The good side of the UAE

Trip Start May 01, 2008
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Trip End Ongoing


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Flag of United Arab Emirates  , Dubai,
Friday, June 27, 2008

One of my project managers, whose familly had gone back to Begium for the hollidays, was king enough to invite me for a day out in his Pathfinder. He drove me towards Oman, to the south, to show me some of the beautiful treasures of the country.

We avoided the main touristy places in the ares, which are total dumps where your steps crip on the layer of rubbish that liters the ground. Instead he took me to a small wadi. Wadis are river beds, which flood only after the rain, and which have carved the moutains. In fact there was a subterannean river, coming up in places, and the seemingly dry and unhospitable wadi bed was full of vegetation and life, insects buzzing and birds singing.
That such places did exist so close to the big megalopolos relieved me a bit, and made me decide that I could actualy spend some time in this country, provided I had the time to explore this kind of places.

On the way back we stoppet at the "big sand dune on the Hatta road", where already dozens of 4wheel drives were practising their driving skills. We deflated the tyres and off we went too, it was looooads of fun. Very impressive, and very very technical driving, where you have to read the terrain but also know perfectly your vehicle. I did not dare drive, and after just half an hour Frederic was sweating like hell from the effort!
Once you get a bit of experience in dune driving, there are other fabulous, remote places to explore.
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Comments

maudg31
maudg31 on Jul 1, 2008 at 04:45PM

I just need to say :
WAW .

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