Desert Adventure

At 4:30 pm on Friday, we left Topaz Courts Apartments and headed for the desert to begin our desert adventure. We began our travels to Rub' al Khali or Empty Quarter Desert, one of the largest sand deserts in the world. On our trip from the apartments to the general Arabian Adventures meeting point, we passed many different attractions that started development within the last few years. However, these projects, including Dubai Land and Universal Studios, have still yet to be finished. At a certain point in our travels, it was interesting to see the separation between city development and isolation. After a 40-minute ride, we stopped to deflate the tires so it would be easier to drive on the sand and over the sand dunes. After reaching the meeting point and stopping to take a few pictures, we began our bumpy journey over, through, and around the sand dunes. Although the entire desert looked the same, each vehicle experienced some rough riding. The vehicles slid over the sand dunes and sometimes seemed to fall over sharp edges. During the trip, some of the drivers managed to get stuck in the sand dunes, so the vehicle had to be emptied and another vehicle pulled the other one out.

The drivers stopped a few times during the trip for soft drinks and to watch the sunset on the desert. This gave us a chance to take a few pictures of the scenery and group pictures with each other. After stopping to watch the sunset, the vehicles traveled about ten more minutes to the camp site for dinner. At the camp site, we were able to ride camels, get Henna tattoos, and purchase souvenirs, among other activities. A barbecue was provided for dinner, as guests sat on pillows at floor-level tables. After dinner, there was a belly-dancer that performed for the guests. All of these activities were included in the provided package and there were many opportunities for photos. Around 10:30 pm, we boarded the vehicles to head back to Topaz Courts. We all enjoyed the desert adventure that included an exciting drive in the desert and dinner at the campsite. This opportunity provided us with a chance to further develop our friendships with one another.