It's driving Jim ...but not as we know it

Driving continues to be a source of constant entertainment. Not an outing goes by without witnessing at least one act of total lunacy. I don’t know where some people obtain their licenses as there are no Woolworths here.
This photo shows an impatient driver in his LandCruiser driving up onto the traffic island to jump the cue (maybe a bit hard to see). I don't usually have my camera with me in the car...a classic shot!
The indicator seems to be something yet to be fathomed by most, yet all know where the horn is located. It is common to get headlight flashed from someone behind you to get out of their way. Often due to the inside lane being packed you can’t do anything about it and not being able move aside infuriates the flasher even more. At times like this, as you are most definitely not allowed to make any hand gestures ( or as it happens, flash your lights to make people get out of your way in the first place ) , I put on my hazard lights briefly as a visual substitute for a friendly hand gesture, hopefully infuriating the flasher even more. This practice requires utmost care as the flasher will more than likely cut dangerously in front of you, missing you by centimeters, if given the chance to get past you on the inside lane which he will do by pushing in and not using his indicators. On the open road however it is best to get out of the flashers way as he is very likely to be coming up behind you at well over the speed limit. Inevitably these drivers are locals in their huge 4 wheel drives. Extreme tail gating is common and you hear stories of them nudging the car in front from behind at 120+ kmph…..Not something you want to happen to you, having a big Land Cruiser right up your jacksy is bad enough..
Recently we saw a 4x4 get up onto two wheels and attain almost 45 degrees by attempting a roundabout at great speed. He was up for a good 2 seconds and quite how he didn’t flip over is beyond me, although it wouldn’t surprise me that this may have been an intentional stunt as there was a vehicle parked up that seemed to be waiting and watching. Tonight I was passed by someone doing at least 150kms in a 100 zone on a reasonably busy 3 lane road, he then proceeded to get sideways getting on to the roundabout and passing everyone on it.
You see crashed vehicles all too frequently on the side of the road and although I haven’t yet witnessed an accident happen I have come across plenty of very recent ones. A number of big trucks and tankers have overturned recently, apparently going too fast on roundabouts. There also appears to be a large boy racer fraternity judging by all the burn out marks on some of the roads. What else is a poor rich boy to do when he has Daddys ( or his own ) Maserati or Ferrari for the evening.
Luckily for everybody there is very little drinking, due largely to the limited availability of alcohol and the Koran which forbids partaking, else it would be carnage out there.
So far we have both managed to avoid any accidents although have had plenty of close calls. Roundabouts are a particular worry as many are 3 lanes and people just don’t keep to the lanes they should even though there are clear road markings. The trick is to avoid being next to anyone as they will more than likely be in the wrong lane and cut you and others off. Other important strategies are a. be prepared to go around again as you have just been cut off or forced away from your intended exit by someone in the wrong lane, b. be prepared to hit the brakes at any given moment, c. hope above all that you survive the roundabout unscathed and d. expect the unexpected as this is most likely to happen . A finely tuned mix of defensive and aggressive driving seems to be your best option if you want to get anywhere.

Weather

It’s the dust storm season now and instead of having the desert outside we now have it inside as well. The dust from the desert, and all the construction going on, is as fine as talc and finds its way everywhere. The nature of buildings here is that they are not especially well built and have many gaps, particularly around windows and doors, and that dust seems to find its way in. When a dust storm is in full swing you can hardly see more than 40-50 metres maximum. i.e. just being able to make a shape of a building out. Clarity ( if you can call it that ) is down to about 10 - 15 metres. On these occasions the wind is fair howling so the dust is coming at you more or less horizontally and can really sting. You also have to be mindful of not being hit by any airborne objects due to the unfortunate habit of people just dropping their rubbish wherever they happen to be. I saw a guys hard hat fly off and end up bouncing at least 100m down the road.

It is just starting to warm up a little after the last couple of months where it has been quite cool, ranging from around 6 – 10 degrees at night to the early 20’s during the day. Maybe because of this gradual warming we are also seeing a lot of heavy fog in the mornings. Makes for an interesting drive to work, more so for for Lynne, who, because she is going to many schools, and some in new locations, can get lost all too easily. It is very easy in thick fog to lose your bearings once you get away from any recognizable landmarks.

Arabian architecture

Thought I would have a go with a new way of sharing photos. Mostly old forts and mosques around Oman.

Camel facts

Some random facts found on the net....Did you know the camel has played such an important role in Arab culture that there are over 160 words for "camel" in the Arabic language. The Arabian camel has a single hump and the average life expectancy of a camel is forty to fifty years. Camels do not store water in their humps as is commonly believed; the humps are actually a reservoir of fatty tissue. Camels are able to withstand changes in body temperature and water content that would kill most other animals.
Photos courtesy of Panasonic Lumix....
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Man Oman

We had a fantastic time in Oman...What a stunning place it is. We arrived in the Capital city of Muscat which is a lovely city, quite different than here in Doha. No flashy highrise buildings to be seen but many beautiful older style buildings instead. The country is only about 30 years westernised if you can call it that, but they have opted by decree of the Sultan to not go in the Dubai/ Doha fashion of huge multi story buildings, rather they have opted for the more traditional Islamic style of architecture which is refreshingly pleasant.
Some friends of ours - Sue and Dave and Sues son Fraser arrived on the second day and travelled with us for three days which was great.
Muscat is a lovely city built on the coast amongst quite dramatic rocky terrain. On our second day we went to the Muscat Festival which was on at a large Nature park. Fantastic environment with thousands of Omani families out celebrating the festival. The Omanis are very friendly people and look stunning in their national dress. We spent a few hours there taking in the sights which included a traditional cultural area with song ,dance, food, traditional handcrafts and lifestyle. There was a large lake in the middle where a stunning water, fire and fireworks display was on. We were standing around at one point and a man approached us to say he was from a local radio station and would we like to be interviewed live on air. We said no problem and went through the interview with a very pleasant Omani woman interviewer asking us about our thoughts on the festival and Oman etc...after the interview she said would we like to go and stay at a desert resort for a night, which of course we said yes we would love to so the next day she dropped off a voucher for a one night stay ( worth approximately NZ$500 ). We were able to book a night with our friends Sue and Dave and Fraser.
On our way there we went to a place on the coast Called Ras al Hadd where nearby at Ras al Jinz there is a protected beach that Green Turtles come on to the beach every night to lay their eggs and also every night baby turtles emerge from the sand and make their way to the sea. We stayed at a lovely beach at Ras al Hadd in some traditional thatched style cottages and of course went one night to get the tour of the turtle beach. What an amazing experience to see them and such a beautiful relaxing place to stay right on the beach where the water was lovely and crystal clear and warm for swimming.
We then made our way to the desert camp which was an interesting drive. Luckily we had hired a four wheel drive Nissan otherwise wouldn't have been able to get there. Real sandy desert with sand hills and the most magical light especially evening and early morning.
After our one night free stay we headed back to Muscat via a city called Nizwa to see and visit the magnificent fort there. There are forts everywhere due to the occupation centuries ago by the Portuguese. Quite a long drive that day and after dropping Sue and Dave and Fraser off at the airport we then went up the coast and found a seaside resort at a place called Al Sawadi. Luck was with us and they had a special offer of two night accommodation for the price of one night at this fabulous and luxurious 4 star resort. Accommodation is very expensive with budget starting at about $200NZ a night. We spent much time by the pool and eating beautiful breakfasts and dinners and also driving around the local area.
We then decided to go to a place called Jabal Shams which is the highest point in Oman and also where they have what they call their own Grand Canyon. After asking directions from three separate sources we took advise on what was supposed to be the quickest way there. What a trip that was. I have never seen or driven on a road like it before. Lynne was beside herself with near panic as we made our way over huge mountainous hills on what would have been once a camel track and is now a one lane road. Unsealed and with the car in lo ratio 4 wheel drive we made our way zig zagging up and down for hours to cover about 40 kms. Imagine the old Napier Taupo road and multiply that by at least 10 times worse and you may have an idea what it was like. Crazily as we made it up to the top of the highest point there to our surprise was a brand new sealed road on the other side. We nearly got out and kissed the tarmac I can tell you. What a drive.
After that episode we visited some interesting caves on our way to Nizwa again.
At a restaurant in town we met a nice couple Michael and Sunok. He is Australian and she is from South Korea. We chatted for quite a while and they offered for us to stay the night at their place which was nice. He is teaching at the University there and she j hopes to get a job there also. Very nice people and lucky for us to have a night to stay without the expense of a hotel.
Then back to Muscat for two days where we stayed at a Dive Centre on the coast in lovely little beachside chalets.
We went back to the festival again as it was such good fun the first time and as Brian's pay had finally come through we were able to buy a few nice things at the Handicraft section where they had rooms of local crafts from many different Middle East countries...along with some very yummy preserves from the Croatia room.
So now it is holiday over and back to work in a couple of days.....that is always the problem with holidays .... they finish.....

A few random shots in no particular order Click on the slideshow to make the photos bigger
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