Having lived in the United Arab Emirates for the past 28 years, I always believe that there is very little that surprises me. Well, we have just celebrated the 50th National Day of the United Arab Emirates and to do so, the ever resourceful Mrs. C had booked us a staycation at the Chedi Al-Bait Hotel, located next to the Sharjah Creek at the end of what those of us of a “certain age” still refer to as Bank Street. I have to say that knowing the area quite well I was to say at least a little sceptical. However, was I wrong and was I pleasantly surprised!
Upon arrival I turned off Corniche Street in to what seemed from the outside like a traditional Arabic coffee shop and residence. We were met by a rather charming young lady who proceeded to provide us with a refreshing “welcome Juice” and then a tour of the facilities.
It seems that the local Al Midfa family originally had their home on the site and then the hotel was built around it in traditional Emirati style. The rooms were fabulous as can be seen from this glamour shot of Mrs. C:
For me the hotel was a photographers dream and I spent half the day enjoying the light and shadows. Here are a few images to give you a feel for the place:
So I am sure you can see this is a haven of serenity. Whilst outside of the resort’s walls the chaos of Sharjah carried on as usual, inside everything was very peaceful and Zen. Just the sort of place we needed to reduce stress levels, catch up on some reading and of course indulge myself in some photographic creativity.
Given that we were in the heart of old Sharjah, we did venture outside for a walk and stumbled in to the Al Shasaniyah Souq, just as the National Day celebrations were kicking off with the traditional Emirati stick dance:
No one seemed to mind as I snapped way with he Leica SL2 and 50mm Noctilux F0.95. It appears that my manual focussing skills are improving even though the light was extremely challenging; either very harsh or full of shadows. However, I was quite pleased with the results.
For those of you who don’t know Sharjah it is what we term as “dry” i.e. no alcohol. Actually this was a blessing as it allowed for a two day detox and surprisingly most of my images were in focus. I generally find that red wine and manual focus at F0.95 do not sit well together!
Food was also traditional arabic fare. We had wonderful fresh mezzeh and the lamb Kofta and chicken Shish Tawook were to die for.
The hotel also had a delightful cafe and we were invited for coffee and a slice of cake (at least 1000 calories a bite) to celebrate. This is the view from our corner table as I chased the light and shadows with my Leica:
This was certainly a traditional Emirati experience in spades and something that anyone coming to the UAE should try. Forget the high rise blue glass hotels, this was really a flavor of the Gulf.
What away to celebrate 50 years of a nation, by going back to its traditional roots. Even though the modern generation want to emulate many things that the West has to offer, some of the very best things involving art, culture and heritage can be found at home!
As we checked out of the hotel my last photo was this minimalist image of some flowers peacefully floating in a large vase of water. It somehow encapsulated everything I was feeling, relaxed, de-stressed and very Zen.
Memo to me, book New Year break at Chedi al Bait for post Christmas detox!
Stay well everybody and may I wish all those who frequent my blog a very healthy and peaceful Christmas break.