The Sand Dunes of Qatar
During my stay in Qatar, I was able to experience a lot of firsts. I cozied up to camels, swam in the Persian/Arabian Gulf, climbed the stairs of the oldest mosque in the country, dined in some of the fanciest spots in Doha, and my personal favorite: sat up front during a crazy dune bashing adventure in the Arabian Desert; one of the scariest and most exhilarating things I've ever done.
My driver was a friendly, outgoing Egyptian guy in his late thirties who shared strange, personal stories with me, like the time he went to a brothel in Europe and told me in detail what happened, and the time he visited strip clubs in the states and had never seen anything like them. (He really liked Las Vegas.) He spoke with enthusiasm and laughed non-stop. My sides hurt from laughing along with him as we drove up and down the huge dunes. He was blasting techno music the entire time and I just about lost my mind when suddenly New Found Glory started playing and he knew all the words. It wasn't even Sticks and Stones NFG, it was Nothing Gold Can Stay NFG. I couldn't believe it! (If you're unfamiliar with that band, it's probably for the best, but they're a pop-punk band I was obsessed with in my early teenage years.) I couldn't believe I was in the Middle East on a sand dune roller coaster ride listening to New Found Glory with my new friend. It was too strange but so amazing!
The car ride itself is pretty terrifying, but you just have to trust that the driver knows what they're doing. You slide sideways down hills to the point where it feels like the car is going to flip on its side, you drive full speed to the top of a hill and then take flight on your way down, watching the sand surround the vehicle while you're in mid-air. Though I was pretty freaked, I was still smiling from ear to ear. It's definitely not something you should try if you have a queasy stomach, a bad back, or a fear of heights!
The views were phenomenal and I loved digging my feet into the sand, wondering if I was the first person to do so in that spot in such a unique, remote place. From the top of certain hills, you could see Saudi Arabia in the distance. I've always been drawn to the beauty of the Middle East and feel so grateful that I was given the chance to explore Qatar and see the desert. I really hope I'll be able to visit that part of the world again someday. There's still so much I want to see!