4.15 am. Alarm malfunction. It should be 5.15 am. Oh well, time for two cups of coffee.
It's a full moon and we set off in the dark. Us and another couple, everyone else still asleep in their beds.
My camel was on the large side and my arms not long enough, not too comfortable.
It's a very long way up but, words cannot describe how wonderful is this.
As we passed around a dune, the two men on their camels behind me were silhouetted against the huge full moon. A breath taking sight.
If only I could have captured the photo but the seconds passed all to quickly and, in any case, my hands were frozen to the bar in front of me. I dare not let go.
The cold began to seep into my bones. Twenty metres before the top of the dune the camels dropped to their knees and we had to scramble up the rest. Apparently, the camels are afraid of heights.
The guides spread out some blankets for us to sit on. It was a long wait.
The guides spoke softly to each other but we found we had nothing to say.
Slowly, very slowly the darkness receded but it did seem a very long time until the sun appeared over the top of a dune. Meanwhile, to the left of us and to the right of us and behind us, in the distance, we could see trails of camels as others arrived slowly to the top of their favoured dunes to see the same sunrise.
It felt very special that we had been first to arrive on top of the world and to have had the world to ourselves for so long.
My large, white camel
Fortunately, I was given the smaller camel for the ride back. We had lost the moon magic and it was downhill of course and having forgotten to bring gloves, my hands were stiff with cold and the 30 minute journey seemed never ending, but, none the less, this was one of the most amazing experience of my life. Never, ever to be forgotten.
Afterwards, it was porridge for breakfast and then good to spend a lazy day among the dunes, not doing very much at all and then an early night not long after sun down.
