Hey boys and girls,
it has been a while. What have we been up to?
Jebel Akhdar
It was getting hot to do too much in the UAE so we headed out to Jebel Akhdar, a large mountain in Oman for a weekend. We'd heard it was the right time for the rose harvest so we headed out with Kevin and Jenny, Murray and Naomi, Dharan and Noeline and made our way across the border. Ande and I forgot passports so we had to head back through Al Ain (a 30 minute ride each way) to get them again. Finally caught up with everyone in Nizwa, about 3 hours from home. We were going to check out the market, but it was all closed up till 4pm so we grabbed something to eat and headed for Jebel Akhdar, about 30mins further on.
We turned off the main road and saw a thin road winding up the mountain ahead of us. A little way up there was a checkpoint where they took our vehicle registration and checked our vehicles. They also advised us to change into 4WD low for the climb up the hill, which would not have been good for the transmission when the road was sealed and it was easily done in 2WD. Nodded and stayed in 2WD. There's only one way in and one way out of the mountain so you couldn't get into any trouble up there without being nabbed. I did notice signs forbidding pork, alcohol, swimming in the streams and inappropriate behaviour on the way in. Hmmm.
We climbed the big winding road in, stopped for a view and made it onto the top of the mountain, it's really a big plateau in numerous pockets. I think there are over 20 villages up there. We headed up and through a little village then over the side of the mountain where an old rock-hut village was perched over the far side of a ravine. There was a flying fox across the ravine for supplies as well as a walking track. There was also a helicopter pad above the old village where the helicopter used to come in to get kids to school before the road was put in. Great photo opportunity and amazing place.
We headed back out and found a campsite at Diana's Lookout. It wasn't far from a village but offered amazing views and a nice little campsite. Princess Diana had visited there many years ago and it seemed appropriate as it was Prince William's wedding day while we were there. We settled in and toasted the royal wedding with a little bottle of Moet that Kevin had picked up at the airport. V. nice. Lots of snacks and then into barbecued cajun pork with salad and rolls. Very tasty if a little illegal. We weren't hurting anyone (apart from the pig and the grapes) so we'll just have to live with the guilt. Temperature was perfect for the evening, about 15 degrees lower than it was below the mountains.
After breaking camp we headed down to the start of the Village Walk. Because of the altitude and the copious rainfall (about 300mm, an eighth of what we'd get in NZ!) there are gardens and orchards of pomegranate, grapes, citrus and roses on terraces carved into the rocky mountainsides between little villages. As we entered the first village we got talking to a local guy who had a plastic bag of rose petals. He had a little factory in the village that produced smoky rosewater from the petals. He gave us a tour of the little room where the roses were heated slowly in water and the oil was distilled off. I think he was waiting for tourists as he sold four bottles of rosewater to us, but it was fascinating to see the whole process and he told us that it employed most of his family in the season.
We continued the walk along rocky paths and passed a few cattle penned in little rooms below the houses. Later we came to a lovely little pond where fish nibbled our toes and we snuck up on a green lizard that turned out to be a flattened Sprite bottle. It was a beautiful rustic little walk and so different to Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. We all thoroughly enjoyed the experience, even though it heated up a little by the time we made it back.
We continued on to visit an abandoned village and found one beautifully painted room with green walls and tiny alcoves on the second floor of a very old half-collapsed stone house. We wondered whether it might be an old mosque or church or place of worship. When we finished it was time for a picnic at one of four playgrounds with roofed picnic spots and toilet facilities. We finally packed up and turned around for the big hot ride back to Al Ain. We were glad to make it home and equally glad we didn't have another hour and a half drive back to Dubai or Abu Dhabi.
Princess Ball
Matija had a Princess Ball as a fundraiser for the school library. She dressed up with all the other princes and princesses and had a wonderful evening, there were half a dozen 'real' princesses (local teenagers) who did a great job of playing along with the kids, there were activities, a princess parade, a buffet dinner and lucky prizes. Dad also got to dress up as a knight, man the door and read a story to the kids. It was a neat evening and Matija got to show off the princess dress she got in Disneyland!
Kayaking
We headed to Abu Dhabi one weekend and spent 4 hours paddling around the mangroves on a kayak tour. Abu Dhabi has hundreds, if not thousands, of islands and they are very rarely visited. We met up with Kevin and Jenny, another Kevin and Jenny, Dharan and Noeline, Murray and Naomi and our guides, Annie and Mark and headed up one of the long channels. The temperature was around 40 at 4:00 when we started, but there was a breeze on the water and it wasn't too bad. The sandy islands are lined with mangroves and the roots and little snippets of beach were just crawling with crabs. We paddled up to a larger beach with a few old fox holes, took a swim and a breather then headed on out. It's virtually in the city but the mangroves block out the noise and sight of buildings so you could be miles from anywhere.
We passed one island that had been cut in half. One of the sheiks lived at one end of the mangroves and his mother lived at the other. He had a very large, flash yacht and felt it would be better to cut a deep channel through the island so that he could visit on his yacht without having to go around or take the car. So it was done. The guides had never seen anyone using the channel and now there are 501 islands rather than 500.
We continued on our course right up to the end of an island, then walked the boats across a shallow sand bank and pulled into a little beach for a drink and something to eat. Mark and Annie had a young Saluki dog (a local breed) that was extremely placid, rode on the kayak and went hunting for crabs when we stopped. He was pretty cool and incredibly mellow for a young un.
After the break we headed across open water to another island where there was a big man-made fish trap. It was about 50 metres long, made of steel poles driven into the channel and lined with netting. The trap curled around so the fish could get in but not out. It was in reasonably deep water and apparently they catch quite a few fish in it. We also went up some small inlets into the mangroves and really enjoyed some sploring in the waterways. Amazing place, apparently the Phillipino guides invariably spot blue paddle crabs swimming around in the inlets.
We finished with a big haul across open water to get back to the jetty as the sun went down over the city. Funny how people can spread out so much when going from one point to another. We stayed the night at Kevin and Jenny's afterwards and I must say it wasn't a big one. Everyone was a bit buggered.
Matija's Birthday
Big birthday number 5 for Matija. For weeks she'd been asking how long it would be till her birthday. Finally the big day arrived! Actually we had her party the day before, but it was her first party and she was very excited. She'd delivered invitations to about 10 of her little friends at school and in the neighbourhood, we'd decorated the room, sorted and made some games and prepared the food. Finally she was dressed in her party dress and the guests started arriving!
Her friends, mostly girls are all lovely and their parents are great too so it was a really nice little gathering. She got lots of little presents, the kids loved the games and there were no sugar induced riots (not too much sugary food and I think the lack of boys also helped). Cory, a friend of ours is an ex-baker and he'd made a fantastic cake. It was based around a barbie doll and her dress was all beautifully iced chocolate cake, flowing up into an iced bodice with little flowers and beading. Absolutely spectacular and very tasty. Matija was stoked.
We had the presents from family the next day - Matija got a little cash register with eftpos and some shopping goods and money from us. She can set up her little shop, sell or buy stuff, scan barcodes and pay with a little card where she has to enter a pin number. She loves playing with it. Nana Mary got her a Barbie and Ken set in a horse and carriage. They've been hanging out and having a great time. I have to do Ken's voice at times and also get him dancing - he's got a bit of work to do there. They love going to balls in the horse and carriage and sometimes the horse even gets released to play on his own. She's stoked. She also got a gorgeous little dress from Bronnie and a skipping rope. Her skipping is improving steadily although she also likes to be tied up with the rope. Just as much fun!
Phew - it's funny that she's already at nursery/school, so its slightly different than turning 5 in NZ. Matija is on holidays for a few months and we'll see what happens next year for school.
4WD ing
I'm going out with an Al Ain group most Wednesdays and having a lot of fun. It's a good crew and we're starting to know our way around the dunes here quite well. I've even been starting to do a little leading and improving my skills. I've been upgraded to an Offroader with the bigger group we belong to, which means you have access to tougher trips - I've only done a few of those since we're often doing things on the weekend. I am starting to think that if we're here next year and we need a second car (both possibilities at this stage) we may have to look for a more dedicated off-road vehicle. The Xterra is great for the easier stuff but I don't want to bang it up too much in the desert. We will have to see.
Summer - Anna
Summer is here now, it's a very mild 31 degrees at 10am today but its only going to get hotter. Matija is finished school now, we're heading to Doha for a couple of weeks in the middle of the month and apparently it's already stinking hot over there. Ande has work there, helping finish off a contract, and we'll all troop over and stay in a nice little apartment with a pool, gym, serviced rooms and catered breakfast - it'll be a bit of a mini-break and a chance to visit Doha again.
Friends, Brian and Shadi, have headed back to the US for the summer. They couldn't take their maid with them and she didn't have anywhere to go so we have taken her on as a maid for the summer (apart from when we're away). Her name is Anna, she is 26 years old and from the Phillipines. She's very quiet and has been doing cleaning and some cooking and helping with Matija. She's great, it has meant that Ande and I can go out by ourselves any time and Matija is more than happy to stay with Anna. The house is cleaner than it has been since we got here, she does the dishes etc and I can get a bit of work done over the summer.
Having a maid doesn't entirely match up with our values of equality and hospitality, but we're working through that and we'll see how it goes. It is only a temporary thing, as I keep reminding Ande, and we will not be getting used to it.
Apart from that life goes on. There is still uncertainty over the plan for next year - it remains a little gift waiting to be opened - but we are getting used to that. We all miss our friends and family at home and we love to hear from you all. Take care and keep in touch.
love Vince, Ande and Matija.
