Muse: Dubai - Hatta, Sand Duning and Dinner on Dubai Creek

This year for spring break, most of my friends headed off to Panama City, Cancun or Key West. Any other year I would have joined them, lounging on the beach, working on my tan and lazily finishing off the Hunger Games trilogy. But this year was different. This year I had the chance to travel to a region I never thought I would step foot on in my life. I had the opportunity to learn about a culture drastically distinct from my own, that is so often scrutinized and berated under the American political microscope. And perhaps most incredibly, I had the pleasure of meeting twelve lovely young women, who not only welcomed my friends and I into their country, but into their homes and lives. During the week we spent with these girls, they proudly toured us around their city and helped us to understand the cultural differences frequently used to divide us, but which really only add to the beauty that makes up our diverse world.

Alas, let's move on to our week-long excursion in one of the most exciting cities of the world--Dubai.

Yall'ah! (That means "let's go" in Arabic, one of the three words I managed to learn)

After a mere 13 hours in the air, our plane finally landed in Dubai and we arrived at our hotel around 2AM. My roommate TC and I headed straight to bed, as we knew the next day was not only early, but packed full of activities. By 9AM, we had showered, dressed, eaten breakfast and caffeinated up, ready for our first day in Dubai!

Six of the wonderful Emirati ladies from Zayed University accompanied us on our trip into the desert. Our bus headed to Hatta Heritage Village first, a nearly two hour drive away from Dubai, during which we briefly rolled through Oman (it counts! one more country!). On our way to Hatta, the professor of our group from Zayed University, Sara, explained to us why the sand had been slowly morphing into a more auburn shade. As we trekked further into the desert and away from the water, the sand takes on an increasingly redder hue. Looking out into the sandy abyss, I couldn't believe my eyes. Miles of desert stretched out on both sides of the road and I could make out the shadowy outlines of camels in the distance. Of course, this was the first time I had ever seen a camel and immediately started shrieking in excitement, instructing the other students to take a look. The Emirati girls chuckled at my hysterics over the camels, and told me that although most are branded and belong to someone, some camels still roam freely. Wild camels!

Finally we arrived at Hatta. After climbing up the rocky terrain to an old fort, some of the girls explained to us the history behind Hatta. The town, sheltered by mountains and protected by numerous forts, proved to be a strategic spot for Emiratis to defend themselves from invading Omanis or Brits, depending on the time period. Hatta is now preserved for tourists to see what a traditional Emirate village looked like. The most interesting part of this trip was when the girls explained to us that this was how their parents lived. Not great grandparents or even grandparents, their parents. Only one generation ago in the UAE, most people lived in small villages equipped with only a well for water and no electricity or plumbing to speak of. This all changed of course, when oil was discovered in 1960 and the seven emirates unified to form the United Arab Emirates in 1971. As oil wealth poured into the country, life for the Emirati became much more comfortable. Emiratis don't have to pay income or federal-level corporate taxes, making the country essentially tax free, while still providing free education (including college) and healthcare. Just a few differences from the U.S., right?

Hatta Heritage Village

Our Zayed-Delaware Group!

The beautiful Zayed ladies who trekked to Hatta with us

The Majlis, where community members can engage in open discussion with leaders about any issues or concerns they may have

After our visit to Hatta, we hopped back on our bus headed for that red sand again. And this time we didn't just drive by. We got to play in it! With all that desert stretching for miles, Emirates and tourists alike often take advantage of the natural landscape by thrashing through the sand with powerful (and sometimes very expensive) cars, trucks, or in our case, All Terrain Vehicles (ATV's). I couldn't wait to hop on my ATV once we landed at the park site, especially because the competitive streak in me was already itching to beat my friend TC on the dunes. TC and I playfully eyed each other up, then hit the dunes at full speed.

Sand Duning in the desert

Brittany, me and Kelia ready to hit the dunes!

TC on her ATV

Brittany and I having fun before zooming off again

TC took this picture, so pretty.

They had a plethora of birds at the park site (including a peacock), along with two monkeys and a donkey that kept wondering around aimlessly. I'm still not sure why they were there...

I know it's touristy, but I had never even seen a camel before Dubai, let alone ride one! So, yes, I insisted on the camel ride, even though it was only about one minute long. As you can probably guess (you know, with the humps and all), they aren't the most comfortable to sit on. What really surprised me though was how the animals stood up and sat down. They essentially have to topple over back and forth because their legs are so long. It's as if they have two knees on each leg--and they can't bend their front legs and back legs at the same time, which makes for a bumpy ride up and down. It's best to hold on tight!

After our day in the dessert, we dusted off quickly at the hotel before heading out to dinner in the Souk Jumeirah. The souk, or market, is home to a range of clothing and antique shops, but also a number of bustling restaurants. The weather turned a little cold and drizzled every now and then, but our resilient group remained outdoors! Munching on Lebanese kebabs with the view of Dubai Creek spread in front of me, I barely noticed the rain.