Bid Bid Castle

A rare cloudy day. Ah perfect.  An opportunity to go into the interior.  Peter and I drove to Bid Bid castle, about 30 minutes from Muscat.  It is an old fort situated in a quaint village.  Like most Omani villages, houses and buildings are interspersed among date palms.  The fort, originally built centuries ago, has been restored.  Except for a few Omani children running through its corridors and rooms, we had the place to ourselves. 

On top of one of the towers looking out into the countryside.

Peter is learning to use the camera and took this photo.

Click on the image above to start a video of us in the castle.

Beach and Pool

Over the past few weeks the weather has changed quite a bit.  Days are hot and humidity is high.  During the winter months we didn't go to the beach or pool much.  It was t-shirt weather, but the water was too cold for swimming.  It may be hot outside now, but the ocean and pool water are the perfect temperature.  We've gone to our pool a number of times already and probably will continue to go regularly over the summer months and into the fall.   The other day, we started off at the beach which borders our swim club.  After an hour of "trucks in the sand" games, we headed to the pool.  As long as your head, eyes, and skin are covered, it's an easy way to spend the day.

Canyon Around the Corner

Due to Oman's mountainous terrain, there are lots of possibilities for hiking.  Some are more treacherous than others.  There is one canyon that is about 10 minutes from our house and perfect for our two young boys.  Lots of rocks to climb, but no high ledges.  Lots of open space, but in the late afternoon, shaded by cliffs.  And, best of all, if it's too hot or we are feeling too tired, we can quickly abort and head home for some ice cream. 

Path Not Found

We went exploring the other day.  The goal was to find a hiking path on a high ridge.  I had read about the path a while back in an old trekking guide.  We found the ridge, but no clear way to get to the top.  Recent removal of an adjacent hill has made the trek inaccessible and the guidebook outdated.  We did, however, discover a very scenic fishing village.  Instead of hiking, we walked around the streets and just soaked in the landscape.  Not a bad way to spend a (sunny and hot) morning.

Gazing at the small hill that had been removed, making the hike obsolete.

Spot where the path should have started.

Ridge in the distance is the one we wanted to hike.

Front end of the ridge, close to the ocean.

Fishing village in background.

To the Museum

Yesterday, we spent the last day of spring break at Muscat's Natural History Museum.  The museum provides a great overview of Oman's flora and fauna.  The boys enjoyed roaming the hallways and looking at the preserved animals (i.e. stuffed). A highlight was the whale and dolphin exhibit.  It includes the bones of an adult sperm whale.  The whale washed up onto a nearby coast a number of years back (many different types of whales and dolphins migrate off the coast of Oman).  Lots of learning for us!   

Birthday Celebration

Recently, our youngest celebrated his 4th birthday.  He was super excited about it, much more so than in past years.  He received a birthday card from his cousin several days before his birthday.  He slept with it under his pillow, counting down the days until he would be able to open it.  We spent the day with some friends who have kids the same age as ours.  After lunch and cake we continued the celebration at the "Adventure Zone," an indoor playground with slides, tunnels, and climbing equipment.  It is a great place for a 4-year-old to let loose. 

Relaxing on a grassy area near the beach, the day before the "big day."

Chocolate cake delivery.

Big toy car for a present - birthday dreams can come true.

Adventure Zone tunnel complex.

Adventure Zone rope bridge.

Press play on the above video to see our little one in his birthday glory.