It's the last post if the year, y'all!

So, after another morning at the mountain tent camp, we got all paled up and drove back to Muscat, stopping at a few places along the way. First, we stopped at Nizwa to visit the fort there. It was nice and ha been restored. These forts were a huge part of Oman's history because they were built to protect the most precious resource here: water. From the pictures you can see what a big oasis there is here from all of the thousands of palm trees!

It was an interesting place, and then we visited the nearby souq for all the last minute shopping I had to do. We continued on to the Green mountain and took a walk between two villages, admiring the terraced agriculture along the way.

After that hike, we had built up an appetite so it was time for lunch, which we had at a nice picnic grounds. We then made one more stop for a last look at the oasis and drove back to Muscat, where I checked into my familiar hotel. It was nice to have a hot shower after "roughing it" a couple of days up in the mountains.

I spent the rest of the day relaxing, enjoying the hotel, and packing up for the big trip home.

In the morning I had an amazing breakfast at the hotel, and then was picked up for my transfer to the airport.

Now I have 31 hours of travel left ahead of me (assuming everything is on time)! This was the last day of my last trip of the year. I hit my goal of 100 countries this year which was a huge milestone. I visited 5 continents (no Australia or Antarctica this year!). I have been extremely grateful for this amazing opportunity I have to travel, am looking forward to the next one, and glad I have a forum with which to share them with you!

Until next year!

Oman: Wadis, Necropoli, and Museums, Oh My!

So the day started off with a gorgeous sunrise over the mountains, and then after a quick breakfast, we were off on dirt roads to our first stop, Jebel Shams, or Oman's Grand Canyon. It was a marvel to look at, and I just looked at it in amazement, knowing that I was looking at something that has taken over two million years to make!

After that, we were off to a place call Al Ayn, which had 18 necropoli dating back to over 3000 BCE!!! That's over 5000 years old!!! They were these kind of beehive-shaped rock structures that were said to guard the remains of up to 200 people each. There were several other, but these are the best example of what remains. It was really amazing to get to walk up to them and touch them. They are developing the site as an archeological site, so I'm sure that wont be allowed for too much longer.

We got back in the car and drove over some more rough terrain to another wadi, where we got out and stretched our legs with a nice hike. A wadi is basically a canyon or valley that was created by running water. Some may still have water in them, fed by springs, but most are dry and only have water in them when it rains (which isn't often here). We climbed over some pretty massive rocks and saw an old cave, and then hiked out way back to the vehicle.

We went for lunch at a local restaurant and then visited a museum which was located in a mud-wall house that was over 400 years old in another old town. It showed the way of life of the people here before modern conveniences. Women made bread by hand (after milling the flour themselves), pressed pistachio oil, etc. I was shown around by a young man who didn't speak the best English (although his was much better thang Arabic!), but we got by using many hand gestures and mixing phrases. I was shown what women and men used to (and still do) wear. Then I was treated to homemade ginger tea, cardamom coffee, dates, a sugary treat and a bread ball thing that was delicious. It was a highlight, even though at first I was wondering what in the world this place was doing on the itinerary: although there wasn't much to see, the cultural experience and exchange was definitely worth the visit. The old women working there were a riot!

We then headed back to our camp for another sunset and dinner! Tomorrow we will be heading back to Muscat, stopping a few places along the way, a d I must admit, I will be glad to get back to the internet and a decent supply of hot water!

Oman: To the View Camp!

So after The lovely night in the desert, it was time to pack up and head on to the next place! On the way we first stopped at Jabreen Castle, which is one of the most famous forts in Oman. It was a massive castle and my favorite aspect was that the leader's horse had its own room!

We drove a bit more and came to a fort (the Nizwa fort, I believe) which is undergoing renovation and will eventually open. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and will be extremely impressive when completed.

We then had a bit of lunch that we picked up at a restaurant and then ate at a nice picnic area outside, enjoying the sunshine. And then we continued on to an old settlement of stone and mud houses. The name of the place is Misfat Al Abriyeen and was really a treat to walk through. They divert the water using little canals and irrigate their palm trees, mangoes, corn, etc that way.

After that visit, we made the trek up the mountain to check into my home for the next two nights, the View Camp, and as the name suggests, it has a great view. Two more nights in a tent, but the view is worth it!

Oman: Sur to Wahhabi Desert

I had to check out early from the hotel in Muscat and we drove to Sur, stopping along the way for a picnic lunch in a lush Wadi oasis! There were palm trees everywhere! And there were two villages way up in the wadi. We walked up to one, seeing how they channel the water to irrigate all the different fruit trees they have growing there.

After lunch by the stream, we continued driving until we came to a small fishing village, where we stopped for a quick photo. We kept driving and eventually came to Sur, where we stopped first at a dhow making factory, one of the only ones remaining in the world!

We then checked into the hotel, I had a quick dinner and then it was off to go turtle watching! We drove about 35 minutes to a sea turtle reserve, and got to see green turtles, digging nests, laying eggs, covering the eggs, and even had to chance to see some of the little ones hatch! What was so amazing about this beach is that the phosphorescence in the water makes the water glow light blue when the waves crash on the shore. It was so pretty! Then we headed back to the hotel for bed.

The next morning it was up and time to check out as we made our way into the desert! Before we got there, we had to drive a bit of a ways but along the way, we stopped at another beautiful wadi where I had the chance to go hiking. The hike abruptly ended when I didn't feel I could jump over the large chasm to continue on the path on the other side of the jump...

A quick lunch and then we headed into the desert to visit a Beduin community and see how they live. Along the way, my driver asked if I wanted to do some dune bashing and I said sure. What followed was the most exciting/sure-to-be-the-death-of-me twenty minutes or so of my life. After that and visiting the Beduin community, we made our way to my tented camp for the night. It's a very nice tent, indeed!

At the camp, they have lots of activities, so I decided to go quad biking (4-wheeling to us Southerners) through the desert. It was a lot of fun except the few times I ate sand... Then, for sunset, they drove up to the top of a nearby dune where I took some pretty pictures of the landscape!

Then it was time for a delicious barbecue dinner and then time for bed! Another great two days in Oman!!!

Oman: Muscat Again?!? (take three)

This now the third time I've tried to post something and the new version of this app keeps screwing up and losing everything I type...

In muscat this time I went into the grand mosque which wasn't a disappointment and then visited a lot of other sites. Enjoy the photos.