Well you've got a different file manager as suggested and it's opened
up the ability to see files / folders as you were used to seeing. A
step in the right direction :-)

Desktop should be visible under /Home/'your user name' along with
'Documents, 'Downloads' etc... Not much in 'Desktop' in Unity so
don't think that's going to be much use in the practical sense. The
list of icons you see in the Launcher on the left of the screen has
nothing to do with 'Desktop'.