Holiday Trip to UAE Part 3: Dessert Fun

Naturally, being in the Middle East, the dessert was a big attraction.  So we ventured into the sands several times for some fun.  One of the first things we did was go camping along the Indian Ocean in Fujairah.  The beach was very relaxing, and we had a great time snorkeling, paddle boarding, kayaking, and making smores over a bonfire at night.  The girls loved seeing real ocean fish and identified many also found in Finding Nemo.  Heather even identified two large, 6-foot sharks that swam near her while snorkeling.  Apparently, sharks are common in this area and are rarely aggressive.  Hate to be there when they decide to be otherwise.

 

Separately, right before we left to return to Japan, Heather and I went kayaking through the mangroves that line one side of the city.  We didn't get any good pics, but we saw a bunch of wild flamingos up close and had good views of the city.  Nice way to end the trip.

We spent another morning watching camel races.  Those animals can haul when they want to.  Obviously not as fast as a horse, but the track was close to 8 miles long, and they cover that ground pretty fast.  For one of the races, Elli and Will Hamblin tried to beat the camels in a footrace.  They lost, but their effort was admirable.  

Finally, we also spent an afternoon/evening running around large sand dunes outside of Abu Dhabi.  The kids loved the dunes and hardly stopped running, jumping, sledding, dancing all over them the entire time we were there.  At one point, we got to the highest dune and had a race to the bottom between myself, Kenny, and Tyler.  Whoever got to the bottom first without falling.  I definitely had the speed but ate it hard as I came to the bottom of the hill.  The more cautious Tyler claimed victory as a result.