Sunset Beach

The weather had been fabulous -- clear, mid 70's, slight breeze. I'd been itchy to go for a walk on the beach, but with the three kids and juggling school, nap and dinner schedules, it was hard to find the right time. Determined to go, we ate dinner very early, jumped in the car, and drove down to the beach. Within seconds of hitting the sand, the girls were off!

THEN, Chloe bumped her leg on something scratchy and her leg started to sting. THEN, Julia needed to use the bathroom (there wasn't one). 

Total elapsed time of bliss on the beach = less than 10 minutes. 
Total time of preparation and driving = more than 30 minutes.

And, that's traveling with kids.... Still, it was worth it.  It was a beautiful night on the beach!

Family Outing

 We finally made it to Bait Al Zubair - it only took us two years to go and I wish we would have gone sooner.  Bait al Zubair (House of Al Zubair) is a renovated house from a prominent family displaying their many, many Omani artifacts, some centuries old.

Inside there were models of forts, examples of Omani dress for men and women, jewelry, swords, guns, khanjars... all sorts of things.  It was very interesting to see the history and traditions behind many of the Omani objects we see all the time. 

Outside there was even more to explore.  They had a model of a traditional village, complete with a running falaj system, a channel for transporting water.  There was a miniature town, popular with the girls. And, their favorite was a model of a home that the they could wander around in and explore.  Topped it off with an ice cream treat at the cafe!

Prickly Produce

I have to admit that I haven't ventured far from the familiar in the produce department, usually purchasing the same as I would back home, or something very similar.  However, one item we (or me and Julia) have come to enjoy is rambutan!  This prickly looking fruit is very similar to a lychee fruit you'd see back home.  The "spines" are very soft, it's easy to cut, and with little effort you can get to the juicy fruit inside!

Here's Julia, very serious, but excited to have handfull of rambutan!

Produce here comes from all around the world and usually it is marked by the country of origin.  Citrus fruits come from Europe, South Africa, Chile, China or the USA.  My favorite brand is "Le Crunch" apples from France!  And, every time they are in season, we get fresh strawberries, blueberries and raspberries from Watsonville!  They aren't even as expensive as you would expect.  Every now and then, I can't resist and I pick up a box or two.  Many of the vegetables come from Oman, but the rest come from India, Pakistan, or other Asian countries.  There are a lot of options, especially if you're willing to pay the price!

Grizwold's Family Picnic

The day started off like a chapter of National Lampoon's family vacation!  You would have thought we were going for a week, not just a few hours to the park.  Do you have the diapers, the sunscreen, the water bottles, the extra change of clothes for the baby, the extra-extra change of clothes for the baby, the keys, the camera, the extra battery for the camera, etc....  Did everyone go to the bathroom?  Now where are the girls?? Finally convinced we had it all, we headed off to the Riyam Park near Mutrah Port.  Every evening and all weekend long, you see Omani families with their wadi mats enjoying parks all around the city. It looks so relaxing, but getting there was not.

After getting the car packed and everyone in it, the next challenge was to get everyone's order straight at Subway.  Too many options for a five year old, need I say more.  But, in the end, it was worth it and we enjoyed a lovely afternoon!

 

Baby's Second Road Trip

Traveling with a nanny can't be beat.  Before I ask, Connie has the diaper bag ready, the lunch packed, the car loaded, and we're off! Somehow, the thought of the road trip was a bit more daunting than the 14 hour plane ride, so I didn't want to tackle the trip without her.  The fear of the unknown I guess.  So, just after his morning meal, we set off for Jebel Akhdar, which was a 2.5-3 hour drive from Muscat.

Jebel Akhdar is one of the highest places, and coolest, in Oman.  It is jotted with traditional cliff-side villages, home of the famous mountain roses, and VERY STEEP roads.  Fortunately, most roads are paved now.  According to the travel guide, Princess Diana toured the Akhdar area on her first post-divorce trip.  Our goal for the trip was to find Diana's Point, the place she went to take in the breath-taking views!

We got an hour into our trip when the baby started to cry.  Loudly.  Fortunately, we came upon a gas station quickly and took a break.  "Good," says Julia.  "I think I have to go number 2".  This cracked me up.  "you THINK?"  I don't know about you, but when nature calls, it's not usually subtle.  It's pretty clear.

Back on the road and we only got to the foothills before having to stop again.  Time to feed the baby again. There was another restored fort, but it was also closed.  Nearby was a short tower where the girls explored.  "I'm a dare-devil," proclaimed Julia on more than one occasion. Aunt Christy looked at me... "that was stressful."  Liam fell asleep and we were back on the road.

Going to Jebel Akhdar requires you to go through a police checkpoint where they take down your license number and plate number and confirm that you have 4-wheel drive.  Then the climb begins!  It was nicely paved and not nearly as nerve-wracking as I had imagined.  No narrow twisty turning roads, at least not on the paved part.  We didn't venture off-road, either.

At the top, we came across a park that was a prime place for a picnic.  The girls quickly made friends with some local children. And the older girls kept taking pictures of Liam.  They carried him off to the gazebo where the older women were enjoying some coffee or tea.  We met the whole family.  Liam is a big hit with the ladies!

After lunch we continued across the plateau to try to find Diana's Point.  The directions were fairly clear, but there was still much guesswork involved.  I believe we came very close to the right location, but when we started down a very very steep hill, I knew we had missed it.  "Well, we're committed now!"  Fortunately, there was an easy place to turn around not far down the hill.  Even with the short distance, the brakes were smelling strongly and I didn't want to venture further down the mountain.  The views were breathtaking.

After a quick break, we were off again.  Liam was asleep.  And, if you've traveled with a baby, that is the prime time to get on the road.  There's MUCH more to explore, I am sure, but that was all the time we had today.  We made it all the way back to Muscat without Liam waking up once. However, Julia's ears kept popping and she was getting pretty car-sick going down the mountain.  I checked to see how Connie was doing, if she was feeling car-sick too.  She just laughed quietly and said Liam was fine.  I'll take that as a yes.

The girls really wanted to visit the fort in Bowsher, so we took a quick detour before we went home.  This may have been their favorite part!

Baby's First Road Trip - Nakhal Fort

This was Liam's first road trip so we picked something close to home -- only an hour away.  And, I knew a shortcut!  Or, at least I felt I knew a shortcut.  The problem was the maps don't always stay updated with the ever-changing roads.  And, even if they did, the streets are not always marked well, especially outside of Muscat.  All I wanted to do was avoid some of the congestion that builds up around the main coastal road.  I knew I could drive the "new" expressway to the end and I'd avoid most of the congestion.  It's was the last 5-10 miles after that that weren't clear. I did have a GPS and I did have a map and I did cross my fingers.  I'm happy to say, it worked!  Well, nearly.  We ended up on a parallel road, but it got us there just the same, and yes, we avoided all the congestion on the main road.

The first stop was Nahkal Fort, a nicely restored fort at the foothills of dramatic mountains.  This one is unique because it is built around an irregularly shaped rocky peak which has been incorporated into the building itself.  A bit of history here, from the Oman Observer:

Though the exact origins of the pre-Islamic Nakhal Fort are lost in time, records suggest that the fort was restored in the early 9th Century in the time of the Yahmads, or later that Century by Imam Al Salt bin Malek. The fort is known to have been renovated by the Nabhan rulers, as well as in the 16th Century under the Ya'aruba Imams. In 1834, Sultan Said Bin Sultan added towers, a wall, and the existing gate.

 After touring the fort, we enjoyed a picnic lunch by the hot springs nearby.  This is one of those places where traditional life is juxtaposed so clearly against the new.  There were teenage boys blaring English pop music while washing their cars --- like teenage boys all around the world, I guess.  At the same time, a young boy came to the river to get his donkey a drink.  There were women in traditional village attire with colorful dresses and others in blingy black abayas.  It was a fun place just to people watch!

There was a natural hot spring here and warm water was seeping out of numerous places along the rocky cliff. At the end of the walkway was a pool where a steady stream of men and children were coming to take a bath. No women, of course.

But, what made this trip so special was an invitation from a family across the creek to join them for some coffee and halwa.  Christy was dangling her feet in the water when one of the ladies brought her some kebab meat.  Oh, it was delicious! The only thing we had left to share from our picnic was flat bread and vegetables.  So, we brought that over to thank them and ended up sitting with them for a bit.  Liam was passed around to all the ladies and he made them all smile.  It made a special ending to a nice afternoon!

Stroller Touring

There are not a lot of stroller friendly places to visit here, but certainly the Corniche is one of the best with the looooong boardwalk that runs along Mutrah Port on one side and the souk on the other, with jagged peaks and forts creating the picturesque skyline.  On this day, we walked along the boardwalk and then explored the Souk.  I took Auntie Christy through a maze of narrow walkways, which is NOT stroller friendly, trying to find a particular jeweler.  I felt a bit like Alice in Wonderland walking through the forest -- while I was SURE we were walking in the right direction, we ended up just walking in a circle!  I saw several kids with backpacks all walking in one direction and figured they would be walking OUT of the Souk.  We followed them through the maze, past the crowded apartments, and finally back to the street.  We ended up next to a museum and decided to check that out next!



Bait Al Baranda is a house turned museum describing the geology and history of Oman from the prehistoric to the present.  It's small, but very interesting! With hands-on exhibits, short videos, and creative displays, you certainly get a better understanding of the Country.  It's fascinating to think that just over 30 years ago, there were only a handful of schools in the country and 7km of paved roads!

Bowsher Village

Just a few minutes from home, a short distance from the 6 lane freeway, you can find yourself in the middle of a local village with these narrow roads lined with date palms.  At some points, it is so narrow that you have to roll down the window and pull in the mirrors so they don't bump the walls.  At the end of this road is Bait Al'Maqham.  It is a fortified house that used to be owned by a prominent Omani woman, I read in some travel guide.  It has been beautifully restored, but I have never been able to go inside as it never seems to be open, which is a shame.  Sometimes it is hard to get up-to-date information around here and I cannot seem to find much on this particular site.  However, it's still a fun place to explore.

Next on the list is Bowsher Castle, the remains of a small 2-story fort nearby.  Looking at this, it makes you appreciate all the work that must have been put into restoring historic buildings around here.  This property is apparently privately owned and is not being restored.  Interestingly, it now boasts new signage explaining some geology of Oman and is part of Ministry's Muscat Geoheritage Geotours with ipod application.  Sounds like something I need to check out!

Oman Geotours

Horse and Camel Expo

My sister arrived mid-January for a visit.  We had a much lower-key agenda than her last visit, with the little guy napping and eating all the time.  No hiking into the wadi's or swimming into key-hole caves! Instead, we found things closer to home. I came across an interesting event that looked like it had potential... the Horse and Camel Expo.  Without knowing much about the event, we headed off.

A side not here about driving in Oman...  there are road improvements in progress everywhere, which is a good thing (ask my radiator), but it means where you took a left turn yesterday, you might not be able to today.  It's constantly changing, like the sands in the Wahiba Desert. We drove off in the direction of the expo center, I managed to find it, but we were on the wrong side of the road.  No left turn.  After driving 2/3 of the way back home, finally came across a round-about and were able to turn around and get into the expo center.  Much faster driving home, not surprisingly!

Miss Reya

Once at the event, there didn't seem to be much of a formal agenda.  But, we did get to see riders from the Royal Calvary, camels from the Royal Camel Corps, the Royal Bagpipe Band and other performers. And, we ran into one of Julia's preschool teacher's in the bathroom who was there participating in a painting contest! All in all, it was an interesting evening!

Did someone say "Passport Photo?"

Our adventures with passport photos started when Liam was 6 days old.  We were in a rush to get the pictures the first time to make sure we had it in time to return to post.  At 6 days old, it's a challenge to find the right moment when baby is awake and good luck getting him to look at the camera.  Fortunately, got a tip from a friend to skip the studio and take the picture at home on a white sheet.  Here's our little guy, looking guilty with his hands up:

Fast forward a few months, and now we had to get another passport photo for his residence visa. I thought we would try the same technique and the photo made me laugh - another guilty guy:

"It wasn't ME!"

The next challenge was to get the picture developed.  Keep in mind that shops here are open between 10-1 and 4-10.  Most stores close in the afternoon.  For a mom with 3 kids, morning is okay, but forget anytime after 4!  However, mornings proved to be a challenge many a day, as well!!  Finally made it to shop during the hours of operation and asked them to develop the photo for a passport.  Nope, don't do it that way, he said.  Can't do baby passport photos here, either. Ugh. The store that WOULD do baby passports is in a crowded mall that I avoid whenever possible because it's such a pain to drive to, park in, and exit.  But, that's a story for another post.  Long story short, I went to the place near the house, crossed my fingers they did passport photos for babies, and they did!  She had a nice bean bag all set up, covered it with a white sheet, and everyone in the store came over to make him smile.  With all the ladies smiling, he couldn't help but smile back. He didn't mind the attention at all.  Photos done, passport and paperwork submitted, and just waiting for it to return!