Fujairah & The Humidity That Tried To Eat My Camera
okay, so fujairah. it wasn't on the 'must-see' list, honestly. i was scouting locations for a friend's indie film - something about a disillusioned pearl diver and a rogue AI, very artsy - and this popped up as 'affordable coastal.' affordable is good. i'm an *illustrator, and 'affordable' lets me buy more pens.
first impression? warm. like, really warm. i just checked and it's…a solid blanket draped over everything right now, hope you're into that. the weather report said 28.69 degrees, but 'feels like' was 28.84, which, honestly, feels like a lie. it feels like 35. the air is thick enough to cut with a knife. pressure's at 1011, humidity's a playful 46%, and the sea level is…well, it's the sea level. ground level is a bit lower, apparently, at 989. who knew?
finding a decent coffee shop was a mission. i'm a bit of a snob, okay? i need my oat milk latte before i can even think about sketching. ended up at this place called 'Cafe Horizon' - Yelp reviews were…mixed. someone told me the owner yells at pigeons. i didn't see any pigeon-yelling, but the latte was passable.
"Don't trust the fish at the market. Old Man Hassan says they're all hypnotized."
that's what the guy at the fruit stand told me. Old Man Hassan, apparently, is a local legend. he also tried to sell me a 'lucky' date. i politely declined. the fruit was good, though.
my accommodation was…an experience. a tiny apartment overlooking a construction site. the soundtrack was constant hammering and shouting. but hey, it was cheap. and the neighbors? well, if you get bored, Sharjah and Dubai are just a quick drive away. though honestly, after a day of humidity, the thought of more people felt exhausting.
spent a lot of time wandering around the old fort. it's…a fort. pretty standard fort stuff. stone walls, dusty courtyards, the faint smell of history. TripAdvisor says it's 'a must-see,' but honestly, it's a fort. i sketched it, obviously. it had good lines.
"The best shawarma is at Abu Omar's, but you have to go at 3 am. Otherwise, it's just…shawarma."
that was some advice i got from a guy on a scooter. i didn't go at 3 am. i'm not that dedicated to shawarma. but i did try it during normal hours, and it was…fine. perfectly acceptable shawarma.
overall? fujairah is…understated. it's not flashy, it's not trying to be anything it's not. it's just…hot and humid and full of surprisingly opinionated locals. it's a good place to disappear for a while, to sketch, to drink lukewarm lattes, and to avoid hypnotized fish*. check out this local forum for more info: Fujairah Expats. And if you're looking for film locations, well, it's got potential. Just bring a dehumidifier. And maybe earplugs. And definitely don't trust Old Man Hassan's dates. You can find more about the area on Visit Fujairah. For accommodation options, Booking.com has a bunch of listings. And if you're craving shawarma, well, good luck. Time Out Dubai might have some tips, even if they're focused on Dubai.
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