Photos, videos and docs of Richard And Jo Demeester

Contemplating Art in Sharjah

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 13:32:22 +0000

Sharjah is home to a number of interesting and varied museums.

The art museum was a highlight. Having only a handful of pieces for each era kept the experience from feeling crowded or overwhelming. The mix of modern and contemporary pieces was an excellent taster.

Dinner by the Lagoon

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 13:18:27 +0000

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Umm Al Qwain is way less developed than its nearby relatives. The city has few towers, no hustle or bustle, and a vibe of taking it easy.

Celebrating our anniversary in a resort by the lagoon seemed perfect and appropriate.

Nothing says Posh Quite as Well as Towel Art

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 13:18:26 +0000

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Exploring Al Jazeera Al Hamra

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:47:24 +0000

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Of course, most of the abandoned buildings are houses and some shops. Wandering up and down the streets, we chose one every now and then with an architectural difference to enter and explore in more detail

The tree here is a Eucalyptus, widely planted in the area for its fast-growing shade.

Exploring Al Jazeera Al Hamra

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:47:23 +0000

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Red Island in English, Al Jazeera Al Hamra was once a thriving centre, one of the regions important pearling centres. With the introduction of cultured pearls, the town was unable to survive the down turned economy. Eventually, everyone left, and by the 1970s it was completely abandoned.

What remains has been largely pillaged. Anything of value or interest carted off long ago.

We spent a few hours clambering through the haunting shells of a once-was-life, creating stories in our head for the rooms with traces of decoration.

High Above the City, 20 Metres above Sea Level

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:34:50 +0000

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Ridge Towers, Al Nahwa

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 12:03:58 +0000

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The day I learnt about the Al Nahwa counter enclave, it was added to my list of unique and weird places in the world to visit.

Madha is an Omani enclave, entirely in the UAE. Al Nahwa is a UAE, more specifically Sharjah, counter enclave, entirely in Madha.

Really, it needs to be seen on a map to start the process of comprehension. Al Nahwa is the hole in the Madha donut on the UAE plate... or something like that.

While in Al Nahwa, we ascended to this ridge with restored old watch towers.

Al Jahili Fort

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 08:07:42 +0000

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A nineteenth century mud brick fort in Al Ain, originally both residential and strategic in nature. The palm oasis was a valuable asset, and there are a number of defensive structures dotted in its vicinity.

Oasis

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 08:07:41 +0000

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Tens of thousands of date palms form the basis of the Al Ain oasis. Underground irrigation feeds the palms, and hundreds of other plant varieties, in what is considered the oldest oasis in the Emirates. Parts of the irrigation system are 3,000 years old.

Shaded paths meander through and it was a pleasant place to pass a few hours of the day..

Beehive Tombs near Al Ain

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Fri, 03 Apr 2026 08:07:39 +0000

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Bronze Age structures nestled in the foothills just out of Al Ain in Abu Dhabi.

Light Projections on the Fountains

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 17:48:45 +0000

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Enjoy a Small Excerpt from Burj Khalifa Fountain and Light Show

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 17:48:44 +0000

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The story of how we ended up at a prime viewing spot for an unexpected Burj fountain and light spectacular is for another time. Perhaps in person.

The long and the short is that we had no idea at all there were special performances were scheduled. A fountain show, even a highly rated one, would be some water squirting in time to music, accompanied by some lasers on the actual Burj Khalifa.

Suddenly, in spite of, or almost because of, our lack of knowledge of the evening's program, we were in a prime spot. From here we witnessed a 25 minute plus performance. Live dancers and musicians, fire, drones, lights and projections, lasers, and of course, fountains. Perfectly choreographed to a score we got a Dubai story.

Camels Form a Caravan up the Burj

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 17:48:43 +0000

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One of our favourite moments during the light show spectacular.

Museum of the Future

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 17:48:33 +0000

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A striking asymmetrical elliptical torus building, decorated with Arabic calligraphy with quotes about innovation and progress. The calligraphy also serves as windows. Inside, one does not really get a sense of how the building is shaped around you. The museum is certainly ranked amongst Dubai's iconic structures.

Dubai Frame

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 17:48:32 +0000

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Ascending to the top of the frame was not in the agenda. Although at 150 metres it did promise grand views, we found the concept and construction more interesting in its own right.

Old Dubai

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 17:48:31 +0000

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There appears to be a bit of a revival in interest in "Old Dubai", and now there are some areas that feel a bit manufactured and lack authenticity. However, some pockets feel nicely restored and genuine, paying legitimate homage to what Dubai may once have been.

We spent a few nights in a gorgeous little boutique accommodation in Al Fahidi, allowing us to wend and wind through the old streets and markets after the majority of tourists had made their way back to their new town hotels.

One Moment of "Burj Khalifa" fireworks.

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 17:48:22 +0000

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Paid vantage points were pricey, We may have had a long wait, but it was free.

Worth the Wait

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 17:48:21 +0000

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Assumption: nobody was disappointed. We were blown away, having never experienced fireworks like this. Somewhere between 10 and 15 minutes, augmented with lasers and drones.

Waiting for Fireworks

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 17:48:20 +0000

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Jo looks up at the worlds tallest building.

We camped out for a good portion of the day, staking out a little patch for watching the NYE show. Being a public thoroughfare, the police came along and asked everyone to stand, and we dutifully obeyed. Equally, as people sat on the ground again, we joined them. We were endeavouring to add weight to the protest against the meaningless requests. Eventually, authorities gave up, when the crowd was large, the majority with their behinds on the ground.

We had certainly secured an excellent free vantage point, but perhaps we did not need to be quite so early. It was a long wait.

Stereotypical German Food

nobody@ipernity.com (Richard And Jo Demeester) — Sun, 29 Mar 2026 11:58:22 +0000

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Dinner with Dirk and Marlene, who agreed to join us for a meal that many may call cliched.

Don't care. We wanted schweinshaxe and schnitzel.

Dirk and Marlene represent another multi-decade friendship. Pauper backpackers in Greece, Dirk was in the same hostel as we had chosen in Thessaloniki. Soon after, he visited us in Melbourne. And again, a few years later, when he and Marlene honeymooned in Australia.

Now, we visit and re-visit them in Germany, both here and in their previous home in Mainz.