Oman Recap: Ithnaan

The Nizwa tourist bazaar was closed (Eid can be a bit troublesome for tourists), but most of the stuff is left out overnight so we could get an idea of what there was to buy.  

Posing in front of Bahla Fort.  This was as close as we could get to the inside due to Eid (did I mention Eid can be annoying?).

One of the cool things about Eid Mubarak is that everyone is busy buying up animals to sacrifice and pass around the neighborhood.  Lots of terrified creatures in the back of trucks.

A hot spring in Rustaq.  The water was painfully hot, but not as smelly as I expected (I could only think of the hot springs we used to visit as kids in Thermopolis, Wyoming).  There were men's shower stalls next door, but Tammy was not happy when we couldn't find the women's stalls (she assumed this was another time when women were completely left out of the fun).  After a 1/2 mile drive downstream we found the female bathing stalls, but the idea of splashing around in all of the removed dirt coming from upstream wasn't too appealing, so we headed to our next spot...

These are the views of/from Nakhal Fort.  This place is ridiculously gorgeous.  If I lived nearby I would come up here all the time at sunset to look out over the date fields.  This was a great way to reflect on our last night in the country and think about all the amazing things we had seen during our brief trip in Oman.  

Getting ready to return the car, but first a quick stop by the Sultan Qaboos Mosque.  This place is big.  Our Mitsubishi doesn't look that bad for having just rocked 1000 miles in a few days around the desert, coastline, and mountains.  

Oman Recap : Wahad

It's been awhile, but I'm home sick today (not homesick, well maybe a little, but the Sri Lanka family reunion is only 5 weeks away) and I finally have the time to post the pictures from Oman.  I hope that this doesn't feel like a photodump, but there is just too much to share from our amazing holiday.  Here goes...

Night stroll down the bazaar in Muscat.  Love the neon.  

One of the many mosques in Muscat.  The bright colors remind me of a Dravidian Hindu temple.

Muscat is a laid-back town.  Not quite a beachy atmosphere, but quiet and plenty of places to sit and enjoy the view.  Tammy is sketching one of the main Portugese fortresses that still stands guard in Muscat.  And the interesting tribal niqab that some women near the Yemeni border down South still wear.

Beit al-Afreet (House of the Demon).  This massive sinkhole is about 100 feet deep and massive.  It sits about a mile inland from the shore in between Sur and Muscat and is a must-see if you are driving that way.  When we were there a young tourist did a gainer off the top, while we all tried to remember first-aid techniques.  

Our beautiful Mitsubishi posing in front of a castle in Sur.

A failed attempt at pitching a tiny A-frame in the rock-hard dirt near Ras al-Jinz Turtle Area.  Tammy barely managed a smile for the camera...

Who needs an A-frame?  We parked opposite a fishing lagoon in Ras al-Hadd and woke up to a beautiful sunset and plenty of classic dhows moored in front of us.  

A wild camel.  If only I had read the article about the health benefits of consuming camel urine one month earlier...

The entrance into Wadi Shab.  

The water is even more beautiful than it looks here.

Unlike our current residence in the Middle East, there is tons of wildlife to be spotted in Oman. 

A view out from one of the many cliffs at Wadi Shab.

Here I am contemplating a big leap...

Back from Eid Mubarak Holiday

Tammy and I just returned from our Eid Mubarak holiday and I can't wait to share some pictures.  We spent one week in Oman and rounded out our trip with two days in decadent Dubai.  Both countries challenged my preconceptions about Gulf States and I learned a lot during the trip.  When I get more time I will post a lot more, but for now I found a couple of photos that sum up the trip.  The first is a photo of Wadi Shab in eastern Oman.  This wadi (dry gully or valley) hosted the 2012 Redbull Cliff Diving Contest and is one of the most spectacular places I have ever been.  We beat the crowds by heading out early and by the time we reached the main pool and swam through the keyhole to the hidden waterfall, we were joined only by a few other travelers.  After a few hours of relaxing and jumping off rocks, we headed back and the crowds were overwhelming.  Massive groups of Subcontinent visitors, Westerners with kids and coolers, and even some Omanis were flocking to find the mysterious "keyhole."  This place really blew my mind and I can't believe that Oman is not higher on people's travel radar.  The roads are extremely safe, the people are tolerant and reserved, and the opportunities for adventure travel is boundless.

On the other end of the holiday, we found ourselves smack in the middle of Dubai.  Dubai is everything that Oman is so stubbornly trying to avoid.  Tourists in scandalous clothing walking through traditional neighborhoods, a plethora of restaurants offering unlimited champagne brunches, migrant workers gambling on the Creekside, Emiratis being all but absent from the work sector, etc.  If you are willing to accept Dubai for what it is (and head to Sharjah if you can't) than you will have a blast.  We watched massive sting rays glide by sharks at the Dubai Mall Aquarium, saw hundreds gathering for a 2 minute water fountain show in front of the Burj Al Khalifa, attempted dialogue with our Afghani taxi driver, and even joined the other foreigners for a dip at the Jumeirah Beach Park.

More pictures are coming, but these are some of my favorite.

Mar Mattai Monastery ܕܝܪܐ ܕܡܪܝ ܡܬܝ

This weekend Tammy and I decided to check out Mar Mattai Monastery in the disputed areas to check out an annual celebration that was occurring.  We were there a day early for the real party, but it was still a fascinating place.  Mar Mattai was founded in 363 AD and is considered one of the oldest Christian monasteries in the world.  Saint Matthew (Mar Mattai) came from Diyarbakir, cured the King's daughter of leprosy and converted the town to Christianity.  Over the years Mar Mattai Monastery has been attacked by Kurds, Arabs, Mongols, Ottomans, bandits, and everyone else who came near it.  

To get to the monastery we had to head west outside of the KRG and we passed through a few interesting places.  Pictured below is a cattle drive outside of Bartella.  Bartella is a part of the Nineveh (yep, from the Bible) Plains, an area that has accepted tens of thousands of fleeing Christians (and Shia Muslims and Shabaks) from Southern Iraq since Saddam.  There is even a movement in the Nineveh Plains to make an Assyrian (Christian) Autonomous Zone, which would report to Baghdad, not Erbil.  

This is the first glimpse of the monastery that we had.  It looks similar to nearby Al-Qosh from far away.  It is tucked into the mountain and pretty difficult to see from far away.

Tammy's posing in front a cistern near Nahmoud (water drop) Cave.  

One side of the cave wall is entirely turquoise and salt formations drip all around the cave.

One thing you'll notice when you leave the KRG is all of the old cars.  In Kurdistan, all cars imported now must be 2012 or newer, so must of the cars you see on the road are virtually brand new.  In Iraq and the border towns with Iran, you will see lots of vintage VW's, Opels, etc.

This is the view coming up to the monastery.  A pretty surprising place for most of us visiting Iraq.  

This is the interior of the monastery.  It was really bustling and jovial.  There are over a hundred rooms that people can stay in (gratis) and most of them were full of families enjoying huge lunches while we were walking around.  

Here's a picture of Saint Matthew (not the same one from the Bible) on the right. 

This monastery reminded me a bit of the Coptic Christian churches in Cairo.  Open floor plans and great arches.

The monastery was restored in 2006, but the walls behind are from the 4th-6th CE.  

An alternate way to get to the monastery.  We saw some kids racing up it, but that seemed suicidal in the 100 degree heat.

Our driver is friends with Father Youssif (Joseph in English) pictured on the right.  We relaxed in his AC'd office and chatted while he smoked squares.  He told us that now there are only 5 monks studying at the monastery, but at one time there were 7000 monks in the community.  Great massacres occurred over the years and obvious fundamental shifts in religion have caused the numbers to dwindle.  But based on the current conditions of the monastery, one could conclude that there is still a strong (and wealthy) congregation of Iraqi Christians (although many are living abroad).  

This is one of the tombs found inside the church.  I love Aramaic writing, I just wish I could get rid of the glare.  When we got there the tomb was full of young couples praying (presumably for fertility - which is one of the main reasons people come there).  There are 7 famous Christians buried inside the tomb.  

Posing in front of this ancient place.

After visiting the monastery, we stopped by a river to look at some donkeys, sheep, and watch some Kurds fish and play in the water.  The river was about 10 feet deep and moving pretty fast, so nobody was getting in, but it was a really peaceful place.  

This is our taxi driver Nabeel.  He was really into this dragonfly.  Nabeel is an Assyrian from Ainkawa who fought in the Iran-Iraq War for Saddam's Army.  He had a luxurious 2013 Dodge Caravan and is a really decent driver.  If we go on any more Christian outings, he is our man.  

Crock Pot Honey Sesame Chicken

This week I made one of my favorite meals so far on my quest for repeatable meals.

HONEY SESAME CHICKEN

It was quick and pretty inexpensive, plus we both loved it.  I served it with chopped peanuts and some sweet and spicy cucumbers.  (Although I left out the spicy because I forgot to buy chili flakes, so I guess they were just sweet...)

These were good too, but I think they got a little watery and they totally needed the spice.  Can't blame the recipe, next time I will make sure I buy chili flakes!

If you want to make the chicken, you can get the recipe on my blog here.  It is definitely worth a try and if you don't have a crock pot, you could make it on the stove top too.  Just boil your chicken and shred it, and make the sauce in a sauce pan.  Easy and delish!

Anybody have any great recipes to share?  So far, we usually rotate between a few standard meals:

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches (slow cooker)

Enchiladas (veggie and beef)

Lasagna (veggie and beef)

Raviolis

Baked Chicken Tenders

Pasta with Salmon

BBQ Ribs (slow cooker)

Pizza/flatbread

and now this Honey Sesame Chicken (slow cooker)

We are in need of inspiration and variety though.  I would love to have 20 really good meals to rotate so we don't get bored.  Any suggestions??

Softball in Korea

What's an expat in Korea to do?  There's only so much Kimchi and grilled meat I can eat, sometime's we've got to get out and get active.  Last week a bunch of foreigners from all over southern Korea held a softball tournament.  It was almost surreal, sixty guys from all over the world, all who have basically the same job as ESL teachers, hanging out and playing softball.  I've been playing with a dozen or so people here in Pohang and so far it's been a blast.  How did we do?  We lost all three of our games and made a quick exit from the tournament.  Oh well, better luck next time.

Hey, that's me!  Love those white shoes.  

Daegu's a huge city, but far from the center, it turns country in a hurry.  We played on a field next to some rice paddies and a river.  Pretty spot just outside all the chaos of the big city.

My wife and her friend.  Every team needs a cheering section, here's ours.

Summer in Korea is basically toast.  We're on to fall now, which means cool weather and some seriously pretty fall foliage.  Can't wait to get out and take some pictures.