Sand Shoes

Sunrise from the resort room was spectacular with the colours and shadows of the early morning light creating different effects on the rise and fall of the sand dunes.  We had arrived in the dark of night and could now see how isolated our resort was - surrounded only by desert sands and nothing else.  From the highway, we had driven 14 km through nothing but sand.  We discovered this by taking a walk all the way round the resort up and down the sand dunes.  Sometimes the sand was hard and a small footprint was left on the surface showing where we had been.  Other times, my leg sunk almost to my knee as the soft sand gave way on the edge of the dune.  I began to regret wearing my boots as they became heavier as they filled up with more sand with every step, like the way water rushes in when you step into a pond.

Having explored the immediate surrounds, we asked a hotel staff member for advice on what could be seen nearby. He suggested we visit an oasis and  palace and also look at the world's largest sand dune.  When we asked how we could view the largest sand dune, he told us we were already in it!  Directions to the oasis and palace were sketchy and once we realised there were no roads and we would need to drive over the world's largest sand dune in small car not built for such a purpose, we abandoned the idea rapidly! 

Taking to the right side of the ungraded road, we decided to see where the roads would lead.  This was my first opportunity to drive on the opposite side of the road in a left-hand drive vehicle.  More sand dunes, the occasional camel, small farms of palm trees and workers villages came into view between the mounds of sand.  On reaching the main road, we also found a small town with identical homes, a small mosque and not much else.  Heading back to the resort, we watched the sun set over the sand dunes.