Camels and Sand Dunes

I went for a tour recently with a friend of mine. Being New Years Day it was a fitting day to strike out into the country and catch some sights. We were not disappointed. We went through a local town called Gayathi, and it is actually where a couple of local workers stay instead of staying in my camp. The town is very green (irrigated to fight the local dryness), and it has many modern amenities.

The next big thing on our tour was the appearance of camels and camel herders. Camel herding is a strong industry in the UAE, as they are used to preserve local heritage, and also for Camel racing, which is popular among the Arabs. Here are a few nice pictures of camels that we got up close. It was amazing to see a herd of them much like we would see a herd of cattle at home.

The sand is very prevalent in the South of the country. Notice the height and the rich colour. They are fun to run on, and actually have a hard crust like the snow drifts at home (when we get snow).

Liwa Oasis is a very attractive stop in the South of the Country. There are many green areas which are combinations of plantations and housing. Surprisingly there are plenty of hay crops here, as much is needed to feed the camels. We turned into a side road to see a plantation and proceeded to get stuck in the sand. A local helped us get out and we paid him 20 Dirhams. Here are some pics of the Liwa hotel, a very beautiful, but affordable stop at a high point of the Oasis. A restored fortress is also shown, which appeared to be made of sand mixed with a fibrous grass material.

SS