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Day 8, 15 February 2014
This piece of writing would detail Team Majulah's journey back into civilization...
Everyone woke up early this morning in preparation to leave Al Sharqiya Sands for Wadi Shab. Amazingly, Our time management to leave at 8:30am was immaculate; I believe the motivation came from the thought of immersing ourselves in the cool fresh spring waters. The 3-hour long drive came to a passing of the coast of Oman which hugs the waters of Persian Gulf. It was such a beautiful sight- the juxtaposition of old colorful Omani buildings sitting along the golden sand, overlooking the vast blue ocean. What is more befitting of this oil-rich middle eastern city is the sight of the many oil refinery plants exuding gases from their chimneys, set along the coastline.
It was noon as we reach the Wadi. An hour was set aside for the standard OBS Solo segment of the trip- this is the time where one sits alone and reflects on the happenings and developments over the past few days. I chose a spot at the side of a huge cliff, facing the clear blue-green waters. The only sound I could hear was the roaring of waves as it crashed upon the cold hard rocks on shore; and the occasion neighing of goats nearby. Twice, I was in a precarious situation of being surrounded by goats as I ate my lunch. What innocent eyes these goats gave as they asked for food... but NO. No time to waste on entertaining them as I had to finish my lunch and complete my reflection sheet in an hour.
It's finally time for the Wadi! Excitement thrills. We took a 5-minute boat ride before starting the trek into the heart of this 'Jurassic Park-looking' Wadi. It was just picturesque, as the greens from the palm trees (some of the date family or 'Tamar') blended in uniquely with the blues of the water and the yellows of the rock caves. 20 minutes in, we reached an approximated 5-meter height point, perfect for the long-awaited Wadi jump. Each and everyone of us leaped into the icy cold waters without hesitations. No one bothered about the 5-meter G-force drop-which would cause fear in many - as all of us were more concerned of getting our bodies and most importantly, hair, rinsed in the waters, after days of deprivation from bathing. The feeling after the jump? Shiok.
After several jumps, all our shivering bodies braved the howling winds as we made our way back to the minibus. We were definitely "chasing the sun" as we were all craving to get that bit of warm glistering sun to fight the cold. I totally felt like a bacteria then - thriving well only in warm and moist conditions.
By the time we are all changed, it was evening and we are starting our R&R segment for this trip! How excited to see what Muscat city is like. A 2-hour drive led us into the night at Shab Attai, in the heart of the capital Wow. I'm back to seeing commercial activities, traffic jams and light pollution. How familiar the sight and I've never missed civilization this much.
To allow the driver a break so he could spend his Saturday night with his family, the team had a simple dinner at a coffee shop opposite the hotel, after which some of us continued the night exploring Muttrah market which is within walking distance. Interesting observations were made on the shops lining the streets of old Muscat town. Out of 3 shops we saw, 1 was selling Ladies' traditional fashion, 1 was a barber shop and the last one an IT gadget store; and this pattern repeats itself till the end of the roads. What's more intriguing was that all these shops were owned and ran by men - even the people roaming the streets - they were all men. Interesting.
Seeing so many barber shops around, feeling curious, one of our teammates, Tony, then decided he should get shaven. Paying only 0.5 Rials (which is only 1.5 SGD), he not only got his facial hair shaved, but got a head message, neck and back message and a facial scrub and buff. We girls could only wait outside and envy in awe.
Finally back into the room at Muttrah Hotel and into the showers- after 8 days of being treated to wet wipes and sand mask -my skin and even my pores screamed liberation! Now as I snuggle up into my cosy warm bed ( this time not on cold loose sand and sleeping bags), I've never appreciated this thing called the "mattress" more. Ahhh... Nights everyone!
-From one of the awaken souls of the team, Grace Lau.
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