Second day in Dubai: Spent the morning on shore in the aircoditioned Port Rashid Terminal preparing and sending our blogs using free internet because we had not realised that our wifi allowance ended when we docked yesterday and we still had 123 minutes left to use but theses were " lost " to us because the first leg of pour cruise ended at Dubai and the new allowance stats when we leave Dubai tonight. Many other passengers were also caught out and were also taking advantage of the free wifi and coolness of the terminal as it was 40C outside.
At 4 pm when it was a little cooler we left by coach for an air-conditioned 4WD Desert Safari excursion. We headed out over the city bypass modern highways and into the outskirts of this desert city. On the way we saw the Burj Khalifa (world's tallest building) again and many other high rise and office buildings. Our driver also pointed out a recently completed attraction called the Frame. It looks just like a gigantic picture frame and it has lifts to a restaurant and viewing platform for views over the city.
As we entered the suburbs on the outskirts of Dubai, the landscape revealed sandy deserts dotted with apartments, more malls, the Sheikhs' palace and a camel racecourse. Camel racing has always been popular in Dubai. in the past children were exploited as jockeys ( because they were lighter than adult jockeys) but today robots have replaced children and camel racing is a multi- million industry with camels being spurred on through clever manipulation on computers. As we drove past the racecourse we saw several packs of decorated camels lined up for their late afternoon training session.
Our first stop was at the entrance to the Dubai Desert Conservation Area which was set up in the 1990's when the ruler, sheikh Rashid bin Saeed al Maktoum became concerned about the disappearance of the country's wild life. The reservation now provides a safe roaming area for the Arabian Oryx (a type of antelope), camels, deer and bird life. Now wild life numbers are increasing and there is less fear that some native life will become extinct. Groups of Bedowin live in this reservation to maintain upkeep of this 200 square kilometre reserve. They also provide safari excursions on camels and in 4WD and host camping expeditions around oasis areas. We left the bus and climbed to the top of on of the reddish sandhills to gain a view over part of the desert reserve. It was pretty tough climbing up the steep, shifting sands but most of our group succeeded in reaching the top, having filled our shoes with sand. One lady " lost" her sneaker in the sand and it took a team of tourists to locate it because the sand is very fine and it avalanches down like a waterfall as the people began digging for the sneaker. After a cool drink we climbed into 4WD vehicles for a "wild" sand dune rally-types race around the tracts of open sand dune country. All the 4WD vehicles were fitted out with padded internal safety bars and experienced drivers who described our adventure as a roller coaster ride. Ken was in the front seat but I was happy to take a back seat . 
The ride was comfortable because the tyres had been deflated so that the vehicles could move easily over the sand hills. At times we were on the rim of a sand dune cirque and next thing we were sliding down the other side and snaking across the desert floor. It 
was exhilarating but not dangerous. Our. Driver stopped frequently so that we could take photographs of animal life and the changing shadowpatterns that formed as the late afternoon sun began to set. We saw deer, oryx, camels and the tiniest, cutest desert lizard which was beautifully camouflaged on one of the sandhills we walked down. It was only just 10cm in length and it froze- posed when it sighted us so our whole group was able to photograph it. You will notice that the desert colours change in many of the photographs due to the changing evening light and the direction of the sun. The sand colours changed from sandy yellows, to peach and even deep orangey-red tones.
We sat on a sandhill and watched the sun set behind the distant
mounds of sand. The desert was so peacefully silent as we sat on the sand waiting for the sun to set. When it had set the
sky became a brilliant golden colour and there was not a cloud in sight to add any contrast in the sky. After further photo shoots we climbed into our 4WD's and headed for a lively Arabian campsites set up within the reservation and run by a group of local bedouin tribes who care for and main the conservation of this area.
We were so surprised when we arrived at the campsite which has been set up as an Arabian restaurant in the desert. The food smelt delicious as we entered an open air courtyard walled in beautiful carpets. There was a central entertainment area encircled by low tables for guests. Before being seated many guests enjoyed having camel rides. Ken took a ride and I acted as photographer. It was a magic moment on a camel in an Arabian desert at night!
We travelled back across the sandhills and watched a lone star all the way back to the ship.
