Thursday, February 21: After visiting Bimmah Sinkhole, we decide to drive to Wadi Arbiyyin. Mario has heard this is a particularly pretty wadi, so we’re keen to venture in and explore it. We drive and drive and drive through a steep canyon, but nothing looks particularly striking. Suddenly we come to a small pool where some people are picnicking and swimming and we pull off to take a couple of pictures. However, to walk further from this spot would require climbing over a lot of big boulders, so we give up and head back to the car.
our first stop in Wadi Arbiyyin
a family picnic in the wadi
pretty little plant
an artistic endeavor
Mario suggests that we drive just 10 more minutes into the wadi. If in that time we don’t see anything interesting, we will turn around. After about 10 minutes, the wadi starts to widen a bit. We see an interesting angled falaj.
the wadi widens
an angled falaj in both directions
a little goat friend hams it up on the mountainside
We see some pools and beautiful grasses. We decide to drive further than the 10 minutes we agreed on, and we pledge to stop on our way back for photos. By now the wadi is so stunning, with its golden cliffs and emerald and turquoise pools, that we end up driving 25 minutes deeper into the wadi.
views further back in the wadi
pretty little wadi
We come to a drop in the road that looks so steep that we figure we might not be able to make it back up. This is the end of the line for us. We park and get out to take some pictures. At this point, we are loving what we see, emerald-green pools, white limestone cliffs, a winding falaj, date palms, ornamental grasses and a couple of goats or two. We wander about taking pictures, then we start backtracking in the car.
the end of the line for us: pretty pools and limestone cliffs
beautiful emerald pools along a small village and date palms
an inviting little pool
another little goat friend
Mario at Wadi Arbiyyin
We return to the area of glowing emerald grasses and deeper pools and pull over to explore. We find the most beautiful spot at the end of a wide pool to sit and contemplate the scene. It’s around 4:00 at this time and a cool breeze has whipped up. We sit and soak up the peaceful scene for quite some time until we decide we better head out, planning to make a few more stops along the way.
the loveliest spot
heavenly pool
the falaj along the pool
view through the grasses
paradise!
I love the rocks under the blue-green water
our parting view of this serene spot
Next, we stop beside some golden grasses and a rocky area with gray lumpy rocks. As we walk around we hear a loud gunshot. I jump because the shot is so loud, I could swear that someone is shooting at us. We wait a few more seconds, then we’re startled out of our skin again by several more gunshots. I look at Mario and then around in a panic, thinking that in a second either Mario or I will have a big bloody hole in the stomach or in the head!! I panic and say, “I don’t feel comfortable with this!” and then I run for the car. Mario is close behind me. We jump in the car and drive out of there as fast as we can!
GUNSHOTS!!!
a gray rocky area near the grasses where we hear loud gunshots…
I don’t know if someone is shooting at some birds, shooting at us, or just having some fun at our expense, but my heart is pounding and I am in flight mode.
After leaving the wadi, we drive up the coast highway to Quriyat, where we cruise through the town. Mario wants me to see the fishing boats along the corniche. We find some boats and fishermen sorting out their nets.
boats along the corniche in Quriyat
colorful boat
more boats
smaller fishing boats and a little watchtower on a peninsula
fishermen and their nets
After this, we head to Muscat to Qurum Resort for the sushi buffet. We enjoy a banquet full of sushi and fancy desserts, topped off with a bottle of Chianti.
outside at Qurum Resort
a banquet of sushi
more sushi
pretty little setup at the dessert table
the appetizer table
strawberry desserts
my first helping 🙂
Sadly, our wonderful day comes to an end, and we drive all the way back to Nizwa. By the time I arrive home at midnight, we have been on the go for 15 1/2 hours and we’ve driven 600 km.
I LOVE a road trip!!
Hope I get to take a road trip with you some time! Just a shame you would have to do all the driving! I am off to the university as I left my laptop cables there as well as some marking so I look forward to reading about what adventures you and Mario get up todoay!!!!
Thanks so much! We can take a road trip soon; we talked about next weekend, and I may have some ideas. We’ll talk about it next week. Hope you enjoyed Jebel Akhdar today!
Fascinating – did you at least get to wade in that inviting water? Those gunshots would have freaked me out, too.
Thanks so much! No we didn’t wade, because we weren’t prepared with any swimming stuff, but we vowed to go back in April or May when the weather is hot!! And yes, those gunshots freaked us out!
Looks incredible. but the gunshots? scary and weird!
You are so right about that!! Very weird and scary!!
OMG GUNSHOTS??? LOL Time to go !!!!! Anyone hungry ??? LOL
SO EXCITED for you to finish up your trip I can’t wait to see what you think after your home and you’ve had time to reflect!
Yes, that’s what I thought, Jasmine!! OMG!! It was a great trip overall, and then sadly, I had to go back to work. Had another fun trip yesterday that I’ll post about soon. Too bad work has to break up all my fun! 🙂
Wow. Again, there’s so much to process here – I’m not complaining, I just want to respond to everything & it’s too much. Paradise indeed – so many of those photos are just stunning. I really like dry, rocky places for the forms, and here you get the bonus of the emerald water, those tall grasses…I can definitely see how relaxed you must have been, looking at everything and admiring it – then bang! What harsh wake-up! (The rocks along the falaj look really cool, too, but I wonder how eager you would be to return now). On to the boats & fishermen, which are always interesting becasue it’s something that hasn’t changed much in centuries. And that dinner – such a contrast between the rawness of the scenery just hours before, and now the very “done up” buffet tables. It’s a lot to take in! No wonder you love a road trip – you know how to take a great one!
Wow, Lynne. You are so kind to read my posts and comment so extensively. It’s so nice to have someone who really has an interest!! The place where we were enjoying looking at the pools was very serene and peaceful. It was when we drove further out of the wadi that we encountered the gunshots. Anyway, since we got out safely, it didn’t ruin our time. It would have been a different story altogether if one of us had actually been shot!!
I love a road trip with someone like Mario, because we are usually of the same mind. We both like to take pictures, to linger, to soak in a place, and we like taking detours without feeling like we must stick to a particular plan. It’s not often you can find a travel companion like that. 🙂
I sure hope to meet you sometime if I ever make back to the Pacific Northwest. You know I lived in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho from 1980-84. I loved it there. 🙂
…or if I’m back east, but I suspect that will be New York. Didn’t know you lived in ID – I haven’t been there yet, and I know it’s beautiful, and interesting, but the west is big, isn’t it? So much to see. Lingering, then detouring – yes!
Yes, it is big, but Coeur d’Alene isn’t too far from Seattle. I would highly recommend it, although I haven’t been there for nearly 30 years!!
What a long, long, day, lovely sights around every bend. I love that “let’s keep going attitude” to see what we can see and then, gun shots.Whoa. That would ruin it for me. At least the meal was a feast and a perfect way to end the day. Glad you both got home safely.
Thanks so much, Lynne! I’m glad you enjoyed our trip. Those gunshots really did freak me out, as we couldn’t see where they were coming from or who or what the people were shooting at. The meal was definitely a feast and a great top-off to a beautiful day. 🙂
You are certainly spurring my urge to travel- love these pictures!
Thanks so much, Kathryn. 🙂