Sharjah

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There is something quite surreal about this place. It's seriously hot, over 40 every day. I like to walk when visiting places but it's very difficult to walk for more than about 20 or 30 minutes in this heat. A sandy haze has also covered the city each day. You pass from Dubai emirate to Sharjah emirate without realising but the latter is "dry" in another way and more conservative following the dictates of its ruler. It is bigger than I expected and the public buildings are impressive--all built to last in attractive stone. Under construction about a kilometer from where Lyn lives is an amphitheatre modelled on the Coliseum. I have been to the Museum of Islamic Civilisations and an information session for non muslims at the Al Noor Mosque where I was the only attendee. Both visits were worthwhile but I thought it odd that at neither place was there even a mention of Sunnis as against Shias. Lyn's place is a comfortable apartment in a multi storied block. Some of the people are expats but many are not.

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