Dunes of the Desert--Oman

 

Lady Hiva finally made it home! It was a long 5 months without her with us. We were so happy to have her home! We had school and work off for Ghandi's birthday and decided to take a quick trip to Oman! 

Our first day in Oman we took a driving tour from Muscat to the dunes and desert. As we drove we could not believe how clean the country is. The streets are clean, the buildings are well cared for  and the people were so kind. Driving into the countryside we were reminding of the vistas you see driving from Utah and Nevada. The desert plains and mountains looked very familiar. 

It was interesting to hear about the country and how the former sultan brought the country out of the sleepy state it was in and created a country that it beautiful and vibrant. I was also amazing at the way people thrive in the desert. Each family builds a villa that is walled and houses the entire family. They have to have water brought to their homes as they are out in the desert living. Such a different way of life. 

The sand dunes were so amazing to see. The art that nature creates in unmatched. There were several times that I had to comment that the photos just don't do it justice. 

We were in a Toyota Landcruiser and we went "dune bashing." It was so much fun. We revved up dunes and launched over the other side sending sprays of sand wherever we went. We visiting a Bedouin village and had some dates with a Bedouin family. They even let us ride some of their camels. That was a bucket list item for Lady Hiva. 

It was SOOOO HOT! I had to keep my skin all covered and we were all red and sweaty as we climbed up and down the dunes. It is so deceiving because you stand at the bottom of one dune and it feels like if you can get to the top, you can see the other side...but then it is shocking to find that you are not at the top, there is just another larger dune ahead. No wonder people lost in the desert go crazy. 

She wanted to wear my hat, so I wore her scarf.

Lucky Dragon decided that he wanted to take his "turtle" with us and take photos wherever we went. He laughed because it was so hot in his pocket the turtle started to melt haha. 

A little village in the desert. 

A old fort that dates back hundreds and hundreds of years. 

An oasis in the desert. It was cool to see that they grow dates, mangos, bananas, and other fruit in these small patches of land. It is amazing to see what a little bit of water can do. 

Our next stop was a Wadi, or a river/water hole. Wadis are usually formed from a spring of some sort. They create life in the desert as they make an oasis. We went to Wadi Bani Khalid. Named after the Khalid family that found the spring hundreds of years ago. It was such a cool place. Nestled in the desert and mountains, there was this pool of clear water. They have used irrigation canals to take water down into the valley. Trees and life are growing all over. 

We did some swimming and were joined by a group of 20 year olds. We swam and laughed and jumped off rocks and bridges together. They were men of the desert and only one of them could swim. We used miming and limited language to gesture. I helped them swim as they jumped in. We laughed, we teased each other. It was fun. They loved how brave Lucky Dragon and Koala Bear were. Lady Hiva and I talked about the way we are all just people. We spoke different languages, we had different religions, we were different nationalities and ethnicities. But. We are people. And we made friends. it was a great experience. One of the highlights for all of us. 

The irrigation canals that take water down into the valley. 

Valley of trees in the middle of the desert.