A Sea of Sand

There was not a soul in sight. All I could see was a vast expanse of land highlighted pink and gold in the evening sun. Looking at it from a height of 5000 feet was an awesome experience and I felt instantaneously transported to an Arabian Nights tale. Arabia is beautiful, owing to its golden hued sand stretching across miles without any borders that stop its flowing.

Landing at Dubai International airport on Christmas evening was a dream come true. I had heard so much about the UAE that when the opportunity came by I couldn’t resist lapping it up. After the sandy experience prior to landing, I was welcomed with bright lights, lush palm trees and 8 lanes of traffic. Well I had arrived in another metropolis and nothing was so unusual.

My family and I love traveling and most of our travels have been great and full of fun and we expected nothing different in this case either. Our first stop was Sharjah, one of the 7 emirates that make up the UAE. Driving down to the city was fascinating as the intercity roads were flooded with lights through and through and the sheer expanse of sand and water was beautiful. The cities in all the emirates are witnessing a transformation from a sleeping desert town to international hub for trade and tourism.

Sharjah offered a glimpse of history in the form of the Al Hism fort in the business district and the numerous museums built across the docklands to preserve the little organized history of the northern UAE. The souks that dot one side of the city have been maintained very well and reflect the charm of the olden day markets.

Our next stop was Dubai. We returned with the determination of packing in a lot of sight seeing and shopping. Dubai’s most famous landmark the seven star luxury hotel Al Burj Dubai was a beautiful sight to behold in the evening. Lit to the fullest it truly signified its status and popularity. The Sheikh’s palace is vast but non descriptive as we cannot glance more than the palace walls at any time of the day.

The palm islands and their construction off the coast of Jumeirah are an architecture marvel and a place worth driving to. The old district of Bastakiya is ‘old’ yet very charming and the heart of Dubai. It takes us back in time and houses most of the restored structures of Ancient Dubai and gives us a tantalizing view in to the Arabic lifestyle and history. The Al Fahidi Fort built around 1787, now houses the Dubai museum and depicts the entire journey of Dubai and its neighboring areas all the way from the early settlements till thy struck oil. The old city also houses the Gold Souks where shopping for gold is an experience to cherish. In the cold winter chill while the sun sets the dhows that dot the creek take you back to those days when dhows from India carried loads of precious items which were then passed on to Europe by the Arabs.

Our next destination was Abu Dhabi the capital of UAE. The drive to the capital city was one of the best stretches I have ever driven. With huge mounds of sand that surround the road on both sides, they are ideal for the Desert Safari tours. With the weather getting cooler by the minute it was fun to spend the evening at the Corniche that runs along the eastern side of the city. Abu Dhabi is a treasure trove with the emirate spreading all the way to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Oman. The city of Al Ain and the Liwa Oasis are famous tourist destination and good weekend getaways.

The Emirates Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi is not only an architectural wonder but also a beautifully done up luxary hotel that gives you a glimpse of Oil money. We had the most wonderful coffee and heard some nice music while we went around the hotel, which was decked up for Christmas celebrations. The Rolls Royce phantom cars that form part of the hotel’s pick up service were a treat to the eyes.
Flying back home when I sat wondering how am I going to actually describe this travel I had no idea that one afternoon I would pour out everything and help others see the world through my eyes.

Stones of time

Misty autumn morning in mid May was something very unusual for a true Mumbaite. But then when you are in the southern hemisphere you are expected to know such practicalities. Well Melbourne city was already up and running at 8 in the morning as I trudged alone to find the way to my coach that would take me to the Twelve Apostles on the Great Ocean road.

Remember Salaam Namaste, where Saif and Priety have a cute house facing blue waters??? The great ocean road is a long winding road covering several miles built on the edge of the mountains that border the pacific and south ocean. The Great Ocean Road is more than a road – it represents the coastal region of south-west Victoria, Australia, running from the Bellarine Peninsula to Warrnambool.

Were you aware that the Great Ocean Road is the world's biggest war memorial? The Great Ocean Road which stretches along the South Eastern coast of Australia was built between World War I and World War II by returned servicemen in honour of their fallen comrades. The road took 16 long years to build and it was all done by hand using picks shovels and dynamite. Both the water and terrain is extremely treacherous and moving through this region in the olden days was a huge task by itself.
When we started towards the coastal town of Torquay, I was so amazed to see such a variety of blues. Popularly known as ‘Surfers’ paradise’, this pacific coastal town was indeed paradise. There were many surfing enthusisasts down at the beach braving the cold winds trying to ride a wave. It was a very different experience for someone who has a huge coastline back home yet can’t seem to know what to do with it. The tour proceeded towards our destination. We passed through the first official town of Lorne. The town was also proud host of a national park which had its own share of flora and fauna.

Our coach guide Tony was so much fun, that it was a real pleasure to enjoy the picturesque surroundings. The best part of the Great Ocean Road was its winding, narrow roads which dipped and upped depending on the natural mountain formations. The road moves through farm land, kangaroo land, evergreen forests and high cliffs.

Hugging tightly to the coast, the road offered us some outstanding views of Bass Strait and the Southern Ocean and covered some of the most photogenic coastline in the world, because of its striking and dramatic natural rock formations. We entered Apollo bay a quaint town which offered us a panoramic view of the ocean with the waves softly lapping on the beach. We had lunch along with the ever chaotic sea gulls for company.

On boarding the coach we were acquainted with a legend. The original road plan was to build the entire stretch parallel to the coast but unfortunately this was not possible due to the terrain. I was so thrilled to follow the dark aquamarine colour of the pacific when suddenly the coach moved inwards towards the evergreen forests that bordered the slopes.

We had entered a protected eco sensitive area. The Otway National park a koalas’ reserve on the Great Ocean road. It was breath taking experience seeing rows of eucalyptus trees and the ever lazy koala’s sleeping on their horizontal branches. The Otway National park today comprises of the former Angahook-Lorne, Carlisle and Melba Gully State Parks, as well as other state land. However most national parks in Australia have a natural enemy- the bushfire. Bushfires are a natural occurrence and shape the forests of the Otways. Historically several wildfires have burnt through the Otways - the last major fire was Ash Wednesday in 1983, which also has a memorial to its credit.

Heading westwards we moved in to the South Ocean zone. Cape Patton welcomed us on our way towards Port Campbell national park. The coast beckoned us to be adventurous and look out at the beautiful creation of Nature. We had reached the town of Port Campbell, which boasted of the marvelous limestone rock formations jutting out like pillars slightly off the beach at Campbell bay. Being an avid traveler I wanted to see the entire formations and so decided to take a helicopter ride. The aerial view was so breathtaking. From a height of close to 1000 meters above sea level the apostles looked every bit the guards of history, standing witness to the cold winds, rough waters and the colorful history of state of Victoria.

The Twelve Apostles were formed by erosion of the original coastline. The constant action of the sea on the limestone slowly wore down the rocky cliff, gradually leaving individual rocks. The cliff is still being eroded and in the future is likely to form more 'Apostles' from the existing mountains.
The twelve apostles are not the only formations at Port Campbell. There are a number of other attractions, which are equally stunning and have a history or legend supporting its existence. Loch Ard Gorge is a huge and tricky gorge formed due to the constant erosion. The gorge was the site of a shipwreck of the clipper Loch Ard that had traveled with 118 passengers all the way from Ireland. Only 2 people survived the wreck and are considered to be local heroes. A flight of 70 steps named the Gibson steps takes you down to the narrow beach with knee-deep sand.

We then proceeded towards London arch formerly known as London Bridge, due to the close resemblance of its double arches to the actual bridge. The name changed to London Arch in 1990 after the first arch collapsed, leaving two tourists stranded on the outer arch. The sunset here resembled the canvas of nature dipped in hues of pink, coral and orange. Spending those last moments before dusk settled in at the cliffs edge, I had the sensation of being at the end of the world with nothing but the vast expanse of the sky and ocean surrounding me.

The return journey was made in absolute silence with each one of us soaking in the beauty of our journey to the end of the world where there was no one except you and nature’s reality. I wondered what it would be like to return to the insane world of humanity.