Saturday, August 1, 2009

Terrorizing fish

Non-working weekends–I'm a fan of these.
Time to get out of the city and get WET.

Before the sandstorms filled the sky with the beige haze, blowing in the July heat, the conditions were PERFECT for wake boarding in neighboring Emirate, Um Al Quwain. Well...it was a little windy, but even still. There's a modest little beach club on the Um Al Quwain Creek. It's not nearly as fancy as "beach club" suggests. There's hardly even a beach. But there's a mediocre grille, some houseboats, a speedboat, and dude that reminds me of Mowgli who drives it. It's protected by some mangroves and the perfect place to terrorize some fish and face-plant like the champions we are.

The town's at the end of the creek. Cause creeks here have ends. (You have your fake Louis Vuitton, your fake boobs, and naturally, or shall I say UNnaturally, you also get your fake creeks, that are really just extended bay-inlet-waterway-thingys.)


Wake boarding seems easy enough...



My first time getting yanked through the water, I pretty much sucked. I blame the shorts. Yes, I found my balance, but balance is boring. Idiocy...way more fun to watch.

Brian was doing all right. He'd had a few more weekends of practice under his belt. So the chop didn't destroy him.

He caught a little air, and occasionally landed it.



And occasionally he didn't.


Mike jumps the wake despite the chop, one rigid wipe out at a time.


A little further down the shore we would buzz by the public beach where families were having some picnics on the sand. It looked like they were mostly local Um Al Quwainians (?) The women were in their abayas, some in veils, which made me realize I've never seen a veiled chic wakeboard. Wake boards + Islamic modesty = awkward. But just because I haven't seen it, doesn't mean it doesn't happen. I hope it does...against all odds.

Boats are FUN. Just sayin'.

Bow-of-the-Boat-Blue-Steele.



Any self-respecting wake board jaunt needs a uuber-tacky-tourist-pyramid backdrop. Done.


Go fish
On this particular weekend, the fish were doubly terrorized by a fishing festival. Anyway you could get out there with your bait and tackle, the fishermen were on it. Biggest fish won a speed boat.
Jet ski fishermen. I saw someone else trying to fish from a little blow up boat. In a tussle between a fishing hook and a blow up boat...my money's on the hook.

Weighing the contenders.


I think it was that cute little ray in the grass there that took the prize. Dead fish don't bother me. Skewered rays do :(

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