Our trip to the empty quarter between Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia did not work out so we decided to go camping in the Magic Forest with our neighbours. Click on the photos for a slide show.

This forest is magic, I suppose, because finding a forest, even as sparse as this may seem, in the desert is quite a surprise.

Just before midnight, a large group of local teenagers in about 25 4×4 vehicles came roaring through the forest. Some of them stopped to say hello and have a quick dance. Being a jolly fellow, I joined them.

In the morning, we went off exploring and managed to get a nice shot of the forest with the mountains in the background.

On the way out of the forest, as we passed through a small village adjacent to the forest, we saw the “one tree” and pondered its significance.