There is something so attractive and stunning about Oman. The raw landscape, the wonderful people; I feel like it keeps beckoning us back to visit. Last Eid Al Adha we camped in northern Oman - Musandam. This year we decided to do a coastal trek from Sohar down through Muscat. There are some beautiful white sand beaches, majestic rocky mountains and red sand dunes that we just needed to explore over this four day holiday weekend.
Eid Al Adha means "Feast of Sacrifice". This holiday marks the end of the annual Hajj- or pilgrimage to Mecca. There is a huge feast- "shuwa", which is the traditional slaughtering of animals which is done in similitude of Abraham's sacrifice. Christians believe Abraham was going to offer Issac; Muslims believe it was Ishmael that was going to be sacrificed. Both believe that it was a test from God and ended with the slaughtering and offering of a ram. During our trek, we saw lots of trucks on the road taking animals to be butchered and eaten. Loads of goats and cows.
We drove from Abu Dhabi through the Al Ain border crossing. A holiday is not an easy time to be crossing the border, it's packed. Note to self - try 3 am in the morning next time to beat the rush.
The kids were pretty amazing troopers through all of the waiting.
Pics include members of the Kofoed Family who were fun traveling companions.
Mosque in Muscat.
Our first camp site. It was worth the extra time finding this secluded, breathtaking spot. Just about 30 minutes south of Muscat is a stretch of beach called As Sifah; white sandy beach with good snorkeling and a grand view of the mountains.
Hazel, Q and I woke up for the morning sunrise - one of those breathtaking moments.
View from our tent.
Cool shells!
This beach had tons of fluffy sand - makes driving a bit tricky. We just left the food at the car. Enjoyed a yummy breakfast of cold cereal and pomegranate yogurt parfaits.
We broke camp after a fun morning in the sun and waves and started our way down the coast toward Sur. We were going to see the famous turtle beaches in Ras Al Jinz.
The Omani landscape is harsh but beautiful - the scenery changes constantly from green farms to rocky mountains, wadis, desert peaks and sparkling turquiose oceans. Love this country!
Arriving in Ras Al Hadd- where we are looking for green turtle nesting beaches.
Sardines drying to feed the goats.
We had a miserable time trying to find a spot to camp at Ras Al Jinz. The beaches there are all protected, camping is prohibited. It's one area where Oman has done a very good job with nature preservation. After about 4 hours of trying to find a turtle-spotting campsite, we found a helpful local at the turtle reserve who guided us back to Ras Al Hadd to another turtle nesting beach up the coast. After about an hour wait and a crazy, treacherous four-wheel drive up the most uninhabitable terrain on planet earth, we were amazed to find a secluded beach that had hundreds of green turtle nests. We had a local guide, Ali, who took lead us down to the beach under a full moon and there we saw a large mama turtle digging her nest! Apparently there were only three mama turtles laying eggs that night on this stretch of beach. So lucky for us!
They say the best time to see green turtles is June, July and August. Baby turtles are hatched after three months and immediately head for the water; only about 3% of them actually make it to the ocean. Crabs, foxes and seagulls are the main predators of baby turtles. The mamas lay about 50-150 eggs a nest. Then they swim away to Sri Lanka, India, Australia, Indonesia, etc. It takes about 25 years for the mature turtles to return to the beach where they were hatched to lay their own eggs. So amazing that this even happens - and that we were there to witness this miracle!
Our big green mama turtle. The pics are pretty dark as there is no flash photography allowed - just the light of the moon and the occasional flashlight.
Not only were we lucky to see the Mama, but a nest nearby just hatched about 25 baby turtles. We got to hold them, the newborns are no bigger than a small cellphone. Sully and the girls were determined to help them get to the waters. They chased off the waiting crabs and cleared a path for the baby turtles to make it into the sea.
Above is Quin and Hazel. Below - Grace with two that she named 'Sammy and Spot".
Audrey and I with baby turtles.
Truly a miracle - so glad to experience this with my kiddos and Quin!
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