Picknicking in Al Ain

When I was young and we went for picnics my mother would often pack a pot of spicy potato curry and chapattis. We would place a spoonful of potatoes in the middle of the flat bread and roll it up and eat. It was a simple but delicious and filling snack.

So when we ventured out towards Al Ain yesterday morning to picnic this is what I packed. First a visit to Al Ain Zoo and then on to a picnic on the grass by the Jebel Hafeet mountains. The zoo was superb. Unlike its counterpart in Dubai where rumour has it the animals are caged rather uncomfortably in small cages, Al Ain Zoo is a wildlife sanctuary. The animals were housed in as natural a habitat as possible and were free to roam as they wished in this environment. Other than a monkey who had got his hands on some chewing gum and was trying to pull it apart and eat it (much to our disgust), we were pleased to note that the animals appeared comfortable and happy.

And on to the picnic by the mountains with a natural thermal spring running down the middle. Our friends had brought some moutabbal and this, together with the potatoes and chappli kebabs (spicy meat patties) sandwiched into some Arabic bread was tasty. All was polished off with a cup of cardamom tea and some delicious carrot cake courtesy of Charlotte which we ate up the mountain. It was perfect.