Soon, we were on our way to a place known as the ‘Wahiba Sands’ for some frolic in the desert. As Hamid sped up on the sandy track, and as the afternoon sun blazed, it was almost as if we were cruising on a golden river.
The Al-Raha tourist camp’s ambience was charming enough to leave me gawking at it when we reached there. We had the option of staying either in the cottages at the base camp or in one of the tents mounted in the desert. We opted for the latter and didn’t repent. The tents had been put up at the higher dunes above the base camp.
There was some time before we could go for what is known as ‘Dune Bashing’. So we lazed around till that happened.
We hit the sands soon on a Land Cruiser.
We had a time of our lives bashing the desert.
The Base Camp from the dunes above.
Ours wasn’t the only vehicle around.
The evening had started to set in.
My bro on the Wahiba landscape.
Soon, the four-wheeler went for the final plunge as we headed straight down for the base camp. Believe me, the fall (if you allow me to call it) was an out of the world experience.
After the evening coffee at the camp, I joined my bro in trying out skateboarding on the sands. The landing wasn’t as cool as the take off. Nevertheless, it was fun.
We had some wonderful Omani food for the dinner.
The dinner was followed by some lively Arabic music and dance by our hosts.
A night in the desert. The tent was unexpectedly comfortable even in that cold.
Under the clear night sky, it was an intimate date with the desert.
We got up early next morning and climbed up the dunes to see if we could catch a glimpse of the sunrise. Though the clouds prevented a full fledged view, it was still a sight worth the effort.
The desert at the dawn.
After the breakfast, we were on our way out of the camp. As we headed for home, we came across some locals on camel backs going about their daily chores. Our day’s revelry is their way of life. A fact worth a ponder.
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