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Magazine
Lifestyle
Kick up some sand
SABITA RADHAKRISHNA
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Dune bashing, pitting your four-wheel drive vehicle against the huge sand dunes, is a sport that is becoming increasingly popular in the U.A.E.
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PHOTO: MEGAN HIRONS
The Liwa experience: Participants negotiate the desert terrain in Liwa at the 27th Gulf News Fun Drive 2007.
It was a cool and pleasant winter with the day temperatures averaging at 18 degrees. Visiting Dubai after two years, I was amazed at the accelerated pace of development…the city boasts of the fastest rate of growth in the world. There were more
skyscrapers than ever before, the chrome and steel flashing opulence. The roads are superbly maintained and well lit and the traffic disciplined by stringent rules. Flyovers are being constructed to ease the traffic congestion. Talk to the residents of Dubai and you will only hear complaints of the traffic jams and gridlocks and the time spent in commuting.
I explore the Mall of the Emirates and Marina Mall and Wafi, some of the high end malls just to soak in the atmosphere. Everyone seems to be having a “good life” despite long working hours. Providing a fantastic lifestyle with all the amenities, it is understandable why young people haunt the City of Gold!
More than shopping
But, Dubai is not just about shopping. The emerald green seas are calm and the pristine beaches beautiful and I sit under an umbrella watching the adventurous indulge in water sports like kite surfing, para-sailing and hot air balloon rides. On Fridays and Saturdays, the Dubai weekend, families drive off to spots like Al Ain to camp among rocky terrain to enjoy the sight of wadis. In the blink of an eyelid you are invited to a barbecue and there is always plenty to eat. So pampered are the Dubai-ites, I get the feeling that they are all pretty insulated from the horrors of world situations which has not really affected them. The city is tailor-made for enjoyment. Ah, and what Dubai visit is complete without dune bashing? The thrill of getting your four wheeler up and down huge sand dunes are unsurpassed I hear, but not for the faint hearted like me!
This winter we soaked in the excitement of the Annual Fun Drive though we were not participants. Organised by Gulf News (a leading newspaper in Dubai) for the 27th year in succession, it was held under the patronage of Shaikh Mansour Bin Sayen Al Nahyan, Minister of Presidential Affairs. The Fun Drive was also supported by Emirates Motor Sports Federation and special support offered by the Abu Dhabhi Motors Club.
New experience
Dune bashing, where four wheel drives go up bumpy sand dunes, is part of the games people play here, but the Fun Drive this year was a totally new experience. Venturing into the Liwa Oasis, for the first time, dune bashers arrived from all over the world, from the U.A.E, the U.K. Greece, South Africa, France and India, to name a few. The flagging off took place at about 300 km from Dubai with the morning thick with fog. A row of cars emerged from the foggy curtain almost on cue, making their way to the starting desk to pick up their packs. More than 350 teams excitedly began to deflate their tyres in anticipation of riding over the sand dunes, looking forward to taking on the Moreeb Dune, the second highest sand dune in the U.A.E.
Cars were getting stuck in the parking area and Nalra from South Africa exclaimed that the thrill lay in getting stuck in the sand, an observation heartily endorsed by Marshal Andrew Childs who is an experienced desert rider himself. The less experienced drivers had to call in the marshals immediately after their vehicles got stuck in the sand dunes whereas the more experienced drivers came to grips with the soft sand, manoeuvring their vehicles to glide along. Getting stuck in the sands was more of a challenge when compared to the traffic gridlock on Sheikh Zayed Road. Peter and Stacey Vanrijn from South Africa were taking out their brand new Hummer H2 on the road and feeling a bit nervous as a consequence. Armed with innumerable years of experience with the Gulf Times Fun Drive, the routes were planned with the environment, difficulty ratings, and alternate routes in mind. Winning or who reached the finishing line first was not a consideration; it was a drive of endurance and skill and whenever a vehicle was stuck, others came to help and a friendship struck with people from different parts of the world. It was amazing to see men, women and children come forth to participate in the rally.
For the first time in 27 years, the rally was observed from a helicopter which circled over the long line of cars, looking for a place to land. Stretches of fine sand patterned by the wind into tiny symmetric squiggles, herds of black camels moving, and palm tree oases would have been an awesome sight contrasting starkly with the modernity of the vehicles snaking through…
Kaajal, who is from Mumbai but living in Dubai for the past two years, said it was fun getting stuck in the sand four times! The Marshal came after an hour, and found the girl furiously digging herself further in trying to get the car out of the sand! Leena Jacob completed the rally on time and remarked that it was a difficult stretch of sand that they had to drive on. It was fun meeting so many people and it was great to see a 55-year-old woman marshal who was quite in command of the situation! The drivers who were more skilled reached the camp at 3.30 in the afternoon while the stragglers made it at about 6 p.m., tired but very elated.
It promised to be a memorable night and most participants interviewed said the arrangements were immaculate. Laser shows began as the light faded, and the disco was in full swing to the delight of the younger crowd. The buffet was truly incredible, and one by one the tents went up for the participants to enjoy a night of dancing, eating and finally sleeping.
At sunrise the participants awoke to climb the Tel Morab which is one of the largest dunes in the U.A.E. to watch the spectacular sunrise between the dunes. Refreshed and exhilarated by the experience they bid each other goodbye but not before resolving to come again next year, Inshallah!
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