Where in the World

So maybe I should have started with this but I have my reasons for just bringing it up now.  For those of you who haven't googled it, Oman is in Southern Arabia.  It sits on the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea (which quickly turns into the Indian Ocean.)

If you can tell on the map, there is a tiny bit up there in the Persian Gulf that is also Oman, there is a whole history lesson on that but that is for another day.

You can also see Muscat, the capital, and if you look at the bottom of the map you will see Salalah.  That's where we are now.  If you follow the red road north you will run into Ash Shisar.  Krista & I's first time in Oman was spent there.

Geographically this country is very diverse.  Obviously, there is a lot of ocean & therefore beaches & sand, but there are also deserts, mountains, trees, and a variety of other things.

As you can guess Oman is big in sea trading, they are snuggled in the middle of Persia, India, & Africa.  This makes them a great stopping off point for all those people.  There are also trade routes across the land going north and other sea routes as far China and the Mediterranean.  The biggest ports today are pretty close to where the ancient ports where--if it isn't broken don't fix it.

A few pictures of some of the diversity of the landscape:

This is Mabruk in the Rub al Khali (The Great Empty Quarter) that separates Oman & Saudi Arabia.  You can see it on the map above.  This is one of the most impressive things I've ever seen.  HUGE sand dunes for as far as you can see.  That little dot over his shoulder is a Land Rover, to give you an idea of how high we were.

This is a Dhow, a traditional boat used here.  It was late afternoon but quite misty & foggy.  This was taken in Mirbat (also on the map above.)

This is a common scene; camels wondering about.  There are even camel crossing signs (like watch for deer at home.) This was also taken at Mirbat but on the inland side.

And then there is the misty, green areas.  This too is north of Mirbat, but very north.  We drove up a jebal (mountain) and rain into the clouds.  It's green and lush and full of really cool trees & plants.  We accidentally found a little park here and wandered around for a couple hours looking at all the green stuff. ;-)

Another shot of the same park with Brian standing in front of a weird, but cool, group of trees.

As you can guess, based on the variety of the landscape there is also a variety of temperatures.  The jebal is moderate and can get very chilly & the Rub al Khali is crazy hot & dry.

Here in Salalah (and all the southern coasts) we are experiencing what is called the Khareef.  It is the monsoon that hits Southern Oman, Yemen, & the coast of Africa.  Salalah depends on the Khareef for water and coolness.  (Although I haven't actually felt the cool part yet.)  The Khareef goes from about June to September and it even has its own festival in Salalah.  Tourists wait until the end of it and flock to Salalah to enjoy the cool temperatures and the beauty of the green areas.

When we arrived in late May we asked the locals when the Khareef usually starts and we got a variety of answers.  We were told that it is June 21st every year.  We were told that the newspaper would tell us.  We were told that you would know because you will feel it.  And, my favorite, we were told by an older guy that when you see seven rows of waves it will have started.  We started counting everyday, faithfully but the most we've seen is six... does that mean it's still not really here?

This is from the front of our house.  It was actually pretty calm yesterday.  We've seen it a lot worse.  There has been absolutely no swimming since we got here, the undertow is crazy scary.  Just getting your feet wet in some places is taking your life in your own hands.

I'm still not sure about the exact date but I am sure it's here.  It is about 80-90 degrees and 80% humidity.  It is foggy & misty every morning and afternoon.  If you've ever been to the California coast and seen the morning sea mist (before the sun burns it off) it's kinda like that, but thicker and it lasts longer.  Now I know those of you from the mid-west are thinking, big deal, we have that every summer.  True (I'm from MO) but this is different I tell you.  It's MORE sticky, MORE wet, MORE different.

Here are a few photos that don't due justice to what I'm trying to explain:

This is about 630 AM over the site, the sun is trying to break through but it will take hours before that happens.

Here is a shot out the front door at 700 AM.  I think it's getting worse.

Another interesting thing is due to the fact that its dryer the rest of the year then gets crazy humid things warp and corrode like crazy.  We couldn't get out of front door for a week because the wood expanded and warped itself shut.  It had to be pried open and shaved down so that we can use it.  Now the question is, what happens when the humidity goes down? ;-)

There are already gaps around the edges, in a couple months, when the humidity goes down, I'm guessing you'll be able to use it like a window. ;-)

Ironically, the backdoor is warped open.  It won't close on it's own so if you aren't paying attention it stands open... no one pays attention and it looks like this most of the time.

It wouldn't be a big deal but it lets in mosquito's and the flies from hell.  Every time I see it open I hear my dad's voice in my head... "Where you born in a barn? Shut the door!"  I've started telling it to everyone else, I'm pretty sure they are annoyed. ;-)

They say that at the end of the Khareef and the beginning of the tourist season parts of Salalah will look like this:

I haven't seen this yet, I stole this photo from the interwebs.

We hope to add a short dig season in December or January some day so we can come and experience the cool, calm, green Salalah.  As it is, we are leaving just when things get nice--or so they tell us.