We spent the Thanksgiving three day weekend camping in the desert with friends. South of Abu Dhabi, we headed towards the oasis town of
Liwa which is the last stop before the
Rub Al Khali begins (The Empty Quarter), about 15 kilometers from the Saudi border.
Amazing sand and sun
Jill in the dunes
The kids loved the sledding
Setting up the tents
Bella in the dunes
Millions of years ago, this was the bottom of the ocean
While the kids looked for fish fossils in the salt flats,
The adults sat closer to the coolers.
Park it in the sand, kick off the sandals and enjoy
Jill enjoying the perfect weather
Movember in the dunes!
Not for the lack of effort, but the fossils eluded the diggers
Simon did find a very cool lizard to amuse the kids
Sand and sun and a fun new friend in the tupperware
(He walked to freedom sometime in the night)
The camp from higher up in the dunes
Surreal
This looks like a fake background
Some locals in the 4 wheelers
Jill and I shadowing the dunes
The dune bashers stopped to say marhaba
Snowboards and sleds. Where are we?
Dune climbers rejoice
Rolling Rosie
Follow me....
The motor cycle joins the quad
Climbing the dunes makes you thirsty
Camp
Sunrise video
Chilly morning Bella
Climbing the largest dune in the area
It's like walking up the down escalator
Some people needed to rest
Others conquered the hill
Reese and Bella styling as they enjoy their matching outfits
Simon finds the quickest way down
End of the road, Saudi Arabia 11 kilometers down the forbidden road
Bella playing the uke in the hotel lobby. We decided to spend the second night at the Liwa Hotel.
The boys in the lobby
The hotel is built like a fort atop a large dune overlooking the oasis town
The Liwa Hotel
This camel has a great view back to town
The hotel has a nice playground, pool and gardens
The sand dunes above the oasis
Prayer call in the desert
It was a great trip and everyone had a good time. Not the traditional Thanksgiving, but plenty to be thankful for as the weekend winded down.
