Verdict: Dune bashing is the coolest thing I've ever done.
Today was a really great day. I knew it was going to be a good one right off the bat, because the breakfast buffet at the hotel included a pork section, and I was able to enjoy real bacon (not this strange beef stuff they feed us at the Holiday Inn in Kuwait) for the first time in three weeks. Ahh, how I've missed pork. After breakfast, a group of us rode the Metro to the Emirates Mall, home to Dubai's indoor ski slope. Interesting fact - the Dubai metro is so clean, and part of the reason for that is because you're not allowed to eat, drink, or chew gum. If you decide to do so, you can be fined. For chewing gum!
Emirates mall was beautiful, and definitely less touristy than Dubai Mall, which was nice. It was still full of the most high-end shops I'd ever seen, though. And the indoor ski slope pretty much spoke for itself.
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| Dubai Metro - puts the L in Chicago to absolute shame |
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| Emirates mall |
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| Center of Emirates Mall |
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| Indoor winter wonderland |
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| So strange |
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| Ice Age...really? |
This afternoon was the adventure we had all been anticipating for the entire trip: desert safari. We were picked up from the hotel by our wonderful tour guide, Ismael, from Pakistan, and drove a little under an hour out to the desert. The first thing on the agenda: dune bashing. I cannot explain in words what this experience was like, so I figured the best thing to do would be to link a YouTube video that could provide you with a better idea of what dune bashing really is.
The video is over 6 minutes long, so skip around to various parts! It was so scary at first, but so thrilling the entire time. Ismael turned up the music really loud, and it was a combination of pop/techno music, which was just plain cool. I'll never forget dune bashing to "Where Have You Been" by Rihanna. We stopped along the way to the camp (where the rest of the night's events would take place) and took pictures:
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Group silly photo in the desert;
Photo credit to Hannah! |
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| Endless sand |
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| We even blew our tire, I'm not even kidding |
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| Obligatory cheesy picture |
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| Dune bashing in action! |
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| Hello! |
We arrived at the camp about 45 minutes later, where we rode camels, ate dinner, and watched belly dancing. It was a really cool experience to be so far out there, away from everything. It reminded me of doing the safari in Africa. Although it was an amazing experience and something I'll never forget, it was also strange because the safaris are so different from the actual societies surrounding them. It's almost like entering a different country within a country. I don't know if that even makes sense, but that's the best I can do after this insane day!
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| Maya and I on a camel! |
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| Looking like pros |
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| Group desert sunset photo! |
I'm not sure yet what the day holds for tomorrow, but we don't fly back to Kuwait until later in the night, so we have one last day to enjoy Dubai! Before I sign off, here are a couple extra pictures from the past couple of days:
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| Group photo at the Burj Khalifa! |
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| A little nervous heading to the top of the Burj! |
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| Outside of Dubai Mall |
I officially have 1 week left in the Gulf. Let's hope it's the best one yet!
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