This article contains both a story of how we managed to visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Fujairah (as non-Muslims) as well as actionable tips. We visited on Wednesday the 7th of April, 2021. To skip forward to the how-to, click here. Contents1 UAE Mosques that Allow Non-Muslim Visitors2 An Evening Visit to Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque2.1 A Stunning Vista2.2 Employee of the Month3 Online Research into Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque4 A Guided Tour of Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque4.1 Dressing for + Taxi to + Entering Fujairah Mosque4.2 On Tour with Aisha4.3 Many, Many Domes4.4 The Main Prayer Hall4.5Continue reading
Author: Iris Veldwijk
Madha and Nahwa Exclaves in Oman + UAE—Traveling Through the Donut Hole
Events in this story happened on Thursday the 1st of April, 2021. From Fujairah, Jonas and I visited the Omani exclave of Madha for the second time. Then we continued onward and visited the second-order enclave of Nahwa within the Madha exclave. This is how we did it. Click here to find a vital route map and for our tips on how to visit Madha and Nahwa. Contents1 Why Are Madha and Nahwa Exclaves?2 Trip Planning in Fujairah3 Finding a Taxi and Driving to Madha4 Sightseeing in Madha, Oman4.1 A Portrait, A Tower, A Mosque, and an Airport4.2 Government Buildings,Continue reading
Vaccine Tourism: Why I’ll Probably Get My COVID-19 Vaccines Abroad
As more and more people outside the risk groups are receiving vaccines, I’ve been thinking about how to get one myself. Vaccine tourism is becoming a better option than making a trip to the Netherlands and risking getting stuck there. This post is probably highly unrelatable unless you’re also a Dutch passport holder, nomadic, and in a relationship with someone with a different passport. Contents1 Where Am I?2 Medical Tourism is Great3 When Is it My Turn in the Netherlands?4 Old News: Vaccine Passports Are Coming5 Vaccine Diplomacy vs Nationalist Dumbfuckery6 Why I’ll Get Sinopharm or Sinovac (If I GetContinue reading
The Seven Emirates of the UAE and Their Borders—An Interactive Map
When I arrived in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), I couldn’t find any good maps of the borders between the seven emirates. There are plenty of good maps of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, but nothing about the lesser-known emirates such as Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah, and Fujairah. I wanted to give them some attention in this post. All these emirates have their own rulers and their own borders. These function like state borders. They’re inherited from the predecessor country before 1971, called the Trucial States. During this year’s (2021) National Day, the UAE will celebrate itsContinue reading
Voting as a Nomad: My Frustrating Attempt to Vote in the 2021 Dutch General Election
I have never once voted in a Dutch general election. Not because I didn’t want to or didn’t try. But because in the Netherlands, they make voting near impossible for homefree people. Contents1 A Short History of My Voting Attempts2 20163 What Changed in 2020?4 Contacting Mom5 My Attempt to Vote in the 2021 Election5.1 Toos Deserves La Chancla5.2 A Tour of the Dumb Bitch Juicery™ of The Hague6 6.1 The Solution: How my Mom used to Vote for my Dad7 What Should Change in the Netherlands?7.1 Security Questions8 Good/bad/meh read? Consider buying me a Fristi9 Sharing is possible, yetContinue reading
Two Weeks in Sharjah + Ajman (United Arab Emirates)
After two weeks in Dubai, we moved to another Emirate of the seven United Arab Emirates: Sharjah. It’s a short taxi ride away from Dubai, depending on where you stayed in Dubai. Sharjah surrounds the main portion of another Emirate called Ajman (pronounced: ADZH-man). ‘AED’ stands for their currency, the Dirham. Contents1 Things to Do in Sharjah2 Map of Things to Do in Sharjah3 13th February: Arriving in Sharjah for the First Time (14 Days)4 14th of February: Sharjah’s Al Noor Island5 15th of February: Indian Vegetarian Food6 16th of February: Central Souk of Sharjah7 17th of February: Museum ofContinue reading
Manama, Ajman — Visiting the Inland Exclave + Al Dhaid as a Day Trip from Sharjah
On the 25th of February, 2021, Jonas and I traveled from Sharjah City to Manama in the United Arab Emirates. Manama is an exclave of the Emirate of Ajman. To travel there, we needed to take a bus from Sharjah’s bus station to Masafi and disembark halfway. We also visited the town of Al Dhaid in the Emirate of Sharjah. Contents1 Doing the Research on Manama2 Sharjah to Al Dhaid/Masafi by Bus3 Thoban to Manama by Spontaneous Taxi4 Manama’s Red Fort5 Manama’s White Fort6 Manama’s Claim to Fame: Stamps? Stamps.7 Biryani Lunch in Manama8 Manama to Al Dhaid—The Smaller Road9Continue reading
Ajman in an Afternoon (United Arab Emirates)
During our stay in Sharjah, we decided to take a day trip to Ajman (pronounced: ADZH-man). This was our third emirate out of seven. Even though it’s the smallest emirate, I think Ajman has enough to offer for a couple of days, depending on one’s interests and ‘disposable’ income. We visited Ajman on Monday the 22nd of February, 2021 on this 4.6-kilometer long walk. Contents1 Sharjah to Ajman2 Walking Ajman Corniche3 To the Center of Ajman4 Ajman Heritage District5 Ajman’s Marina6 List of Things to Do in Ajman7 Map of our Trip to Ajman8 Good Intel? Save for Later orContinue reading
Two Weeks in Dubai (United Arab Emirates)
This is a diary-style post about what we did during our two weeks in Dubai before moving on to Sharjah within the United Arab Emirates (UAE). I tried to make it a bit informative if you’re traveling to Dubai, but I usually don’t write about cities that are already well-written about. Everything written here happened in 2021. Jonas had already visited Dubai for three days back in 2010 and told me it was a very misunderstood place. Contents1 Saturday 30th January: Sleep2 Sunday 31st January: Walking to the Waterfront3 Monday 1st of February: Supermarket Time4 Tuesday 2nd of February: DowntownContinue reading