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 Tightly-packed red dunes extend before us, as far as the eye can see. It’s now or never, I think, and nod to Bruno to deflate Totoyaya’s tires. We’re heading into these dunes, into the desert of Arabia. I feel anxious, and for good reason. The deserts of the Arabian Peninsula have been kicking our ass.      The Jebel Akhdar mountain range reads like a tourist brochure – Oman’s highest mountain, its deepest wadi, its best fort, best cave, oldest ruins. Tourists flock here because it’s a way to see the greatest variety of Oman concentrated in a single region. We’re two more tourists here to check these sites off our list. Yet, it was the moments in between the sites that surprised us most.  Saayyid Saaid cornered us in the center of Tiwi village. A photo and a cup of coffee, he’d gestured. He looked innocent enough, so we agreed. What could be the harm in a cup of coffee? We couldn’t have known we’d just been caught by the Tourist Collector of Tiwi.
 Before visiting Oman, I didn’t know a thing about its history. I’d been drawn to its exotic location and intrigued by Bruno’s photos from his time here a decade ago. I knew that Oman was photogenic. I didn’t know that it had so many photogenic forts. Thanks to Vasco da Gama and a little-known Omani sailor, Oman is filled with them.
 One of my first views of Oman was from the back of a police car. I should have been celebrating – not only had I just entered my fortieth country, but I was ticking one off the top of my bucket list. Instead, I was being driven from immigration to police headquarters, where we would be detained for seventy-two hours, down to the minute.
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Grampa - I’ll never complain about driving in two feet of snow ever again. I hope you two are safely on a good road again!
There seems no end to this “white knuckle” story..
Love you
Brittany - What can I say, I’m a sucker for dramatic situations! Most days it’s pretty mundane, though, so never fear!
rcs - TIPS FROM A LAYMAN NON-OFF-ROADER
Do NOT drive in the desert; take a camel, lots of water and know where you’re going. Oh yeah, tell people ahead of time so a search party can be sent if arrival at the destination is late.
Boring but safer.
Brittany - Also good tips. You’re so wise. 🙂
Elizabeth Sears - I think I would find this experience unnerving. You are intrepid travelers; the desert, while strikingly beautiful, appears treacherous and not a place to be messed with.
Brittany - It’s definitely not a playground, but I feel safe with Bruno, who has logged more desert miles than most! 🙂