Monday, November 11, 2013

Sand Roses!

Well, I now have a couple unexpected additions to the list of my life’s experiences to report.  First, I’ve been digging for hidden treasure!

Well, sort of.  You see, if you get close enough to the Arabian (Persian) Gulf so that the water table is about 3 or 4 feet under the surface, you can dig for a specific kind of treasure – Sand Roses, aka. Desert Roses.
Now I can hear you asking: “Whassa Sand Rose?”  I’ll tell you what I know: When the sand mixes with the water and the gypsum that is in the sand, the conditions here are perfect to create a specific kind of crystal.  You can see a diagram describing this process here: http://www.saudicaves.com/bulletin/sandrose.html

Now I’m going to tell you the process of how to dig for them…
So… the first thing you do is group up with some friends who have done this before, several times.  Since you’re basically living out of a hotel here and don’t really have any appropriate supplies, this step becomes very important.  You can let your friends supply the stuff you don’t have, like a shovel, work gloves, a rinsing tub, lots of water, watermelon, brownies, etc.
The next thing you do is lead a caravan out into the desert.  If you choose the correct exit, you will pass an area that looks sort of industrial.  

That will be immediately followed by an area looking like a massive landfill.  Massive as in many square miles of somewhat organized piles of junk – roasting in the desert sun.
Keep on driving past the landfill and past several camel farms.  (I don’t know what they are really called.  Camel farm works for me.)   

Keep on driving past the camels that are on/next to the roadway – like cattle.  Since this is the first time you have EVER seen camels in their native habitat, take a silly picture of the person next to you taking a picture of a camel.

At a particular one of many unmarked turnoffs, turn left.  As you are driving down this road, notice how the blowing sand has drifted across the road all over the place, sometimes a few inches thick.  Be thankful that you are in a car being driven by someone who knows how to drive in these conditions.  (As you are approaching a drift, gun it, and as soon as you enter the drift, let off the gas and sort of coast through the drift.)
At some random place that your guides recognize, do a u-turn, drive across the desert floor, hoping not to get stuck.  Get back to the road.  Get out of your car, turn around to see one of the other cars trying to dig out from getting stuck.  Pull the floor mats out of your car, use them to give the stuck car some traction and get it unstuck.
When everyone is safely back on the road, take a moment to appreciate how incredibly desolate it is.


Next, wander about from dig site to dig site, appreciating the fact that you had enough foresight NOT to own a shovel to bring.  Watch as your companions dig down about 3 feet.  About half way there, you should feel guilty enough that you offer to spell someone.  Dig for a little while, but then get totally side-tracked by the camels that are coming.  Hop out of the hole and walk back to the car to grab your camera.

Have someone who knows explain to you that this is the route by which the Bedouins drive the camels.  As the camels come up and make their way through your dig site, take lots of pictures.  Meander about until you catch the attention of one of the Bedouins who is wrangling one of the camels, eventually parking it on the ground.

Stand there, staring at him until he motions to you.  Understand that this opportunity may never come again.  Hand your camera to a friend and walk toward the parked camel.  Almost mount in front of the hump until corrected by the Bedouin.  Make your way around back.  Mount.  Grab the little tuft of hair on the top of the hump. 

Be grateful for that tuft of hair while being pitched forward as the camel begins to stand

Pause for your hero shot with the camel and smiling Bedouin.


Well, that was fun.  Put your camera away and go back and help with the digging.  Dig down until you reach the water table.  Yes, water, the only water in sight, other than what you brought with you.  Just above the water table you will find a layer of what feels like rocks buried in the sand.  Use the shovel to carefully pull them out.  Toss them up on the ground while someone else transports the rock to the rinsing bin to rinse the sand off.


When they return, you will have a sand rose.  
Cool!  



Gather all you want.  They’re free.

Just be sure to fill the hole back in when you're done.

6 comments:

  1. Well thank you, Kendra! It was sort of a banner day. I think the coolest thing for me was watching the Bedouins be... well... Bedouins. Fun times!

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  2. My girls would love to find these? Re: Bedouins - High Nibley talks about them being like Lehi and his family.

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  3. Hey Mark! Thanks for the comment! We have a person in our branch who has written a book called 81 Evidences of the Book of Mormon, or something like that. He makes the case supporting the idea that Lehi led his family out into the wilderness - being what is now Saudi Arabia! He has actually taken several excursions over to the western side of the country and feels that he and his partner have identified things like "The Valley of Laman" or "The River of Lemuel" or the place where they built and launched the boat. Pretty cool!

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  4. Thanks for all of these posts, Russell. It has been a fun afternoon of reading (when I was supposed to be working). Keep 'em coming!

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    1. Well thanks for visiting, Kathy! Sorry, I didn't mean to distract you from work... :o)

      To be honest, I'm not sure how well the word got out that I am even doing this blog. Please feel free to forward the link to anybody you think might be interested. This and email are going to be my primary sources of communication while I am out here.

      I hope things are well with you. I love you guys!

      Russell

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