the boats man

With a plan to camp overnight at wahiba sands, and to have an experience of the magic of the rolling sand dunes, we set out in two cars.

Wahiba sands is about 240 kms from Muscat, the capital city of Oman. It is also known as Ash-Sharqiyah sands. The Sands stretch for 180 kms from north to south and 80 kms from east to west. Enroute we stopped at Bidiyah and had refreshments. We also visited the office of Al Raha tourist company at Bidiyah to get more information about places to visit.

There are not many locations with sand dunes in Oman. Wahiba sands is spectacular and it is miles and miles of honey coloured sands...the sun light plays symphony over the sands...turning the colour of the sands to shades of gold.

Just like the ocean, here too you can easily get lost, the trails of the traveller is easily blown up by the wind. You really need the spririt of an explorer to enjoy the beauty of wahiba sands.
Of course, we need four wheel drive to move ahead through the sands. Only an experienced driver can negotiate through the sands. To move well in the sandy terrain, we have to deflate the tyres partially. So we stopped the car enroute near one village. Children from the nearby houses immediately noticed our presence. we spend sometime chatting with them...

The people living in this village is commonly known as Bedouins. The bedouins in this area belongs to the Nizari tribe, and they trace their history back to 2nd and 3rd century. We can say, they are the people of the soil. The bedouins here are engaged in rearing goats and camels for their survival. They move their settlements often, in search of food for the cattle. Their huts look like temporary shelters.

The traditional houses of bedouins built of palm fronds and mud is known as barasti houses. We can see some of them in ruined condition. The present generation, however, is using tin and wooden palnks to make houses. Bedouins are very sweet people. You will love talking to them for hours together. They are very proud of their traditional value system. Bedouins are noted for their good manners and hospitality. They have an impeccable style of turning strangers to friends.

We have not yet got into the sands... after deflating the tires we began the journey...the sun is almost setting...we are in a hurry...before it is getting too dark we have to locate a suitable place to camp.

Wind is blowing...fine sands of the desert easily gets into your eyes...having a veil before the eyes is the best thing to do. May be the tradition of having a veil before one's face, especially for women, began from this practical necessity.

Finally we located a nice place to camp... fixing a tent in the desert is not easy...the wind is blowing fast, and to add to it sand gets into your eyes... but our friends are experts in fixing the tent. We set up the tent within 30 minutes.

It is almost dark by now... we have a kerosene lamp (ranthel) hanging on the roof of the tent...when some of us got busy with arranging things in the tent, others went on a stroll to explore the place around. It is windy and getting cold...visibility is very poor...the strong wind carried the fine sands of the desert and it easily gets into the eyes. It is not easy to take photos as sand forms a clound before the camera.

As the wind started blowing fast, and the temperature fell, we deviced ingenious ways of surviving there. With the extra cloths we had, we created a new designer suit... Are we not looking like aliens from mars???

We are now left alone in the vastness of the desert...it is a sort of spiritual experience, in the secular sense of it. We reminded ourselves that it is this mesmorising desert environment that gave birth to 3 great religions.

Far away another camping site is visible... we walked through the sands for sometime...it is dark...we can see the sand dunes vaguely.

The whole night we were in high spirits...now it is our turn to prepare barbecue and some arabian food. We had a good stock of marinated chicken and as soon as the fire got ready some got into action. Salads are very much part of the arabian food. Along with quboos, the arabic bread, chicken barbecue and salads makes an amazing combibation. It will be great if we can get 'mountain dew'.

We slept some time after the midnight...Early morning we got up and had our black coffee ready. In the fire-place the fire is still not completely burned out. The blower did the work ...fire is ready.

we are planning to walk along the sand dunes before the day break. The sand may become very hot immediately after the sun rise.

Al Raha camping site is seen at a distance...it is a permeanent camping site... they offer camel ride and sand dunes drive for tourists.
We had our coffee and it is time for exploring the sand dunes. The dunes look fantastic in the twilight. Some got into a meditative mood...
Others went in search of the highest dunes...and had a sense of victory getting to the top of it. Getting to the top is not easy, and you have sufficient reason to be hilarious.
The nature lovers are after some insects that left its trail on the sands...
Some thought of their loved ones left back at home, and wrote their names on the sand...
The sun is up in the sky....from the fun and frolic in the sand dunes, we have to return...descending is fast.
It is time to pack up things and leave the place...
The sand dunes of wahiba sands remains fresh ever in memory....