-Author unknown
Since our last post we have have been busy showing around more guests, travelling to new areas of this country, and making decisions on where we will be living next year.
Days (actually minutes) after our last post my parents arrived for another visit to our home here. In a clear admission of my lack of intelligence their arrival was anything but smooth. They were supposed to arrive at 3:55am on Monday. We arrived at the airport and waited and waited and waited until we finally had to pull the plug and head to work. Checking my emails I quickly realized that we were sleep deprived and worried for no reason. They were to arrive at 3:55am on Tuesday. Great. So back we went the next morning and waited and waited and waited, and they never turned up. Again! This time we got a call and they missed their connection. Relieved, tired and embarrassed I came back to the airport later that day and picked them up. We were happy to have them in. Really.
They had just completed a fantastic safari through East Africa and decided to pass through on their way back to Canada. It's always great to have them with us and they make for such fun and easy guests. Our few days together consisted of taking in the finer side of Muscat at one of its most exclusive restaurants (they obviously lowered their standards substantially to allow me in), a few trips through the souk, a boat trip around the coast, and hiking through the "Grand Canyon of Arabia" to an abandoned village. It was a quick few days but it was really great to have them here with us.
Following shortly after my parents were our good friends from Vancouver - Kat and Brad. They as well were on their way to East Africa and stopped here for a visit both before and after their African jaunt. Again, this visit was much appreciated as they are a fun couple to spend time with. As a side note, our alcohol supply was put to good use.
We ventured down the coast with the light of a full moon chasing us along the ocean for the entire drive. We camped to view the turtles and had great luck again with several babies scurrying around and a few mothers digging their nests. We even had the fortune of witnessing the laying of a mothers eggs. The next morning we continued to the desert for a hike up the orange dunes, the worlds slowest sand boarding trip and another night under a full moon. Brad and Kat headed off to East Africa for 10 days shortly thereafter. When they triumphantly return to the Sultanate we plan on taking them on a trip into the mountainous interior.
While they were away Tina and I found time to head out of town with our Aussie mates and drive down the coast parallel with the desert. Passing through tiny towns covered in orange sand flowing from the desert to the beaches of the coastline. A remarkable contrast in lifestyles merged in these places. The rugged, unforgiving life of a desert nomad with the sea faring life of the fishermen.
Having found a suitable camping space we quickly found a way to get their car stuck. Putting on my superman cape I tied ours to theirs to pull them out and promptly sunk ours. Only three wheels were touching the ground. Very pathetic state of affairs. By the morning we were able to get them out but all "tough guy" points were totally gone.
The journey back took us inland through a few small desert settlements that are very conservative. At one point (1820) they denounced the rule of a former Sultan and the area still carries a distinct air about it. Wandering through the crumbling town as the noon prayer was belted out over the loud speakers and into the empty streets was ominous. Doors covered in pictures of guns and swords made for an uneasy, yet fascinating stroll.
This week Tina and I have to decide what we were going to do for next year. There are many variables that play into this decision and we will keep you updated when we decide.
