Time flies...

Ramadan is finally over. The last week of the holy month started to grate on my nerves. Trying to go anywhere after 7:15pm at minimum doubled your travel time. It is quite frustrating when you're trying to run errands or go for coffee. And not being able to go for coffee until after 5:15PM and not being able to go for lunch is a bit of a drag.

Eid was fabulous, however. Two friends and I went to Oman and had the best time. At least four times a day I declared something "the most amazing thing I've ever seen". I like Kuwait well enough yet it's so polluted. Kuwait smells of garbage, sewage and oil refinery. People do not pick up their trash here. Kuwait is noisy and people are aggressive and impatient and not overly friendly. Because so few Kuwaitis work in the public sector, they are nearly impossible to meet. Oman is a huge contrast to the lifestyle here. The Omanis work in all sorts of jobs and don't farm the less desirable jobs out as slave labour to the immigrant workers. Omanis are friendly, hospitable and welcoming.

The Landscape
Oman is on the southern part of the Arabian peninsula. It has all types of terrain, from beautiful beaches with sands of silk to rugged mountains and flat desert land. There are wadis, temporary river beds, which are insanely gorgeous. These bodies of water that occur in valleys are lovely shades of green and are placid gathering places for tourists and locals alike. Sand dunes are another prominent feature of Oman. The sands are incredibly soft and inviting to the touch of the hands and feet.

The sky...I have missed the sky of home so much. The air in Oman is fresh and clean, the skies blue and the nights unlike anything I've seen before. The sky was so full of stars that every space was filled with twinkling lights. It was so gorgeous it nearly brought tears to my eyes. One night, we were at the beach observing the turtles hatching. The water was host to phosphorescent plankton that settled on the shoreline as the tide rolled in. The sky and the earth glowed in splendour. The sky seemed to have let its extra stars move down to the water and the sand. As the warm waves crashed into the shore I decided it was the most beautiful night I have ever seen.

I also was able to hold a newborn turtle in my hands and release it into the glowing sea. It was a precious moment.

I could go on forever about the quiet, peaceful beauty of Oman. I felt so healthy, so alive, so grateful for every moment.

We saw camels on the roadside, goats everywhere from roadsides and mountains to towns atop staircases and cars. We saw a few donkeys, too. A guide from the deset dune camp was showing us his village, explaining about the fort and the tribes and history of the people when a white dove flew overhead. Like so many other moments on the trip, it took my breath away.

I am not sure if Oman would have been such a treat if not for living in Kuwait, but I highly recommend it as a travel experience. Plenty of adventures to be had and so many kind and friendly people. I could go on forever about those 4 days... I will describe our desert camping experience in another update as it's time for me to go.

Please keep well and keep me updated. You are often on my mind and are dearly missed. Keep breathing the clean air and enjoying the night skies.