October 12, 2008

A Day at the Dunes

Desert Safari
Dubai, UAE
October 2008


It was fascinating to hear stories of the desert from the friendly locals. To wade in the endless soft sands and then to turn back to watch the footprints left behind has been a memorable experience.


Like the beautiful sand patterns in the desert, the memories of my experience in the sands have been imprinted in my mind.


It's my pleasure to share a few of the many pictures of a day well spent in the deserts of Dubai. Through the course of the day, it was fabulous to note the changing colors of the sand dunes from white to brown, to bronze to gold that depended on the ambient light and in case of these photographs, also in the direction in which these shots were framed.


1
White Sands: It's another world out there



2
Silky Smooth Sands: Gleaming in sunlight



3
Cruising Jeeps: Unforgettable Experience



4
Incursion: Machine Power in Nature



5
Solitude in the Golden Sands: And Equanimity of the Desert


6
Bronze Beauty: Peace and Serenity



7
Sunset: In the Ocean of Sand



Marked 1 to 7, which of these do you like the best?


38 comments:

GMG said...

Hi Celine! Wow! Great way to avoid the financial/economic crisis… ;))
Wonderful pictures, and surely a great experience; far from the Himalayas...
Beautiful pictures; I would probably take #2 (no cars, no wheel trace) as the best...
Meanwhile Blogtrotter has posted its 200th post and moved to Mykonos! Hope you enjoy! Have a great Sunday!
Gil

Anonymous said...

Hi Celine,

OMG ! What lovely pictures you have brought ! Next time when you go, take me along.

It is difficult to choose, all are beautiful in their own way but still if you insist, I'll say no 1, 3 & 5.

Lakshmi said...

I just finished researching on desert safari in Jaisalmer and I came to your blog and wow, what I see...loved them all, particularly 1,2,5

Anonymous said...

BTW, how do you know the route back after it gets dark ? Is that a silly question ? No.

I think someone who is familiar with all this would be accompanying. Eager to know your full story.

rainboy said...

wow...

5th and 7th blew my mind..

someone sponsor me ... i want to go there ...


lovely shots..

tock on

Anonymous said...

awesome!!!

Anonymous said...

It must be hard to drive in the sand, I bet it's quite an experience!

You must have seen cool sunsets too, the light looks awesome.

indicaspecies said...

Gil,

Hehehe.
Yes, send those multi-billionaires in debt to the deserts of Dubai.;)

Thank you for your comment and heartiest congratulations on your 200th post. Have a lovely week.

indicaspecies said...

Cuckoo,

Thank you. 5 is one of my fav too.
Come along with me next time. Let's walk together hand in hand..haha!

indicaspecies said...

Lakshmi,

Thanks.
Jaisalmer, wow! I can't wait to be there. Do you plan to go on a small camel safari there? As far as I know, there is no jeep safari. I wonder if it is because of its proximity to the international borders.

indicaspecies said...

Cuckoo,

No question is silly on my blog. All comments and questions are given due importance and you are welcome to voice out whatever you feel, so feel free..

Cuckoo, there's no chance to get lost in the desert (unless you want to!!) since the Desert Safari in Dubai can be done through organized tours, who generally arrange pick up from your place of residence and drop you at the end of the day. There is a cultural event after the sunset right in the desert that includes belly dancing to end up with a buffet having a choice of Arabic food or Indian veg food.

I went on this Safari with professionally managed tour guys who operate inside the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve. Let me know if you want more info. These operators also organize dhow cruises, fishing trips etc but I took care of these matters privately.

indicaspecies said...

[Vicky],

Thank you.:)

As I'd love to make another trip, please request your sponsor to add my name too..haha!

indicaspecies said...

Swap,

Thank you very much.:)

indicaspecies said...

Zhu,

Thank you for your comment.

Was a lovely experience being 'seat-belted' in the SUV, and I did wish I could take control of the steering for a while (but of course I was not permitted to). The Landcruisers are handled skillfully. Impressive.

Ram Dhall said...

The magician has done it again.

Astounding pictures.

Would await your detailed post

Anonymous said...

Wow! just so beautiful pics … nicely captured.

I am far away from a desert but close to sea. Sometime I wonder how both look more or less the same. Picture 7 but I like them all :)

San said...

A difficult choice, Celine. I believe, however, I will choose 5. The intricate patterns, the lilting curves, and the subtle play of light and shadow mesmerize.

Brilliant.

Anonymous said...

Celine,

Reminds me of my trip there... i love the sand ripples..

indicaspecies said...

Ram,

Thank you. I'm glad you like these pictures. Am no magician Ram. Nature is beautiful and I simply try to captivate its beauty with my cam, and succeed only partly.:)

indicaspecies said...

Alok,

Thank you very much.

Whether it's the desert, the sea or the mountains, the beauty of nature is simply to be admired and is indescribable!

indicaspecies said...

San,

You've beautifully described the picture(s). Thank you for those sweet words.:)

indicaspecies said...

Anonymous,

Thank you for your kind words.

Do I know you? For next time, please identify yourself.

Texas Travelers said...

The second shot, enlarged, is outstanding. Great color, framing and composition. All of the rest are a close second.

I have added you to my "Check it Out - Favorites" sidebar blog roll.

Troy

indicaspecies said...

Troy,

Thank you for your visit to my blog and your compliments. I'm delighted that you like the shots.

I also thank you (and Martha) for adding me to your sidebar blog roll. I'm honored.:)

Anonymous said...

I like 5. The Jeep puts the scene in perspective, the waves of sand and the ripples texture.

My Jeep Wrangler would love to get it's wheels into that landscape.

indicaspecies said...

Chewy:

Seems like # 5 is the fav so far. That vehicle in the desert is a Toyota Landcruiser.

Re your Jeep (I saw its picture on your blog, nice one!), I thought similarly Darlene. I'd have loved to maneuver my 4-wheel-drive Nissan Pathfinder through those dunes too. :)

Indrani said...

Just been to Jaisalmer, no jeep safari there.

The experience is once in life time.

indicaspecies said...

Indrani,

Firstly, welcome back from Rajasthan.

I can imagine how wonderful the desert experience of Jaisalmer must have been. Did you go on a camel safari?

Unknown said...

I like the first pict, still sands....

indicaspecies said...

Iona,

It's like a wave of sand, ain't it?;)

Anonymous said...

#2 and #5....love the rippeling sand !! Looking at your pics made me very nostalgic as I grew up in Jaisalmer....!!!

Tk care and Njoy to the hilt...!!

Sandi McBride said...

What beautiful sands they are, too. I'm afraid tho, that I'd forever be in search of the Ocean.
Congratulations on Post of the Day mention.
Sandi

indicaspecies said...

BTR,

Hey, good to see you here. 5 again! Thank you.:)

I'm glad my post brought back memories of Jaisalmer. That's a place I've got on my list of must-see-places.

indicaspecies said...

Sandi,

Good to see you here again, and thank you for your kind words. May not be the ocean, but the Arabian Sea (Persian Gulf) is not far off from this desert.

Thank you very much for conveying the good news about David's POTD mention. That was a surprise. Congratulations yourself for a good place in it yourself and well deserved I must say.:)

indicaspecies said...

David,

Thank you for the mention in the Post of the Day. As I said before, I did not do much here but it was the desert that spoke volumes through my photographs. :)

Merisi said...

My favorite is the second picture! :-)

JTG (Misalyn) said...

Stunning captures! I particularly like image#5.

indicaspecies said...

Merisi and Misalyn,
Thanks a lot.