Beautiful Sharjah

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I first read/heard of Sharjah in my early stamp collecting days when it featured the hard-to-obtain  Beethoven stamp which I collect until this day (There are more than 200 stamps of Beethoven and I have at least 150 of them). In the 70's when the United Arab Emirates (UAE) was not yet rich as it is today, novelty stamps would be featured by that country to raise some extra revenues.
 
I got their novelty Beethoven stamp on gold and silver foil which was issued in 1970. This stamp cost around P500 today.  During those days, I memorized all the 7 emirates by heart never had I imagined that I would be visiting 4 of them someday.  

Sharjah is a beautiful city less than an hour drive from Dubai.  I stayed at Hilton hotel at very cheap rates at Booking.com which I booked a month in advance. I have booked through this site in my previous travels to Paris, Yogyakarta and Siem Reap and they give "secret deals" to frequent "bookers".  I was lucky to have gotten this deal.  The nice thing with Booking.com is that you can cancel any reservation at least a day prior and they don't charge you a cent.
 
At the Hilton, the mostly Filipino staff  were very friendly and helpful and made me feel at home. The Hilton view was magnificent overlooking a lake and the wonderful city skyline.  The city center is just a few meters away and bustles with more activity at night.  I had a blast taking pictures and the scenery really brings night photography to a whole new level. 
 
I was glad I brought my reliable and super-lightweight Sirui tripod and some reliable lenses (Sigma 18-35 mm, Tamron 90 mm F/2.8 USD, Canon EF 50 mm, Canon Macro EFS 24 mm and some wide angle lenses). I took several pictures of the mosque, cityscape and lake-views and enjoyed every minute of it!  I didn't realize it was almost midnight (4am RP time) and after a few minutes walk, I was back in my cozy hotel.
 
My all time favorite travel lens is Tamron 16-300 mm because it is light and covers a wide range of angles. For travel portrait my go to lens is the Sigma 18-35 mm 1:1.8 DC because of its versatility. I usually acquire my gears at Macy's or Henry's camera shop. The next day I ventured to Al Ain, an ancient city of Abu Dhabi emirate.

I had a memorable time in Sharjah, far away lands on my stamps, now I am treading on.
 

 
 
Location: Sharjah - United Arab Emirates

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