Into Wilfred Thesiger’s Empty Quarter

Good old Wilfred Thesiger. The explorer’s five years in the heat of the UAE desert have inspired countless expats to dip their toes in the shallows of the Rub’ Al Khali, and his books and artefacts have become a small tourist industry in their own right. You can head out to the museum in Al Ain to gaze upon the man’s engraved rifle, or you can flit down to Liwa and have a go at desert camping, trying to imagine what it was like to be the UAE’s first expat explorer. You’re never going to get close, of course. Dylan Doran, the actor who plays Thesiger in the up-and-coming documentary Shifting Sands, told me that while he relished the experience, his days schlepping up and down mountainous sand dunes resulted in badly blistered feet. Couple that with a strong risk of heatstroke and you’ll soon be looking for an easier option. How many of you can put your hands up and honestly say you’ve read Thesiger’s Arabian Sands anyway? <a href="https://medium.com/@JonnieWilks/into-wilfred-thesigers-empty-quarter-f2914e24a586">Click Here</a>