Sawadi Island

Recently, we decided to head to a stretch of shoreline we had not visited yet.  About an hour north of Muscat lies Sawadi Beach.  It is known for an island located a short distance off the coast.  At low tide, it is possible to walk to the island.  On top, there is an old fortress and tower.  The beach is also popular for the large number of shells that wash ashore.  When we got there, the tide was high and we couldn't walk to the island.  Instead, we hired a local fisherman to take us around the island on his boat.  Afterwards, we went for a long walk, picking up seashells and enjoying the views.  

First Day of School!

Today was a really big day; the boys completed the first day of the school year.  For our littlest one it was his first EVER school experience.  Not surprising some tears were shed as Mom and Dad said good-bye, and then there was some, er - hovering in the hallway, followed by a peek into the classroom to REALLY say good-bye, which led to more tears - big mistake Mom!  Luckily, the pre-K teacher, the fabulous Ms. Liz won our little man over, and by the time we picked him up a few hours later, he was smiling and happy.  He's making the transition and we are very proud of him.

Our big second grader was a bundle of confidence. He had met his teacher, Ms. Kriefall, the day before at orientation and checked out his classroom, so on Day One he was ready to go, helping Ms. Kriefall prepare some things and barely turning around to say good-bye. It was wonderful to see that confidence and interest in just getting the day started.  After school,  the quote that made us laugh was, "I think second grade is easier than first grade." 
We look forward to a great year ahead!

Outside of school en route to to second grade and pre-K

This super hero is ready for the day!

With our new 2nd grade teacher, Ms. Kriefall

Starting the day with a smile.

First step of the day - hang up your book bag.

In the pre-K classroom.

 Ms. Liz knows how to bring on smiles

After school celebration at Baskin Robbins - we did it!

Well done Mom and Dad.

Villages in the Mountains

About 2 hours from Muscat lies "Jebel Akdar."  This can be translated into English as "Green Mountain."  Geographically, this area contains a plateau, several deep river-cut gorges and a number of peaks and mountain tops.  Due to its elevation, it is about 20 degrees F cooler than Muscat and the coastal areas.  It also receives more rainfall, making it an ideal climate for agriculture.  This territory has been inhabited for hundreds of years.  Over this time, terraces have been built into the hillsides for growing crops and trees.  Today, there are a dozen villages spread throughout the region.  In the old days, people and goods traveled between the villages along donkey paths that ran along ridges and hilltops.  Today there the villages are connected by roads.  The donkey paths still exist and are used by locals and hikers. 

A few weekends ago, we camped out at Jebel Akdar.  Camping is easy in Oman because there are no restrictions on where you can put up your tent.  Pick a spot and its yours.   We found a nice location close to the road and only a few miles from a hike that we planned to do the next day.  After a comfortable night under the stars, we got up early and headed to the path start-point.  The trail snaked along ridges and terraces, across several dry river beds and through three villages.  The kids did great, heartily climbing up the steep parts and being very cautious when peering over ledges and cliffs.  The scenery was spectacular and we hope to head back again.
  

Day on a Dhow

Earlier this summer we spent the day on a dhow, a traditional Omani boat.  Dhows were originally built several hundred years ago to carry goods to Asia and Africa.  They are used much less today, having been replaced by larger commercial boats and ships.  They are, however, popular with people who want to go diving or snorkeling in the bays and along the reefs of Oman's coasts.  There were about 25 of us on our trip.  Our Omani captain took us to a shallow area several miles south of Muscat.  Once there, he anchored the boat, pointed at the surrounding water and said, "jump."  We gleefully sprang into the blue waters to discover corals and fish all around.  It was especially nice for the kids who wanted to endlessly climb up the side of the boat and jump back into the water. 

The following video shows the beautiful surroundings of our trip and the different ways we enjoyed the day. 

Back to Yitti

This past weekend we went back to Yitti, the beach we visited two weekends ago (see previous blog entry).  The beach was empty, the weather great, and we had a great time swimming and playing in the sand.  This time, however, we brought our hiking boots.  We scrambled up the nearby hillside for some fantastic views of the seaside mountains and cliffs that hug Oman's eastern coast.

Yitti

Presently, the Muslim world is participating in the holy month of Ramadan.  For the next 4 weeks, Muslims do not eat or drink from sunrise to sunset.  In our part of the world, this occurs from about 6am to 7pm.  It is a long time to go without water.  For the most part, people only work from 9am to 1pm during this month.  The rest of the day is spent at home, mainly sleeping.  As a result, shops, grocery stores, and other businesses are open only during the early part of the day. Then, at 7pm, people have big feasts and all the restaurants are full.  They eat, go to shops (which open again after 7), pray and generally celebrate for much of the rest of the evening and often into the early morning hours.  As non-Muslims, we are allowed to eat and drink during the day.  However, it is supposed to be done in private or very discretely if in a public place.

Yesterday, we decided to spend the day at Yitti, one of our favorite beaches.  It is a sandy cove nestled between the mountains, about a half hour from our house.  As we expected, we had the beach to ourselves.  The locals were home, resting and preparing for that evening's feast.

Making sand "burgers."  Laura lounging in the distance.

Strolling around the beach. Our Jeep and pop-up shade tent can be see in the distance.

The air outside is a little warm, but the ocean temperature is perfect.  It was easy for us to spend several hours swimming and playing in the waves.

We left the beach at around 6:30pm and hit town just as restaurants were opening.  We decided to have dinner at Bollywood, a local Indian restaurant specializing in vegetarian dishes.

Summer Evening

It is the middle of summer.  For the most part, it is too hot outside to do much.  There are, however, small windows of relatively cooler weather in the mornings and evenings.  Here we are at the beach for an evening stroll in our favorite grassy area just before sunset.