UAE and Oman 2 - Scuba Diving

 

Before we start cycling we have to deal with planning and paperwork. We decide to send ur passports to Germany, together with about 50 pages of filled forms and many passport photos to a visa agency in Germany. We hope this increases the chance of getting visa for Turkmenistan.

 

 

Afterwards we are glad to finally be back on our bikes. Accompanied by drizzling rain we leave Dubai, pass huge sand dunes and Wadis on our way to Dibba, the most northern point of the Emirates. There we finally go scuba diving again, to the wreck of Inchcape 2. On our way along the coast, 2 more wreck and a car cemetery and the Daymaniat Islands are waiting for us. While we are out diving, we can charge our electronic devices, and have a shower afterwards at the dive center - usually our only two reasons for hotel stays.

 



We are happy we indeed managed to meet Annina and Tim again before the leave towards India and enjoy a night camping on the Sawadi Islands. Afterwards another visit is planned: Jan and Torsten, 2 friends from Germany, who started diving right before we left come over for holiday. As starting point we chose Extradivers Sifah. There is still a lot of time until we meet there and we are sick of the rather boring road along teh coast, so we choose to do another detour.

 

 

We cycle to Rustaq and from there via Wadi Sahtan and Wadi Bani Awf back to the main road to Nakhl. Both cities attract us mainly because of their hot springs, which both look completely different and stunning. Unfortunatly none of them is suited for cave diving. After some more detours to Wadi Abiyad, Wado Bani Kharus and Wadi Mistal we finally arrive in Muscat.

 


 

From there it is only 60 km left to the dive centre, easy cycling for the next two days – we thought. The route turns out to have lots of very steep ascents, we often have to push one bike together and then go back for the other one. With 35°C in the shades, without shade not nice. The descents however are enough fun and finally we arrive in Sifah. Just in time to choose a nice campsite for the next days before Jan and Torsten arrive.

 


 

We really enjoy the next days, we absolutely recommend Extradivers Sifah: Professional, nice, cordial, rental gear in very good condition, great dive spots – two wrecks, drop-offs, turtles, sepia, huge moray eels, lots of fish and if you are lucky even schools of mobula, leopard sharks and lots more... They also agree to rent dive gear to us, to explore Bimmah sinkhole (we we find the start of a line and definitely need to come back with cave diving gear).

 

 

The only negative aspect: We got so used to the honest, nice people here that we feel comfortable to leave our tents alone to go diving every day. Nothing happened for 4 days (except for the invitation to join Tias birthday celebration which took place close to our tents). On the last morning we intended to pack everything, but as it was still wet, we decide to wait until the afternoon. Coming back from diving, our tents were gone! After a while we find everything scattered around the area and except for one sleeping mat, one Ortlieb drybag and Monis antibiotics everything is ok. Children used our camp as playground... We use that incident to learn to care more and are happy there is not too much damage.

 


 

The last day we enjoy again at the Sinkhole and Wadi Shab. Afterwards we all go back to the airport, some faster and some very slowly. Once we arrived also our rivers bend as well: Christian travels back to Germany by bus and plane while Moni cycles back to Dubai alone. To be continued....

 


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