Category Archives: Middle East The United Arab Emirates is the country of Superlatives – world’s largest tower, largest mall, best mountain road, only seven star hotel, only artificial islands shaped into palms and the planet… And yet, between the surface of modernity is a country that still holds a few surprising cultural traditions for those willing to look.  I’ve only ever overlanded in Africa, a continent full of campsites. In the United Arab Emirates, where there are no campsites to speak of, I’m having overlander-adjustment issues. Sleeping in petrol stations, showering with bum-guns over mosque squat toilets, and using the toilet, ummm, whenever and wherever we can is going to take some getting used to.  It’s impossible to visit Saudi Arabia as a tourist, so our three-day transit visa would have to suffice. A country suffused with mystery and forbidden exoticism, I was looking forward to the glimpse I would get into Saudi Arabian life. The journey., however, was filled with unexpected challenges that left us racing for the U.A.E. border.  It was finally time to leave Africa. We had our Saudi Arabian transit visas, we had our tickets for the ferry to Jeddah, and now, all we had to do was board the ferry from Suakin and leave Africa behind. |
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