Out of Muscat - Nizwa and the wild

After having said good bye in Muscat, we try to hit the road with RidingKismet's wounded knee. It's best to take it easy, please no sudden movements now!

We made it to Nizwa (thanks for the hint, Christian!), find a cozy accommodation and go out to explore this cute little town. All among the date palms, harmonically it lays partly in well maintained, partly in naturally ruined buildings. Our dinner plans fit perfectly, as we grab a sweet little sin here and another there.
Next morning we manage to get up early since there is the animal market! At the pagoda in the old town, people are yelling prices and negotiating, as goats and cows are walked around in circles and shown to the public. We are told a goat is around 50 $, whereas a young cow may be 500 $ - but come on, there must be quite a bit of space for negotiation.
In Nizwa we also meet Pauline again, together with her boyfriend Valentine, and we agree to meet up in Wadi Damm together with (guess who) THE DUTCH FAMILY!

Two days of riding so far went not too bad for RidingKismet's knee, but a rest never hurts so we stay three whole days in the wadi. It's a beautiful time, and after having bumped into each other several times all along the Gulf they have become like family. Amd so, everyone helps RidingKismet to get back on her feet, each family member offering a hand, a stick, or just some reassurance. Everybody takes turns walking her to the wadi pools, and just so she doesn't miss out we put a chair in the middle of the water so she can dip her toes! In the evenings we switch between BBQ and pasta, games and bonfires, and before you know it, our wadi started to fill up with other travelers seeking refuge from news - Iran now is officially attacked by Israel and the US, and nobody can tell to which extend this will impact the peace in the region and the continuation of each one's journey.
Mostly older German, Austrian, and Swiss, the wadi suddenly became a German speaking hang out with bonfires and deck chairs with topless old men. Mallorca style in Oman...

And while RidingKismet's knees begin to flare up as punishment for the hike to the pools (actually it's both of them - remember Afghanistan?), sadly we depart our little safe haven and say goodbye to our new community. With our visas running out, we didn't want to face the penalty for overstaying, so instead we chose the long desolate road towards the legendary Empty Quarter and into Saudi Arabia.

The road says fare well... So far...Read more