Thanksgiving in the Desert

My good friend Carlos came to visit us during Thanksgiving weekend, so instead of joining some friends for a traditional feast, we took a dhow cruise on the Corniche and headed to the desert the next day. Dhows are traditional wooden boats used by fishermen and their open decks made for a perfect view of Abu Dhabi’s skyline. In the pictures, you’ll see how the buildings have been decorated for UAE National Day. The country celebrated thirty-seven years of being the United Arab Emirates on December 2nd. The streets were full of people and cars were decorated from top to bottom with UAE flag colors. We also enjoyed traditional dances and marching bands along the parks on the Corniche. We actually hosted a National Day party in our room since our hotel is in a perfect location. We had a great time and Michael was so glad to have a day off from work. Ok back to the desert. On Friday, we headed out with 20 friends and friends of friends on a desert safari. They took us out on three 4X4 SUVs about 45 minutes out from the city. Since I am pregnant and had to skip the dune bashing, we went to the camp first. They have a nice set up in the middle of the desert with camels ready to ride. (I had to skip that too L ) Everyone else except for me and a friend, who stayed back with me, hit the sand dunes. I can’t wait to go one day after the baby, but you’ll see some great pics of the others. What impressed me most about the experience was the absolute peace and quiet. I don’t think there is anything as quiet as the desert. I took some time to journal and enjoy the scenery. Once everyone else got back the par-tay began. People smoked shisha, got henna tattoos, and took pictures in traditional Arabic dress. Michael even went sand boarding down this huge sand dune. He held up really well until he realized he was heading straight for his pregnant wife! The served us a nice buffet including my favorites – hummus, tabouleh, mutabal (eggplant dip), and grilled meats. We had a belly dancer who of course asked all of us to join her. The best part was when they turned all of the camp lights off and we all laid there staring at the night sky. The stars were breathtaking and we have all vowed to go back for overnight camping. What made the moment even more special was that I felt my baby girl kick for the first time!