We went on a desert safari while we were in the UAE. It was one of those things where you just call a tour company and they come and pick you up and drive you out into the desert. We actually didn't know what we were getting into, but figured it would be fun so we did it. That afternoon a Pakistani driver came to our hotel...we didn't know who he was, but he had a shirt with a logo and his car had the same logo as his shirt, so we figured it was safe. We picked up 3 Indian guys from another hotel and headed out. After about an hour of driving we came across this little store in the middle of nowhere and there were about 50 other landcruisers with the same logo. We seriously had no idea what was going on and, up to that point, had thought it was just going to be us and the Indian guys and we were second-guessing just how much fun we could have in the desert with these guys, but then we saw all these other people and realized that it was a big thing. So our driver let some air out of the tires and we headed out and just drove through the desert...in just a regular, standard issue Toyota landcruiser through serious dunes like you see on TV. It was great!
Then all the sudden our driver stops and says 'you can take some pictures here'. So we got out and took some pictures. We pretty much just did what he said. We got back in and drove around some more. It was crazy. Picture this, you know how it's kind of hard to walk on the beach b/c the sand is constantly moving? Well this sand was so soft so that as we were driving, we were constantly moving, sliding sideways down the sides of dunes, fishtailing, almost flipping over (although I think that probably happens alot and we had roll bars, plus it was soft sand). The Indian guys were crazy, it was like they'd never been on a roller coaster before and they were yelling and laughing...just watching them definitely made it more fun for me!
We drove around (aka dune blasting) through the desert for about 2 hours until we came to camp. There we rode camels, did some sand-surfing, and ate dinner. But let me just say that when you live in the desert, camels sort of lose their novelty...and sandsurfing is pretty much impossible. We had a 'delicious BBQ dinner' that was actually Indian food and then there was a belly dancer who was actually Turkish. So overall it was a very authentic Arabian culture experience.
The most fun was the ride back home. After having spent the entire evening with the 3 Indian bank consultants and the Pakistani driver they finally came out of their shells. We were with them at dinner and so we can verify that they were not drinking, however you would never know that based on their behavior. The driver found a Hindi radio station and they sang at the top of their lungs, unashamedly. Then we all sang a little Aerosmith, then back to the Hindi. They would even have the driver turn it down so they could sing solos. I don't think I've laughed that hard in a long long time. They were so funny and extremely sarcastic, which is kind of uncharacteristic of Indians...or bank consultants!!! And then, as we were driving, we got to see some fireworks. So, overall, the desert safari experience was a good one!
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