- Siddhartha Gautama
Four days after Tina and I got married in the cool winter air of Vancouver we headed back to life in Arabia. Having this time with our friends and family in Canada was a special time for both of us. But it was time to head back to the land of frankinsence, camels and khanjars for our final few months here.
As we returned to Oman we were treated to a reception thrown by our friends here in Muscat. Catching up with friends, getting roasted in a toast and sharing a very creative cake (Joel's likeness is uncanny!) made it feel like we got married a second time. But with a much better price tag!
In the weeks after our reception Tina and I acted like responsible adults and allowed work to get the better of us. Very disapointing. We spent countless hours planning a program that sent all of the kids camping for a 'Discover Oman' week to destinations all over the country. Just our luck - it poured. Winds, rain and floods helped make this week one to remember. Not our finest time. Finding ourselves looking to the future we started to take the time to enjoy our daily lives again.
Soon after we got back into exploring the area and took a few days around the capital. We took a hike from the Sultans palace to Sidab, a small fishing inlet . With a quick climb over a wall we were on a path leading from watchtower to watchtower along the jagged hills seperating the crystal clear ocean waters from the traditional buildings of Old Muscat.
Having explored this area by foot we decided to take our kayaks out on the water again. We launched from Muttrah and paddled in the morning sun along the coast until we pulled in next to the Palace. A quick visit from a police boat quickly reminded us that being here can be a "big problem" and we should leave. Its an awkward paddle struggling your way through head winds as a police boat motors right next to you the whole way. In classic Omani style the police chatted with us about where we are from and welcomed us to Oman at the same time as kicking us out of the water. I love this place.
+flipped.jpg)
As our time winds down here Tina and I are trying to get to some favourite spots before the weather gets too hot for camping. One of these spots is Bar Al Hickman. The drive is half the fun as you leave the tarmac and drive along little sand dunes, salt flats and into deeper coastal sand for an hour before pulling up a spot at any piece of the beach you fancy. Our friend Pat joined us on this trip and we enjoyed showing her this place. Along the beach Pat found a whale bone and off we went to check it out. It was huge. Of course, this needed to accompany us back on the 5 hour journey to Muscat. We folded the back seat down and the bone reached from back window all the way to the front windshield. The smell was only a slight factor on the drive.
We arrived back in Muscat excited because Joel's brother Chris and our sister-in law Sayaka were due to arrive in Muscat in a week. It will be great having them with us here.
