Rock Pools, Pomegranates and Jinns.

Wadi Bani Khalid, cool, clean and crystal clear water. 

3 days in a country which is closer to me than Dubai.... Oman. What a trip it was!

Over 10 hours of driving, we stopped at 2 rock pools, Wadi Damm and Wadi Bani Khalid. Jumps, swims and good old Arab hospitality. There was a climb and a futile cave exploration that I attempted in the soaring heat. The soles of my feet were burned from the boiling hot rock surface but it was still worth it. The cool temperature of the water compensated for the burnt feet... heavenly!

Wadi Dhamm. Quieter than Wadi Bani Khalid

We bumped into some local Omanis in the first Wadi. Two things really impressed me about them. They were immensely hospitable, insisting on taking us to their house. But as is custom when travelling in a group with locals, they generally decline the invitation unless its their own family. The second thing was that I noticed some older Omani locals at the pools. They were so agile and fit! Jumping from rock to rock effortlessly as I was embarrassingly slipping at every minor slope. This Wadi is pretty empty at off peak times. Hardly anyone was there and you can take your family there if they're willing to trek uphill a bit.

Camel meat and rice, a bit chewy and hard on the stomach

We moved on to our second destination Jabal Akhdar. The terrain is pretty similar on all mountains in Oman... barren and desolate, unlike the mountains in Europe, lush, green and always some snow. We prayed in mosque  high up in the mountains and feasted on some rice and camel meat. The Omanis practice Islam similar to that of the Emiratis but they are from another sect, Ibadis. There's slight differences in the way they pray and in their beliefs regarding the four caliphs but it doesn't really cause much tension or divide like it does in other Arab countries.

Jabal Akhdar, the green mountain. 

Bahla, the town of the Jinn. You can see the wall in the backgorund

Driving onwards and upwards we got to the Hajar mountain range and onto Jabal Akhdar, the Green mountain. Although it doesn't seem very green, the area is known for fruits -walnuts, apricots and pomegranates. We found some people selling it on the side of the road. We bought a bunch of Pomegranates and although I'm not a fan of them, they were absolutely delicious! I took a few for my mum and then moved on to a deserted mountain village... or what was left of it.

There was another interesting place we went to, known locally as the city of Jinn, Bahla. It had an eeiry feeling to it and the local with us mentioned that every time he visited the place, the attractions were cordoned off.... because the Jinns would disturb everyone! You can read more about Bahla here. They also have an ancient wall built around the city which the locals claim was built by the jinns.

Overall a lovely trip and one where I would recommend to go with locals. Makes everything so much more easier.

Join the Junta

"We know that no one seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it"

After years of suffering and hardship, would you want to risk losing the power you worked so hard to gain?

A woman I used to look up to, after fighting a military dictatorship, has been hitting the headlines in recent months for her silence and lack of action against the Rohingya Muslims. Aung San Suu Kyi is this woman. She is heading the civilian government and apparently doesn't have much sway in what happens in the country. So what exactly is her role? Why doesn't she relinquish her post after many years of hard fought "freedom" if she is so incapable? Is this what freedom looks like? The inability to help, speak out and free a people who have been labelled as "the most persecuted minority in the world".

I see the Burmese Government as an advanced form of Daesh. They are just light years ahead of the death cult. They manipulate the news and generate a bizarre cover stories whilst continuing to rape torture and kill, accusing the Rohingya militants of torching houses and killing locals.  Daesh didn't really give a *&#$ about media. In fact, they thrived in the limelight and even made videos documenting their barbarity.

So that brings me back to Orwell's quote - the power which makes Aung San Suu Kyi unable to do anything for this persecuted Muslim minority. She risks losing what she fought so hard for. But everything she has fought for has now been betrayed in extraordinary fashion. Hand back the Nobel Peace Prize honorably and join the junta.

Inspired

Inspired on an Austrian peak

It's been a while... a year! I was locked out of my account and despite numerous attempts I couldn't log back in... was really frustrating, but I've had a break-though this week! It was one one of those days where I had time on my hands. I decided to give it another try to log in and lo and behold! the security system finally allowed me access! Has anyone else had issues with this overprotective security procedure on Google?

Back to the topic of the blog.... A wise man once said to me, "What form a man are 3: prison, war and being estranged. If you don't experience these then you are simply a 'mummy's boy'" How true this saying is. Not to say that you aspire to go to prison, but sometimes there is a higher plan where you are placed in a unwanted situation to prepare you for the future. The experience of Yusuf AS in prison is often referred to as 'مدرسة يوسف' - the school of Yusuf . He was placed in there through no fault of his own and it was there that people got to know of his gift of interpreting dreams. This is what subsequently released him from prison.

One such person who has experienced these three situation is someone I wrote about back in 2012 after he was extradited to the US to face trial. His blog is also one of the reasons that prodded me to trying to access my blog again... He is a true inspiration and he has a very beneficial, enjoyable and informative blog. I read all the entries in a few days! Hope to meet him again one day inshallah! Access it here...