Beach, Dune Blasting, Camel Rides, Tattoos...

Trip Start Sep 09, 2005
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Trip End Dec 23, 2005


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Friday, October 28, 2005

Day two in Dubai was the perfect mix. I started off with Breakfast being served to me as if I were some Shieks daughter - this platinum status here is ridiculous. If I even blink, someone is at my side asking if I need anything. And the best part - it's all free. Anyway, I spent the morning down by the beach. It's odd really. There is this pristine white sand, bright turquoise warm water, palm trees shading the desert sun, camels cooling off in the water and behind it all, this futuristic city is literally being risen out of the desert. From the information I gathered, construction is 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. - For the last 3 years. 3 Years ago there were about 4 hotels and nothing else as far as the eye could see. Now, the most modern city in the world is being built along (and IN) the beaches the Dubai. It truly is a "if you build it - they will come" situation.
Later that afternoon I set off for my deep in the desert adventure. Dune blasting was highly recommend for the "thrill" seekers - I obviously signed right up. I climbed into the front seat of 4x4 jeep (Explorer style) and headed an hour and half into the desert - away from any possible civilization.
I'm not quite sure what I was expecting out of this trip, but I certainly wasn't prepared! When we stopped at, well, the end of the highway (it literally just ended and there was nothing but desert as far as we could see - all around) the driver let half the air out of all 4 tires, making it possible to continue to trek on, through the desert sand. 24 hour round the clock building in Dubai
24 hour round the clock building in Dubai
 We reached the dunes, typical of what you're probably picturing to be in the middle east, and began "dune bashing". This basically entailed flooring the gas and racing up the dunes, essentially vertical, launching off the top and landing - not so gracefully - into a tailspin down the other side of the dune. This is of course when the driver wasn't trying to balance (while laughing at my face covered in fear, a little sweat and erratic breathing I had going on) on the top of the dune - sideways - bringing the car to within inches of rolling sideways down these dunes at about 50 -60mph. I've jumped out of a plane, off an alp, a cliff, you name it - I've never had such prolonged fear of severe injury before! The sand is spraying up (like water) parallel to my side window, driver side wheels in the air - and we are skidding sideways down the dunes. And it continued for 40 minutes! Upon reaching our Boudin camp (which was actually the intended destination) I was happy to continue the journey with my camel!
All in all, Dubai was fantastic. The 'excursion' was fun - even if my heart didn't stop racing for a few hours. A few more days in this city would have been great, but I was looking forward to the changes Southeast Asia would bring.
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