Dhow-Swim-Run

The Muscat road runners organized a Dhow (classic arabian wood boat) to take a bunch of us out for a splash n' dash, followed by a dinner cruise.
We met at Bandar Marina at 2 pm and boarded the boat. It had a very authentic feel with cushions to sit on around the edges and exposed wood. The plan was to leave the marina at 2 but due to engine troubles we finally got going closer to 3. There were 15 participants (1 being Omani, which was nice to see) and we set off on a relaxing trip to Bandar Khiran and were briefed on the route and rules. After the Dhow had stopped in a small bay about 200m from shore, the race organizer got into a kayak and paddled into shore and took off running to mark the trail ahead of us with flour (trail marking with flour is known as 'Hashing' and the person who sets the trail is the 'Hare').


Once our hare was off on the trail it was time to start the race. We took a ~3m plunge off the dhow and began the swim to shore. Some people wore runners while others opted for more of a water shoe during the swim. Once reaching the beach, we picked up the flour trail for a 3-4 km run including some climbs into and out of wadi's. As we ran, the dhow moved from the drop off point to the finish which was in a different bay. At the end of the trail there was a small cliff ~ 5 m from which we had to jump back into the water and finish the final 200m swim back to the dhow.
Back on board we enjoyed a few cold drinks, some chicken curry and a gentle cruise back to the marina with the moon leading the way.

Aboard the Dhow

Arriving at Bandar Khiran, just over 1h on the boat

Janelle, Pete and I after finishing the race

Jebel Shams - Sep 13

It has been awhile since we've gone camping due to the heat of summer so decided it was time to break out the gear and try and find some cooler weather. Jebel Shams (the Sun Mountain) is the highest point in Oman reaching just under 3,000m in elevation. Along with cooler temperatures, it's also home to 2 of the nicest (and best marked) hiking trails, double bonus!

We decided relatively last minute to go and managed to round up a group of 7 - Pete, Zan, Lizzie, Matt and Caroline (2 South Africans, 2 Brits, 2 Canadians and 1 American - a very multinational camping group!). Our convoy left from the Wave Thursday morning and we managed to pack, literally to the roof, all of our gear into two Jeeps (1 Wrangler / 1 Grand Cherokee aka Jake). The drive to Jebel Shams is only 215km from Muscat and takes about 3 hours. The drive takes you through Nizwa where we stopped for gas and food before finishing the final 80km to the top of Shams, or the "Plateau" as it's referred to.

From Nizwa the road takes you through Al Hamra and past an abandoned village at the end of the Oman Grand Canyon (Wadi An Nakhur). Up to this point we really hadn't been climbing so we were expecting to suddenly begin the ascent as at this point we were still only at 750m elevation and had to get to 1950m in only 30km. Needless to say the road began to climb quite steeply with typical Oman switchbacks. A very similar road to Jebel Akhdar, which is interesting as the Jebel Akhdar road has a checkpoint monitored by the ROP and one must have a 4x4 to go up. You can very easily get to the top of Jebel Shams in a car and even the small sections of gravel are still very passable in a regular car.

Upon reaching the Plateau, the temperature had dropped from 44 in Nizwa to a downright cold 28! (you get very skewed here). We stopped at the scenic lookout to see the Canyon for the first time and it was truly breathtaking. We got our fill of touristy pics and the girls bought some handmade Omani bracelets from the local women. There were several spots were you can buy local crafts such as bracelets and other trinkets. It was getting late and with only a couple hours of sunlight we quickly set-up camp near the start of the W4 hike and drove to the start of the W6 hike (Balcony Walk) in the village of Al Khitaym. The Balcony Walk was absolutely stunning and is about a 2-3 hr roundtrip. We lucked out by starting late in the day as the entire walk was in the shade (recommend that to anyone doing the hike to start late in the afternoon). Unfortunately we weren't able to reach the abandoned village at the end of the hike as we started running out of daylight and had to turn around. Returning to camp it was dark already by 6:30 and the rest of the night was spent braaiing, eatting, drinking, telling stories and listening to music.

The following morning two of the more eager members of our group (Janelle and Caroline) went for a short run. The rest of the group held down camp keeping the goats at bay (something else that is common here, fighting to keep the goats from eatting your food!). After a relaxed morning breakfast with a bit of bocci ball we packed up camp and decided to check out the W4 hike. This is the hike to the summit at 3000m and is anywhere from a 10-15 hr roundtrip (with 1000m of elevation gain). It was already late in the morning and the temperature had picked up, combined with the late night prior our group managed about an hour of hiking before returning to the Jeeps for the return trip.

A stop in Nizwa for some Sheesh Tawouk and sharwarmas

Abandoned village built into the mtn at Wadi Ghul - base of Jebel Shams

Photo op at the top!

Matt said it was a 5 sec free fall and luckily made it out alive, unlike Thelma and Louise.

Village at the start of W6

Us and the Oman grand canyon

Trail markers

Watch out for the thorns!!

Campground au sommet de Jebel Shams

No vegetarians here

The W4 trail - hike to the summit (we only covered 1/20th of the trail)

9 and Dine at Almouj

The golf course at The Wave was fully open ( all 18) early this summer and we finally decided the weather was "cool" enough to get out for a round. Cool as in 35C at 7 pm...
They offer a 9 hole par 3 course and dine special on Mondays, which we happened to stumble upon. Our golf clubs didn't make the cut in deciding what to bring to Oman, and let's face it, didn't think there would be many golf courses in the desert. But after seeing this Greg Norman designed, oceanfront, fully lit course, we were starting to miss golf.
There's 2 clubs in Muscat - Muscat Hills and the newly opened Almouj at The Wave.  We've only been to the driving range and club house at Muscat Hills and the par 3 course at Almouj, so can't really compare courses, but Almouj has the advantage of being lit.
It was a pretty good deal for 9 holes and buffet dinner for 12 RO (~$32 cdn), which included full use of the facilities (lovely changes rooms), rental clubs (surprisingly they had a ladies left hand set, bonus!), shoes and use of the driving range.
The food was excellent - often times places can be hit or miss, and this was our second time here. Both nights were good and had different themes, BBQ and Italian, so judging by consistency and quality, a visit is highly recommended.

1st hole, ocean 400 y left

Closest to the pin goes to... Adam

Lounge (sans alcohol) overlooking the driving range

Dessert

Salad bar

There was more in between, but I was busy eating ;)

Wonderful shower, towel included

Ireland (Aug 17-24)

After 30 days of Ramadan, fasting and charitable deeds is celebrated with Eid Al Fitr. It was officially announced that the public sector would have the entire week off for Eid Al Fitr! This is quite a novel thing...getting an entire week off without having to take any holidays, and we really didn't believe it until it was announced in the news across the GCCs. 
Our good friends Pete and Zan had plans to visit her parent in Buncrana, Donegal (in the Republic of Ireland) for the holidays and invited us to join them. After managing to the survive the dry, summer heat (~48 C with the humidity for the past few weeks), we were eager to get into some rain, moderate temps, and real Irish pubs!  

We landed in Dublin and took a bus up to Buncrana in Donegal where we stayed with a family friend who lived a few blocks from the beach, perfect! The first thing we did was put on a sweater... and then went for a walk in the cooler climate and fresh air. I had a good chuckle at the white bodies on the beach catching some rays in ~20C ;) And at that point realized how skewed by the heat I've become, having a sweater on at the beach.

Driving into Londonderry

Walking to the beach

Golfing was high on the list of things to do, and noticably at the airport lots of other had this in mind too as there were 2 large golf groups arriving with close to 15 people in each one all with the clubs in tow

Zan's parents, Margaret (Margs) and Justice (Just) had already lined up clubs for us to play with and that first night everyone went golfing. Just and his fellow doctor colleagues Owen and Stephen are all members at the local Northwest Golf Club which if you can believe it has been a golf club since 1891, unbelievable. It was our first experience on true links course right on the ocean with proper wind. The course was immaculate with very fast greens considering how much rain they get, but the real danger of the course was the rough. There was no forgiveness if you missed the fairway and that first round we all lost 6 to 7 balls each on only 9 holes. Amazingly the only way you can find golf balls in the rough is by stepping on them.

That night our host for the week, Owen, had a true South African braai at his house with all the golfers of the day (true South African as Janelle and I were the only non South African's out of the 8, although we did try our hand at speaking Afrikaans when we could). The food was fantastic, Aberdeen Steak, local lamb chops and chicken sausage along with wonderful SA wine.

The following day took us for a bit of shopping and touring around Buncrana and into the nearby larger center of Derry (or LondonDerry if you're from Northern Ireland). Derry is famous as being the site of Bloody Sunday and the Free Derry Wall. We learned more about the Troubles later in our trip but it's an amazing history that has occurred quite recently. It is definitely worth reading about to grasp how divided the two countries are and the extent of violence that occurred. Pete and Zan picked up ingredients as they were cooking that night and we were treated to another wonderful meal of pasta and local Salmon. The trend of good food would definitely continue throughout the trip.

Wood-fired Braai, the best kind by SA standards ;)

 One of the common interests that Janelle and I share with Pete and Zan is cycling (and triathlon in general). So prior to coming, Margs had found a local bike shop and rented road bikes for us to use that day and tour around the local roads. We picked up our bikes at 10am and went off for an 80k ride. Margs escorted us in their tiny Fiat named "Dopy" for half the trip and supplied us snacks and motivation as needed. Drivers were incredibly courteous and either waited to pass until the road was clear or made sure to give you lots of room - the stranger thing to adjust to was cycling on the left hand shoulder. We ended up riding through some heavy rain going through Buncrana but it couldn't wipe the smile off our faces as it was fantastic, the coolness and fresh smell was well worth it. Typical Ireland that rain didn't last and soon we had  bit of sun before finding more rain as we encountered the "Gap" (The Mamore Gap, past Clonmany). The "Gap" was the highlight of the cycle as we had been warned before starting the ride of it and its 30% gradient. Adam didn't believe it, as this was Ireland and there are no "mountains" but true to form when we arrived at the Gap it was as steep as forwarned. All 4 of us eventually made it to the top, taking a couple breaks on the way up and summitting completely exhausted. The return trip through Buncrana brought us back into beautiful weather with warm sun and blue sky and we stopped for our first pub poured Guinness.

Mamore Gap. The summit in sight!

Just outside of Buncrana

Made it to the pub at last

The Guiness and Smithwick's went down easy :)

 That evening, went to a local hotspot Firebox Grill for dinner. Pete and Zan were very excited to take us as they had been before and had rave reviews. We weren't let down, eating some of the best food we've had in 8 months and of course choosing pork ribs (we have a tendancy to get very excited about anything that contains pork on a menu now).

The following day we made our way to Giant's Causeway, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The causeway was formed from a volcanic eruption 50-60 million years ago. As the rock cooled, it cracked and formed columns of hexagonal rock. We each got an audio brochure that provided info on each part of the trail around the causeway.
The Irish are known for their folklore, and that's how the Giant's Causeway got it's name. It was built by the giant, Finn McCool as a walkway to Scotland (the causeway outcrop can also be seen in Scotland). There's also other tails about the different rocks and how they resemble a piano organ, the giant's boot, and his granny climbing up the wall.

At Giant's Causeway

Cooled Lava rocks

Who doesn't like jumping!?

  We also visited a Famine Village historical site that explained the impact of the potato blight in Ireland from 1848-1850. It was very hard times and forced many to emigrate to North American, mostly Boston and all down the eastern sea board. It is estimated that 1 million Irish left. No wonder we found many similarities in the Irish as with our Maritime friends!

The last day was spent in Dublin before catching an evening flight back. It happened to be the Tall Ship Festival and ships from all around the world (Mexico, Spain, Venezuela, etc) had docked in the harbor. It would've been pretty cool to see them with the sails up as they were massive boats. The following day races were going to be held and that day they were allowing people to come aboard to check out the ships. We found Bono from U2's Bar without much trouble, it was by far the busiest pub at the wharf, so we stopped for a drink.

Downtown Dublin!

Tall ship from Spain

In Bono's pub

Day of Fasting for Charity

Each Ramadan, work holds a fundraising campaign for non-muslims to raise money for various charities. Non-muslims fundraise by committing to fasting for one day and are sponsored by fellow Muslim employees.

Janelle and I decided to give it a shot and see what fasting was like, keeping in mind we were doing it for one day only compared to 30. The groundrules are quite simple, you cannot eat or drink from 4am until Iftar which was at 6:52pm. We approached the fast like we were getting ready for a triathlon, carb loading the night before with rice and chicken and drinking as much water as possible to try and stay hydrated all day. With the fundraising done, the alarm was set for an early breakfast at 3:30am. Janelle decided to sleep right through but I knew I would not make it the entire day without eatting or drinking coffee so my breakfast was just that, cereal, toast and coffee at 3:40am. You must be done eatting by 4am as that's when first prayers start, so there was time to go back to bed!  One of the harder things for me was the disruption of sleep, we were continually told that you get used to it...but I'm not so sure.

3:41am Breakfast

The first few hours of the morning weren't so bad, the key being busy meant the less you notice the hunger or needing a coffee. By lunch I was really getting hungry but again it came in waves and soon enough it would subside for a bit. During Ramadan anyone who is fasting is allowed to go home at 1pm to essentially sleep. Janelle and I were also able to leave early this day and headed home at 2:30pm for a nap. We slept alright but we were both really feeling the effects of not eating or drinking by 5pm. It was interesting how we didn't have the energy for anything. I can't imagine feeling that way for an entire month. That night the charitable organization hosted Iftar (break the fast). By exactly 6:52pm with the call to prayer, everyone began eating dates and drinking water. There are usually some sweets and samosas as well, just an appetizer before the main meal. After the fast is broken for the day, all Muslims must go pray before eating the main meal. Dinner was very enjoyable and much needed, I've never tasted such good dates before! I was still unable to shake my coffee headache and Janelle and I both went home and essentially straight to sleep at 8:30pm feeling satisfied and exhausted.
 One of the main reasons for fasting during the holy month is to identify with people who cannot afford food. It is also a time of giving, social gatherings and extra prayers.  Fasting was a good experience to briefly see what Muslims go through, but not one that I would want to do for a month. Ramadan ended on August 19th which marked the beginning of Eid (the Muslim equivalent to Christmas Day). Eid lasts 3 days and also is the start of restaurants and coffee shops being open during the day and very importantly for us bars begin serving alcohol again. Eid also marks a well needed week long public holiday and the beginning of the expat families returning back to Muscat from their extended vacations home. With the weather starting to improve and people returning we're excited for things to begin picking up again after a very quiet summer.

First Ramadan

Ramadan was officially declared by the Moon Observer Committee to start July 20. This will be our first Ramadan experience - the holy month for Islamic people.
We didn't know much about Ramadan prior to being immersed into middle eastern culture. Mostly because we don't know any muslims back home and because the religion is a minority, so there's no real change in our society. I would compare it to a mix of Christmas and 40 days of Lent.

Weeks leading up to Ramadan, it was becoming clear that there was a buzz in the air as people were getting ready for this special occasion. It lasts for 4 weeks, starting with the sighting of the new moon and ending on a full moon followed by Eid Al-Fitr (celebration ending ramadan). During the month, people are required to fast - not only food, but also water, smoking, and even gum (my vice ;). This makes for some interesting dynamics in the office! Thank goodness the work hours are reduced to 7am-1pm or 9am to 2pm for muslims. Non muslims carry on as normal, even though 90% of the people are at home resting or preparing for Iftar (break the fast at sunset). So the office gets eerily quiet in the afternoons. You can still get a coffee in the morning thankfully, but you have to congregate to the 'sin' room to do so!
Muslims are also suppose to do more praying, good deeds and give back to charity. There are a bunch of sale specials on for the month at the grocery stores, car dealers, clothing stores, etc. Ramadan kareem ;)

All the restaurants are closed during the day and reopen in the evenings around Iftar, luckily the grocery stores are open all day. Alcohol is not sold anywhere during the month so we had fun stocking up on booze at the club store - everyone had their carts loaded to the max. If you dare go out in the evening, you'll face traffic jams and really really crazy drivers as they are likely hungry, dehydrated and trying to get to where they're going for Iftar. We have been told that each break the fast is typically a feast with family and friends that lasts until early hours of the morning. I give it until next week before people really start coming late to work. But then again it's culturally acceptable, which is odd to us. We did get a chance to tie on one before ramadan started, some friends hosted pre-Ramadan parties in light of what was coming!

There is supposed to be a day during Ramadan where non muslims fast for charity. I'm looking forward to trying it out to see what they've gone through over the past few weeks. Hopefully we will be excused from work at 1 as well...

And a link to an article that is ridiculous! I still can't believe what I read over here sometimes. Article

What a triathlon in +40C feels like

Don't worry, I'm not about to say we did an Ironman in +40C. Nope, that would just be crazy! A sprint is more than enough...

Last weekend was the grand finale of tris before summer holidays. Again, as with every Friday morning start, we strongly debated sleeping in...or rolling out of the bed to get in some miles before it gets too hot. Luckily the start time was bumped up to 6 AM. Good for minimizing time in the sun, but bad for trying to be alive at 4:30 am.
It was a smaller group, which is expected in the midst of the summer months, maybe 20 people with a mix of individuals and teams. However small, the level of diversity is quite unique - we have a former Oman national team member(who beats everybody by at least 5 min), rusty ironman competitors (if I don't say so myself ), tri newbies that haven't gone further than a sprint, and junior athletes <12 yrs (but are super fast swimmers!).

The best way to describe the race is like a game of 'pickup triathlon'. And it really is a compliment to the race. It's pretty unique that you can run a triathlon with minimal planning and resources. The ocean is very likely to be calm, and give the Friday morning start (on holy day) the roads are quiet so road closures and traffic control isn't needed. Plus the weather never changes, its guaranteed to be hot!

This was our 2nd Azaiba beach triathlon and the rundown goes as such: You show up with your stuff, and there's a quick race briefing (in case there is a newbie) - swim around the buoy, then the boat, making a triangle. It may be 750 or 650m depending on the tides. Then transition is a quick rinse of the salt water from the mouth and eyes... and onto the bike. But be sure not to mount until clear of the 'mount line', the invisible line where the parking lot turns into a road. And then onto the road for a 20 km loop to The Wave roundabout and back. Of course minding traffic and stop lights - proceeding at your own risk. The wind feels like a convection oven, so by the time you hit the run, and you are medium rare to well-done.  The run course is a flat, straight out and back ( Al Humdilillah). I don't think anyone could bear a slight undulation by ~ 7am as it's already close to 40C with the humidity. The water station is at the turnaround, which literally saves people from heat stoke and dehydration. 5km isn't far, but in this heat, it feels unbelievably far! Afterwards we all jump back into the ocean, for a semi-cool down (the ocean is hot too).

What makes it all worth the effort is the trip to Darcy's Kitchen afterwards with the group for breakfast and race recaps.       

Transition: good thing the curb is huge. Makes for a good bike holder.

The P2C and Dual ready go!

Adam was running 0.05 seconds ago...he just crossed the line, didn't you see the tape?

The beach and our time keepers/aid station/officials/moms of the junior athletes ;)