butterflyuk

Some weeks have passed since I returned from my holiday. A friend asked me what I enjoyed most in Dubai. A couple of tours in Dubai have made an impression on my mind. Dune driving was one of those two.

Unfortunately I did not get a chance to drive in the sand. I bet it would be an adventure in itself just like a skid driving on ice. Mind you it is nothing like driving on ice. It is more like driving on the snow because the sand underneath keeps shifting. We booked on a Safari tour. The drivers are professional desert driving experts. An Arab gentleman in the traditional gear of white long robe and the head covering picked us up from the hotel in this jeep type car. I had no idea that the same car was our mechanical camel for the desert safari. When he saw the wheel chair he said no way. You can’t push a wheel chair on the sand! Not reading about it before I had no clue as to what the safari would entail. We arrived at a designated area. There were other similar cars waiting for us.

A fleet of six 4x4 Toyotas was prepared by reducing the air pressure in the tyres before we entered the desert. It was amazing how the leading car driver found his way round the desert area. It looked same everywhere with mountains of golden sand all over. Some were small hills and some were like small mountains. The skill of driving a car on the dunes is no lesser than any stunt driver. Riding in the car that went up and down the dunes was like riding on a rollercoaster. We were in the second car so it was a fun to watch the one in the front. The cars went up the dune at a high speed, slowed down on the summit and descended at an angle.  When the cars were tilted sideways as they came down some dunes, they could easily have toppled over had it not been for the skill of the drivers. The sand was flying in the front and on the sides like brown clouds. I was getting the butterfly in my tummy when the car was going down the dune. It was a great sensation. I was a bit worried about my Sickie as the ride was so bumpy we bounced off the seat and landed again on it all the time. I tried to take the photos but holding the camera with one hand and hanging on to the handles in the car meant the photos were hit and miss – more miss than hit!

We stopped after our rollercoaster rides. We all got out of the cars except one of course. Most of us tried to walk around on the sand. It was so difficult! Just to walk a very small distance was extremely tiring as your feet sink deep in the sand. Walking bare foot on the sand is a lovely feeling like paddling on the sea shore. There were some wild little desert plants with odd flower here and there grown naturally.

Afterwards we were taken to a tent for some picnic and entertainment. A tasty barbecue was prepared and the night went ahead with a belly dancing show.

It was a trip to remember.