Creature of the dark

There is an old and dilapidated fort in Abool. I first visited the place in 1991. I had to take a 10-km track from Mahdah Wiliyat of Oman, bordering Buraimi.

A tiny hamlet of five houses stood at the foot of the hill before the fort. This was Abool.

The fort was at the end of the old village. It had several chambers and at two stairways to reach the roof and the watch tower.

Night life

I chose the darkest one and started climbing, expecting to encounter some creatures of the dark. As I moved up, half a dozen bats flew past me and vanished into the dark.

With light entering down the dark stairway through a hole, I saw a beautiful fan-footed gecko clinging to the wall outside the window.

This gecko is partial to the hills of the UAE. It loves rock walls, abandoned human dwellings, bridges and old forts and disused wells.

Its feet are so designed that it can cling to any surface, be it glass, polished concrete walls or tiles. It remains active by night, feeding on insects and spiders that venture out at that time.