Tags
Wednesday, December 19: Tonight I take my colleague Malcolm and his lovely wife Sandy, who has arrived from Britain for the holidays, to Jebel Akhdar. We go up the mountain late in the afternoon, after work, and I show them Al Aqr, the village of the roses, and Wadi Bani Habib. There is no time for walking before the sun sets, but it isn’t really our intention to walk. They’ve never been to the top of the mountain, and I just want to give them a quick overview of my favorite places.
After our little drive, we head to the Sahab Hotel. Being Brits, they have brought their bubbly to drink. I have my bottle of red wine. We take numerous pictures of the sunset, the mountains, the Sahab, the aloe vera and each other. We shiver and shiver, and then, after having a drink or two, we stop noticing the cold.
Despite warming up slightly on our insides, we still opt to eat dinner inside, where it’s nice and cozy. We talk about our grown children and what a challenge they can be sometimes. Malcolm and I talk about our novels in progress. We enjoy our smoked salmon and chicken kebab appetizers, along with Arabiatta and mushroom soup. We eat our main courses; mine is less than stellar, but Sandy and Malcolm enjoy theirs.
I share some of my wine with a German couple sitting nearby and get into a long conversation with them. There is a big piece of natural wood near their table and, stupidly, I trip over it and fall flat on my behind. Fun times. 🙂
Later, we drive down the mountain, switching back and forth, curving down and down at precipitous angles. We’re guided home by the lights of Birkat al Mouz and Nizwa below us, a sparkling toast to a lovely evening.
Lovely photos, Cathy. I’m sure that Sandy and Malcolm were really wowed by those views. It looks like a really fun evening.
Thanks, Sylvia. I’m always excited about showing off Jebel Akhdar to people. I’m lucky to have the 4WD, because it’s off limits to anyone without one. I could live up on this mountain. It was a really fun evening. Sandy and Malcolm are delightful. 🙂
🙂
Wow, looks like a place I need to go in the new year. And the weather has been so perfect, this week – great time for your friends to visit. How beefy does your 4WD need to be?
You would love it! I highly recommend all of Jebel Akhdar; I personally think it’s one of the best places in Oman. You don’t really need a BEEFY 4WD, it just needs to be a 4WD because the police at the bottom won’t let you go up without one. The road up, almost brand new, is paved with barriers all along the edges. It’s quite steep, and I think the reason for the 4WD requirement is so you can put the car in a low gear coming down so you’re not riding your brakes all the way. I guess before the barriers, some people’s brakes burned out on the way down and they went over the cliffs! It’s perfect hiking weather up there now, but at night it’s quite cold, especially for sitting outside at the Sahab. Can’t wait to hear how you like it!
Beautiful photos, Cathy. It looks and sounds like a wonderful day/evening (except for the fall).
Thanks Robin! Yes, it was lots of fun. 🙂
Oh what a fun post. What incredible scenery! Nice to see pictures of you too!
Does it become really cold as soon as the sun goes down in summer and winter?
Thanks so much, Rosie! It’s only cold at night on Jebel Akhdar, which is about 2,000 meters high. In Nizwa and Muscat, it gets slightly cool at night, but not cold. A lightweight jacket is all that’s necessary at the lower elevations. 🙂
Cathy I have nominated your blog for a Blog of the Year Award 2012, because I really love your posts and photos. Information about the award is here: http://theeternaltraveller.wordpress.com/2012/12/21/thank-you-to-my-blogging-friends/
Thank you so much for the nomination! I will check it out for sure!! 🙂
You’re very welcome.
Pingback: friday meditation: my top ten happy memories in the sultanate | a nomad in the land of nizwa