Oman Time is Ending

2 days left in Oman and then we head to Dubai. Time is going so fast.

2 days ago, Brandon, his mom, and myself took a drive so we could visit a cave in the area. Unfortunately, when we got there, the cave was closed because it had flooded a couple months ago. Because it was a 2.5 hour drive, it was rather disappointing, but we quickly changed our plans and drove to a very small town called Misfat Al A'Briyeen. I am not kidding when I say it is a small town. Half of it is old and abandoned, the locals there do not speak English, but it was beautiful...it actually is in a couple tourist books because it has this wonderful 10km hike. We didn't even try to do the whole thing, but we did hike a bit of it and it was well worth the drive. I have some pictures of it. And yes, I was holding up fine in the heat. We left the small town and then drove to Bahla for kicks where Brandon and I decided to explore abandoned mud huts for a bit before driving to Nizwa, where we visited a Souq and wandered around for a bit. Nizwa is a lot warmer than Muscat, I discovered, but still, it was totally manageable. I love how bodies adapt. We then drove back to Muscat.

Yesterday was a lazy day. Brandon and I hung out on the beach for a while and went swimming in the ocean.

Today we went for a delicious buffet lunch and have been hanging about lazily. We also found camels, which of course, I was eager to pet, and then I was treated to a ride across the beach on one, and Brandon was on another. So yes folks, I rode a camel, which seems like an amazingly appropriate adventure for the Middle East.

Tomorrow, we are leaving early do do some diving on the Dayminiyat Islands at Al Sawadi. Should be a good day, I think. The day after, we have a morning dive planned and then a drive to Dubai, where we will be for a couple days before heading to Europe.

Random Facts:
- One place is usually spelled 2 different ways on 2 road signs. Apparently, Arabic vowels don't really translate well into English ones and so one word will have multiple "correct" spellings. Example: I have seen the Daminyat Islands spelled Daminyat, Dayminiyat, Diminyat, Diminiyat, and various other versions.
- Many of the women's public toilets do not have toilet paper. I discovered this very quickly after my arrival in Oman. All that is in a bathroom stall is a toilet and a hose.
- White people are apparently really rare here. Omanis tend to wave and smile at you, especially children. They are extremely friendly and love saying hello.