Day 2 - Mountains and Sea

My second day in Oman is almost over and my new (🐷 expensive) sunglasses and I are sitting at dinner. Why are the sunglasses worth mentioning? Be patient😉

Let's start from the beginning... I didn't sleep very well last night (probably out of fear that the alarm wouldn't ring again) so I wake up at 6:00 and head to breakfast. Premiere😁 Besides six other tourists, there are also four Arab ladies having breakfast - nothing unusual so far. But I have never experienced one of the ladies smiling at the buffet very warmly and the "girls' group" giggling loudly and extensively later - very refreshing to see that there is not always so much difference after all😃

At 8:30 Hassan picks me up from the reception - off we go to the first excursion into the hinterland. But first we still go to the next hotel, where we will complete the crew of our jeep with three more members - a mother with her two daughters from near Dresden. Our tour guide is visibly satisfied with the cast😝

The first stop of today's tour is Wadi Ayun, where we meet the other 4 jeeps and their occupants. The average age of the group is noticeably lowered by us (yes, even by me😉) and I am really glad about our girls' group! After the guide's safety instructions (do not sit next to the rocks or reach into the rocks because of snakes and other reptiles - do not reach into the water because of dangerous bacteria/worms), we head to the water pool. There, four local men are happily splashing around - so much for that...🤔😁

Back to the cars, we then go to a currently dried-up river bed. On the way there, we make a short stop at a resting herd of camels and take some nice group pictures with the animals. We learn that during the day the animals wander around on their own and return to their owner/stable alone in the evening. Actually, you can see individual animals or herds next to or directly on the road during the day from time to time, and a few times we also have to brake and swerve - but everything went well!

Another short stop at a frankincense tree and then up into the mountains. The road winds towards Yemen and used to be the trade route between Yemen and Oman - no worries, we're not so close to the border to get into danger somehow. The large limestone rocks next to the road are impressive and the curves are tricky, but we are chauffeured very well and safely by Salim👌🏻 From the paved road, we drive another 6 km over steep gravel roads towards the sea and to the beach, where we are served a picnic for lunch😋 The meal consisting of salad, eggplant with garlic, chicken stew, and rice tastes really good again! Unfortunately... Because actually we want to go into the water afterwards... But that's also possible with a full belly😉

So we grab our backpacks, receive a parasol, and search for a nice spot🏖☀️ So we stick the parasol into the sand, put on our bikini (that works here), and dive into the water! Think again... The wind has turned our parasol into a bent frame with loose fluttering fabric panels🙈🙈 As twisted as our poor little umbrella, we bring it back to the guides - so we have to do without an umbrella😎

The water is wonderful - azure blue, clear, and warm! Even a small jellyfish can't diminish the pleasure of bathing😌 We walk down the beach, take a few more photos, and I go into the sea one last time. Dani + Sea + Wave = Sunglasses Oman 2: Dani 0😫 That has never happened to me before - I literally lost two pairs of sunglasses within two days🤦🏻‍♀️ The wave has also ripped off my spare glasses from my head and now I'm without them🙎🏻‍♀️ It's fine for the way back to the hotel, but I definitely need a replacement for the next few days! (Spoiler: I got a new pair of glasses, which are not exactly cheap here. So keep your fingers crossed that I will keep them for longer here🙏🏻🙏🏻)

It's time to go back now and shortly before it gets dark I'm back at the hotel. It was a very beautiful excursion and a great day - the desire for more and the sea has been awakened😊 Tomorrow I will go to my hotel by the beach and to the dolphin safari - let's see if we really see any dolphins🐬

So now I'm going to pack my suitcase and wish you a good night😘