Above - The sun is setting, we'll just get over this next dune and set up camp...oh no! we're bogged up to axles.
Above - Just prior to getting bogged, we thought we'd found a nice little spot to camp. Suddenly we're being chased by a rogue camel, stamping it's hooves and barking camel spit at us. Was quite funny when we were finally out of reach.
Above - Roasted marshmallows, a camping favorite anywhere in the world.
Above - Dad said if i could do 20 push-ups I'd be allowed to sand board tomorrow, but this dam sand keeps getting in my mouth
Above - Ahh, the serenity. Can you hear that...nup, because the desert at night is the world's most quiet place.
Above - But Zach...won't dad notice 3 of his beers missing?
Above - B2 looking for another thrill; after scaling the sand dunes a few times, the quadriceps and calf muscles were burning..not half as much as the sand burns we got when falling off on a down hill run though.
Above - NS in full flight. Threw the shirt off, put on the boardies and pretended the sand dune was a 300ft wave. Note to self...at high speeds, sand burn is even greater and really hurts, put shirt on next time.
Above - Even though i only did 15 push-ups, B1 and B2 took me down the sand dunes.
Above - B1 about to drop in.
Above - B4 turned 2 this month and had a few mates over for a party.
Above - "Yes dad, this may be my best side, but the ball is coming and you're on the field, and i can't find my mounthguard in my pocket either...you're so embarrassing sometimes"
Above - B3 makes some repairs to his bike.
Above - Party time again for the girls!
Above - O.K, so our backline needs some work.
Above - "You tired?", "Yeh, must be these crazy long hair do's we're sporting now".
Above - "Ohhh Mum, how am i meant to look cool on the Coast of Oman wearing these floaties?"
Above - B1 and B2 swimming in sea off Oman coastline.Happy Eid Mubarak to all of of our Muslim friends. We now have shirts that read, 'we survived Al Ain in Summer', and ' We survived Ramadan in the Middle East'. Ramadan is essentially the holiest month in the Muslim calender and the Koran mandates that fasting and other personnel sacrifices are followed as part of a cleansing and holiness process. Some say it is the scorching away of impurities the body and soul may have. None the less, it was another great experience to see how others live and go about their days and understand a little more about other cultures and traditions. Whilst we aren't forced to fast, it is still against the law to consume water, or foods or smoke in public from sun-up until Iftar (sundown), so this means all of the shops are essentially closed during daylight hours and the world comes alive at night, firstly for Iftar, the breaking of the fast, usually with dates and water and other traditional foods that get the metabolism going again, and then large feasting later in the evening. The working hours are shortened to about 5-6 hours a day (which was great!), and most of the locals sleep during the day to pass the time of fasting. Ramadan is concluded at the time of Eid and the equivalent to a Christian's 'Xmas', is enjoyed with loads of celebrations and a couple of days off work. Of course, even a public holiday is a little complicated over here...the timing of Eid (and all religious events) is based upon the moons. So until the official word is given, (usually only on the night it is sighted), no body knows when the holiday will begin. En shala.
So anyway, i find myself on the Dubai /Al Ain highway, I've checked my revision mirrors a dozen times, because I'm just about to overtake the 3 cars in front of me. The speed limit is 120km, I'll have to floor the tin-can Mitsubishi lancer I'm driving to get to about 125km and overtake these guys. OK, i can see for at least 2 km behind me and no-one is in sight or coming at breakneck speed behind me, but i still want to get this over with, you see too many accidents on the roads here to spend time in the fast lane. The CD player has the fine tunes of INXS going, I'm comfortable, things are going to be fine for this pass. Right, got past the first one, a 300,000dhs ($100,000)Ranger Rover, with a camel sticking it's head out the sunroof, I'd take a photo, but I'm now at the 125km mark, the steering wheel is starting to wobble a little, and i need to concentrate on getting past these guys before someone comes up from ......oh bugger, I'm distracted by the flashing lights of a black Hummer H3 careering down the highway, flashing his lights because I'm not doing the required 200km he needs me to, in order to keep out of his way. Before i know it, all i can see in my mirror is the shiny silver grill and the plated inscription of H3 in my rear-view mirror. If i press any harder on the accelerator, my steel capped boot is likely to go through the floor, the lancer is screaming at 12,000 revs and steam is starting to ooze from under the bonnet. For a second i think of the lovely new supercharged V6 Pajero FS is probably driving at 55km/hour on her way to a leisurely coffee with the other expat women; but I'm distracted from the thought of how handy that car would be right now, because i now have the Hummer trying to negotiate the 25cm between me and the centre median guard rail. I guess he wants me to move over, but i can't, because the Porche (yes, i am the only person in all of the UAE not driving a European performance or sports car) next to me will neither speed up nor slow down to let me in. I can't even give him a pleading look, because of the dark tinted windows he has. I have to get everything i can out of this car as quickly as possible. Shut down the A/C from notch 4 to zero. A sweat bead forms instantly on my brow; time seems to stand still as it trickles off my head, down my neck and negotiates it's way through the mass of chest hair, it stalls at the bellybutton, where through an 'osmosis like' process it is captured. Press skip on the CD player, time to lose INXS and swap it for, The Cure. 'Killing an Arab', is the first song to play. It seems to be just enough inspiration to this fine piece of machinery I'm driving, and at breakneck speed, I'm able to just nudge ahead of the Porche, enough to sway my lancer across his path and open the gap large enough for the H3 hummer to scream past me. He blasts a shot of his horn which is loud enough to send a crack down my passenger side window, and i in return give him a friendly wave and wish him well for his day.
On a fun note, we've done a couple more trips to Oman, which is really a wonderful place and is full of so many interesting wadi's and awe inspiring mountain ranges. We finally got our trip to Sohar (our first trip we ended up heading to Salhala 1,200 kms the wrong direction), and went swimming in the sea off the Oman coast. Their was enough wind swell for the B1, B2 and B3 to catch some bodysurfing.
A planned camping trip to Nizwa in Oman with some friends over the Eid weekend was cancelled, but we decided to head it alone to the sand dunes for a camp out. This was really the first bit of 4x4 driving since being here, and we had a ball. It seemed we had the entire desert to ourselves, that is until we found a great little patch of sand to camp and as we unloaded ourselves from the car, a rogue camel came charging over the hills, snorting and carrying on. If it wasn't so frightening, it would have been an absolute cack. I'd rev the car, he'd stamp his foot and snort. A real desert showdown, which he finally won, and we looked elsewhere.
We eventually found the perfect spot, nestled amongst some giant dunes, perfect for sand boarding. Deciding to move the car just a bit closer to unload the gear, we just sunk. In fact, it was only the chaise that held us 'afloat'. Rather than panic (B1 and B2 thought it hilarious to get out and let me know that the car was about to tip over), FS got the video camera and filmed the whole process (which was funny on watching it back), we unloaded the car and made camp. Desert camping is a great experience and a roaring fire and marshmallows just top it off. A 'tops' weekend for sure, the highlight of the sandboarding was definitely FS who launched down a gigantic dune at breakneck speed, (B2 had just re-waxed the bottom of the board for extra slip), I was sure when she hit the first grass clump, this would slow or stop her...no, she went airborne, landed and kept going, finally crashing into the tents below in a ball of flying sand. A funniest home video if ever, and yes, it is all on video camera.
In other news, B1 has caught the Rugby bug after staring in his first game for the AAA under 12's. Whilst a more experienced Abu Dhabi outfit won the day, the AAA organisers and volunteers do a wonderful job and the kids have a blast. B2 is staring in the under 8's team and play their first game next week. NS took out the inaugural Oyoun Village Golf Tournament by one shot, just happy to play golf again after 12 months off. The weather has cooled considerably to the low 40s and high 30s but in all seriousness, this is just beautiful from what we experienced earlier. B3 loves school and even pulls out the occasional Arabic word in conversations now. B4 turned 2 last week and loved his birthday get-together with his mates and FS continues to keep it all together and moving for her 5 favorite boys.
