Yep! We went dune-bashing in Ras al-Khaimah! What on earth is dune-bashing? An extraordinarily fun version of off-roading done in the desert, that’s what! Kate had the hook-up, and that hook-up was her friend, TJ who is actually a member of the Abu Dhabi Dune-bashing Club! He picked us up, let a lot of air out of his tires, and then took us up and down sand dunes, sometimes stopping right on the cliffs leaving us dangling from our seat-belts and with the same feeling you get when you’re on a roller-coaster dangling high above the ground face-down. That being said, he was a super safe driver, not only did he know exactly what he was doing, he tried to educate us a little about driving and bashing in the desert as we went up and down the dunes. (You rock, TJ!)
After bashing, we went for (Yemeni) Mandi.
This glorious dish is simple, yet fantastic. The chicken is cooked in a stone oven underground and then served on top of a huge pile of rice. The experts (Kate, Andrew, and TJ) told us to get the yogurt. We followed suit, dumping the not so spicy tomato based sauce into the yogurt and then pouring it on the rice or dipping the chicken into it. I’m getting so accustomed to eating with my fingers, I’m not at the moment prepared to use a fork. Good thing, we have a ways to go before I find that I’ll need to use one!
FYI: Andrew and I (being the foodies that we are, er, that Andrew has totally turned me into) are keeping a Pinterest board (Liz and Andrew eat their way around the world) of all of our favorite foods we have tried on the road! We’re trying to include recipes as well so we don’t forget what we loved and have the motivation to make it all when we get back home (you know, wherever home may be in a year)! If you’re feeling adventurous give one of the dishes a whirl- but please let us know how it turned out, as we haven’t had the pleasure of trying these recipes out yet!
