I’ll walk it…it’s only about 10 minutes away.
Well, it’s been an eventful few days!
On Wednesday I went on a Desert Safari excursion. Pickup was around lunchtime so I just lazed around the pool in the hotel again and watched a bit of TV. Days of Thunder was on – great film. I was picked up from the door in a Toyota Landcruiser. We had to go to another hotel to pick up another group, and from there it was off to the desert. Our particular spot was around 45mins drive. We stopped half way there to meet the other cars. Much to my surprise (and delight!) people were standing around shops eating and drinking. The locals had no issue with this (they were selling the stuff) so I stocked up. I must admit, I felt a little guilty standing drinking when they had to go all day in 45+ degree heat without a drop to drink!
Once the rest of the cars turned up we traveled the final few miles into the desert where the fun began! Dune bashing is basically driving up and down sand dunes. And these dunes were big, and steep! I was quite surprised that the car didn’t end up on it’s roof. This was really good fun and we did plenty of it. Also had a bash at sandboarding…I’m sure I don’t need to explain what’s involved there…but it was a little damp so the boards didn’t ride well, and running back up the dunes soon got fairly tiring. I also ended up covered in sand; but not to worry. This made for some excellent photo opportunities and some incredible views of the desert; it’s a very surreal place to be. After this it was a bit more dune bashing before heading to a little camp where we had a fantastic Iftar buffet. There was also a sheesha tent, as well as the opportunity to dress up in traditional clothing. Unfortunately I ran out of time so didn’t try the clothing but did have some sheesha. I got talking to a guy from the States who was heading over to Ireland for a year.
I booked the excursion through North Tours and the price was 325dhs, (approximately £45) and it was great value for money. At first I thought the driver was a bit miserable, but as soon as we started on those dunes there was a 5-year-old-kid style smile on his face, along with the rest of the passengers!
Yesterday I decided to head to Jumeirah Beach where I sat for a few hours catching some rays in the park. Then I decided to have a walk along to see the Burj al Arab. From the park it looked about a 10 minute walk….the reality of it was that it was closer to a 2 HOUR walk! Fortunately, I noticed shopkeepers allowing tourists to drink, so it wasn’t too much of a problem but not something which I would want to do too often…certainly not in that heat anyway! The building itself is very impressive, so sat around the beach there for a while before heading back to the hotel. It seems that Ramadan can be respectfully observed by tourists but the locals certainly appeared to be very understanding of those who did not observe their holy month, so I am glad that it’s not made too much of a difference to my time here. It would have been nice to go wake boarding and to the Wild Wadi water park though, but never mind.
After this I headed back to the hotel where I was pleasantly surprised to find a meal voucher under my door; a reward for filling out a questionnaire. I opted once again for the Iftar choice. A wide arrange of appetizers followed buy a great mixed grill.
Dubai isn’t cheap for the sole traveler. Hotels seem to be generally quite expensive, and when you factor in food and taxis (there is no proper public transport yet) it soon adds up. However, the luxury of the hotel has been very refreshing and it’s been a nice and relaxing few days.
And so the time has come – my trip is all but over. I have to get up early in the morning to head to the airport. From there, it’s a 7 hour hop back to good old Newcastle upon Tyne, England. The day which I have been dreading is finally upon me. I’ve been looking forward to this trip for so long….as just as good things come to those who wait….all good things must also come to an end.
