Wild, wild wadi...
by Renay Pattison
http://travel.iafrica.com/expats/middleeast/268725.htm
September 20, 2003
The UAE is blessed with 365 sunshine days a year, almost. When the sun isn't blazing down, it is usually due to a sultry coastal fog or the hot winds blowing in from the Empty Quarter in Saudi Arabia causing the blue sky to disappear behind a blanket of fine sand. This means that most days you can enjoy the wave-less warm waters of the Persian Gulf, and the fine white sand and float your troubles away on the extra-buoyant water.

Thankfully, the weather isn't quite as monotonous as I have made out; January and February can get quite cool when the wind blows from the snow-covered peaks in Iraq and Lebanon. And, during the summer months — between June and October — a splash in the sea requires a flying sprint over the blazing sand, and a leap into the warm, salty sea.

The sunny weather is also interrupted by rain. Yes, unbelievably, we get rainy days here! The marble paving turns into a treacherous slipway and chaos rules on the roads. The concrete jungle becomes flooded in minutes and you need to avoid walking under awnings as layers of dust start running down the buildings in brown rivulets. The rain doesn't usually last very long and within a couple of hours, the sun is hard at work sucking up all the new little puddles.

After a couple of days of light drizzle at the beginning of the year, it was only in April that we experienced our first desert storm. It billowed up in the evening with gale-force winds, racing clouds and thick streaks of lightning. The wind howled through the streets, and against the black night we could see grey clouds crashing into the tall buildings. Fountains emptied as their spray was swept away, and pedestrians frantically made their way home. It seemed that the storm would blow itself out, but it carried on for hours and finally broke in a downpour in the early hours of the morning.

The rain lasted well into the next day, but even in the dim light we could see the wreckage of the night before — flooded roads, leaves and branches strewn everywhere, and the constant wail of sirens signalling the discovery of some new destruction. It was the highest recorded rainfall in a decade and there was major flooding of streets and buildings throughout the UAE. The dry desert wadis (a wadi is a dry river bed – a favourite spot for 4x4s, but extremely dangerous in the rainy season) became substantial rivers overnight and reports of havoc filled the sodden morning newspaper.

Wild Wadi
Although Terry (my husband) had taken leave for Easter, our plans for spending 90 percent of our time at the beach took a back seat. By Sunday though, the weather had cleared and warmed up and we made new plans to spend Easter Monday at the nearby beach. Plans changed again though, as the radio weather forecaster came on and said "great day for Wild Wadi" — and so two minutes later we were out the door and racing downstairs.

Wild Wadi is Dubai's biggest water amusement park and is at the entrance of Burj Al Arab (Arab Tower), the instantly recognisable Dubai hotel in the shape of a sail which is built on a man-made island. With room rates in the region of dhs2000 (R4000) per person per night it is only for the seriously well-heeled.

Tickets are quite expensive at dhs100 per person, but this the only fee you pay for unlimited use of the park. To prove that you've paid, you are given a disc on a strap which you wear like a watch. You can also have your disc 'filled' with money so that if you want to buy drinks or food you just swipe your disc instead of worrying about carrying your wallet around. Towels and lockers are also provided. The staff are very friendly and efficient and surprise, surprise, a lot of them are South Africans and we were greeted with smiles and 'geniet julle dag'.

We weren't too sure how anything worked or what to expect but the first thing that struck us was the fact that everyone was in a costume — bikinis, bathing suits, shorts or Speedos. After our experiences of modesty on the beaches, it was like walking into a nudist colony!

Master Blasters
After dumping our towels, the first thing Terry wanted to do was take on the Master Blasters. These are huge slides that have water pumping out of them so fast that it carries you along uphill while sitting in a rubber tube. We had no idea what it was going to be like, but after the first couple of seconds, we both nearly lost our pants and very quickly learnt to lift our butts at the beginning of the slide.

It's like a roller coaster but a lot smoother and less scary, and is a lot of fun, once you get the hang of it. I laughed and screamed the whole time. They have lifeguards about every 10m, and at times the slides come to a junction where you can choose where you want to go and the lifeguards pull and push you into place.

We also spent quite a bit of time in the wave pool. A good place to catch your breath as gentle waves bob you about. While I lay in the sun, Terry tried out the wave machines and after some spectacular wipe-outs, started to get the hang of it. Then we went on the Flood River; gentle water that goes round in a big circle and goes under two 'waterfalls' and when you least expect it a huge tidal wave comes out of nowhere — hence the name!

Then it was off to the Jumeirah Sceirah — a slide of note! They advertise it as "travelling between 60 and 80km per hour, you will experience the exhilaration of weightlessness". A more accurate description would be along the lines of "a deceptively tall slide that will have you terrified all the way down — along the way you will get a wedgy at the speed of between 60 and 80km per hour..." Ouch. An experience not to be repeated.

After a few more rides on the tubes and the Flood River we were thoroughly water-logged, sun-drenched and exhausted! It really was well worth the trip out to Dubai and we had a great time. It also didn't take long for the aches and pains to set in, along with sunburnt noses and shoulder!