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Michael Spies
Michael Spies

Michael Spies

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  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    Motoring into the morning
    With breakfast on the wayAnd suddenly they appear, smugglers from IranZombies on the move, animals in the hold.Heading into KhassabHuge loadRonny, the man who read every wish of ours from our eyesThe whole team. (Shop owner in white with headdress

    Back to Khasab, as the hornets shoot by

    23 februari 2023, Oman ⋅ ☁️ 23 °C

    Today, we return to Khassab.
    As we motor along, suddenly they appear again on the horizon, the hornets, the smugglers from Iran. (Approx 100-150 speedboats per day). This time, they pass real close, and I can catch a glimpse of their hooded heads and the sheep in the hold of their boats.
    A frightening appearance and yet friendly people waving hello, desperate to make a living and prepared to risk their lives each day in the endeavour.
    We stop off at "telegraph Island" where the colonial British held a telegraph station going to India, and experience a wonderful 2 hours snorkeling among angel fish, snappers, Barakuda and two large manta rays. What elegance!

    As we get closer to harbour, the first Iranian speedboats boats are already returning, totally overloaded with huge waterproof Pacackages.

    Reaching the harbour is a sad. Four incredible days of relaxation go to an end, and we say farewell to the team, "Sprinti" is waiting to take us to Dubai.    Meer informatie

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  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    In deep concentration before I pulled up the squid
    The boat owner (in white) invited us to go fishing.Even Margot tried her luckMy squid (50cm) let go of his fish when he realised he was no longer the hunterAnd the day comes to an end1

    The fish was so big......

    22 februari 2023, Oman ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    Today we went fishing!
    The owner of the boat and of "Musandam travel" joined us on board last night and invited us to go fishing.
    Based on the philosophy "if I eat fish, I must be able to catch it, Margot and I decided we must try, and promptly were successful. With a heavy heart I pulled up a large squid who had latched onto a fish who had bitten my hook. He hung on till I had him in the boat when he suddenly realized that he was no longer the hunter but the hunted, let go of the fish and sprayed his blue ink all around the boat. And what a mess that was! Thank god there was a lot of water around us to rinse of people and boat.Meer informatie

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  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    Absolute quite, at dawnThen suddenly, the call, "sardines!" And everyone starts fishing. Just dip in and pull out the fish!Fishing fever, gone as quickly as it came!Breakfast while cruising along. Such pleasureLeaping out of the water, then crashing down, and again. How do the young men survive this?And then suddenly a dead sheep, gone overboard

    Sardines, dolphins, and the lot!

    21 februari 2023, Oman ⋅ ☀️ 19 °C

    Wow, what a day! Today had everything!
    The quiet of daybreak was broken when swarms of sardines started jumping out of the water. In a scramble, the crew jumped on deck, throwing all manner of hooks (without bait) into the water and pulling out one fish after the next, sometimes several on one line. (All were then grilled in the evening as the sun set)
    Then, just an hour later, the dolphins joined us, surfing the bow wave! One baby circling its mother as it flapped away to keep up. And then as we circled the Cape into open and very rough seas, hundreds of speed boats from Iran came shooting past us like a swarm of hornets, jumping through a two meter swell with high winds with their light boats leaping up and threatening to flip over.
    On the floor, a tangle of sheep and goats, flying, and climbing around with the second person throwing them back. It was pandemonium!
    And then a sad picture, one dead sheep that had gone overboard floating past our ship as we passed.
    Oh my god what a day of impressions!    Meer informatie

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  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    Anchoring the first evening
    Masses of space for hanging aroundWelcome tea on boardDinner for Kings and queensRugged mountains and then suddenly a villageEvening boat rideSometimes we are like thisAnd sometimes we are like this!The "water boat" on its 3 day trip around Musandam

    "Rubba" - cruising with luxury

    20 februari 2023, Oman ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    Today, we decided to spoil ourselves by doing a 4 day cruise with "Rubba," a beautiful modern Dhow with cabins for 8. We will cruise around the fjords of Musandam, lounging, fishing, snorkelling, sleeping on deck beneath the starry sky, taking a holiday from travelling! No cooking, no looking for food and water, just "being" while the "butler" takes care of the rest.
    We will visit several villages on the way that are only accessible by water, in previous times by rowing boat hours away from Kahssab
    Today, Oman has laid electricity to all villages through these crazy mountains and delivers water by "water boat", once per week.    Meer informatie

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  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    Musandam, high rocky mountains and fjords
    A visit from Omani kids, drawing with MargotOn the way ove the mountains to Khor Najd, the only bay accessible by gravel trackKhor NajdTop of the world where tje track stops due to military area.2-home villages in the most inaccessible areasOn the plateau the broom trees were floweringWhereever water leaks out of the rocks plants start to grow, here hanging gardensA typical scene in Oman, water tanks along roads regularly filled by tanker trucksHelicopter landing pad for the army to supply the tiniest remote villagesWonder when this dry river last carried water?A truck transporting Iranian sheep to the Emirates

    Musandam, a world on its own.

    15 februari 2023, Oman

    Musandam is on the tip of the Arabian peninsula 90km from Iran, forming the strait of Hormuz. The peninsula basically consists of 1600m high rocks and not much more, no rivers, no green anywhere. One can only access it by sea or from the Emirates. One track goes through it which is blocked in the mountains by a large military area. The rocks drop steep into the sea creating large fjords, there are hardly beaches and only one small town, Kahsab accesible by land, all the others only by sea. What it does have is lots of warm seas with lots of fishes and dolphins.
    As we approached Kahsab in the morning, we noticed more than 50 speedboats, relatively close to each other, racing toward Kahsab and wondered what it was. Later we heard that each morning, Iranian speedboats cross the strait of Hormuz transporting sheep and goats to be sold for hard currency and transported to the Emirates. In the Souk they then use the money to buy American cigarrettes and electronics, all packed in waterproof bags. Then they race back to Iran. The principle is that the Iranian customs boats can only stop one or two of them. The others get through. The fines are split up through the group.
    What a crazy story!
    The sad side is that the crossing with currents and large waves is so brutal that people standing in the boats can break their legs, many of the animals just die.
    Walking through Khassab we came across a whole truck full of dead sheep and goats. Horrifying!    Meer informatie

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  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    Some crazy sheik has built this
    As we drive the terrain gets flatter and dunes start to reappearWe're Bach in the desert. A nice feelingDunes have taken over this small town. Occupying tje smallest corners of these houses, also inside!Desert sunrise!A workshop renovating old offroad vehiclesAncient Toyota land cruiser. BEFOREAfter! Shining like new!Engine looking as if it were new in a showroomSand dunes taking over plants along the highwayGetting rid of sand. A huge vacuum cleaner cleaning the roadAt the Off-road museum. These vehicles actually drive!

    Emirates: lots of money and off-road

    14 februari 2023, Verenigde Arabische Emiraten

    We are back in the desert, in the Arab Emirates on the way to Musandam and stopped off for the night next to an abandoned village that has been taken over by sand dunes.
    During the night crazy Emiratis were driving their sand vehicles in circles around us. Thank god, also they need to sleep at some time.
    The next morning we crossed a small workshop renovating ancient rusting Toyota Land cruisers from the 70ties making them look as if they had never left the showroom.
    As we drive we notice that sand is everywhere, blowing into every "nook and cranny" . Life here seems to be a battle against the advancing sand.
    Finally we stopped off at the Off-road museum, a crazy establishment sponsored by the Sheik who is a great off-road fan. Here, hundreds of off-road vehicles dating back to 1900 are displayed plus many crazy creations of fantasy created by people with too much money and nothing to do. The amazing thing is that every vehicle in this museum, drives. Once a year they are driven into the desert to a gigantic oldtimer off-road meeting and are then returned to the museum, cleaned by hundreds of labourers, and are then on display for another year!    Meer informatie

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  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies

    Our last night in Oman

    13 februari 2023, Oman

    Tonight is our last night in Oman.
    We have been here for 6 weeks now and it feels like years. Lonely deserts, incredible beaches, rugged mountains, and off-road tracks like you haver never seen. And on top of it all, the Omani people, so elegant, so friendly and so helpful. Wow what a six weeks which we now carry deep in our hearts.
    We will definitely come back!

    We will now travel through the Arab Emirates to Musandam, a tiny enclave belonging to Oman , creating the gulf of Hormuz only kilometers from Iran.
    It basically only consists of high mountains and fjords going vertically into the sea.

    Here we will go on-board a modern Dhow for three nights to travel through the fjords and go snorkeling.
    A bit of luxury to close off this part of our trip.    Meer informatie

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  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    My first real water crossing
    turquoise= wadi bottom, red route= canyon topDriving in the river bedMy first driving through deeper waterView onto the 2200m plateau where we will be tomorrow nightAt the end of the trackSunriseExiting the canyon again

    Wadi Nakhar

    11 februari 2023, Oman ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Today we drove into the Wadi Nakhar, (turquoise line) also known as the Grand canyon of Oman. The cliffs on the sides reach up to a mountain plateau at 2200 meters.
    Part of the track led along the river bed partially carrying water and I experienced my first driving through deeper water.
    In the night you could only hear the gentle trickling of the water, above us a crystal clear sky, like in the desert with millions of stars.
    The clear skies are due to an atmospheric moisture level close to zero percent which has our skin chafing and lips cracking.    Meer informatie

  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    While night still enshrouds the Mosque, pick-ups start arrivingUnloading their animals

    06:30, at the animal market, Nizwa

    9 februari 2023, Oman ⋅ 🌙 19 °C

    From 2000m altitude back down to 400m to experience the Friday morning Nizwa animal market!
    The latter started at 05:00 when the first pick-ups brought their sheep, goats and camels to the market and prepared for the auction which started at 06:30 as the sun rose. While waiting, everyone is greeting friends, chatting, or doing business on the side.
    Buyers (and tourists) assemble in two rings within each other, and the sellers march around the space between, either carrying or dragging their animals and screaming at the top of their voices.
    When a buyer is interested he throws a stone in front of the seller who then comes over and they negotiate a price (or not).
    The whole thing is total chaos, but two hours later, all the animals have changed hands and everything becomes quite again.
    Also fascinating is the weapons souk, where old gentlemen sell their guns, daggers, and other murder instruments. Absolutely fascinating and a social study in itself.    Meer informatie

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  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    That's what it looks like down below, tiny terraces glued to the rocks
    Walking along a falajDoors from old village houses in AynView from an old village house in AynThis falaj got steeper and steeper....And then it suddenly turns into a water fall with 50m staircaseTiny terraces below for vegetablesBetter on all fours

    Jebel Akhdar - walking the Falaj's

    9 februari 2023, Oman ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Jebel Akdhar still has villages operating their Falaj's water irrigation systems to water the most incredible terraces that are literally " glued" to the mountain.

    Today we did the "balcony walk", and oh my god, what a balcony it was!
    Walking along the falaj with drops of 100meters.
    Some of the time we were crawling on all fours!
    Don't ask me how these channels were built and dont ask me how they manage to stick to those rock faces!
    Oman has been using the falaj irrigation system for thousands of years!    Meer informatie

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  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    The start of an incredible hiking day
    Entering deeper and deeper into the gorgeMargot, a tiny dot in a gigantic mountain landscapePretty steep decent!The palm grove of the deserted hamletThe deserted hamletWe're going down there!Decending into the palm grove, a small paradiseSultan and Habib with a further friendThe Falaj distributing water from a spring to the individual terracesWater pools on the return trip

    Jebal Akhdar - "lost villages Hike"

    7 februari 2023, Oman ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

    Today we hiked the "lost villages" hike, 600 meters down into an incredible gorge along steep slopes with incredible views. Along the way, tiny villages glued to the slopes in the most impossible locations. As Oman developed, these villages were abandoned for the comfort of brick homes. What has not been abandoned are the date palm groves on tiny terraces with the falaj irrigation system. In several discussions with Omanis, we have understood that they view this as part of their culture. Usually some family members will join together and finance a labourer from Bangladesh or the likes to keep things going while the family uses the location for family meetings.
    This was the case in the tiny palm grove we crossed on this hike, where we met "sultan" and "Hamid" and shared a snack together in this beautiful oasis of palms, bananas and Papayas.    Meer informatie

  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    Bahla fortress
    Jabrin PalaceOur morning visitorOne of the thousands of water trucks bring drinking water to the farthest and most off-road villages

    Bahla Fort, Jabrin palace

    6 februari 2023, Oman ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

    Built in the same fashion with mud bricks mixed with straw is Bahla Fort, a huge multi story building dating back to before Islam (600AD) and a unesco heritage site. Absolutely fascinating climbing around the fortress.
    Craziest of all, a huge cellar where dates are stored in palm leaf bags. The date syrup flows out and is used in the kitchen in good times, in times of War it is heated to the boil and poured through special "murder" slits onto the enemy.
    Later we visited Jabrin Palace, the home of the Sultan at the time, also made with mud, but very comfortable whit exception of the jail, holding ten prisoners while space is only for one!    Meer informatie

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  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    A whole town of mud houses slowly collapsing
    Beautiful doors....and entrancesDecorated ceiling beamsOnly a hand full of houses still inhabitedOne house, that of the village head, has been renovated to a museumA lady showing old crafts of milling corn, baking bread, and making cosmeticsMargot receiving her "facial" made of sandal wood, saffran and rose waterWe parked-off behing Misfa in the hillsAs the sun sets on the other side. Magical

    and down again to Al Hamra and Misfah

    5 februari 2023, Oman ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    Today we descended from 2000m to 450m to visit Alhamra an one of the few villages with intact houses built of bricks made from mud and straw. As mentioned in a previous Blog, in the last 20 years Sultan Quaboos has used the income from oil to catapult Oman from the middle ages to modern times, among other building houses for omanis which has led to Omanis abandoning their villages and houses. Alhamra is such a ghost village with the beautifully made, wonderfully cool mud houses slowly collapsing.Meer informatie

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  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    This is how you travel through the mountains. Blue flag= Kahlid, purple= Salmah, green = Bilad SaytTerraces of SalmahSalmah village. The steepest track I have ever seen!Invitation to lunch by people who sleep on the floor"You have to take some of our oranges"Another view into snake canyon leading many km's into the mountain rock1Bilad Sayt on a dead-end track, finally

    Salmah and on to Bylad Sayt

    3 februari 2023, Oman ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    After kahlid, we headed on to Salmah, hidden in a valley at 1000m along a dead-end track.
    The road was the steepest we have ever experienced with us engaging the differential locks again and again as we came down the hill, wondering whether it was worth the risk to carry on. Suddenly, a man came out of his house, beckoning to us to come in. Margot and I exchanged looks, and I reversed up the hill into his entrance to be welcomed by his wife and their granddaughter for tea, Dates, and some of their modest meal.
    They only spoke Arabic, but the grand daughter understood basic English; so we worked our way through.
    The two had lived here all their lives, the grand daughter was visiting for the weekend.
    Suddenly, an app on the mobile phone at the wall popped up and started to play the Muezzin calling to prayer. While the women stayed with us, the man disappeared to pray.
    Before we left they insisted on us taking some of the few oranges on their orange tree.
    We continued on to Bilad Sayt, also a dead-end track amidst mountains arriving there just before the sun set to walk around this beautiful age old village consisting of several "falaj" bringing water from springs in the mountains to hundreds of terraces. A miracle amidst this incredibly dry landscape.    Meer informatie

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  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    This is Kahlid
    Kahlid's place high up in the rocksSo we ate our breakfast on their terraceOne of two springs, totally dry for yearsThe "falaj" channels coming out of the mountainView from the second spring down onto the houseHis family has had this view for centuriesThis is the slope his mother fell down when she was a child collecting feed for the animals.So, this is "yaas", which ground and rubbed into your hair makes them soft and thickRoad down to Salmah

    This is "Kahlid"

    3 februari 2023, Oman ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    This is Kahlid!
    Kahlid is secretary at a school, but in his heart, he is a teacher and researcher.
    His family has lived at this location high up on the slopes for hundreds of years. When we asked how old his father became, he said nobody knows. People were born in the mountains and died in the mountains without anyone knowing they had been there!
    Kahlid was born in this building up here, as were his 2 brothers. Over the centuries, his family built terraces with rocks to plant vegetables and date palms. Water came from two springs in the rock face and was channelled via "falaj" channels down and across the slopes to the individual terraces.
    Then, the springs started to dry up until the family was forced to move into a city.
    But this location is family heritage and holy, so the three brothers hired a man from tibet to look after the terraces, sheep, and chickens. The family comes here on weekends to help him out and bring supplies.
    When Kahlid noticed that we were interested, he offered to take us around the property.
    We'll this tour took us 100m up the rockfall where, he explained, his mother as a girl had climbed up every morning to collect food for the animals. One day she slipped and fell. For two months she lay in a coma with her grandfather giving her water drop by drop and praying to Allah that she survive. She lived to have three sons!
    Then he led us into a hand hewed tunnel leading into the second spring source, which had now slowed from a rush to a trickle, no longer able to support a family plus animals.

    Most amazing, however, was his knowledge of plants, from plants that heal broken bones to, leaves (Yaas) which women grind to powder and rub into their hair to make them thick and soft!
    Herbs is his passion and he is busy putting together a library of information with QR-codes on the plants so that future generations can read what this plant is about.
    What a beautiful encounter!
    Thank you Kahlid.    Meer informatie

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  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    Looking down on snake canyon winding through the mountain surface and over 100 meters deep
    Climbing higher and higherIs there a truck going to come towards us around that bend?Which way do we go now? And then Kahlid calls usBlue= Kahlid's House, purple flag=SalmahZoom into the picture and you might find the home of KahlidKahlid's view down onto Salmah

    Climbing up to Salmah

    3 februari 2023, Oman ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Salmah is a tiny village at 1000m on a dead-end road in the middle of 2000m High mountains. We were told it is a difficult track, so we decided to try. Again, and again, we are amazed at what slopes "Sprinti" is able to climb. When the wheels start spinning, you stop, put the differential lock in, and then he slowly churns out of the situation.
    Amazing!
    Just before Salmah, Margot stopped to see which direction we should drive when a voice wafted down from the mountain next to us, "come up!"
    We actually had to search the slopes to see the house perched high above.
    Why not?
    So we turned right and climbed up to the home of Kahlid, 300meters higher for a meeting we wouldn't forget.    Meer informatie

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  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    Sunset at our night spotWaking up in this amazing mountain world, in total silenceThe beauty of the early mornings

    Mountains at last!

    2 februari 2023, Oman ⋅ 🌙 16 °C

    Our real soul lives in the mountains and deserts. This is where we breathe out and feel connected with the universe. And if it happens offroad, this is pure adrenalin on top!
    Today, we headed off back into the mountains of northern Oman with aiming at Salmah, Bilad Sayt and a 2000 meter high Plateau as our direction.
    It was exhilarating and flabberghasting from the first minute. Gravel Roads climbing higher and higher over incredibly narrow rocky tracks with steep slopes dropping off; and then suddenly, you have a truck coming down the hill the other way!
    This is the moment of truth when you reverse 100 meters to find a space to let him pass, and then you suddenly feel the ground breaking away under the front left tire.
    Oh my, oh my!
    What a feeling of relief when we drove on!
    But back a few steps.
    We drove to Wadi Bani Awf for 15 kms along the Wadi floor to the snake canyon, which becomes narrower and narrower, cutting deep into the mountains. When it became too narrow, we headed off to the right up a track that has been the steepest yet. "Sprinti" was no longer driving but climbing!
    Night set in along the way, and so we found a small plateau to spend the night in total silence broken by the occasional villager 4x4 climbing past. These crazy people were actually driving this by night! But then I suppose they drive this route several times per week; because there are actually villages in these mountains!    Meer informatie

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  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    Fisherman taking us out to the islands to snorkel
    Quite sea, unfortunately, with poor visibilityOur early morning wake up program. At least daddy was pulling his kids in a sledge!

    Ras as Sawadi beach

    2 februari 2023, Oman

    So far we have not been able to dive in Oman (there are simply too many other things!), so we decided to try snorkelling at Sawadi beach, which has rocky islands near the shore.
    We had done it again! The next day was again Friday, and the Omanis were setting up their camps on the beach half the night!
    A fisherman took us out in his boat, but unfortunately, the storms of the previous day's had churned up the water, reducing visibility.    Meer informatie

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  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    The Sultans two huge yachts, status symbols that never leave the harbour!
    What makes you think that Omani's love offroad? This was a piece of art.Lunch at the crowne plazaAfter a sleep at the pool

    Muscat

    28 januari 2023, Oman ⋅ 🌬 20 °C

    Muscat is the capital city and was made to what it is today by the late Sultan Qaboos.
    Qaboos not only loved the culture of Bavaria, causing him to build a house in Garmish Partenkirchen south of Munich, building an opera with excellent accoustics, giving the Mosques towers like the church towers in Bavaria and building himself a Disney style kitch castle, but also launched an incredible development program for the whole country, uniting warring parties, building roads and telecommunication and amazingly organised that everyone has water via a huge network of blue trucks transporting water to the smallest village in the country, no matter how difficult to get there.

    Before we left on our trip, we decided that we would celebrate "half time" of our trip by visiting the opera in Muscat, so we packed the proper clothing, and transported it 20.000kms.
    Alas, there was no opera program!

    But we did enjoy a lunch at the "Crowne Plaza" WITH ALCHOHOL!
    Not having drunk for months, the effect was immediate! So we lay down at the pool for a sleep.
    Now, that's luxury!    Meer informatie

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  • Michael SpiesGypsies on the moveMichael Spies
    Friday campers on Sifha beach
    Racing jeeps blasting the mornimg peaceOh what a pleasure seing the two cars in this position!I suppose this guy raced until his car went up in flamesMany campers smoking Shisha early in the morningAfter the two cars broke down peace returned to the beachMargot trying to convince donkey that our left over salad leaves are the best!

    Approaching Muscat, Sifha beach

    28 januari 2023, Oman

    Never go to the beach on a Friday! Because that's the day all Omanis have a free day, and go camping at the beach! Preferably with a Nomad tent and Jeeps to race along the beach.
    We approached Muscat on a Friday, and so it was, the whole city was out there! We fled down the coast until the numbers became less and ended up at Sifha beach just before dark.
    The next morning, two jeeps racing with screaming motors shattered the stillness. It was with the greatest pleasure that I later saw them standing with their hoods open, looking at their engines that no longer worked!    Meer informatie

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