Out and About in Al Ain

So in the short time the family has been here, we've been out and about a lot.  We've driven to Sharjah (yucky place!) and Dubai for the day, we've hit many of the malls, the playgrounds and the local haunts.  One of our favourites was the local rugby club which is full of western ex-pats and lots of lovely Kiwis to hang out with.

On the day Jason and the kids first arrived we went to Al Ain Mall.  This place has an indoor ice-skating rink which captivated Lily.  It also has a place called 'Action Zone' which kept Lily and Ben's attention for more than an hour.  They climbed through a Junglerama style play area, then rode on a few rides and generally had a good time.

One of the other favourite places so far is Al Jahili Park.  This is situated a little more than 5 minutes from our place and is right next to the amazing Al Jahili Fort.  It contains three playground areas, a few water fountains, lots of grass and walk areas.  It is a great family place to hang out and run around and play in.  In the mornings the grass is generally covered in water having been saturated with the water from sprinklers which keep the park looking green.  The play areas for children are fun and give enough challenge for all ages.


A hugely expensive venture was heading out to the Hilton Al Ain for a swim.  The pool at our complex will not be open for a little while, so to swim you generally have to get a day-pass at one of the local hotels.  With a price tag of 150 dirhams for a day pass it will indeed become one of the 'treat' things to do.  Having said that, the day pass gives you access to all of the pools and a lovely setting to play in.  The water slide held Lily's attention for ages.  She made firm friends with another little girl and they ran up and down the steps and down the slide.  The little playground was also a treat.  The weird thing was, when we got out of the pool we actually felt cold (!!) and had to quickly get dressed.  Many of the Western ex-pats who don't live in complexes with gyms and swimming pools sign up for membership of these places (around $1000 NZ  for six months' family access to gym, pool, sauna, tennis courts and other cool facilities).

The rugby club is one of my favourite places.  It is full of kiwis and grass.  We met up with some lovely Kiwi friends; Jenny, Alex and kids and Aunty Emma, and had a meal of fish and chips and watched as the kids ran around with each other and had a great time.  Lily took off with Jenny's daughter investigating beetles in the sand and spent much time on the playground.  Ben spent most of his time wandering around carrying his cricket bat and ball - he was in his element.  He stood for a long time watching the big boys playing touch rugby; we all know what he'll be into when he's a little older.  If he could, he would mix it in with the big boys now!

Jason and I had a whole 1 1/2 hours of time to ourselves today to go to Bewadi Mall (the best mall here) and do some looking around at furniture etc.  Our Kiwi friends Angela and Pete looked after the kids and together with their daughter, they had a great time.  We're so lucky already to have found such good friends.  It was a terrific opportunity to take a breather...

So this weekend we're heading off to find Hili Archaeological Park which apparently is a great place for the kids to play.  We're heading out with our friends for dinner at my favourite Indian restaurant tomorrow night (the BEST butter chicken I've EVER tasted) which also has grass for the kids to run around on, and we're planning to have a picnic at the bottom of the mountain Jebel Hafeet in the park area on Saturday.

So as you can see, we're getting around and about in Al Ain.  There's lots to do if you are willing to ask around and find things.  It will be essential over the next two years to forge friendships and explore places for the kids to kick off their shoes, dig their toes into some grass and play.

 And it is pretty cool for us big kids too...