Dune Bashing with Arabian Adventures: March 12, 2010

We recently were invited with our neighbors and good friends, Wendi and Nick to join them to go "dune bashing"...this is basically when you go out into the dessert and literally "bash the dunes" in Toyota Land Cruisers or SUVs.  By bashing the dunes you just drive all through the dessert at pretty high speeds and go down the dunes either sideways or straight on and up them too....basically off-roading in the dessert.   In other words, it's pretty nuts!!

Eric and our little neighbor, Barrett, taking it in stride...the dog had gone missing just a few minutes before we were due to leave so they were doing their best to try to find him...he ended up being upstairs in a bathroom with the door closed :) 

Our faithful transportation 

Ahmed, Jenise (Wendi's good friend who was visiting from TX), and Hassan, our faithful drivers gearing up for the day. 

Just your typical sighting...camels on the side of the road

Camel crossing

Not sure what these guys were doing, but I thought it looked pretty cool

Time to deflate the tires!!!  Getting ready to go!

Tires deflated-check

Photo of the two of us before we leave-check

Definitely a "show" camel

Let the dune bashing begin!

Trek through the dessert...

An oasis...no, it's really some of the water from the Inland Sea but still beautiful

Part of the group for the day, Eric, me, Jenise, Nick, Wendi, Barrett (green shirt), Brooks (America IS Baseball shirt--LOVE that shirt :))

Eric and our faithful driver, Hassan...he kept us laughing the entire day.  Most of the time he was
laughing on his CV to the other drivers.  Picture this...us, about to drive down a 60 degree (+/-) gradient while our driver was talking on his CV and we're holding on for dear life.  To be honest though, we felt really safe throughout the day, it was just comical.

Eric, Hassan, me, and "The King"...this guy seriously knows the dessert!  We were driving through the dunes in the pitch dark and he knew every turn...really nice guy, too.

Our tracks...

Short walk

These birds here are actually flamingos.  The tents in the background are called "Doha Tents" which are way more civilized than most tents I've seen.  Many Qataris rent camp sites out for six months a year October to April and camp part of the time or some the entire time.  Many of the tents have floors, generators, and many other modern conveniences.   When we went to the camel farm (you'll see photos later on) one of the tents had a TV :)

Another view in B&W

Just breathtaking

This was defintely a different part of the day.  We went to this place that supposedly only Qataris know about where these drivers come out and race on these dunes.  It's pretty dangerous and our driver, Hassan said he knows a lot of people who have been badly hurt on these very dunes.  It is, however, a pasttime for the Qataris...they drive out here and watch these drivers out do eachother.  It brings loads and loads of spectators...besides our group, there were no other femals.

Some men on the top of the dunes watching the drivers.

More racing...the guy in the green was crazy!  Another one of the cars was called "911" so our drivers were joking about the 911 car the entire day.  Most are Toyota Landcruisers...how about that for an advertisement!

This is a view of Saudi Arabia...right on the other side of the water.

Just so beautiful...so different than anything we've seen in person.

All of our drivers relaxing while we climb the dunes

We were climbing to the top to get a good shot :)   I think we were both looking at Saudi Arabia to our right

Almost there!

We made it!

Just a random camel roaming through the dessert

At the camel farm I got to ride a camel.  The way they sit down and stand up has their body in a 45 degree angle so if you're on their back, you basically have to hold pretty tight during these times or you'll surely fall off :)

Sipping some tea at the camel farm

Hassan an his friend at the camel farm

We all thought we were leaving and going back to the cars but the drivers asked us to come over to an area with a carpet on the sand and to sit down.  We all sat down on the carpet (there were about 20 of us, plus the 6 drivers and the men from the farm) and drank tea.  They served it out of the containers above.   They didn't have enough tea cups for us so after we finished our tea, they disinfected it in this bowl and served more tea.  It was a different experience but also reminded us how similar everyone is.  After a long busy day, it's nice to sit and relax with a cup of tea.  These men were so gracious and welcoming, it was just a really speical moment of the day.

Friends

Not sure what this is that Hassan is holding but we all tried it.  We ate the entire thing!  He said it comes from the dessert-it kinda tasted like an artichoke.

I got this shot for Eric....he shows me over and over again how many people keep the plastic on the seats of their car.  He feels it makes no sense whatsoever and we just keep laughing about it every time we see it :)

Awesome day of dune bashing, we defintely slept well that night!  Since this is a pasttime for many people here, we'll surely be going again and will have more photos to share.