We drove to Jebel Shams, the "Mountain of the Sun." Its two summits have elevations of over 9,800 feet.
We camped very near the top. I slept in that blue tent. If it looks barren and Mars like, you aren't seeing two key features: The mountain was covered in goats, which milled around our campsite and paraded past the door flap of my tent. And at night, billions and billions of stars were visible in crystal clear relief. I saw a couple of meteors, and the Milky Way streaked all the way across the sky.
In the morning, we drove to Wadi Shab.
There is a hike that takes about an hour, and several portions of it must be swum, as trails disappear and the water is too deep for standing.
It's pretty.
Finally, you swim under a narrow, rocky corridor to reach a cave with a waterfall inside.
I'm the one wearing a mask. The water was so clear!
A piece of turtle bone I found. This was our campsite on the second night. The ledge in front of that freshwater pond was where we put the campfire. Opposite that was the sea, and over us loomed mountains and a village.
The mountains and the village. The pond was just to the right of this scene, and the rocks on the left are the edge of the sea.
The next day, we stopped by the Bimmah Sinkhole.
The rest of this entry will show curiosities. Volcanic Chips were about to blow at 9,800 feet.
I brought along and cooked food for everyone, both nights. Some of you have gone camping with me, and you know that's my favorite part.
