Deserts and Thunderstorms

Waking Up

I woke up around 9:30am, had some breakfast, and started to pack for the overnight safari. The plan was to leave by noon and be at the tour company by 3:30pm. The company had recommended I get a tripod for some photographs. I had picked up one the night before, but the weight limit of my camera and lens exceeded the capacity of the tripod. Amit actually had a kitchen scale that was useful in weighing the camera. Anyhow, the camera appeared to hold up fine on the tripod, but I figured checking at the mall for a different one wouldn't hurt. The Mall of Emirates was right on the way so it would be an easy stop. Plus, I could get lunch at Shake Shack before taking off! Yum.

Going back to Dubai

My journey in the United Arab Emirates actually began in Dubai. After catching some rest after arriving at the first hotel, I head off to Abu Dhabi where a good friend from college lives. Although Abu Dhabi is the capital of the UAE, much of the skyline and city life is in Dubai. There are a few exceptions - Abu Dhabi is home to Yas Island (Ferrari world, Formula One race track), Emirates Palace, etc.

The drive was to take about an hour and a half. The first stop was the Mall of Emirates. For the most part, parking at the malls is free (free for the first 4 hours during the week, free entirely on weekends). They have large garages and it's not impossible to find parking, but searching can still take some time. Once you do find a parking spot a man often will ask if you want a car wash - neat idea. I imagine there is a charge for the car wash, but since I have a rental and hate Europcar I have no intention to clean the car before returning it. While at the mall I did get some food at Chicken Shack, but wasn't able to find a better tripod than I had.

 

The little car is a car wash buggy. 

Attendants wash cars upon demand while folks shop.

Finding the Tour Company

While heading to the tour company, I noticed something I found interesting. The bus stops are air conditioned! In the pic below you can see the air conditioned booth behind the people waiting outside.

Bus Stops are air conditioned!

 

Driving in Dubai

Prior to 3:30 I was right near the landmark given to me by the tour company. Unfortunately, finding the tour company from there would be next to impossible. Shortly after 3:30pm the tour company called asking if I was still attending. I said I was and told them were I was - they spent about 20 minutes trying to navigate me to the office. In the end they sent a driver for me to follow that would take me to the office where I would meet a different driver for the tour. I'd notice later on the man who picked me up would later serve as bartender at the camp. 

Desert Safari

  

After a short stop at the tour office, the real driver for the Safari came out from the back and escorted me to the car. We made a single stop at a hotel to pickup a family that had also signed up for the tour. I actually scheduled my Safari date around them so I didn't have to pay for a private tour. A private tour was 4 times as much so I was fine sharing the tour. This tour, including the overnight option, cost around $100 USD. We were in an SUV with three rows of seats and they filled every seat up. 2 in the front and back, 3 in the middle. I'm so glad I was the first one picked up and got the front. I can't imagine how uncomfortable such a long trip would be in the middle. After an hour the driver stopped at a convenience store and suggested we use the restroom and pickup water. He deflated the tires to prepare us for off roading in the desert.

Quad Bikes

The first optional piece of the Safari was the opportunity to ride quad bikes in the dunes. The cost was relatively inexpensive; around 100-300 aed (about $27-$80 USD) for half an hour. They have a number of different kinds of bikes which is why the cost was variable. My bike was well powered, without a roll cage, and a value at about $40 USD.

 

Me on the quad

4x4'ing in the Desert

Part of the Safari involved a very intense 4x4 experience. I can't emphasize enough how off road the driver took the vehicle. I'm really surprised he didn't flip the thing and that we never got stuck. "Let me know if you get sick so I can pull over or slow down", he told us. "200 fine for vomit", he said. The family in the car was Indian, but they lived in the UK. I asked what currency he was looking to collect and he just laughed.

 

Me outside one of the 4x4 stop points

Arriving at Camp

We arrived at the camp late. I had to bring my things with me, but I packed light and my bags easily fit under the small table we all sat at. Although dinner had yet to be served, the Belly Dancing show had already been going on for some time. There were easily a couple of hundred people already at the camp. The camp was pretty well set up. It had a cash bar and all soft drinks including water were free. Dinner was served about an hour after we arrived - there was one long queue for that. The food included mostly barbeque - chicken, beef, and other such foods. It wasn't bad!

 

An empty camp - photo taken next morning

 

Belly dancer 

Overnight

Shortly after dinner the driver came by to pick up the family. I was the only one of the group who opted for the overnight portion.  He stopped over by me to ask if I wanted to return - I couldn't tell if the driver was suggesting I leave with him...but I wondered. It was almost like it was a game of chicken - they charge you the full price for an overnight knowing you'll chicken out and want to go back to your hotel. In any case, that wasn't about to happen. I've slept in a tent before and was looking forward to this experience. During dinner 1 or 2 belly dancers performed for about 45 minutes. This gave everyone time to get food, eat, and be entertained. Around 8:30 the people who were not staying overnight left - I thought this was quite early. I was told to go to the bar and to let the crew know I was staying for the overnight. The problem was, I didn't see anyone else there...I was beginning to wonder if I was the entire overnight group. Shortly thereafter a couple appeared who also opted for the overnight experience. We got to chatting over some beers and noticed it was getting very windy. Shortly there would be lightning and than thunder. The crew had setup 3 tents for us. One for them, one for me, and another for a couple we had yet to see. Sometime later we'd notice a Japanese couple. Sarah thought the woman was upset about the arrangements - I don't think the woman literally believed the overnight camping would be in a tent. Her male companion was wearing a mask the entire time - I think to keep sand out of his lungs. They didn't speak much English and they kept to themselves, so we talked with them very little.

 

Sarah (Australian), (New Zealand), Me 

After the tents went up, the wind really started to pickup. The tents started to blow over and the staff did what they could to keep them up. They had originally setup the tents under the few shelters setup around the camp. I imagine the shelters were built more to stop the sun than rain. In any case, within an hour a full fledged storm would make its way over camp. A driver comes back to the camp and insists we leave. "It's not safe here", we are told,"We're taking you back to your hotel". The Australian/New Zealand couple reply they don't have lodging. I had stayed with my friend in Abu Dhabi, since I had no local accommodations I figured I would play along with them. After about 5 minutes the driver comes back and tells us it's safe - they'll just move our sleeping bags and mattresses to the the shelter. The shelter was nothing more than a shed with overhead lighting and a straw roof. While it rained the shed leaked. They left the door open to allow a breeze, but it was nowhere near as comfortable as a tent. After getting settled I would leave the shed for a different shelter to try to take some pictures of the storm in the sunset.  For the next couple of hours it would rain like crazy. Since we were outside we were a bit of a mess with sand. Being wet, sweaty, and sandy is not comfortable. It was a bit too warm to use the blankets, but since the door was open there were flies - so you more or less had to use a blanket. Since I was wet, partially covered in sand, and the shed was uncomfortably warm with little breeze, I stayed out site most of the night and watched the storm. I took some pictures, but none properly illustrate what I saw that night. I'd later learn that this sort of thing never happens. Rain isn't uncommon in the desert - but rain the continues for more than 10 minutes is. While heat lightning isn't entirely uncommon, a thunderstorm is an entirely different story. Amit was born and raised in the UAE. He told me aside from occasional heat lightning, he had never seen a thunderstorm in the UAE. What happened that night was extremely rare.

 

 Inside a shed due to the storm

 

Closest I got to catching the lightning in the desert

  

Getting Sleep

It was probably around 1:30am when I returned to the shed. Sleeping was extremely uncomfortable.  I was damp, warm, and had sand all over my body. A few flies were circling around the shed and seemed to land on me every time I dozed off. The storm settled down by the time I went to sleep, but the fierce rain would come and go throughout the night.