Oman. Where to start? I suppose the question isn't that difficult to answer, considering the story starts with a lot of sand... And finishes with a lot of sand.

Oman is a stunning country with breathtaking, dramatic scenery that I can't even begin to describe. However, it just isn't a country for me!

I arrived in Muscat at around midnight on 18th December, and was met at arrivals by Paul. We took a taxi into the Old Souk (old market) and wandered around the beautiful harbour area. Muscat really is impressive at night, with fascinating architecture and an impressive rocky and mountainous backdrop.

The next night we took the three-and-a-half hour taxi ride into Sur, the city in which I would be living.

Sur... Well... I'd heard it described as 'sleepy'... I'd suggest that the description should be 'asleep'!!!

It was fun to be surrounded by goats and camels instead of the usual cats and dogs... And the beach (which was about thirty seconds from my apartment) was long, golden, and beautiful... With the obligatory palm trees alongside the bright blue ocean... Bliss! However... That just wasn't enough.

Unfortunately (and I can hear the shouts of, "I TOLD YOU SO") most of the men I encountered treated women somewhere below how they'd treat their camels, or in fact, something they'd found wriggling at the bottom of their lentil soup!...

... Taxi drivers often expected sex rather than money as payment, and men in bars thought that groping women was a perfectly acceptable way to say hello... I could go on!

However, after one particularly nasty encounter in a hotel toilet (don't ask) and the police corruption that followed (yet again... don't ask!) I decided that Oman was definitely not for me!!!

I also found it extremely difficult to adjust to the 'sleepy' way of life that the Omani's lead. For instance, all shops close from lunch time until about half-past-five. I couldn't even begin to count the number of times I walked for over an hour to get to the local supermarket only to find it closed... SO FRUSTRATING!

Alcohol was reasonably easy to get hold of... Both in hotel bars, and by slightly dodgier means... But, apart from a few 'dry' days during Eid (which we got round with a very cunning plan) beer didn't prove to be a problem...

... Well... Actually... It did... Paul's drinking proved to be a problem!... But we won't go into that either.

My New Year's was pants with a capital P. It was spent in a city in southern Oman, called Salalah.

The journey to Salalah was something else! Truly amazing! Fourteen hours on a bus through mountains, desert, desert, desert, desert, more desert, even more desert, then some more mountains. There were times when we didn't see a building or living creature for hours and hours... We might as well have been on Mars. Honestly!

I thought it was hilarious when, having seen nothing but sand for two hours, and definitely no signs of life (not so much as a camel) we drove past a bus shelter, of all things?!? Weird!!!

Salalhah was stunning, with even more magnificent beaches, and more dramatic seas. However, once again, it was very, very sleepy. Aaarrghhh!!!

My New Year's Eve involved a certain someone (NOT ME!) falling of of their chair on numerous occasions, the same person picking a fight with a guy that I dared to talk to for thirty seconds, and the aforementioned person being generally obnoxious for the entire evening... Yaaayyy!!! This was then followed by a taxi driver trying to make me pay the fare with sex, an 'unusual' night in an 'exotic' dancing bar with two Omani guys, and then the night was topped off with a long drawn-out argument with the certain nameless person I mentioned previously.

Oh well... At least it was memorable... And it made me realise that leaving Oman would definitely be a very good idea.

Don't get me wrong. Oman has its good points...

1. Kind offers of a lift anywhere you want, by passers-by, when they see you walking in the sun... Very nice!

2. Swimming in the sea for just minutes before being surrounded by giant turtles... Wow!

3. Amazing Indian-influenced food... Yummy!

4. Stunning and dramtaic scenery.

5. Some really, really nice people! I made a good friend called Hameed, who's from Jordan. He showed me that there really are some very nice men in the Middle East.

However, like I say, that just wasn't enough. So... I booked a flight to Bangkok, packed my bags, said my goodbyes... And got on a bus to Muscat's Seeb Airport... Happy days!!!

Well, that's it for now! I hope everyone is well. I'm still missing you all loads, and thinking of you often!

E xxx

PS - Sorry for the lack of pictures of my last days in China, and my few weeks in Oman. I lost my camera in Muscat... Another big cross against Oman's name!!!