Smells Fishy?

Last weekend, Zach and I went down to the fish souq to check it out. We went at about 10 am and as such, it was slowing down a little, but there were still plenty of sights to see and smell. As we walked in, I had second thoughts about wearing flip flops, however, it was too late. We walked up aisle after aisle checking out the different types of fish. I couldn't tell you what kinds there were as I know nothing about fish, except that there were big and small. There were also squid, sharks, crabs, and eels for sale. In the back, you took your fish purchase to one of several gentlemen to have it cleaned. This area what interesting to watch the different characters and their cutting techniques. We even saw one gentleman holding the fish with his feet while cutting. We asked to take his picture, but he said no. We're not sure if it was because it was during the holy month or sometimes the muslim followers do not want an image taken of them. Whatever the case, it was still cool to see. Hope you enjoy the pics!

Golfing Oman Style

Having not taken any recent trips, I thought I'd give you some insight to my daily life in Muscat, my new home.

As many of you know, golf is a regular part of my daily routine and as such, I thought I'd show you what it's like to play in Oman. The golf course I play has 18 holes and a driving range. The course is a sand course and play is from a mat when in the fairway and off the sand when not. The fairway is outlined by posts that are set every 10 yards apart to help with distance and club selection. The tee boxes are built of concrete with circular, rubber mats which have holes for tees to be placed in. The greens, or browns as they are called here, are made of a mixture of sand and oil. Before you putt, you use a broom to sweep a trail from your ball to the hole. One of the pictures I've added shows this. The club is very active with tournaments most weekends. I've played in three thus far and have met some great people. For my non-golfing friends, I will be adding a post soon on some other sights around Muscat. Check back soon.

Turtle Weekend

This weekend we travelled 3 and a half hours along the coast past Sur to an area called Ras Al Haad. This is an area that is known for it's turtles, but still difficult enough to get to that we were the only ones there. There were 12 of us who travelled together and plenty of room to ourselves. We camped on a cliff above the beach and slept under the stars. The pictures are better than any description I could ever give it, so I'll let you take a look and see what you think.

My new wheels!

Well, I had this grandiose idea that I would come to Oman and be able to live as I did in Jakarta without a car. It's just not possible here. Taxis and buses are harder to catch and less prevalent. So I've decided to share a car with another teacher here at school. Sara and I split the cost of the SUV and are working out the details as we go. Many people have said that it won't work, which has given us even more determination to make it work.

So this week we purchased a 2001 Mitsubishi Pajero from the parents of a student at school. Neither of us wanted to shell out the cash for a new vehicle, so this is what we decided upon. I especially like the white rims! Let me know what you think.