According to The National, our newspaper, the storm started off the coast of Dubai and headed east to us, with wind speeds of up to 55 kph.

Visibility at some points was almost zero.  Then, as the sand died down, you could see enough to get this picture.

So now, we've had the heat, the rain, the sand, and the "cold."  It got chilly enough for me to wear a sweater on several mornings!  Can't wait to see what's next in store.....