#5: [25-Apr-09]

#4: [05-May-06]

#3: [23-Jan-06]

#1: [24-Feb-02]

#7: [20-Jan-15] (incomplete)

#6: [28-Oct-13] (incomplete)

03-Sep-2004 -- Summer was a bit late in the U.A.E this year. The Confluence is in the coastal sabkha (salt desert) of the Emirate of Abū Ẓaby. It is not exactly wise to drive in that area without at least one backup car. So we left the Land Cruiser in a safe place and walked 1.8 km (each direction).

Temperature was in the upper 40s (Celsius). Fortunately, we also took some bottles of water. Picture #1 shows the sabkha plain in a northern direction facing the highway from Abū Ẓaby to Sila` (at the Saudi Arabian border), and the high voltage overhead line from Mirfa` to Abū Ẓaby; picture #2 shows a view to the East and one of the frequent flat hills scattering the coastal sabkha plain, which are witnesses of a former land surface. Close to the confluence point is also the new drinking water transmission main pipeline from the seawater desalination plant in Mirfa` to Abū Ẓaby, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, with its huge water demand (around 500 litres per person per day).

This hike over the hard salt crust of the sabkha plain was very demanding and certainly approaching our personal limits of strength (one male 30, one male 57), as is shown in picture #5. Though, we will never forget the experience.