Calatorie prin Oman. Travel - Journey through Oman

 These photos immortalize Kumzar village located in Musandam, the northernmost province of Oman. It is second most notherly inhabited parte of the country, and the most notherly inhabited part on its mainland, located on the Strait of Hormuz. The village is isolated and only accessible by boat.

Kumzar has been inhabited for approximately 500 years, although exact records are difficult.

The isolated location of the village has harboured a separate language, Kumzari. The Kumzaris religious practice is based in Islam but with traditional folk values. The culture is distinct from the other Arabic settlements in the area.

Fishing is the dominat source of income, tuna and sardines being the major catch. Most families have two houses, one in Kumzar and the second in Khasab. The extreme heat in the summer makes Kumzar almost uninhabitable and from May to September most people leave Kumzar to stay in Khasab. In Khasab the Kumzari are typically isolationist, having their own  district, which is close to the sea and where all the houses are grouped.

Book Review: Umberto Eco" Pendulul lui Foucault."

Straniu cine a crezut ca ma voi intoarce inca odata sa-l citesc pe Umberto Eco.  Am descoperit ca Umberto Eco este unul din scriitori mei preferati. In afara de Haruki Murakami, si multi alti. Incerc sa-mi  dau seama de ce el ma atrage mult? Asta e a doua carte a lui citita de fapt. Prima carte a lui Umberto Eco, a fost numele Trandafirului. O citisem cu inima la gura. Mi se parea grea ca textura, dar totusi ma atragea nespus de mult sa o citesc, ca si Pendulul lui Foucault. De ce asa ma atrage sa-i citesc capodoperele?

Romanul te tine captat in aceasta lume a misterelor de joc, te face sa te tii de ea pana o descoperi treptat. 

Pendulul lui Foucault este un roman elaborat cu ingeniozitatea inginereasca, in care misterul ia nastere printr-o banala intamplare. Trei redactori ai unei edituri de textele ezoterice construiesc, printr-un pur joc intelectual, ipoteza misterioasa a unui Complot urias, initiat de Cavalerii Templieri( dupa dizolvarea Ordinului de catre regele Frantei) pentru pastrarea in custodie a Secretului absolut al cunoasterii si al puterii. Tot jocul  porneste de la un manuscris deliriant si ia proportiile unui vartej care,  de la un anumit punct,  nu mai poate fi dominat de initiatorii lui.  Cuvintele( semnele) se razbuna chiar pe cei care le manevreaza, in momentul  in care acestia transforma jocul combinatoriu in scop in sine.

Inca nu am terminat cartea sa o citesc. Dar sunt in continue cautare a mesajului ce vrea sa ne trasnmita autorul  in cartea sa.

In Wahiba Sands( Sharqiya) with my family.

How I promis to you I will give you the route How to take from Muscat to Wahiba Sands.  Follow the Muscat- Sur in land route to the turn-off for  Al Mintarib 36km south  of Ibra or 52 km  noth of Al Kamil. Turn  off  at the  juction  by the Shell petrol station  and head  towards the town. After that,  at the four way  juction  2.3 km from the petrol station, go straight. You will see soon pass an old fort on the right. Turn  right at the T-juction immediately after this fort.
At the end of the paved are signs for Al Raha Tourist Camp. Proceed with caution  on the main track  heading into the sands, and remember to deflate your tyres in you leave the packed trall. Past  the Al Raha Tourist Camp, the main track continues and eventually peteres out. It is approximatelly 170 km to reach the southern edge of the sands.
Although Oman is 82% desert and sand dunes, this is the only route, which is mostly dunes. You will get chance to practise your sand driving skills here, and the entrance to the Wahiba Snds near Al Mintarib is a great place to do so. The terrain is relatively gentle and there are lots of people nearby just in case if you get stuck.
Your time in the Wahiba  Sands may very from  a few hours of dune bashing  to a complete traverse lasting to a complete lasting a few days-it's all up to you.

In this beautiful trip, we enjoyed to much. This time the conditions were good compared to last time, but the prices also varied.

There were pleasant moments where we had fun and really felt good at the fire. The outside was cold especially at night and in the morning, and the day was warm. In the two days spent in the desert, we charged our batteries for 2 weeks with positive energy. Spending time with family was my most beautiful desert experience

 January 2019

In desert with my family in Wahiba (Sharqiya) Sands

Sand dunes and large open spaces( with the occasional sighting) are the essence of Arabia, and what better place to experience this combination than the Wahiba Sands. Whether you spend an hour here, or a few days, the landscape  is unike any other covered us.

A masterpiece of nature, the Wahiba Sands in the eastern Sharqiyah region  is one of the most popular  destinations in Oman, particularly during the winter months. It is perfect and complete getaway, offering the unique opportunity of spreding time with Bedouin who have inhabited the sandy expanse for centuries.

We came in Wahiba Sands with the family in begining of february 2018, in Budiya desert camp. We rent the camp for 2 nights by 150 riali omani. We brought  with us food, water, clothes, mattresses and persoanl belongings.

We made the 2 days spent in the desert interesting with fun games and spent with the family the most beautiful moments of our life. Each time we spent together made us have beautiful memories with family. We rented a motobike for an hour, which costs 5 rials / per h. For the first time we gave ourselves and had fun. It was an adrenaline rush. We need adrenaline to move passionate blood. The conditions were simple and not luxurious.

If you want to visit Oman to enjoy in Budiya I wil give you  the route from Muscat to Al Wasil and Bidiya. 

The sands, which  can be accessed from diffrent points, mainly Al Wasil and Bidiya, stretch 180 kms from north to south and 80 kms from est to west and are fringed by oases and coastal fishing villages with their beautiful  date palm  plantations giving spledind contrast to the magnificent desert dunes which can reach  heighst of 80 metres. Crossing the desert from north to south or vice versa and driving on the coast between the desert and the Arabian  Sea is an  unrivalled experience. A trip to the  Wahiba  Sands will give you and insight into the lifestyle of Bedouins who are at ease driving 4WD pick-ups and using mobile phone yet still continue, in many cases, to live huts, traditionally made from date palm fronds. If you are there soon  after rain, you can see them move their camp and livestock to places with fresh  pasture. In the company of Bedouin  guides, you can get  a closer look at the desert itself, meet  Bedouin families and join them for traditional meal or arseeyeah, mashed rice and lamb or goat meat.

If you want souvenirs, you can  buy authentic Bedouin handicrafts and overnight stay can always  be arranged

February 2018

O călătorie minunată pe muntele Jebel Shams (mountain of sun) zis şi muntele soarele

Asta prima calatorie calatorie pe care am avut-o in anul 2007 pe muntele Jebel Shams. 4 august in 2017 am avut o calatorie minunata cu familia pe muntele Jebel Shams, prima data pun piciorul in zona aceea minunta.

Nu am mai fost intr-acolo niciodata, dar nu o voi uita niciodata aceasta minunta calatorie. Dupa ce am ajuns acolo inca nu-mi putea sa-mi revin inca. Am ramas cu impresii minunata. Ceva nou, schimbare, experienta si o atmosfera si un piesaj magnific.

A fost o surpriza pentru mine, cand am fost anuntata ca v-om pleca intr-o drumetie. Am fost intrebata daca vreau sa ma alatur si eu. Eu nici nu m-am gandit prea mult, si am dat foc la ghete.

Daca stau acasa, ma voi plectisi si voi pierde ceva unic, daca merg sa vad ceva nou, unde nu am fost niciodata si nu sti-am daca voi merge vreodata. Asa ca m-am pregatit pentru aceasta calatorie. Am fost echipati cu curaj si multa buna voie.

Era o dimineata calduroasa de vara, acolo sus era racoare si ploua deseori. Am luat-o la nord de Muscat catre Nizwa. In Nizwa am mai fost, dar acolo nu. Drumul era lung si interesant sa priveste toate privelestea care te inconjoara. Soarele se juca cu noi de-a v-ati ascunselea printre nori mari si pufosi.

Muntele Jebel Shams, este mai inalt munte in Oman, cu atitudine de 3009 m, 9872 ft inaltime. Muntele este numit si "muntele soare" localizat la nord de orasul Hamra.

Cand am ajuns sus la inaltime a inceput sa ploua si sa bata vantul tare ca nici nu puteai vedea in zare ceva. Drumul era anevoios si impracticabil. Nu puteai sa iesi afara sa te bucuri de privelistea de afara. Dar totusi era frumos, locuri noi si minunate.

Nu puteam sa stam afara sa faceam poze, ca ploua si batea vantul tare.

Calatorie prin Oman. Travel -Journey through Oman