"Do we dare do it again?"

After our rough go of camping last time, we were very uncertain if camping here in Oman would happen again.  If you missed the story of our last trip, let's just say Colin and I don't think we slept more than 4 hours between the two of us that night due to Emalyn's tossing and turning all night long.  It was hot and she was agitated.  At least the day was lots of fun and we were with good friends.

Fast forward to two weeks ago when we got invited to join a group going to Khaluf.  We had heard about the greatness of this place, but it was a 5-6 hour drive and everyone stayed two nights.  Between getting pregnant and having an infant, Khaluf never happened.  But this time, after some soul searching, we knew we could do it.  Other kids were going, the weather was right, and Emalyn was sleeping much better.  She was also communicating and understood us well, so that was helpful.  And this time, we were bringing two tents.  I would be with her one night and Colin could take the other.  At least we'd get one decent night's sleep.

In the end, the trip was amazing.  Emalyn slept great, they had SO much fun, the weather was perfect, and the location, breathtaking.  It was a long drive there, but we got to go through a new part of Oman that was very barren and interesting to see and we got stopped in two smaller towns that were much more traditional.

Here are some photos from our trip (poor Abs and Em, they have no idea what beaches away them in Oregon)

 

To get to the camping spot, we had to do some beach driving.  It's all about the tides and hitting the sand when it's right.  It was not my favorite thing (didn't want to get stuck and have to work out way out), but it was still beautiful.   Colin had lots of fun driving.

 

Our camping spot and view.  Sigh.  However, trash from the ocean still abounds on the water line, sadly. 

 

Our happy campers quickly got their suits on, grabbed the beach toys, and started digging in.

 

Behind the this beach is the highlight of the area.  The Dunes.  

Here is our view towards the ocean from the top of the dune. 

 

And here is the side view from the top... And then...

 

Wow.  I hadn't had my breath taken away in a really long time.  I wasn't expecting this.   One of the things things that surprised me was over the first hill, even though we were still by the ocean, the way the wind moved, you couldn't hear it anymore.  And it was QUIET.  So quiet.  I had to close my eyes and just listen because it's so rare to get just quiet anymore.

 

The girls were in heaven.

 

The loved running down the hills.

 

Emalyn, well, she honestly would've kept on walking and it someone wasn't with her, we would've lost her.  I followed her for quite awhile and we got a good ways out before  I finally convinced her to go back.

 

Hi, sandy girl!

 

Sunset the first night.   Watching from the ridge.

 

Enjoying a moment without the kids.  We love them, but having them occupied and not needing us in this beautiful moment made it all the more beautiful!

 

Them being beautiful in the moment. 

 

Good morning!  Waking with the sun and cuddling.

 

A day of sun and sand, but also some shade time and relaxing.

 

Dune jumping.

 

Whee!

 

My little monkey.  A rare moment she wanted off the dunes.

 

Happy beach buddies.

 

 The girls at the 2nd night sunset.

 

The big girls at sunset.  Thanks, ladies, for such a fun time and your friendship!  Three of us in this photo leaving next year (Nancy, far right, and Theresa in black next to her)  

 

 Finally, I snapped these two photos the morning we were leaving because the tide had washed in tons of dead fish.  They were mostly these first ones and some odds and ends, like the 2nd.  Fishing practices involving by-catch are supposed to be illegal here, but this definitely looked like someone had dumped a bunch of stuff they didn't want.  

Well, right before we left, like, literally 10 minutes before planned departure, I went down towards the water to ask a friend a question.  I got distracted and then went to switch directions in my walking and I immediately felt a sharp pain in my right foot below my big toe. I had been jabbed by a spine on the dorsal fin of this first type of fish.  It was a nerve wracking 10 minutes as we worried if I would have a reaction to poison.  Luckily, nothing happened besides the pain around the wound and some mild nausea.  I'm sure some of it was my adrenaline pumping with my mild anxiety.  Honestly, it was almost an hour to get out of the area and to the nearest town where there would be a doctor if needed.

Nothing happened, thankfully, and after getting home and researching "poisonous fishes of Oman", I figured out that the fish were sea catfish, which are poisonous, but not deadly (normally).  The 2nd fish is probably some type of puffer or box fish, according to our friend.  So, our theory is that someone dumped all these poisonous fish that had been caught.  Luckily no one else was hurt by them, and luckily, they came in with the night tide and no one in our group got hit by them while swimming.  

From the look on the fish's face in the 2nd photo, I should've known I was cursed for taking pictures of the dead!

All in all, it was a great trip and we are so thankful we did it.

Since returning, we have sold most of our camping supplies.  Since the weather is hot and we won't camp again before moving, we knew it was time.  We don't have space to bring it all back and honestly, it's time to upgrade for having two kids and camping in Oregon.