16 November 2010

No Words. Just a few random images from Oman...











Wadi Dhumm for Dhummies

In Oman, there are many wadis...
This is the at the top of Wadi Dhumm. A wadi is a canyon or a watercourse that remains dry until major rainfall occurs. At the main part of Wadi Dhumm there are lovely pools...some deep enough for swimming. But we don't get to see them, because our rented two-wheel drive Toyota Yaris isn't tough enough to withstand the rocky terrain. So we take an
alternative route to the top of the wadi, and create our own hike.
We watch from above, as a local villager scrambles down the side of the canyon.
Yikes! I'm not about to do that. So off we go down the goat trail and whammo!
Right off the bat, I turn my ankle on a loose stone. My husband asks if I'm okay,
and of course, I tell him that I just need to walk it off...

I ignore the pain and enjoy the rugged beauty before me, imagining the people that have been passing through here for eons, and the hidden wildlife that I know is all around...
...ah...proof of life...a Desert Toad. And then few minutes later,
my husband spots two Desert Monitor Lizards!
But I'm not fast enough to capture them with my camera.
They both disappear into the deep rock crevices.
  

My mate looks back to check on me,
as I hobble along slowly from behind...
You might call this the catcher's mitt!
I mean, what are the chances?

My husband, the artistic 'rock carver'...in his element...amongst the rocks!
In short, we had a very nice, if not short hike at Wadi Dhumm. A lesson for next time? 
Rent a four-wheel drive and wear better shoes with ankle support!