Oman
Oman is a country at the South East tip of the Arabian Peninsula right next to the United Arab Emirates.
Not much to say really....... Only that I've just spent the last 10 days:
- hiking through canyon-like valleys full of palm trees and running with bright green water
- driving along coastline with sandy beaches on one side and harsh rocky bare mountains on the other
- bouncing around in a 4-wheel drive for hours on roads made of boulders, dusty gravel, soft dry sand that you sink into and get stuck on if you go too slowly, or any other type of raw-untracked land Oman has to offer.
- meeting some fabulous people and sharing an experience in a country that will very soon change due to lightening-speed development
- camping on sand dunes and waking up to find that camels had walked silently by my tent in the night
- bargaining for old Omani silver and frankincense at the local souq (market)
- having coffee and dates with Bedwin women and children (Bedu are nomadic Omani people who live in the heart of the Wahiba Sands desert)
- watching a flamingo getting caught in a wave and tumble head-over-heels onto the beach in a big wet mess
- going to Indian and Arabic dance clubs and watching the ladies dancing as they compete for the gold beaded necklaces purchased by the men in the club
- dune bashing (driving straight down what seemed like a 45 degree sand slope in a 4WD)
- getting to know the cockroaches living in my bathroom before fatally ending my friendships with the sole of my shoe
- learning to eat traditional Omani food with my right hand while trying not to get my face too sloppy or miss my mouth entirely and drop it in my lap
- watching the sunset over the dunes followed by a full sky of unobstructed stars for followed by the full moonrise over the Eastern dunes followed by a campfire in the sand
- exploring crumbling villages made of mud and palm leaves
- walking through villages at noon as the people are called to prayer over speakers placed in the top of the mosque towers
- driving over mountain passes of rock of red ,black, grey, brown, green, white, green, tan, pink, and many more colours
- swimming in the sea in temperatures that feel warmer than the desert air
It’s hard to describe.
Not much to say really....... Only that I've just spent the last 10 days:
- hiking through canyon-like valleys full of palm trees and running with bright green water
- driving along coastline with sandy beaches on one side and harsh rocky bare mountains on the other
- bouncing around in a 4-wheel drive for hours on roads made of boulders, dusty gravel, soft dry sand that you sink into and get stuck on if you go too slowly, or any other type of raw-untracked land Oman has to offer.
- meeting some fabulous people and sharing an experience in a country that will very soon change due to lightening-speed development
- camping on sand dunes and waking up to find that camels had walked silently by my tent in the night
- bargaining for old Omani silver and frankincense at the local souq (market)
- having coffee and dates with Bedwin women and children (Bedu are nomadic Omani people who live in the heart of the Wahiba Sands desert)
- watching a flamingo getting caught in a wave and tumble head-over-heels onto the beach in a big wet mess
- going to Indian and Arabic dance clubs and watching the ladies dancing as they compete for the gold beaded necklaces purchased by the men in the club
- dune bashing (driving straight down what seemed like a 45 degree sand slope in a 4WD)
- getting to know the cockroaches living in my bathroom before fatally ending my friendships with the sole of my shoe
- learning to eat traditional Omani food with my right hand while trying not to get my face too sloppy or miss my mouth entirely and drop it in my lap
- watching the sunset over the dunes followed by a full sky of unobstructed stars for followed by the full moonrise over the Eastern dunes followed by a campfire in the sand
- exploring crumbling villages made of mud and palm leaves- walking through villages at noon as the people are called to prayer over speakers placed in the top of the mosque towers
- driving over mountain passes of rock of red ,black, grey, brown, green, white, green, tan, pink, and many more colours
- swimming in the sea in temperatures that feel warmer than the desert air
It’s hard to describe.
posted by Sarah @ Monday, November 13, 2006
4 comments
