Eid Camping (Oman) - November 15-16, 2010

We started our camping trip with a First to Find (FTF) Geocache before we left the city.  It was our first FTF in the UAE and there was a prize for the first one to it.  So now we have a new addition to the family who lives on our antenna.  The kids have nicknamed him Geo!

It didn't take long to get to Oman and the border crossing was easy; they just asked if we had passports and didn't even want to see them.  We drove to our planned campsite and then realized that it was not what we were looking for (rocky and exposed).  We ended up exploring for a better campsite and doing our planned geocaches.  Off in the distance we watched a thunderstorm role through.  You could see the rain coming down and even a bit of lightening. 

In the area we were in, you could see that people just drove wherever they wanted.  There were faint roads but tracks crisscrossed all over the place which made it fun for Dad.  There was some really neat scenery but pretty rocky and sparse for camping.

We decided to have lunch and check out our handy dandy UAE off-roading book for other potential camping spots.  I found one that looked like it could be really good (pools by Shuwayhah), so we set off for going deeper into Oman.

Here is where we actually crossed the boarder (figured it out that the other was just a police checkpoint).  It was still pretty easy, this time they just asked if we had Oman insurance.  It was neat to watch the terrain change from really angular and sharp edged hills to more rounded landforms.   Since it was now getting on in the afternoon we hurried to our proposed campsite....and what a site it turned out to be!  I think it is one of the best we have seen so far.   It was near the start of a wadi and I think it must have been a farm at one time because it seemed the palms were all terraced with low rock walls.  It made for a great camp site - shaded under the palms and sandy.  Wayne and Samantha both seem to think it is fun to sweep a campsite yet not so much at home. :)

Set up was easy because the kids headed off to explore the palms and we could back the truck right up to our site.  Below is where we set up and the view from our tent.

After everything was ready we set off for a hike to the pools.  The pools were not as deep as they used to be because the water is used for irrigation these days but it was cool nonetheless. 

After exploring the pools, we decided to climb higher up to a plataeu.  From up high we could see the whole valley and other campers coming in for the night.

It was coming on to supper time so we headed back to get the fire going.  Tonight's supper was chicken burgers!  Man do I love the new grill. :)  The following pictures are of our site from the firepit, Patrick and Dad having a cuddle, and then everyone getting ready for marshmallows.  The fire was different because we were using palm fronds and the woody base of the fronds.  The fire seems to burn brightly for a bit and then dye down quite quickly. 

We were hoping for a bit of a sleep in because we were protected in the palms from the early sunrise but our kids seem to have the same internal clock set at a riduculous time that Wayne has.  So a morning hike was in order.  The kids and Wayne had gone for a bit of a wander in the dark with flashlights the night before so they showed me where they had gone.  Some nice views!  Our campsite is under those palm trees somewhere!

After our hike we tore down and had breakfast before heading off to a new spot with more caching and exploring to do.