More driving in mountains

Today we set off to have a better look at Oman and found ourselves once again driving through mountains. I have to say the mountains in Oman are VERY different to the mountains in Italy. When I think of mountains I think lots of trees lining winding roads with babbling brooks running through them. And of course our recent trip to Italy was through mountains covered with soft and sparkling snow.
Well the mountains in Oman are not at all like that but they are also beautiful in their own way. The are stark and stunning. There is scarcely a tree or even a shrub to be seen. When science fiction writers look for inspiration for their descriptions of the landscapes of alien planets I think they must just drop in on Oman.
The Omani mountains look to have literally burst through the crust of the earth. The shapes are sharp and angular. The colours form in tiers from ochre to green and purple to grey. Some seem to have been laid "layer upon layer" like folds of pasta as it comes out of a pasta machine. Other parts look like they have been forced into concertinas where the folds wrap back on themselves leaving twists and turns of colour that resemble giant clam shells across the landscape.
We wound our way through the mountains to the town of Sohar on the coast of the Gulf of Oman, a northern section of the Arabian Sea.
We had lunch at the Sohar Beach Hotel. It was the first time since leaving Australia that we have been able to hear the surf breaking and washing on the beach. It is such a lovely background to lunch and a glass of wine ......... aahhh!
We drove along the sea front at Sohar, watching the surf and reminiscing about our days at home on the Central Coast where every square inch of the waterfront has cafe's and shops. This beach in Oman had a lovely sea wall and a beautiful promenade - and not one person out for a stroll. It was a perfect day for kite and wind surfing, for a quick dip for the kids (even though it was fairly chilly!) and a picnic on the beach - but not a soul in sight. It reminds us just how different the culture and lifestyle is here in the Middle East. No teenagers hanging around the beaches with their boards looking for a break. No cars lined up with people gazing out to sea and listening to the radio. No groups of girls eyeing off the guys showing off on their boards! We really are a long way from home and today we felt it.
However not being the types to allow ourselves to slip into the maudlin we headed back towards the 'desert camp' through the stunning mountains and along the twisting highway. We remind ourselves that we are living our dream, travelling and having adventures we would have only talked about if we had stayed at home. We would never have seen the mountains of Oman in all their grandeur had we not taken on this adventure.
So to all of you at home - we miss you and we love you...and some days are just harder than others when we are so far away.