A wonderful week in Muscat

We were very fortunate that the Eid holiday and the National Day holiday coincided this year so both Masdar and ECAE were closed for 10 days which allowed us to take a break which was well earned (in John's case anyway).
We had a day at home getting sorted out and John had his first Abu Dhabi haircut which seemed to go well (I haven't yet taken that plunge but then I've never been a big one for hsircuts!) The second day we got ourselves in holiday mode by spending the day on the newly opened beach. It is so cool being able to stroll across to the Corniche, hire a couple of loungers on the water's edge and spend the day relaxing in the sun and swimming in the sea. The water is quite cold at this time of year but nothing compared with the English channel, the North Sea or the River Wharfe! The only challenge is that it's a popular spot so you tend to bump into people you know and, when I'm so used to covering up, it feels very weird having a chat with someone whilst wearing a bathing costume!
We then went to Muscat in Oman for a week. We went once before when we were still in the UK but this time we managed to get into the Chedi, which is really the hotel in Muscat and frequently features in top hotels of the world lists. It was certainly very special and a lovely hotel, set in spacious grouds with pools and beach front and lots of fountains and ponds. The food was incredible and we managed to put away breakfast, lunch and dinner every day. The beach front seafood restaurant is probably one of the most beautiful restaurant locations I've ever eaten in and the main restaurant was also fabulous. We went to the Grand Hyatt for one dinner for old time's sake which was lovely.
The room itself was perhaps a bit too modern and minimalist for an old fogey like me though very Conde Nast traveller. I find integral bathrooms and stone walk in showers no substitute for separate marble bathrooms with a nice deep bath!
We went on two incredible trips. The first took us through the mountains and into the desert where our driver took us into the dunes in the 4WD and up and down some pretty steep inclines. We also had coffee with the bedouins and admired their camels and heard a bit about their way of life. I am keen to spend an overnight in the desert, a bit nearer Abu Dhabi, so that we can see a sunrise and a sunset, it is so beautiful and different to any landscape I'm familiar with. We also visited a water filled Wadi, but being a holiday it was absolutely packed with picknicking Omanis, who bring everything, literally including the kitchen sink (and cooker, water bottles, carpets and coffee urns) which they take up from the car park in wheel barrows. So we enjoyed the view over a chicken biriani at the outside restaurant but decided it was too busy to swim and, as a western woman in a bathing costume I think I might have caused quite a stir!
The second trip we went out to sea on a small boat to see dolphins and whales. This has to be one of the most brilliant things I've ever done and I really didn't think we'd get to see as much as we did, as these are wild creatures and the Arabian Sea is a big place. The skipper was constantly on his phone to other boats and eventually they tracked the sea life down. We say two pods of huge whales, right on the surface next to the boat and dozens of dolphins. The dolphins lept out of the water, rode the waves and generally put on a terrific show - it was amazing. I couldn't believe that they were just doing all of this for the fun of it, oblivious to our presence. I'm afraid I failed to photograph any of it but it was enough just to have seen it.
The rest of the time we lazed about, eating, drinking, reading and swimming and just enjoying each others company away from the stress of life in Abu Dhabi. I also managed to go out running a bit to try and ensure that I didn't come back resembling one of the whales which we saw!
All in all it was a terrific week.