Goodbye to Lush Jungle, Hello Desert!

December 13, 2018

Out the door at 6:15 am for our flight to Mouscat, Oman!  It was a 4 1/2 hour flight. The airport is new, modern, yet definitely gives a middle eastern vibe.  Customs was fast, luggage was waiting for us as we walked up and off we went with our first rental car of the trip.

What an amazing contrast from what we just left. Sri Lanka was a lush, tropical island and Oman is a giant desert with a few palm trees scattered about.  The buildings are different shades of sand and blend right into the landscape. It was acceptable for men in SL to wear a sarong and no shirt and shoes.  Here everyone is fully clothed and then some.

Drove 2 1/2 hours to Sama Al Wasil Desert Camp.  It is a bedouin in the desert. It is a unique opportunity to experience the spirit of desert life.   Once you leave the main road you are driving through sand dunes.  No real signs, no real roads.  Andy had to let some air out of the tires and lower the air pressure so we didn't get stuck.  We then pulled up to our own little oasis in the desert.


The camp has sand boards that we could borrow.  Kids had fun doing it over and over but they really had to work for it since it was so steep and hard to climb.  There is a rope from the top of a dune down. 

At first you look and think...that's going to be hard but totally doable.  It was really hard.  Your feet sink deep into the powdery sand with every step.  We made it in time to watch the sunset over the dunes.

It was energizing and peaceful all at once.  Just one of those things you take in because it is probably once in a lifetime.

Dinner was intresting.  They had lots to choose from.  Off to the side there was a chef with an open air barbeque.  Choices were chicken or camel.  Another first for us.  :-)  The camel was really good.  Honestly, it was just so nice to have a little meat.

After dinner we jumped back into our 4x4 and drove away from the camps lights to look at the stars.   They were bright and fun to see.