Trouble in the Valley of Palms (Wadi Disah)

We have started each day of the trip explaining to the kids where we will visit and what we will see there. Because one of our children has sensory processing difficulties and a lot of anxiety we generally live our lives like this; describing each day what to expect at every step of the way. It's hard to prepare kids for all eventualities of a road trip though and indeed it is all part of an adventure to cross into the unknown, wriggle out of your comfort zone and encounter unexpected surprises! To help them embrace the unknown aspects of our road trip we have given each day an exciting title. The journey to Wadi Disah for example we named ( cue dramatic music) 'The Quest For the Valley of Palms'. We found this set the tone for an adventure and the many mishaps that could happen on the way!

The trip to Wadi Disah wasn't part of our original plan but like all great road trips it is important to be able to go where the wind takes you and after seeing some posts from others who had visited we decided it would be worth the detour and extra driving time.

The drive to Wadi Disah took us through rugged mountains and tiny towns. We passed camels, goats and donkeys grazing on pockets of green. The sparse pockets turned to tropical as we neared the valley and rugged grey turned to huge red rock formations that stood like towers guarding the stream that fed the entire valley. It was magnificent and we were awestruck. We knew not to take the car past the entrance of the wadi as complete off roading novices but the sight was overwhelmingly magnetic and we were rubbish at resisting. The car bumped over the stream and I to the sand and just like that we were stuck.

The trance stopped abruptly with revving engine and spinning tyres and a sudden flash of the awfulness of being stuck in a wadi with kids crying 'I'm hungry' on repeat until somebody could get to us to tow us out.

No. That was not going to be my fate on this trip. Although totally fitting, this was not how I was going to end 2020.

We got out and took a look at the damage. Yes there were tracks, yes we drove beside them into deep sand instead and yes, we were definitely stuck. Of course at that moment, Norah tells me she has done a pee in her actual car seat no less and Aaliyah and Haris find it an appropriate time to argue over who gets to put their body parts in the middle seat.

A very helpful group of Saudi men clocked us and came to offer to push us out but we did the very English thing and told them, no it's fine, all under control thanks, stiff upper lip and all that business and cried inside as we watched them drive off!

Long story short, we dug out the tyres, deflated them and pushed the car out. 'Hooray, teamwork' I yelled as I high fived the kids who stood there looking so tiny in this giant oasis. It was as if we had been transported into some epic action, adventure movie. The red rock soared towards the sky as if the pillars had shot from the ground triggered by a secret switch in a jungle of lush palms. The stream that blanketed the whole area with green was just lazily flowing down the centre, understated and unastounding.

Maybe it was the season but the area was busy with flies and so, we had a little hike but didn't pitch up a picnic as planned. Instead we ate on the way to our next adventure; 'The Race to the Red Sea'!