Who's afraid of the big bad bull shark?

So, last week I saw a large shape in the distance while diving that my guide excitedly told me was a bull shark - not the first shark I've seen by a long way, and the name didn't mean anything to me, so I just joined in the general diver smug satisfaction at having seen another big thing and thought little more of it.

an impressive silhouette ... 

Anyway, this week I saw another one up MUCH closer - about 3m away from where I floated underwater - and thought I would look up a bit more about this rather impressive creature. Big mistake ...

not-so-sexy up close ...

So, according to the National Geographic website, this could be classified as the most dangerous shark in the world, and is in the top three of sharks that attack people. Other things I have now learnt about bull sharks include:

- they're partly so dangerous because they're common in shallow water, and can even swim up freshwater rivers

- the film 'Jaws' was based on a series of attacks that were probably by a bull shark or sharks

- they're normally solitary but sometimes hunt in pairs (there were two down with us this weekend)

- they eat pretty much everything that moves, including each other

feeding bull sharks - are they quite mad?

Bizarrely, some people actually feed bull sharks so that they can get up close - not a good idea for many many reasons, not least because teaching sharks to equate divers with dinner time is bad news for divers not armed with some diversionary steak (good rant on this subject here) ... On the other hand, I've been advised that if they swim past me and I just stay very still, I could even try stroking them ... I am not yet convinced ... but will keep diving for now, with a special focus on moving very calmly and slowly until the end of shark season (September? October? ever?).

And just in case - I love you all, and don't regret a minute of it!

Wet wet wet

Another quick one - lesson #4 in "How to Beat the Heat" feels a bit cheeky, but jumping into the water when you get home makes those hot sweaty days sooooooo much easier to deal with. So, my advice is get a pool (yes, I know we can't all have one on the balcony, but they do some great paddling pools these days ...), add some friends and a couple of cold beers, and get floating ...

Stay in the car!

OK, so lesson #3 in "How to Beat the Heat" - stay inside! But fortunately, with the advent of [environmental catastrophe alert] air conditioning in cars, staying inside doesn't have to mean being trapped in the house when the thermometer starts nudging 50 ... what follows is actually a trip we made a few months ago that I've meaning to share for ages, which still counts as one of the most thrilling drives so far. Believe me though, there have been plenty since then, and with so many nooks and crannies still left to explore, I continue to put the Jungle Bus through her paces ...

The round trip from Muscat

Actually, this map includes a walking route between Misfat Al Abrayeen at the top of the mountains and Wadi Bani Awf that snakes down towards the coast .... but there is also a slightly longer and simply spectacular off-road route. You can do the drive in either direction, but we definitely enjoyed starting at the top of the mountains and driving down down down into the canyons and towards the sea.

So, the start point is right in the middle of the Hajar mountain range - a couple of hours whizzing up one of Oman's immaculate highways to Nizwa, and then smaller tarmac roads through Al Hamra and up towards the very summit of the range. Above is the view that greets you on the ridge, which is also the point where the tarmac ends and the adventure begins ...

The road looks gentle and winding from a distance ...

... but it's slow and sure to avoid pitching over into those precipices!

The Jungle Bus feeling good in its natural environment

Further down, but the track keeps winding

The first part of the journey was just plain scary in parts, scree tracks at 45 degrees and lots of u-bends with looooooooooong drops ... but this is what the Jungle bus was designed for, and she took it in her stride. We felt in safe hands! Once we got into the valleys properly, it was much more just bumpy, twisty fun and beautiful little corners of Oman far from the madding crowds ... just divine.

A little oasis in the barren hills

The beginning of Snake Gorge cutting into  the mountains

Down in the valley of Wadi Bani Awf

One of those rare little corners of wet lushness

Getting the hell out of Dodge

So, the heatwave continues - 45 degrees, 65% humidity etc etc - and so the search goes on for ways to cope. Lesson #2 in 'How to Beat the Heat' feels a bit like cheating, but getting out of the Gulf, even for a short time, is certainly a winner - thousands of Omanis, Saudis, Emiratis, expats and basically anyone who can afford an air ticket can't ALL be wrong. And for those left behind there are benefits too - less cars on the road, cheap deals to keep us here, work pace slowing down for the brave who remain (except me, boo ...)

Orange is 30+, red is 40+ ...

Last week I got to try out the escape tactic with a long weekend in Jordan, which was mainly a chance to catch up with friends but had the added benefit of being a good 10 to 15 degrees cooler - no need for AC! being able to sit outside! I even got to wear a little jumper at night! The Jordanians, of course, were all complaining about how hot it was, but as a seasoned Gulfi I can now use that wry smile that I used to see on the faces of Saudis in Amman in August - hot? if you say so ...

loving a cool beer in the sunshine ...

I made full use of the pleasure of being able to be outside, getting up to all the usual shennanigans - bumping around the desert in a beaten-up old jeep, lots of sitting in nice spots having tea, and food food food galore ...

another nice cuppa

my fave - exploring the desert dunes and peaks

pretty pretty ...

And I got to try a new amazing thing - microlight flying! The flex wing microlight that I used is basically a chair with a lawnmower engine hanging underneath what looks like a handglider wing. I must say that flying a microlight feels like being suspended in an armchair 1000 metres up in the air - but not scary, really! If you ever get the chance, I thoroughly recommend this as a way of seeing the world from a different angle - and it goes pretty fast too, definitely exhilarating!

getting strapped in - although I have had sturdier seat belts on easyjet ...

up, up and away!

Lawrence of Arabia's Seven Pillars from above

Wadi Rum at my feet

getting to peer into those crannies that are normally hidden away ...

safely back down to earth - whoop whoop!

We never really grow up ...

... we just learn how to act in public.

Being grown up in public ...

... vs in the privacy of my own home!

FIGHT FOR YOUR RIGHT TO NOT BE GROWN UP!!!