She was adamant that she would not enjoy that. Risk averse. She eventually found a package that excluded dune bashing. Seriously!! That’s what they call it.
So we wait in the foyer of our hotel to be picked up, and the guy turns up in a landcruiser. I almost need a ladder to get in. Young Emirate guy. Becomes quite chatty over the trip.
We stop and pick up 2 girls from another hotel. One Colombian, one Turkish. The Colombian girl was wearing some skimpy type of top, which was clearly prone to malfunction. I saw one boob fall out as they walked to the car. Sarah said it made another appearance as she got into the back seat. I had moved to the front to accommodate 3 ladies across the back. Seriously, some of these girls have no idea of the culture they’re walking into. We were surprised to see a middle-aged couple in the mall this morning holding hands. On previous trips, there are signs everywhere warning of unpleasant consequences for PDAs. Seriously!! God only knows what would happen to a young lady that lets a nipple escape in front of the wrong person. And he’s keeping that information to himself.
Anyway…
After a while, we stopped at some kind of staging area, where people could elect to go driving on Polaris off-roaders and quad bikes. There are also camels and horses for a selection of activities.
We sat in a lounge area while the 2 girls went to play for a while.
There was a somewhat biblical sky there for a moment.
There were a few guys wandering around with falcons, letting you hold them and take a photo. I guarantee there will be a charge for the privilege.
I don’t know what the excursions cost here, but we bought 2 cans and 2 ice creams, and it cost 120 AED. You do the math!!
After that, we hit the road again, but only for a couple of minutes. We pulled in to what I can only call a pit stop.
The car was swarmed by attendants who were letting the tyres down. Apparently cars travel better on sand with half flat tyres. Probably spreads the load better.
The driver checked that everyone was buckled in, and did not suffer back issues or motion sickness. We said no we chose not to do this part. No problem, just wait here then.
So we got out and took a seat. Fascinating.
Not only do they let the tyres down before the dunes, there’s a pretty good service after as well.
They have air hoses to pump the tyres back up, and attachments for blowing the compressed air. They open the car, direct the passengers into their shop, and then use the air to blow the sand out of the car rugs, and anywhere else. They then open the bonnet, and blow the sand out here too. Then they remove the air filter and give that a jolly good hosing.
I tell you what, if F1 racing ever came to Dubai, the pit crews are ready.
Our driver told me that their company don’t get charged for this service. They expect the guests to buy food or souvenirs in their shops, as their income. Truly a symbiotic relationship. Unfortunately, we got burned at the last stop, and weren’t going to get hit again. We sat there for an hour, while the girls got spun around in the sand, and spent nothing.
I don’t know why, but they would take turns carrying a coconut around to offer it to customers. Lukewarm fresh coconut water, anyone?
Then we hit the road again, heading to ‘camp’.
We had bought the package from a different provider than the girls, so we were at a different camp. There are quite a few, only a few minutes apart.
The driver took us inside, and handed us over to their version of a maître d, after we paid him. The whole package cost 150AED each. In cash. Compared to an ice cream and a Fanta, a pretty good deal.
To be honest, I didn’t really know what to expect. Maybe we’d be in a Bedouin tent, cross-legged on cushions, expected to smoke a hookah and chow down on goat eyeballs. Luckily, the reality exceeded my horrifying expectations.
The meal was a buffet, and not bad, except for the prevailing etiquette. See the next post.
Also a range of performances.
Once the show is over, there’s one last opportunity for a camel ride
Until one of them decides that he has an itchy chin
For those who want to get out of town for something different, our ‘senior citizen’ selection is great. For those with adrenaline to burn, there are many opportunities on the way. Highly recommended.
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