Duning Through Deserts Near Dubai
After a quick week spent at home in Milwaukee, I set out to meet some friends in the highly sought after innovation that is Dubai. One of my great friends and former teammates from Ireland spends a lot of time traveling the globe for work. We’ve developed a great understanding that as we both make our way around the world, we’ll do our best to coordinate paths along the way. Dubai was up next…what a crazy city.
Believe it or not, less than 25% of the population is made up of Arabs. It seems to be mostly internationals with more money than is necessary. A nice life for a short period of time, but I don’t think it has enough soul to provide a meaningful life. It’s scattered with superficial people who all think they’re the coolest. I’ll pass.
Dubai…An Ultramodern Emergence
The skyline is incredible. Standing as the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa is a masterful piece of modern architecture. Beamers, Benz’s, and Bentleys everywhere. Best of all, the weather was perfect with rarely a cloud in the sky. My guy was there for a work conference, so we hung out with a bunch of his colleagues as well…some of which I met last year in Brazil and Mexico. Definitely an eclectic group of guys with brilliant minds and quick-witted humor.
One of the highlights of the short stay was brunch day. In Dubai, Friday Brunches tend to be quite common considering the Muslim approach to days of rest. Our brunch of choice was incredible. Pricey, but definitely worth it. Shrimp, lobster, sushi, and a variety of different cultural cuisines. Drinks and desserts included. Pretty sure we were there for a good six hours! Made a bunch of new friends and we all headed over to another beach spot for some dancing. The nightcap? Yup…shisha on the beach. Can’t beat it.
A Dune Bashing Desert Safari
The following morning I woke up feeling a bit unfulfilled…that was my last day and I needed to embrace some culture before leaving. After some discussion with the hotel concierge, we worked out a nice little desert safari. Suited and booted in a fresh Thawb and Shemagh, the driver grabbed me from the hotel and we began the one hour journey towards the Oman border.
After a brief introduction to Dubai and his expertise of sand duning, I gathered that it’s actually quite common for drivers to roll trucks in the dunes. How calming of him to share this information with us. He saved our wandering minds with a chuckle, and a reassurance in broken English that “All is well”. Too late to turn back now. Safety belts were fastened and we indulged.
It’s pretty impressive how they weave through the variety of obstacles. Dunes lie in all shapes and sizes, some of which are clearly not meant to be driven across. The biggest rush was drifting from the peaks down along the sides, with the 4-Runner tilted to a 45 degree angle. I just kept replaying scenarios of how to minimize injury when the inevitable spill happened. But fortunately we made it through accident free. I guess it was my lucky day.
Sunset Shisha
After about an hour in the sand we traveled out to a Bedouin village. Camels, coffee, sweets, shisha, dinner and entertainment. All of it played a nice touch on a poetic sunset in the desert. Dinner was as expected…kebabs, hummus, tabouleh…not quite up to Casablanca standard, but good enough. Middle Eastern food is a personal favorite so I get picky at times.
In unusual fashion, I faltered to a couple of guys selling Arabic attire. I felt justified considering my beard was again reaching a fitting length, and I always wondered how I’d look in a Shemagh. Well I got my answer, 50 dirham later I was a covert Arab. (Yes, I know it doesn’t automatically qualify me. Just bear with my attempt at being funny.) I actually find the design to be quite nice, but can’t think of a context where I’d wear it regularly. It’ll definitely be in packed in my bag on future Middle Eastern adventures, as there are quite a few destinations I’d still like to see. Thanks for a very unique experience Dubai!
