With nothing but a camera, a plastic knife, and a watermelon, we hit the desert at Wahiba Sands in one of the hottest months of the year, lovely July. Yeah, so what we didn’t have a compass? That’s irrelevant. The fact is we had no idea how to drive this 4×4!

After getting stuck many times in the sand, we learned and it was one of the funnest excursions I have ever taken. Our chief objective was to drive up every single sand dune at top speed and rock on down alive. It was the bumpiest ride ever and we were all hitting our head on the sides and roof of the vehicle. The pulse of energy was amazing and the dares kept on getting better and better. Mind you, we were 5 guys in the car all cursing and provoking each other on in the name of manliness.

Did I mention it was hot? I had 6 liters of water in a couple of hours – it was crazy. Yeah, so we also took a huge watermelon and a plastic knife. That, and a soccer ball. But it was hot as hell and the sand was totally unbearable on bare foot. Still we raced and played soccer and took all these crazy pictures, some of which you see here!

I don’t think I have ever been hotter in my life. Sweat was pouring down my body by the bucket. The nicest part of it all was that there was no one in sight, save a couple of Bedouin tents we found here and there. The desert landscape was perfect and beautiful, unmarred by any human impressions – impeccable. There are few scenes in nature like this – the sand was vast like an ocean all around us; the turmoil of it deadly if unaided.

So there we were, driving through the sands, and we see some camels just chilling there. This desert was the real thing. It was just like the movies. Something about it was very peaceful; nothing in sight, just the whirring whisper of the wind. There is no feeling like the tart bite of the desert – a reminder of death, the strength and desperation of solitude, and the power of God.