When there's more to explore in the Mountains...

“I’ve learned that everyone wants to live on top of the mountain. But all the happiness and growth occurs while climbing it” ~ Andy Rooney

 

11th September 2016,

 

Sitting by the bonfire sipping a nice cup of coffee, surrounded by stories and laughter, I took a moment to reflect on the journey that brought us here and the exuberant day that was almost coming to an end. What a day it was - packed with joy, adventure, and many more stories for later.

During the Eid Al-Adha holidays in the Sultanate of Oman, we decided to make another trip to the mountains. So we started off from our usual gathering point in Ruwi and hit the road by 07.40am. At 31°C, it was another hot day in Muscat.

We drove passing Seeb, through the Nizwa Road passing many villages like Wilayat BidBid, Fanja and Al Fararah. 

  

Passing mountains and hills alongside the deserted road, we reached a village named Tanoof.

From there we took a turn to visit an infamous tourist attraction in the Sultanate of Oman - The Al Hoota Cave.

 

Located at the foot of Jabal Shams, in a village named Al Hamra in the city of Nizwa, Al Hoota Cave is believed to be over 2 million years old. The cave consists of four lakes and measures approx. 4.5km in length.

Scientifically it is believed that the cave is formed by the dissolution of limestone by acidic water that is produced when rainwater dissolves carbon dioxide from the atmosphere or soil. This is a very slow process that dissolves about 10mm of rock in every 100 years. Hence, it is evident that the formation of such a fascinating cave takes millions of years.

We were all very excited about this cave tour right from the beginning. So as required, we already made a prior booking for the 11.00am tour and got there 30minutes before the allocated time. But as we reached the entrance, we were stunned to see the counters flooded with crowd. It was the first holiday after the re-opening of the cave and it was clear that we were not the only group who was interested in visiting it. To our misery, the tours were not going according to the schedules and the crowd was going bonkers. We waited and watched train after train come and leave, till it was our turn.

 

That was when we learnt about the museum that was open for visitors on the first floor of the building. If rocks and stones are not your forte, it is recommended that you visit the gallery before you go inside the cave. In there, we get to see interesting facts on the types of rocks and how they are formed. Also one can find a fine display of the kinds of animals found in the cave, their bones structures, fossil, etc., including a tank of live blind fish.

 

After touring the gallery, our crew was almost tired of waiting and was about to give up and leave when we heard the officers call No.16. It was 2.00pm in the afternoon and finally came our turn to hop on the train.

The electric train

This electric train is an air conditioned 48-seater that carries the visitors to the cave entrance. Once we went inside the cave, we knew the wait was worth it. The atmosphere suddenly changed and it was cool inside. We met a guide at the entrance that explained the route we need to follow inside the cave. On a normal day, there would be a tour guide who will help the visitors to have their best experience. But this was not a normal day for the management at Al Hoota Cave. So we had to do the tour ourselves.

Strolling inside the cave, the kids seem to enjoy the tour the most. We walked along the pathway watching out for the incredible formations of rocks, and identifying some rocks we saw at the gallery, from time to time.

Including the rock formations inside this intriguing ancient cave, it also consists of three lakes out of which, one is accessible to the visitors. For me, this was the best part of the tour. We sat there to rest our feet for a minute and the cool wind that was blowing into the cave was so relaxing. Nobody wanted to leave. But as all good things come to an end, so did our tour. After a walk of approx. 45minutes, we were back at the point where we started, waiting for the train to take us back.

Unfortunately no photography was allowed in the cave, and as tourists, even though it is so tempting to make a click or two, I believe avoiding photography is the best we can do to preserve this astounding gift from nature to mankind. 

With so many memories about this place and the incidents that took place here, by 3.20pm we were back on the road heading to our resort.

41kms away from Al Hoota Cave, was Jabal Shams (meaning “The Mountain of Sun”). It is the highest mountain in the Sultanate of Oman and is a part of Al Hajar Mountains range. On the top of the mountain range was our destination, our shelter for the night – the Sunrise Resort.



Abandoned village - Al Juraufat

The path to this resort was actually adventure packed. Passing through many villages like Al Ahra, Al Mithar and also an abandoned village named Al Juraufat, through many turns, bends and slopes, the road to this resort was more than risky, but definitely worthwhile.

Ride to the resort

Unlike in Jabal Akdhar (the mountain tour I’ve done few months back), 4WD vehicles are not mandatory in this part of the mountain range. But with the experience my group and I had, I would actually recommend doing this tour on a 4WD.

So, taking a bumpy ride that took almost 1hour and 30minutes from our last stop, we reached the resort close to 5.00pm. The temperature had dropped to 22°C and the heavy wind that blew was absolutely giving us chills. We had a 3BHK villa booked for the group which was located at a far corner of the terrain, right on the verge of a hilltop.

 

As we got there, the sun was already setting and the picturesque view never ceased to amaze us. It was getting darker and colder by the minute. The team gathered to make preparations for the barbeque and the bonfire.

The team gathered around the bonfire

Hours later, here we were, gathered around the blazing bonfire laughing and talking about the events that took place since morning, chasing the mountain foxes that came for the meat,  and of course, having a great time. With the nightfall, we all knew that the day has finally come to a happy ending.

 

The next day morning, after tea and breakfast, and more clicks we checked out from the resort at 10.15am and started our drive downhill. By around 2.00pm we were back in Ruwi, tired, yet as happy as we can be. We did miss a few activities that we planned due to the unfortunate delay that happened at the cave visit. But as the wise men say, “there’s always another day”.

Till then… Ma’salaama (Goodbye)

 

 

Wathsala Perera