Lots going on

Well a month has expired since last I wrote here - been busy with work and stuff. Having Mary here has been a bonus though.

Al has been and gone - they came second in Singapore - everyone was thrilled. Quite unexpected and they were financially rewarded!!! Now they are in Hyderabad (U21)and they have lost their first game against Pakistan but by fewer goals than they feared. The boys did well.

Mary has discovered hidden talents as a teacher and we have had some good conversations about the profession and all that. But the best has been the trips we have taken.

We went up the mountain - Jebel Al Akhdar - but I am going to link you to her blog here http://www.marysomanimoney.iblog.co.za/ - she does it better than I could - but I do have some good pics and I will link you to those here as well... http://picasaweb.google.com/lynettefaragher/JebelAlAkhdarTripInNovember2008. Then we had a memorable walk on the beach at Al Azaibah - balmy evening, not too hot...

Then Salalah featured in our lives... we met Tamsin there - was gorgeous to be all together... here again I will connect you with Mary's blog http://marysomanimoney.iblog.co.za/ - she does it so well but will put in this video..

The blowholes were spectacular... this gives a tiny taste of it. When I have conquered the workings of MovieMaker I will be able to put in a longer piece of blowholes. The noise was quite scary and then the eruptions... This next picture is the girls covered up for Job's Tomb.

It was lovely and peaceful in the tomb

but the best part of that trip was the thick mist on the twisty road up the mountain. We had to have our headlights on it was so thick but was amazing to us was the sight of many Omani families all having joyous picnics on the mist on the sides of the road and wherever a suitable spot presented itself!!

Another highlight was a walk around Al Baleed, the archaeological dig around the Frankincense Museum. It is a wonderful setting, paths and signs give an idea of what was there before. It seems that that was mostly mosques. There are little carts that you can ride in and also barges that go on the river.
We went back to Muscat refreshed and re-bonded with each other.