Desert driving

This desert driving lesson with Emirates Driving Institute was some of the most fun we have had in Dubai! This half a day lesson started out with an informative PowerPoint presentation and ended with us bashing up and down dunes in a way I thought I never would. At the beginning of the drive, our teacher was scaring us, okay maybe just me, with his skilled driving; driving along the top of pointed dunes, sliding down tall bowls of sand and at impressive speeds. Our teacher managed to bury the wheels of the truck and we were taught how to get ourselves unstuck. I highly recommend this class to anyone who wants to drive in the desert with confidence. I also recommend you pack your own lunch.

Eid Long Weekend - Heading Home

This was one of the most memorable trips! It seemed that around every corner there was something new to be in awe of, the weather was great, the sky was beautiful and blue and the pictures I have posted here are only a few of the wonderful memories we made. Not sure if its possible to avoid the queues at the border, but next time we try to leave even earlier. To view all of the pictures see the link on the sidebar.

Eid Long Weekend - Nakhur Gorge Campsite

The first photo is one of my favourites! We set up camp not far from the sheer edge of Nakhur Gorge (The Grand Canyon of Oman). Similar to every road we took to get here, there were no guide rails keeping us from the edge of the cliff and for that reason, this is an adult only campsite. It was very dark at night and I asked that Barry not walk too far from the fire for reasons which are obvious after seeing the first picture above. In the morning I dangled my feet from the edge for my compulsory feet photo. The pictures don’t do the surroundings justice, it was much higher than you imagine.

Eid Long Weekend - Jebal Shams

After a lot of up and down, in and around, washed out roads, wrong turns and tiny towns, we finally made it to Jebal Shams (aka The Sun Peak) at sunset. We managed to quickly snap some pictures and because of the time, we rushed off anxious to pick a spot to set up for the night. The sun was going down quickly and we were driving past potential site after another without fully committing to them for one reason or another. Can you see me in the last photo?

Eid Long Weekend - Stone Village

On the road again to our final destination, Jebal Shams. The views of the mountains and blue sky never got old. We spotted this stone village that was almost invisible on the side of a mountain overlooking a wadi – it was amazing to see. We decided to set up for lunch here so we could enjoy it longer. In addition to the view of this village, the resident goats kept us entertained.

Eid Long Weekend - Fresh Chickens

In the morning we drove through the town of Al Hamra looking for ice. We didn’t find ice but as the sign says, fresh chickens were readily available. A peek inside determined that these chickens were indeed fresh.