Thomas Varghese

To tell you the truth I'm up at 3 am for any morning drive and leave my home in Ajman around 5 so that my fellow desertnauts will not have to wait for me. Rain, Fog, Hailstorms are not going to stop me from joining the drive. I have driven through all these weather and can tackle all this and currently trying to tame the sands. Rub Al Khail had always fascinated me and one day I will cross the EMPTY QUARTER in my car thanks to all the valuable lessons learned from here.

@Wrangeld I agree and have no problem. Just informed you about the weather conditions and the outside temperatures 2 days back.

@Mohamed Seidam The last full day drive under @Ale Vallecchi on 15th Jan was scheduled at 8 am and still fellow desertnauts found it extremely difficult to reach in the dense fog and our briefing had to be held in the car as it was too cold to get outside. I just mentioned it so that you won't be surprised.

@Wrangeld considering the foggy conditions early morning I request you if the drive can start half an hour later. I can be on site any time whatever the weather but last Saturday we almost froze when we got out of the car to deflate for @Ale Vallecchi's drive.

@Francois Germishuys it was indeed an awesome drive. I enjoyed it to the fullest. Looking forward to more drives like this. If a fewbie drive is like this I can only guess what will be an intermediate drive.

Thanks for the kind words @Islam Soliman

The best fast paced drive I had till date. @Ale Vallecchi u organized a superb drive. Lucky not to be stuck on my 1st fewbie drive but lost concentration for a second as my glove box popped open on a ridge crisscross and all things inside jumped out. By the time I realized I have to cross my momentum was more and I had no choice but continue the slide sloping. Sorry everybody for holding you all up for my mistake. I rarely lose concentration while driving but when I take my eyes off the road which happened only few times in my 41 years of driving I made serious accidents. This time I escaped without any harm but apologize for the delay. I hope I did good for my 1st fewbie drive vouched by @Ale Vallecchi. Would love to hear the comments of fellow desertnauts on my performance.

and what a full day debut for me. I'm so excited. 8 hours. By the time we finish I think I will feel like I went through a washing machine.

actually you were at the pink rock watching us driving up and instructing not to hit the rocks

@Rahimdad

congrats and May God Bless You and family @Barry

Yes I carry the camera bag during the drives. I keep it in the back seat and not in the trunk to avoid violent shakes to the gear. I got to capture beautiful sunsets a couple of times. You never know when you get to watch beautiful moments and your mind tells you to capture and record it to relive that moment.

I always carry my camera bag where ever I go. Its become a joke in my family. But I really missed an opportunity once. I was driving through the highway nearby the Sharjah Airport and the sun was just rising and the sun appeared in the middle of the road between the lamp posts. It was as if the road was the highway to heaven. The caption HIGHWAY TO HEAVEN crossed my mind and I suddenly remembered I didn't take my camera that day. Since then wherever I go I carry my camera. But once that opportunity to capture that moment was lost I never could find the same after all these years.