It is now around 4:48 a.m., a Thursday morning on a fine September day. The sound of birds chirping, frogs competing, brooks bubbling, water gushing by the side, irritating bouncy air mat inside a tent, and the constant loud snore of grown men, all surprisingly seem to be setting the tone as well as harmonising the whole scene. The divine fragrance of nothing, together with this pure breath of fresh air invites you to places you have never been before.
Talking of places you have never been before is a virgin to the al fresco. He who has never in his 31 years of age slept outside four built walls, be it cement, wood or mud trying to pen a few words of his first ever day in an expedition. I couldn’t help but think of scenes in movies and TV programs all week just to mentally prepare myself for these events now unfolding in front of my very eyes. Scenes I never thought I would be privileged enough to experience firsthand for two very separate reasons: One, if not for my childhood mate and his team who loves the outdoors and two, for my own fears of living outside my comfort zone. I repeatedly had to tell myself that I am actually living this right now even though I’ve got one ear open to the elements that could potentially harm us. The fear seems to be fading away slowly but the defensive energy built within me wants to be ready for the worst.
I am now mumbling my thoughts into the notepad on my phone as I am still unsure where to start and how I can share this experience with the ones who aren’t here with us right now – in the middle of nowhere. Maybe I am not supposed to, as words wouldn’t do justice to what you feel out here. Just ask a seasoned outdoor junkie and I am sure they would say the same. I am continuously reminded of the natural beauty that god has created for us to explore. You are still going to need a manmade machine of some sort to start with for this sort of voyage but something tells me that these gravel lands and sand mountains wasn’t created just to be the wilderness. Some actually rigorously plan and some happen to just stumble upon events like these. Being the latter of the two, I am just one of many lucky guys who are thankful to many people whom I am surrounded by at this moment.
Three trucks full of adrenaline junkies (and myself), tents and jerry cans a top, with food and beverages at a bare minimum, I was introduced to the real meaning of travelling light. I got to admit this was the first time I boarded a vehicle with the intent of a long journey without thinking “where is my junk food?” We set off heading towards the borders of the United Arab Emirates and Oman on a very scenic and smooth cruise. As we had just finished our early but heavy brunch I could be forgiven for the attempt to nod off. Little that I knew about the bumpy ride ahead that stood between me and my daydream which wasn’t too far off after our first pit stop for fuel. The sound of the rave on a 4WD bouncing off little rocks, unearthing the peaceful sand dust was exhilarating to say the least. As the dust clouds begin to take shape, we could clearly see the truck trails we were leaving behind us for miles just as we were entering this maze of rocky mountains. The “Arabian Grand Canyon” if you ask me.
Without sounding like a nine-year old girl, I must admit I was taken back when we were out of satellite coverage. It didn’t matter how confident our dust pilots were. I had watched enough episodes of Bear Grylls to start panicking. A quick driver’s meeting was called upon probably to decide which direction we are heading towards but that was reason enough for my fear to set camp in my heart. “I thought this whole thing was pre planed” I said to myself. A welcome break nevertheless, it was almost as if they heard my stomach churning all the way from the other trucks. GoPros, SLR’s and iPhones came out in numbers to capture the exotic and scenic territory we stood upon at that moment. I was reminded not to run down the battery as it was just the tip of the iceberg. Funny I thought it was to mention an iceberg in the middle of that steaming sun.
The rugged terrain ahead was painful and uncalled for but I kept forgetting it was a thrill seeking quest that I am now a part of. At the end of it all, waiting for us was this gorgeous pool of water coming through a crevasse of rocks and running downstream, placed faultlessly in between two rock mountains – our almost perfect camp spot. Almost because we could do without the howling foxes, scorpions and the wiggly snakes. Trucks in position, we began to smell the fragrance of food even before we had started cooking. That’s how hungry we were. The smell of charcoal would have attracted more wildlife towards us but that wasn’t a thought I had at the time. Having finished supper, we began to sing our way deep into the night. And that for me was the best way to cap my first experience of an overland expedition.
Looking forward to the first daylight I crept into the tent with an intent to rest, yet here I am writing my way into dawn.
If you haven’t lived what I have today or yesterday/night for that matter, you wouldn’t know what you are missing out on. In spite of all my fears, here I am gearing up for yet another day. Yes, It’s not like I have got an option anyways in the middle of nowhere, but trust me I can’t wait do it all over again. Just dreading the toilet arrangements in the morning.
Words By: Shafy Shakeer
