Several of the group woke up early to enjoy the sunrise, I didn't sleep great, so I kept peeking out the door to enjoy the lighting up of the sky. We had a normal breakfast and packed up from the desert camp (and forgot stuff and Salim had to meet us) then 20 minutes into the trip had a long bathroom/shopping/picking up our picnic lunch, then we left the desert and drove to Sur and then around on the coast. It is a new road, when we lived there you had to have a four wheel drive, but now it was a massive four lane highway with huge bridges over the wadis. There was water in the wadis on the way to Sur and then we hit the ocean again.
We stopped in Wadi Tiwi for a picnic lunch (kinda random, humus and pita, two sandwiches-cheese and chicken salad, a boiled egg, apple & banana, and chicken leg, I guess something for everybody) and enjoyed the newly built bathrooms-again with choices of western or squatty. The wadis had been severely washed out from the cyclone a few years ago (as had some homes in Muscat like Maryam's who had to redo the entire bottom floor and lost her beloved car). Wadi Shab which we had done many many times looked completely different at the entrance. What used to be a small parking lot and boat (then bridge) over the river, now was a huge small rock area that many cars could drive up. The farms were gone and the falaj (irrigation) system all washed away. It was a holiday so many Omani family had driven in for a picnic, some had drums and fire pits for BBQ. It was a festive atmosphere. We and a few shabab and tourists kept walking in.
We dropped off a group including the nonswimmers and broken arm to enjoy the view. They met a group of expats from Muscat and enjoyed chatting and having tea with them (mostly Indians both Muslim and Christians)
We reached the swimming area with all kinds already in-ladies in bikinis, fully covered ladies in track suits, tons of young Omani men. It was rather chilly but once we started swimming we warmed up. Dale didn't like small places (the cave) or heights (the walk in) so he and Star left early from the cave or as we like to call it the Enchanted Rock Palace-sounds less scary than swimming into a cave. He followed in our guide's quick footsteps out and had a good conversation with him about how important following the master is. Micah climbed up the waterfall and jumped. We ducked under the hidden passage way. When we first arrive a large group of tourist and Omani guys were there being really loud. We were the last to leave so we got to enjoy a little peace in the cave.
Now for the walk out. In this picture we didn't know that donkeys were coming behind us!! The drivers yelled and we jumped out of the way. The boy yelled One Riyal, we didn't have money on us so he yelled No Picture (they didn't turn out that great anyway). I know they didn't ask for their wadi to become a huge tourist destination but they could have been turned on the Omani hospitality, which is legendary, a little more! Overall the group was blown away by the friendliness of the Omanis (especially my friends when we went into their homes). Many of their preconceived notions about Arabs were exposed and changed. We hope some notions about us as Americans were changed as well.
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