The Coolest Day Trip Yet

Jeff said that it was the best birthday ever.

We took a short trip to Dibba, Oman and did a day long Dhow Cruise, along the coast of the Arabian Sea, which is part of the Indian Ocean. On a clear day you can the country of Iran. It is very close and this is probably the closest I will ever be to Iran.

This area of the world is old ...an ancient fishing community that has been passed down from generation to generation. They have been fishing this area for thousands of years. Isn't that amazing to think how old this area of the world is?

 

Today was our lucky day, besides us and the couple we we went with, Meagan and Stephane Budge and their two small children, William and Hazel, only one other couple  from Belgium were on the cruise with us.

 

How awesome was that ! We had the entire dhow to ourselves. Two floors of food, Arabian music and floating fun. The weather and the stillness of the water could not have been any better. We were off on an adventure on a strikingly beautiful day.

 

But watch out...the Indian Captain asked Jeff if he wanted to steer the dhow out of the dock and into the open sea. He was so happy to oblige. With a wide grin on his face, we were on our way.
 

 

The scenery was beautiful. Sheer cliffs jetting straight up out of the ocean, turquoise blue, green water that was so still, you could see straight down to the sea floor as sting ray, fish along with other sea creatures in their natural habitat swam around. It was like being at an aquarium but 100% better. Flying fish followed along side the dhow - jumping, skipping along the water catching bugs in the air. As they fluttered above the water, it reminded me of fairies following the dhow.

 

 

We stopped along our journey at the ancient village of Haffa, Oman. The only way to get to this village is by boat and it has been that way for thousands of years. There is very little to this ancient village but homes, boats and fishing equipment. There are @ 150 residents of this ancient, enchanting village. One thing to note - the children are transported by boat to school in Dibba every day.
 

 

Our captain got the small small boat we pulled behind the dhow ready to transport us to the beach, but also challenged the brave, or should I say "the crazy", to enter the water by jumping from the top of the dhow. He said, " it is only 20 feet". I decided to be safe and take the small boat ride into the beach, unlike my husband that decided to take the 20 foot plunge and swim in.
 

 

The beach was over run with sea shells, hermit crabs, goats, one friendly donkey that made it known to all of us that he was the welcoming committee chairperson, and one groping fisherman.That's right, you read it correctly, one groping fisherman that was so happy to see females on his beach. That is another story or definitely a later post.
 

 

All around us on this small inlet were ruins of rock homes that used to be, old deserted boats, fishing nets and a lot of isolation.

Wow, I cannot imagine living so remotely away from civilization or even close to one neighbor.
 

 

Once our time was done on the beach, we ventured with off in our little boat, into hidden caves. As the sea water filled the cave, we entered with our small boat. The walls of the cave were colorfully streaked, just like a rainbow and the water was crystal clear. Stunning, captivating - it is hard to express the beauty and awe of this tucked away place. We all sat in the boat, stunned at what we were seeing, speechless.
 

 

Back on our dhow we were feed an Arabian lunch and then continued on our journey until it was declared we had arrived at the best snorkeling spot. But wait we are in the middle of the sea - I need to jump directly into the sea, no gradual wade in to the water or guard rails? On went the snorkeling gear and we plunged into the blue green sea. The water - stunning and the perfect temperature. We spent over an hour paddling around the sea in our snorkeling gear. Life is so good !
 

 

Jeff did however have a run in with a sea urchin while snorkeling, which left 23 quills embedded in his right hand and had to be removed by a surgeon at a later time. Next time, maybe we should wear gloves while snorkeling or be very careful where hands are placed.

Sea Urchin 1- Jeff 0.
 

 

We had a beautiful day cruising on the dhow, exploring and enjoying sites that few people ever see.
This was Jeff's birthday but I also benefited from this wonderful day trip to Dibba, Oman. 
 

 

Happy Birthday Jeff !