Today was wonderful.
We breakfasted outside, on the terrace, sipping freshly squeezed orange
juice and munching croissant, with a pot of real coffee. It being February, this was a treat.
We bundled into the 4 x 4 and drove through a stupendous
rocky landscape, playing ‘animal bingo’ as we went. It’s a great game – you should try playing it. You get 1 point for a goat; 5 points for a
donkey; 10 points for a vulture. Half a
point for a cat. 20 points for a dolphin
or camel. 400 points for a woolly
mammoth etc. I saw many, many goats – I
decided that you get double-points if the goat is doing something interesting,
such as climbing a tree, being herded, standing on top of a van, being hit by a
car, or riding a bicycle – we saw three of these at one point – can you guess
which three?
Goats are perplexing.
To whom do they belong? Which goat-herd can actually identify all of
their goats? High on the hill was a lonely goat-herd… How do the goats know
where to go? There were hundreds of them around today, wandering lonely as a
lonely goat-herd. I plan to ask the
trusty guide we have hired tomorrow, all of my important goat-related
questions. No kidding.
Here, people drive their 4 x 4s onto the beach, to lay claim
to their bit of beach, then you set up camp and enjoy the view. It makes sense to have a 4 x 4 here, in a way that it doesn't make sense to have one in BR7 and the surrounding areas.
It was actually cloudy today and warm but not
stifling, therefore pleasant. We were poised
to erect a tent, but it was too windy, so we opted for comfy foldy-uppy
chairs. I paddled in the sea, making
footprints in the sand and being intrigued by hermit crabs burrowing into the
sand. I then bravely decide to go
swimming in the Gulf of Oman, which was fairly warm. To avoid offence, I was obliged to wear
shorts and t-shirts over my swimsuit, which weighed me down and reminded me of
doing life-saving swimming when I was 9.
But overall the effect was pleasant, gave me some thinking time and
meant I could say I had swum in the sea.
After changing behind a thoughtfully placed giant rock, we
bundled back into the car and headed to the souk. The souk was a bustling maze of a market,
with traders gently trying to persuade you into their tiny shops, which were
laden from dusty floor to ceiling with all manner of souvenirs one can live
quite happily without, along with more pashminas than I have ever seen in my
life and an abundance of local silver. I
was pleased that the friend with whom we are staying knew where I could purchase
thimbles, to add to my very large collection which is a glorious record of my
adventures since I was 7. I purchased
two – a china one shaped like an Emirati man, and a silver one (not real
silver, obviously), with ‘Oman’ written on it, and a camel. I suspect that both are mass-produced in
China, but that is not the point.
A sweet coffee and a wander later and we were back at the
house. We headed to D’Arcy’s, a cosy nearby
eating establishment, for butter chicken and sumptuous lime and mint
juice. I have never tasted this juice in
my life, but it was gorgeous and very aromatic.
We came home and enjoyed a few cheeky glasses of Sauvignon Blanc (my
favourite wine, in case you’re buying me a bottle for any reason) courtesy of
Heathrow duty free. My friend and I reminisced
about old times, whilst others tried to understand what we were talking about.
Tomorrow will be very exciting as we are desert-bound and
will be spending the night at a desert camp, in a little hut. I fear that the blogging will have to wait
till I return from the desert, so have patience and the instalment will be here
very soon. Goodnight all.
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