Time to press on to the main body of the trip, we enjoyed Dubai and will keep it in mind as part of a future trip.
DXB Terminal 3This flight was emptyJazīrat Abū ‘Alī island in Saudi ArabiaThe Sinai peninsulaAlmost to CairoLanding in Cairo.
The flight to Cairo was fairly empty and went by fast. We were met by Mr. Mohammad of Sita World Tours who lead (and sped) up our movement through immigration, customs and before we knew it we were moving through the streets of Cairo. The ride in was stimulating to say the least, a very active city with heavy traffic. I asked Mohammad if it was alway like, he said yes, never stops.
Busy streets of Cairo.An obscure Hilton family member no doubt.Our view for the next few days.
Our hotel is on the banks of the Nile and we scheduled the next two days as down time, a little rest before we get busy.
After a relaxing morning it was time for a desert safari. A favorite activity in this region is to go out into the desert and off road through the terrain in 4WD vehicle of your choice. A dune bashing experience was how it was explained to us and it certainly was that. Our driver Shahid picked us up in an SUV, drove us an hour out into the desert near the border with Oman where we rendezvoused with other vehicles and headed out for a natural roller coaster experience. Taking pictures during this was hard as you may expect.
Heading out
Other vehicles heading out as we wait for the rendezvous.
This one got stranded quick.The natural roller coaster.The natural roller coaster.
Shahid was very good at filling us in as to what was going on and why. Having the right tire pressure (less pressure for active dune driving), how to read the dunes as you approached them, a quick turn of the wheel as we maneuvered to throw sand … just because, and most important keeping the proper momentum in the proper direction for the current situation. Since the dunes shift day to day the drive changes as well so a different story each time he does this task.
He also described what we were seeing as we progressed, what the few farms we saw were growing (grass for camels, etc) and where the local water came from which was Oman. The mountains on the border create a rain shadow on the UAE side this the water is piped in and distributed via truck.
Our driver ShahidKim of the desert.Red desert sunsetAcross the dunes of Arabia.A wrinkled look.
After the drive we had time for some picture taking at sunset then off to a dinner in a Bedouin camp. An interesting lesson here is how much this desert economy depends on tourism, there are various camps around the area that offer services that include dinner, entertainment and, in some, glamping. The BBQ we dined on was great and we were treated to a show with Whirling Dervish, fire and belly dances.
Re-inflating the tires after the desert romp.The dervish getting started.Now he gets really going.All fired up now.The fire dancerThink of his breath…A bit of movement…
Heading out from the camp I commented that we (and a few others) were allowed to drive out to the camp, about a mile across the desert, while others had to be park near the main road and be ferried out in other SUVs. Shahid said the driving we did was strictly controlled by the UAE, both the driver and the SUV have to be licensed to drive off road in the desert and strict fines are imposed if you are caught lacking. I imagine the government and locals got tired of saving stranded folk so this is a good thing. We did see a few stuck vehicles being assisted by others which was good but this was rare.
