Oasis in the Desert

The past few weeks have given me an opportunity to see things and learn about things ‎that I never would have imagined in my life. We are always so caught up in the run of life ‎that we often forget to value the things that are most beautiful and wonderful and that are ‎at our door steps.‎


I recently went to the world’s largest oasis in the desert town of Hofuf in the county of ‎Al-Hasa in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia. What a wonderful sight and what a ‎wonderful trip.‎

http://worldsnaturalwonders.com/2008/12/al-hasa-oasis-worlds-largest-oasis.html

An oasis is a small fertile or green area in a desert region, usually having a spring or well ‎and often it’s also a place that serves as a refuge, relief or needed/pleasant change from ‎the usual. ‎

As I went around on a tour of Al-Hasa I was able to see things like the Al-Hasa museum, ‎the famous Ibrahim Castle, the Alqarah Mountain, Alhasa National Park, and Alshoaabah ‎Mountain and not to mention I saw more date trees than you could shake a stick at. I ‎toured some private date farms, learned about the Turkish soldiers who stayed in ‎Ibrahim’s castle, saw the age old graffiti that they left on the walls not to mention the ‎prison that they put people in (you don’t want to go there). Our party went to 2 private ‎receptions and was greeted by dignitaries and important people of Al-Hasa and Hofuf. I ‎was a tag along, but still got the royal treatment. ‎

After we went to 2 private farms and I tasted some of the best food I’ve ever had not to ‎mention saw some of the coolest art/decorations that I’ve ever seen. All this at an oasis ‎that pops up in the middle of the desert in Saudi Arabia! This got me thinking. ‎

As I mentioned earlier, an Oasis is a refuge or place to escape. What is the Oasis that you ‎have in your life? ‎

I was talking to my wife the other day and she said that my son was on the deck of the ‎lake by our home just sitting there relaxing and enjoying the afternoon and I thought, ‎‎“he’s in his own little oasis” We often forget that we need a place to escape and to go to ‎when all else around us is driving us goo goo. Al-Hasa is a little oasis in the desert, but ‎you don’t need to come to Saudi to have your own oasis. ‎

The area down south reminded me of Southern Utah and Goblin Valley, Arches National ‎Park area. What a wonderful Oasis that we have there in Utah. I thought of Baker Mtn ‎and the lakes around Whatcom Country in WA. What a wonderful oasis we have in WA. ‎There are so many, I’m just thinking we ought to visit them a bit more often. ‎



Ev