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a nomad in the land of nizwa

~ an American English teacher in Oman

a nomad in the land of nizwa

Category Archives: Travel

2014 in review: wordpress sums it all up!

31 Wednesday Dec 2014

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Middle East, Oman, Travel

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Expat life, Life, Nizwa, Oman, Travel

To all my visitors: Thank you from the bottom of my heart for continuing to visit this blog despite the fact that I left Oman in June of 2013 and haven’t written anything on here in the last year. I was astounded to get these stats from WordPress letting me know that despite this, the blog had 54,000 hits in 2014!  It pleases me immensely to know that people still care about what I’ve written here.  Thank you again, everyone, for your support and kindness.  As most of you know, I’m now living in the south of China, in Nanning, not too far from the Vietnam border.  You can find me here now: catbird in china.  I hope you’ll drop by for a visit. 🙂

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2014 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 54,000 times in 2014. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 20 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

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cliff leaping at wadi bani khalid

03 Thursday Jan 2013

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Oman, Sharqiya Region, Travel, Wadi Bani Khalid

≈ 8 Comments

Tags

Oman, Travel

Thursday, January 3: Wadi Bani Khalid is one of the greenest wadis in Oman.   It’s dotted with pools, villages and plantations, and Omanis consider it one of the most popular spots in the country for swimming and picnicking.  Today, there are hordes of people, as it is a perfect January weekend.

Click on pictures in any of the galleries below for a full-sized slide show.

trucks of Omanis leaving Wadi Bani Khalid
trucks of Omanis leaving Wadi Bani Khalid
the wall of a plantation alongside the entrance to the wadi
the wall of a plantation alongside the entrance to the wadi
a little goat friend
a little goat friend
Adam, Mike and Alex along the falaj
Adam, Mike and Alex along the falaj
pools along the entrance to Wadi Bani Khalid
pools along the entrance to Wadi Bani Khalid
dragonfy & little fish
dragonfy & little fish
shallow pools
shallow pools

We walk into the wadi, where early on we come upon groups of people swimming in the pools and jumping off cliffs into the pools.  Of course, Adam immediately wants to jump, but he decides to head further back into the wadi where it might be less crowded.

Looking back toward the entrance to the wadi
Looking back toward the entrance to the wadi
inviting pools
inviting pools
Wadi Bani Khalid and its numerous swimming holes
Wadi Bani Khalid and its numerous swimming holes
Alex & Adam
Alex & Adam
Alex & Adam
Alex & Adam

We come to a spot in the stream where we need to take off our shoes to cross, so the boys both take off their shirts and shoes, and slide down a waterfall into a pool.  They come out downriver, where they climb out and slide down the waterfall again.

Alex slides down the little waterfall
Alex slides down the little waterfall
Omanis leap over the stream
Omanis leap over the stream
Adam slides down
Adam slides down
An older Omani man watches from above
An older Omani man watches from above
the pool
the pool
and more pools
and more pools
Alex, Adam and Mike swimming in one of the pools
Alex, Adam and Mike swimming in one of the pools

We head back up the river, and atop a cliff, some Omani boys, along with some tourists, are jumping off into the pools below.  Adam soon follows suit, as does Alex.  They do this numerous time, loving each jump more than the one before.

the wadi
the wadi
the wadi
the wadi
Alex jumps off the cliff
Alex jumps off the cliff
Alex takes a flying leap
Alex takes a flying leap
Mike puts his shoes back on after a swim
Mike puts his shoes back on after a swim
Adam jumps off the cliff
Adam jumps off the cliff
Adam's continuing jump...
Adam’s continuing jump…
IMG_0036
Adam after his leaps
Adam after his leaps

After all this cliff jumping and swimming, we head out of the wadi at around 4:30.  Our hope is to get to Camp Al Areesh by shortly after 5:00.  We want to get there in time to see the sun set over the desert of Sharqiya Sands.

beautiful reflections at Wadi Bani Khalid

beautiful reflections at Wadi Bani Khalid

walking out of Wadi Bani Kalid as the sun goes down
walking out of Wadi Bani Kalid as the sun goes down
reflections
reflections
walking out along the falaj
walking out along the falaj
the falaj
the falaj
the falaj
the falaj
a wall and little village
a wall and little village
Omanis stopping for a photo shoot
Omanis stopping for a photo shoot

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daydream saturday: lebanon

01 Saturday Dec 2012

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Daydream Saturdays, Lebanon, Travel

≈ 12 Comments

Saturday, December 1:  Today is Daydream Saturday, and I’m dreaming of Lebanon.  A country with a mix of Muslims and Christians, it seems to be perpetually in the midst of Middle East conflicts because of its borders with Syria and Israel and the complex makeup of its population.

On Oct. 19, 2012, a large bomb exploded in the heart of Beirut’s Christian section, killing eight people and wounding at least 80, unnerving a nation as neighboring Syria’s sectarian-fueled civil war spills beyond its borders and threatens to engulf the region (New York Times: Lebanon).

When I came to Oman, one of my dreams was to visit countries in the Middle East, including Jordan (which I did visit), Morocco and Lebanon.  I hope to visit Morocco this summer.  I love Lebanese food, and I’ve heard Beirut is a beautiful, cosmopolitan city.  There are historical sites to see, mountains to hike, and beaches to explore.

Because of the upsurge in violence and cautionary U.S. State Department travel warnings, I canceled my plans to visit the country over the Eid holiday on October 25 of this year; I ventured instead to Ethiopia.  But this weekend I talked to someone from Sur who said some friends of his recently visited Lebanon and had a wonderful time.  He said he thinks there are pockets of violence that are easily avoidable with common sense.

IF we get a break between semesters on January 19, and IF my sons and husband DON’T visit during that week, I am still dreaming of going to Lebanon.  Foolish?  Maybe.

From the U.S. State Department:  The Department of State urges U.S. citizens to avoid all travel to Lebanon because of current safety and security concerns. This supersedes the Travel Warning issued on May 8, 2012, to emphasize information on security, kidnappings, and an upsurge in violence in Lebanon and the region.

The potential in Lebanon for a spontaneous upsurge in violence remains. Lebanese government authorities are not able to guarantee protection for citizens or visitors to the country should violence erupt suddenly. Access to borders, airports, roads, and seaports can be interrupted with little or no warning. Public demonstrations occur frequently with little warning and have the potential to become violent. Family or neighborhood disputes often escalate quickly and can lead to gunfire or other violence with little or no warning. The ability of U.S. government personnel to reach travelers or provide emergency services may be severely limited.

—————————

I would love to hear from anyone who lives in Lebanon or who has recently traveled to the country. What do you think?  Would it be foolhardy for me to go?

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daydream saturdays & connect the dots: tibet

24 Saturday Nov 2012

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Daydream Saturdays, Tibet

≈ 19 Comments

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Daydream Saturdays, Tibet

Saturday, November 24:  Inspired by Heather of artist. hippie. cali chic. …a hopeless case of wanderlust and by WordPress: Daily Prompt: Connect the Dots, I have decided I’m going to start doing “Daydream Saturdays.”  Fellow blogger Heather created what she calls “daydream days” on Mondays because “I have found that I tend to let my mind wander to far off lands quite a bit more on Mondays than pretty much any other day of the week…not that this isn’t something I do every day of the week, but it is a bit heavier on Mondays.”

Since here in Oman, our weekends are Thursdays and Fridays, and our Saturdays are equivalent to Mondays in the West, I’m going to call mine Daydream Saturdays.  Because Saturdays have that rainy day Monday feel and I need something to cheer me up, something to get me past the Saturday doldrums, something to dream about.

To get me started on my first post in this series, I am using the daily prompt from WordPress, which is this: Open your nearest book to page 82. Take the third full sentence on the page, and work it into a post somehow.

I have a whole shelf of books within reach, but the first one that catches my eye is Video Night in Kathmandu: And Other Reports from the Not-So-Far East by Pico Iyer, which I haven’t yet read.  I pick this book up frankly because it has a bright green band across the center, a lime green that I adore.  It also mentions Kathmandu, and it just so happens that, a couple of days ago, my colleague Francois asked me where I was going for Oman’s National Holiday, which will be this Tuesday-Friday (November 27-30).  I said I didn’t yet know, and he said, “What about Nepal?” Surprising.  I would have never thought of Nepal.

The last enticement for me to pick up this book is that I read another book by Pico Iyer in December 2010, The Lady and the Monk, that inspired me to go to Kyoto in February, 2011.  I fell in love with Kyoto, of course because of my experience there, but partly because of Iyer’s book, which added a whole extra dimension to the amazing city.

So, on page 82, here’s the third full sentence on the page.

I almost imagined myself back in Tibet.

I would love to go to Tibet.  But sadly, I can’t afford to go anywhere on this 4-day National Holiday.  Believe me, I have thought of everything, every possible scenario. For one, four days is not enough time, when flights take 10+ hours each way. And, as I just spent about $1,000 to go to Ethiopia in early November, and another $500 to go to Abu Dhabi in mid-November, I am clean out of money.  Sure, I could use a credit card, which is just what I did when I went to Japan that long-ago February.  But, finally, at my late age, I’m trying to be responsible with my money.  It really is time that I grow up.  Bummer.

I can barely write anything about Tibet, because I don’t know much.  But I do know this.  It’s a plateau region in Asia, east of the Himalayas, and is the highest region on earth at 4,900 meters. Tibet is ruled by China.  Just today someone in Tibet set himself on fire to protest Beijing’s rule. Tibetan Buddhism is extremely vital to its people.  During China’s Cultural Revolution, nearly all of the country’s monasteries were destroyed.  Now some have been rebuilt and more religious freedoms have been granted, but practice of the religion is still limited.

When I came back to Oman from Virginia in August, I brought with me The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying by Sogyal Rinpoche, which supposedly provides “a lucid and inspiring introduction to the practice of meditation, to the nature of mind, to karma and rebirth, to compassionate love and care for the dying, and to the trials and rewards of the spiritual path.”  Though I haven’t yet read the book, it is obviously calling out to me.  Serendipity.  Maybe magically it will happen that I will head to Tibet sometime soon.

Sometimes I wonder why I am pulled in certain directions.  For instance, for years, since September 11, 2001, I have been pulled to understand the Middle East.  I have read too many books to count about the Muslim world.  I went to George Mason University and earned a Master’s degree in International Commerce & Policy.  Every project I did was related to Middle East issues.  I was drawn to work and live in Egypt or Turkey, Jordan or Oman. I needed to understand a world that seemed to have gone haywire on a beautiful September day in the country I love.

A good friend of mine told me recently that he thinks I am searching for something.  I believe he’s right, though I don’t know exactly what it is I’m searching for.  I am drawn to ideas of pilgrimage.  In Japan and Korea and Vietnam, I was drawn to Buddhist temples. I am still drawn to Buddhist practice.  I am also drawn to churches in Lalibela and the idea of walking the Camino de Santiago in northern Spain.  I dream of spending three months in Japan at a Buddhist monastery or spending months at an ashram in Rishikesh, India.  I am drawn to all these things, yet I don’t do them.  Why?  Am I afraid of what I will find?  About myself?

Here is what Pico Iyer says in the sentences before the above quote, about an experience he is having is Nepal: “…I began to lose myself in wistful reverie.  The strange smells, the hypnotic repetitions, the flutter of candles transported me.  I felt myself carried away to distant lamaseries, whisked off to snowy mountain passes.  I almost imagined myself back in Tibet.”

There is something that appeals to me about the contemplative life.  I used to have a dream of myself walking down a street.  When I looked down at my feet, I saw my feet taking steps, one by one, from under a black robe, the robe of a monk.  Not a nun, a monk. Strange.

In the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, Rinpoche says: “Our true nature could be compared to the sky, and the confusion of the ordinary mind to clouds.  Some days the sky is completely obscured by clouds.  When we are down on the ground, looking up, it is very difficult to believe there is anything else up there but clouds.  Yet we only have to fly in a plane to discover up above a limitless expanse of clear blue sky.”

Here is my Saturday daydream: Tibet.

I hope one day I can go there.

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things to do before i die ~ otherwise known as my “before-i-kick-the-bucket list”

18 Sunday Nov 2012

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Bucket List, Travel

≈ 25 Comments

Tags

Bucket List

THIS IS MY DREAM LIST.  IT WILL PROBABLY CHANGE.  But for now, these are the things I’d love to do before I die.  The ones I’ve crossed off are the things I’ve already done… 🙂

Adventure and Travel

  1. Live in Venice like Rosalba in the Italian movie, Bread & Tulips
  2. Stomp grapes at a vineyard in Italy to make wine
  3. Visit all “Wonders of the World” at New 7 Wonders
  4. Tango in Argentina
  5. Participate in a Carnival parade in Brazil.
  6. Go on safari in Africa
  7. Participate in La Tomatina (last Wednesday in August) Buñol in the Valencia region of Spain
  8. Do the pilgrim’s journey to Camino de Santiago de Compostela. (Camino de Santiago)
  9. Run with the bulls in Pamplona, Spain during San Fermines
  10. Participate in Australia Day (January 26)
  11. Play a didgeridoo with aborigines in the Australian Outback
  12. Sit in a hot tub outdoors in Banff, Canada and look at the stars
  13. Eat the most AMAZING ice cream in the World at the Taiwanese night market
  14. Eat fresh fruit at the Floating Market in Thailand
  15. Hike in the Amazon Rainforest.
  16. Walk all through Petra, Jordan and ride a camel, a horse and a donkey.
  17. Take a boat to an island in the Aegean Sea off the coast of Turkey
  18. Go out in a boat on the Ganges at sunrise in Varanasi, India
  19. Visit a fortune-teller/guru
  20. Take a tour of a fortune cookie factory
  21. Climb an active volcano (Santorini and the Big Island, Hawaii)
  22. Visit the Taj Mahal in Agra, India
  23. Shower in a waterfall
  24. See the Northern Lights
  25. Take a camel safari in Jaisalmer, India
  26. Live and work in South Korea
  27. Live and work in Oman
  28. Learn how to make a national dish
  29. Go to a yoga retreat in India
  30. Attend a music festival in another country
  31. Visit the temples of Angkor in Siem Reap, Cambodia
  32. Take a junk on Halong Bay in northern Vietnam
  33. Ride a donkey at the Grand Canyon
  34. Go white water rafting on the Salmon River in Idaho.  And the Colorado River.
  35. Climb Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park, Maine
  36. Go Parasailing
  37. Go water skiing
  38. Go snow skiing
  39. Run a half marathon
  40. Fly in First Class
  41. Sit at a cafe in Paris and write like my hero Ernest Hemingway
  42. Ride a motorbike in Hanoi, Vietnam
  43. Take a gondola ride in Venice, Italy
  44. Take a hot air balloon ride in Cappadocia, Turkey
  45. Visit the Greek islands: Crete & Santorini
  46. Go hang gliding
  47. Go to the hanging monastery in China
  48. Take a boat ride in Guilin, China
  49. Go shopping and touring in Hong Kong
  50. Take a whale watching boat trip
  51. Spend New Years in an exotic location
  52. Spend New Years in Time Square, NYC
  53. Live in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho
  54. Take a streetcar in San Francisco, CA
  55. Hike in Yellowstone National Park
  56. Ride a camel in the desert
  57. See the Old Faithful geyser erupt
  58. Hike in Glacier National Park
  59. Walk the Golden Gate Bridge
  60. Using the ordnance maps in Great Britain, hike in the Cotswolds and the Lake District
  61. Do something you should regret, but don’t
  62. Visit the Catacombs in Paris
  63. Go to the top of the Eiffel Tower
  64. Climb to the top of Notre Dame in Paris
  65. Jump off a cliff into a natural body of water in an exotic location
  66. Take a tour of the Favellas in Rio de Janeiro
  67. Drink beer in a pub in Cornwall, England
  68. Mardi Gras in New Orleans
  69. Trek through the jungle on the back of an elephant
  70. Visit the souq in Marrakesh, Morocco
  71. Stay in a tiki hut on an exotic beach
  72. See the Valley of the Kings in Luxor and Aswan Dam in Egypt
  73. See the Pyramids of Giza
  74. Visit the Great Wall of China
  75. See the Mayan temples
  76. Spend 3 months in Japan doing Buddhist practice
  77. Ride a tandem bike
  78. Go to the Kentucky Derby
  79. Climb to the top of St. Catherine’s monastery in Egypt
  80. Live like a local for at least a month in another country (Egypt, South Korea, Oman).
  81. Live and work in Cairo, Egypt.
  82. Take a 3 month trip around the USA and into Canada.
  83. Jump out of an airplane in a parachute
  84. Visit Iguazu National Park in Argentina (see Celebrating The Wonder Of Iguassu!)
  85. Go boating on the Puerto Princesa Underground River, Palawan, Philippines: Boating Underground: One of the New 7 Wonders of Nature.
  86. Croatia: Plitvice Lakes National Park (Shutter Bug: Croatia Photo of the Day: Plitvice Lakes National Park)
  87. Take a balloon safari over the Serengeti in Tanzania.  Tanzania Serengeti Balloon Safaris
  88. Go tent camping in the Serengeti: On the Go with Lynne: Tanzanian Bucket List: Tent Camping in the Serengeti
  89. Visit the rice terraces in Sa Pa, northern Vietnam: Janaline’s World Journey: Weekly Photo Challenge: Green
  90. Visit Ethiopia: Addis Ababa, the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, and Lake Langano.
  91. Do a 5 week Moorish tour of Spain, Portugal and Morocco.
  92. Visit United Arab Emirates: Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
  93. Do the 88 Temple Pilgrimage, a 1,647-kilometer Buddhist pilgrimage circuit around the island of Shikoku, Japan: artist. hippie. cali chic.: Wanderlust Wednesday: The 88 Temple Pilgrimage

Continue reading →

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13 Friday Jul 2012

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Travel

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I can so relate to this post by The Perpetual Vagabond! I had to share it!!

The Perpetual Vagabond

I am a vagabond; that much is clear to me. But I am also drawn to building creative and meaningful community at home. This makes me feel torn on a near constant basis and the process of fuzing these two realities together seems to be more alchemy than a hard science. At least I have yet to discover the secret. It seems that the life of a vagabond is lonely and isolated from stability, while filled with adventure and personal growth; while life in community is repetitive and predictable, but gives the opportunity to know others and a place intimately. Now these two realities are not necessarily mutually exclusive, or even reflective of what I describe above, but for me it feels this way. And of course while traveling I dream of my life at home and while at home I can’t stop thinking of getting back into the unknown.

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khasab castle

16 Saturday Jun 2012

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Khasab, Khasab Castle, Musandam, Oman, Travel

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

Travel

Saturday, June 16:  This morning we check out of the hotel and go directly to Khasab Castle.  We debate about whether to go in, because it costs 500 baisas and because it’s steamy hot.  We’d frankly rather snap a few photos and hop back in the air-conditioned car.  But, since we’re here, we decide to brave the elements and venture into the castle.  A pleasant surprise awaits us inside.

Welcome to my castle!

Khasab Castle was built by the Portuguese in the 17th century in their bid to control regional maritime trade. Later it was modified by Omani forces.  Originally on the sea front, the waters have gradually receded a considerable distance, leaving the castle quite far inland.

“I was shortly again at the castle, and the Princess gave me her hand to kiss and then brought her children, the young princes and princesses, and we played together, as if we had known each other for years.” ~ Max Muller

A man’s house is his castle. ~ James Otis

A couple of large wooden dhows stand outside.

a dhow, in steamy air, in front of the castle

bicycles & dhow

Inside the courtyard of the castle we encounter three more boats — a battil, mashuwwah and zaruqah.

three traditional boats from Musandam

the view of the boats in the courtyard from the upper wall

The battil vessels were noted for their speed and were popular for fighting and smuggling as well as for fishing, pearling and coastal trading.  This boat was built in Kumzar around 1970.  The battil has a pretty cowrie-shell decoration around the prow and rudder which are typical of Musandam.

cowrie-shell decoration on the battil

The mashuwwah is an adaptation of earlier, double-ended vessels. It can be rowed, sailed, or fitted with an outboard engine.  This mashuwwah was used in Khasab harbor to ferry goods and people back and forth between anchorage and shore.  In days past, such vessels were used as “ship’s boats” on ocean-going cargo dhows where they served as lifeboats and provided a means of communicating between ships at sea. During the long sail to east African ports, the ship’s carpenter would often use his spare time on board to build a mashuwwah to sell at the end of the voyage.

a mashuwwah

Vessels of the zaruqah class such as this one built in Khasab in the mid-1900s are still a common sight in the bays of Musandam where they are the favored fishing vessel.  They are quiet in the water and easy to maneuver and are suitable for use by a single fisherman or a crew of up to four oarsmen and 2-4 net handlers.  A shoal of fish venturing into one of Musandam’s deep bays can be rapidly encircled by nets laid out by a zaruqah.  A spotter is often positioned high in the adjacent cliffs to help guide the crew to their catch.

the zaruqah

Also in the courtyard is a modern replica of a traditional barasti (palm thatch) summer-house, constructed using stone pillars with permeable walls made from palm branches.

a model barasti hut

view of the barasti hut from the circular tower

I walk up some steps to a walkway where I can make a circuit of the fort and its towers, some with mangrove-pole ladders set into the interior walls.  I dip into one room along the walkway where it is refreshingly cool.  I go inside to refresh myself and let the sweat dry off.

a majlis in the fort ~ sweet, cool relief!

Going back out into the heat, I walk along the walkway into a tower where there are displays on traditional Musandam culture featuring colorful rugs, crockery and some mannequins.  One display is of an apothecary’s shop.

a lime green room in the museum

lady mannequins in Omani dress

school time

apothecary’s shop

A large and completely detached circular tower stands in the center of the courtyard.  This is meant to provide an additional refuge in case the outer walls are breached.  Inside this tower are informative and interesting exhibits covering various aspects of Musandam’s geology, culture and history.

the interior tower

The massive central tower is believed to predate the castle itself.

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Lonely Planet names Muscat the 2nd of “top 10 cities for 2012”

30 Sunday Oct 2011

Posted by nomad, interrupted in Lonely Planet, Muscat, Oman

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Muscat: one of Lonely Planet's top 10 cities for 2012

October 30, 2011: Here’s an excerpt from Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel: top 10 cities for 2012:

2. Muscat

Oman is firing on all fronts to attract international visitors, expanding everything from its museums to its resorts. Muscat is the focus for the revamp, with cultural events, luxury accommodation and aquatic activities taking centre stage. This year it’s all about Qurum’s trendy designer outlets, Old Town souks and wacky water sports enlivening its coastline alongside traditional dhows. Muscatis are still genuinely interested to see visitors, so much so that first-timers might have the odd feeling of returning to the house of an old friend. ‘Tomorrow will be a new dawn on Muscat,’ the Sultan pledged upon attaining power in 1970. Today in Muscat, the sun has well and truly risen.

Here’s the link to the article: Lonely Planet’s Best in Travel: top 10 cities for 2012.

I have to say that in my short 1 1/2 months here, I’ve already discovered a plethora of beautiful places in Oman.  As a new resident, I highly recommend coming here to visit.  I would LOVE to have visitors!  Ahlan wa Sahalan!!

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Heading to Spain and Portugal!!

To Barcelona & beyond! :-)June 28th, 2013
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  • weekly photo challenge: from above
  • friday meditation: flow
  • a sepia kind of day in nizwa: rain, rain, rain & a shifting weekend
  • travel theme: light
  • friday meditation: “addicted to a certain kind of sadness” ~ a playlist of bittersweet memories
  • happy birthday to sarah!
  • pay day at the lulu hypermarket in nizwa
  • Ma’a salama to my GMC Terrain {trials & tribulations of selling a car in Oman}
  • weekly photo challenge: up
  • friday meditation: a question of fate
  • CBBH photo challenge: multi-colored
  • weekly photo challenge: change
  • breakfast at the chedi
  • a trip to wadi bani kharous
  • weekly photo challenge: color
  • travel theme: pale
  • friday meditation: star-spangling our solitude
  • jebel akhdar: an afternoon of brits & roses, wine & bubbly
  • 2008 GMC Terrain for sale!
  • sunday post: entrance
  • weekly photo challenge: a day in my life

Archives

  • December 2014 (1)
  • January 2014 (1)
  • December 2013 (1)
  • June 2013 (11)
  • May 2013 (18)
  • April 2013 (17)
  • March 2013 (19)
  • February 2013 (17)
  • January 2013 (20)
  • December 2012 (33)
  • November 2012 (27)
  • October 2012 (12)
  • September 2012 (44)
  • August 2012 (7)
  • July 2012 (37)
  • June 2012 (35)
  • May 2012 (38)
  • April 2012 (40)
  • March 2012 (29)
  • February 2012 (17)
  • January 2012 (21)
  • December 2011 (15)
  • November 2011 (14)
  • October 2011 (8)
  • September 2011 (4)
  • August 2011 (1)

Catbird in Oman Menu

  • home
  • About me
    • New Year’s Resolutions
    • Bucket List
    • Share Your World
    • Friday Meditation
  • Oman
    • Al-Batinah Region
    • Al-Dhahirah Region
    • Al-Dakhiliyah Region
      • Nizwa
    • Al-Wusta Region
    • Dhofar Region
    • Musandam
    • Muscat
    • Sharqiya Region
  • University of Nizwa
  • Africa
    • african meanderings {& musings}
  • Americas
    • nomad, interrupted: catbird in the united states of america
    • notes from north america
    • United States of America
      • Virginia
  • Asia
    • catbird in china
    • catbird in korea
    • catbird in kyoto
    • catbird in south asia
    • catbird in turkey
    • ride paddies and papayas
  • Europe
    • greek wanderings
    • in search of a thousand cafés
  • Middle East
    • a jaunt to jordan
    • catbird in cairo
    • United Arab Emirates
      • Abu Dhabi
  • photography
    • Sunday Post
    • Travel Theme Photo Challenge
    • Weekly Photo Challenge
    • whatever a moon has always meant
  • Fiction
    • land of make-believe

what happens when…

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Blogs I Follow

Blog of the Year 2012

Kreativ Blogger Award

Genuine Blogger Award

Ligo Circle of Appreciation

Shine On Award

Oman Blogs

  • Adventures of an American ESL Instructor Teaching at an Omani University
  • Andy in Oman
  • Angry in Oman
  • Bethany Duffield
  • Desperate Housewife in Oman
  • Dhofari Gucci
  • English Girl in Oman
  • Hallucinations of a Kitten
  • How to live like an Omani Princess
  • Hunting the Lost Insurgency: Oman
  • Matthew Heines
  • Misadventures in HR
  • Mumoftheanimals's Blog
  • Muscat Confidential
  • Muscat Jet Driver
  • Muscat Mutterings
  • Oh Man…Oman is really nice!
  • Omani Book Mania
  • Omani Cuisine
  • Rural Route Runner
  • Samir's Home
  • Secret Salalah
  • Sleepless in Salalah
  • Sultanate Social
  • Susan Al Shahri
  • The Linoleum Surfer

Oman Information

  • Albahja Cinema
  • Background Note Oman: U.S. State Department
  • Bait Muzna Gallery
  • BBC News: Oman Country Profile
  • CIA World Factbook ~ Oman
  • City Cinema Shatti
  • Destination Oman
  • Embassy of the United States – Muscat, Oman
  • Lonely Planet Oman
  • Ministry of Information: Sultanate of Oman
  • Oman Daily Observer
  • Royal Opera House Muscat
  • Sultanate of Oman Tourism
  • Sultanate of Oman: Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Travel Blogs

  • Dan & Jillian's International Teaching Adventures
  • Dude Travels to Go
  • The Cool Hunter: amazing places to experience around the globe
  • The Traveling Gypsy
  • Wildcard Travels

X-terraneous Stuff

  • CIA World Factbook ~ South Korea
  • Dawn King
  • Let me bite that.
  • Life in the Bogs
  • reinventing the event horizon

my photostream on flickr

Sunny but only 20 degrees today!uploaduploaduploadTaking a walk through the neighborhood#whpsentbymailNext door to port royal post officeNext store in port royalupload
More Photos

Goodreads

Top Posts & Pages

  • bahla: the sultan qaboos mosque, bahla fort & old bahla
  • the balcony walk from al khitaym to the abandoned village of as sab. {jebel shams}
  • the falaj daris ~ a UNESCO World Heritage Site
  • the balcony walk at jebel shams
  • a morning of pampering at bamboo spa & a full day in muscat :-)
  • a morning at mutrah souq & close encounters of the bullying kind
  • camping on the beach near fins

InterNations

Weekly Photo Challenge

PostaWeek2012

share your world

a-z photo challenge

52 Pick Up

Sunday Post

Six Word Saturday

No Comfort Zone Challenge

I pledge to read the Printed Word

things i write about

"Happiness" 52 Pick Up 2012 A-Z Photo Challenge Abu Dhabi Abu Nooh Building Africa Akrotírion Al-Areesh Camp Al-Batinah Region Al-Dakhiliyah Region Al-Dhahirah Region Al Aqr Al Ayn Al Hamra Al Musanaah Americas Asia As Sifah Beach Athens Bahla Balad Sayt Birkat Al Mouz Cambodia Cappadocia Crete Daegu Ethiopia Europe Falaj Daris Hotel Family Foundation Institute Friday Meditation Geoje-si GMC Terrain Greece India Intercontinental Hotel Jakesprinter Japan Jebel Akhdar Jebel Shams Jordan Kyoto Lake Langano Lalibela Life Matthieu Ricard Middle East misfat al abriyyin Musandam Muscat Muttrah Muttrah Souq Nakhal Fort Nepal Nizwa Nizwa souq Oia Oman Oman Dive Center Phnom Penh Photography Challenges Pokhara postaweek2012 postaweek2013 Rethymno Royal Opera House Sahab Hotel Saiq Plateau Salalah Santorini Seoul Share Your World Sharqiya Region Sharqiya Sands Six Word Saturday South Korea Spirituality Suncheon Bay Sunday Post Travel Travel Theme Photo Challenge Turkey United Arab Emirates United States of America University of Nizwa Virginia Wadi Bani Awf Wadi Bani Habib Wadi Bani Khalid Wadi Damm Wadi MIstal Wadi Muaydin Wadi Shab Wadi Tiwi Wednesday Song Title Interpretation Weekly Photo Challenge Wekan Western Hajar Mountains

oh say can you see?

Free counters!

Tag Cloud

#capturethecolour 7 Super Shots 52 Pick Up @travelsupermkt a-z photo challenge Abu Dhabi Al Amerat Architecture Art Balad Sayt Birthdays Blogging books Bucket List CBBH Photo Challenge Christmas Daydream Saturdays DPchallenge Egypt Empty Quarter Ethiopia GMC Terrain Greece Hyundai Sonata Ibri InterNations Japan Jebel Akhdar Jebel Shams karma's photography scavenger hunt Life middle east Misfat Al Abriyyin Muscat Nepal Nizwa Nizwa Souq No Comfort Zone Challenge Oman Omar Khairat Optimism Pessimism Phoneography Challenge Picture the World! postaweek2012 postaweek2013 Roses Royal Opera House Royal Opera House Muscat Saiq Plateau Salalah share your world Shine On Award Six Word Saturday South Korea Spain Spirituality Story Challenge Sunday Post Tibet Travel travel theme Turkey United Arab Emirates United States of America University of Nizwa Wadi Bani Awf Wadi Tiwi Wedding wednesday song title interpretation weekly photo challenge Western Hajar Mountains Wordpress WPLongform wwwp5k

Blogs I Follow

  • ~ wander.essence ~
  • Living in Paradise...
  • SterVens' Tales
  • PIRAN CAFÉ
  • Word Wabbit
  • Cardinal Guzman
  • Pit's Fritztown News
  • Fumbling Through Italy
  • Empty Nesters on a Green Global Trek
  • snowtoseas
  • life at the edge
  • Slovenian Girl Abroad
  • Let Me Bite That
  • Running Stories by Jerry Lewis
  • Finding NYC
  • The World according to Dina
  • Cornwall Photographic
  • snippetsandsnaps
  • SITTING PRETTY
  • Storyshucker

Administrative Stuff…

  • Register
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  • WordPress.com

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~ wander.essence ~

where travel meets art

Living in Paradise...

SterVens' Tales

Thee Life, Thee Heart, Thee Tears

PIRAN CAFÉ

Word Wabbit

Wrestless Word Wrestler

Cardinal Guzman

Encyclopedia Miscellaneous - 'quality' blogging since August 2011

Pit's Fritztown News

A German Expat's Life in Fredericksburg/Texas

Fumbling Through Italy

Empty Nesters on a Green Global Trek

snowtoseas

life at the edge

inspired by the colours of the land, sea and sky of Cornwall

Slovenian Girl Abroad

A blog about travel adventures written by an Slovenian girl living in Switzerland

Let Me Bite That

Can I have a bite?

Running Stories by Jerry Lewis

Personal blog about running adventures

Finding NYC

exploring New York City one adventure at a time

The World according to Dina

Notes on Seeing, Reading & Writing, Living & Loving in The North

Cornwall Photographic

snippetsandsnaps

Potato Point and beyond

SITTING PRETTY

Storyshucker

A blog full of humorous and poignant observations.

~ wander.essence ~

where travel meets art

Living in Paradise...

SterVens' Tales

Thee Life, Thee Heart, Thee Tears

PIRAN CAFÉ

Word Wabbit

Wrestless Word Wrestler

Cardinal Guzman

Encyclopedia Miscellaneous - 'quality' blogging since August 2011

Pit's Fritztown News

A German Expat's Life in Fredericksburg/Texas

Fumbling Through Italy

Empty Nesters on a Green Global Trek

snowtoseas

life at the edge

inspired by the colours of the land, sea and sky of Cornwall

Slovenian Girl Abroad

A blog about travel adventures written by an Slovenian girl living in Switzerland

Let Me Bite That

Can I have a bite?

Running Stories by Jerry Lewis

Personal blog about running adventures

Finding NYC

exploring New York City one adventure at a time

The World according to Dina

Notes on Seeing, Reading & Writing, Living & Loving in The North

Cornwall Photographic

snippetsandsnaps

Potato Point and beyond

SITTING PRETTY

Storyshucker

A blog full of humorous and poignant observations.

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