The kids decided we wanted a romantic dinner in our backyard yesterday and so while we were out they went and set the table, made a menu (of which many items were not available!), served us, entertained us, and eventually pulled up their seats and ate with us. We did not have the banana spit for dessert but we did have the Nona's Suprise! What a great pair of kids!
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With la Nona visiting, and a break for classes, we decided to go out into the real desert. By real, I mean with lots of sand and sand dunes. It was about a three hour drive to get to the turn off...marked by a Shell Station. There a guy met us and told us he was from the amp and would take us there. I had read that this service is available and decided to go for it as the camp was said to be 40 minutes into the dessert from the road. Well, the driver took us only part way then stopped, pointed out some cell phone towers and told us to turn left there and we would be there in no time. He collected his money, asked for a tip which I denied to give as his charge was a lot for only 20 minutes' drive, and then left. We drove the five minutes to the towers, saw some old signs for the camp pointing left and indeed saw tracks leading left...going very high up a dune. You kids and I got out of the car and we walked up...took us a good 15 minutes. When we got to the top, I noticed not too many tracks and figured this can't be the way. We drove around a bit, asked a guy taking care of some camels, and he showed us another way and we eventually got to the camp. We got stuck on the top of a small sand dune and had to get pulled out.
The camp was really nice and beautifully laid out. The bathrooms had walls but not ceiling and reminded us a couple of places we had stayed at before. The kids went swimming - and it was freezing. We went tobogganing down the dune - does not compare with the snow but it was fun anyhow! We saw nice a sunset and sunrise. We hung out in a Bedouin tent before and after dinner. Rafa really liked the sinks. The highlight, though, had to be when Jazmine said within a couple of hours of each other, "Sera que me cocino?" and then "Sera que me congelo?" After the 1000 Nights Desert Camp, we had our breakfast and were on our way to Wadi Bani Khalid which we were told was beautiful. The Wadi had a number of pools with very clear water and if you stuck your town is, little fish would come and nibble at them - basically, a spa-like exfoliation for free! The pools were indeed beautifully green and you could see down to the bottom which is some places was over 10 feet. You kids got mad that we weren't going into the pools to swim but kept hiking further and further on up. When the pools were done, we did go in and we then swam all the way back to the beginning - it kind of felt like hiking in the water as we were going in between walls of rock, through some narrow passage ways, and so on. Wish I had had a GoPro!. We took a picture of Nizwa fort and they used the Nizwa fort when Portuguese’s were here NIzwa used to be the capital of Oman there is lots of canons, traps, and lots of dungeons and war weapons. Rafael found a diamond when we were hiking a mountain that looked like Mars. Even tough it is hot in Oman where we were was cold. We went to Nizwa souq and we saw a tower from Nizwa fort. There is lots of mansions here in Oman. The beautiful Omani culture . I am in Brussels at an IB workshop and can't stop thinking of the poem that we learned as kids in Primary school. Although I won't be here for the 11th, I sure am feeling it even amongst the smells of Belgium waffles and the sounds of so many languages being spoken. Incredible that more than 100 years have passed and it really is a war that should not be forgotten and that should always be remembered. I doubt that any Western country could ever get today the fervour, bravery, and sense of national pride to such a deep level as they did in the World Wars. Seeing a sign for trips to Flanders also helped but I went onto the web as I only remembered the first few lines. The poem is very deep and I am not sure they did a good job of teaching it when I was in school...or I was too young to fully understand the sacrifice, the ages of the soldiers. At the British School of Muscat, they are selling poppies and it is that Flanders poppy that became a symbol of remembrance in countries other than Canada. In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce heard amid the guns below. We are the Dead. Short days ago We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow, Loved and were loved, and now we lie In Flanders fields. Take up our quarrel with the foe: To you from failing hands we throw The torch; be yours to hold it high. If ye break faith with us who die We shall not sleep, though poppies grow In Flanders fields. Char, our buddy, took ill and passed away this week. Always with a week heart, it got the best of him. We feel for his family and he was far too young and his kids far too young for this. I have spent the past few nights thinking about all the times we had including this past summer when we visited their place in Manotik and we had a chance for a few beers and a nice dinner and an even nice after dinner walk through the neighborhood and talk. Hard to think at that time that it was going to be the last time I would see him. Just yesterday as I was making breakfast for my kids I had my iPod on music shuffling through songs and a Springsteen song came on. Every time I pass by the Canadian Tire on Carling, I think about Bang, Pecker, and Char. When I go up to John's place, I think about Char as his cottage is close by. And I remember the time he played Teenage Wasteland at full volume on a morning I care not to remember. I also remember being surprised when I learned he loved Neil Young's song Powderfinger. I know I speak for all of us in this photo as well as Proc when I say we love you and will not forget you. You touched us with your friendship for over 30 years - how can we forget that? I don't really know how to start this blog...about a friend who just died. I met Simon about a year ago when he decided to live in Cajamarca. He is Kenyan-British and had a strong affinity for both countries. As an entrepreneur, he was very interesting and he once told me he went to Peru because of stuff he had read as a child.
His kids from his first marriage (to Carolyn) came to live with him and his second wife, Iliana and so they began their school year with us at Davy in February 2014. As families, we started to hang out together every weekend...see last post about camping at Porcon). Jazmine and Iliana became good friends and Dylan became very close friends with Kaleigh especially (he was very sweet on her) and with Rafa as they were all one year apart. Peia, a little older, was always very nice to the kids. Iliana has had an incredible attitude. Of course she is extremely sad but at the same time thankful to God so that she can raise her child...had they both died, what would have become of Alfonso? This has meant that Dylan and Peia have had to go back to their mother's place in upper NY state (we visited them this summer) and we are saddened because we knew that Simon wanted his kids to learn a strong work ethic and that Peia had a strong male influence in her adolescent years. What do I remember about Simon...
Simon also loved flying ultra-light planes. He had ordered one from Colombia and was finally able to go and fly it the first weekend of July. He went with his wife and three kids to Lima for the weekend to fly with the group there, camp out, and enjoy. On the last flight of the weekend at about 5pm on Sunday, his wing clipped a structure at about 10' off the ground. Iliana suffered three breaks in one of her legs but Simon's skull was cracked open and was pronounced dead about a day later. I am sure he is still confused as to why he died so young when he had so many plans left and so much living to do still. I can really see his quizzical face at all this. Hislife touched ours |
AuthorPeter is the proud husband and father of this family and created this website to be held in perpetuity until his grand kids can take it over for his own kids! Archives
January 2018
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