It is difficult to be interested in Arabia and not be familiar with Wilfred Thesiger’s books, where
he depicts his travels and adventures throughout the area in his own personal style. Most notably, he was
made famous by his writings on a vast territory which was then hardly known to Europeans (mid-1950’s).
Vast indeed, and very harsh as well. The so-called ‘Empty Quarter of Arabia’ comprises the Rub
al Khali desert, the largest volume of sand per area on the face of the earth. Simply put, it is called this
because no-one lives there.
Thesiger was the first Westerner to cross the Empty Quarter , a feat he accomplished twice, together with
his bedu friends and guides. This was during the 1940’s, so camels and walking, rather than the more
comfortable 4WD’s, was the norm. I am fascinated by deserts, and how even in such inhospitable conditions,
life has found a way to cling to the sand. It was only natural then that whilst living in Oman , I grabbed
the first chance to go and visit the Empty Quarter , together with more experienced friends. Although conditions
have changed since Thesiger’s time, a good amount of planning is still necessary to prepare for such
a trip. 4WD vehicles are good, but they do not work without petrol. Thus, extra jerry cans with fuel had
to be catered for. As well as plenty of water and food. Even in January, when we had planned to make the
trip, temperatures in the desert are well above 30 degrees Celsius. In summer temperatures often exceed 50
degrees Celsius.
With all the preparations in place, we set off from Muscat towards the Southwest, following a well established
route that basically links some of the oil fields in North Oman . The Fahud field was the last refueling
point; after that, a large area of flat and non-descriptive sabkha awaited us. The condition of the sabkha
can vary a lot, depending on the amount of rainfall. We were lucky because the terrain was dry instead of
mushy which could have caused a problem for the cars to drive through.
It felt like driving on another planet, particularly when in the distance the first sand dunes of the Rub
Al Khali started to appear, apparently out of nowhere. The first impression one gets is a mirage, because
they seem to float above the ground amidst the heat haze. After a while, we get significantly closer to them
and it is interesting to note the various shapes and sizes: star-dunes and crescent-shaped dunes are quite
common, often separated by white salt flats. This contrast is beautiful. My respect for Thesiger and his
companions deepens since they crossed similar terrain barefoot with the sharp salt crystals cutting their
feet.
My first contact with the Rub al Khali will remain one of my most significant memories forever. Of course,
by then my camera and tripod were already out of the car, and I was shooting like crazy. Even though I was
not the only one taking pictures, it was time to return to the track, follow our GPS and find the camping
spot. This was located near the border between Oman and Saudi Arabia . Apparently, it is somewhat popular
to camp there as one can make a short (but illegal) foray into Saudi Arabia to have a beer. Indeed it is
illegal, but there doesn’t appear to be anyone around to make it any more difficult than to walk about
one kilometer (it is truly the Empty Quarter !) into Saudi Arabia .
We set up camp at the foot of a mountain of sand more than 200 metres high. The late afternoon light was
beautiful, so I wasted no time in climbing up the dune to take a few shots. Excitement was rushing through
my veins, as I shot frame after frame of Velvia 100F film. A word of warning: in the desert, sand gets everywhere
and the wind is quite strong, particularly at sunset and sunrise times. It is important to keep your camera
and lenses safely tucked away inside your bag, while not shooting. I found out about that the hard way!
I returned to the camp for an uneventful evening, comprising of star gazing and excellent camaraderie.
There are not many places left on earth where one can contemplate the night sky without light pollution.
It is simply awe inspiring. I had plans to shoot long 2 to 3 hour exposures of the night sky. Unfortunately,
the wind was too strong. Maybe next time I will be more lucky…
As if to make our trip even more interesting, it rained during the night. I was amazed to realize that
it does rain in the desert and it also explained the small patches of vegetation conveying a cheerful tone
of green among the red landscape. I woke up early for some sunrise shots. I was surprised to see that the
sky was overcast with heavy clouds, which made for some interesting unusual sunrise pictures over the dunes.
Deserts are simply full of endless photographic subjects, from the vast sand dune fields, to the more intimate
sand texture and patterns. There are two advantages of shooting early and late in the day. The first one
is that the light is gorgeous, with warm hues. The second advantage is that it is not too hot. As we were
going to spend one full day in the camp site, we were lucky because the day remained overcast. Otherwise,
make sure you have a good sun shade with you. Speaking of safety, if you wish to keep in contact with civilization,
you will need a satellite phone. Sun hats, sun creams, and plenty of water are a must too.
My morning photographic session was abruptly interrupted when my camera stopped working. Sand had finally
taken its toll. And this is the Canon EOS 1V I am talking about. Basically, the shutter would only work in
self-timer mode, not in normal drive mode. It did not impair my ability to take photos that much, since I
was using a tripod anyway. But it was cause for concern. Fortunately, my zoom lens kept working, probably
because of its weather sealing. As a backup, I also had a small compact camera with B&W film. Which reminds
me, deserts can be strikingly colorful, but it is also rewarding to capture their grandeur in B&W. The
richness of textures and patterns is stripped bare to the essential aspects of light and shadow details.
Even if you plan to convert your color shots to B&W later on, bear in mind that the two media involve
a different mindset, in terms of looking for different compositions and textures.
Later on that day we went into Saudi Arabia . Where we were, Saudi Arabia is much like Oman since it mostly
contains sand dunes and salt flats. Makes you wonder about man made borders. Once again, I am reminded of
Thesiger’s travels in this region; in his time, the “borders” were established and agreed
upon by the different tribes. He had a hard time negotiating safe passage in some instances, and quite often
was refused entrance to a particular area. He then had to proceed on his journeys disguised as a Syrian merchant.
Luckily he was able to speak fluent Arabic.
After climbing one of these majestic dunes, it is not hard to envisage Thesiger having a rest on the top
of it, before pushing ahead once more. From the top, the view is magnificent, a huge sea of sand everywhere
you look.
This is the image I want to keep in my mind: the vastness which, although called Empty, is full of life
and inspiration.
About the Author
Paulo Bizarro has been taking photographs since 1987. More of his work can be seen on
www.paulobizarro.com
. He can also be contacted at:
pbizarro35@yahoo.co.uk
