As we settle into a rhythm......

Goodness me, it's been almost two weeks since I posted - mainly because I've been working on the T-thing and feeling guilty if I'm at the computer and not working.  Ruth, if you're reading.  I am working, really I am.  There will be an email soon......

So where are we after almost two months?  Well, we have a post box number, we have an Omani bank account with money in it (yay!), we have two cars (yes, we have two cars for basically the first time ever - the Mazda 2 and an Hyundai Sonata, yes the sonata is bigger and more manly so the blokes at work can stop teasing David), the curtains are coming on Friday, I got over the 'flu eventually, I've joined Horizon gym and have had my first PT session.  Now to work off all the weight that I've put on over the last three months.

Into a David lap cat...

Into a stealth cat...

Into a 'helpful' cat....

Into a must help Katrina lap cat

The important stuff.  Bundle has grown!  David tells me we're going to rename her, but we haven't quite managed yet.  She's still little enough to see her growing almost in front of our eyes.  Her favourite thing is both her people being in bed - with her of course!  Luckily for us we have a king-size bed, because it has been turned into a kitty play haven. Mostly she understands about claws and keeps them in when she's paying attention.  Of course, when she's not paying attention all bets are off. To try to minimise the lacerations, we bought her a cow.  Cow comes to bed with us to be part of the gym equipment.

Meet Cow, saviour of skin!

Her teeth are very, very sharp so she doesn't need to have kitten food kitten food anymore (so she thinks).  Apparently Omani cats mature very quickly and have to stop having kitten food, they need sauce and they need lumps (apparently).  Also pate, toast, cherry jam(!) and anything else that pops by.  She's definitely not fussy - except when it comes to kitten food.

It's rather nice having a cat again.  I'm not very good without cats.

We are going to try to get somewhere new each weekend, but that got blown out of the water by a very late Wednesday night at the Grand Hyatt celebrating A Taste of Australia with the Australian Business Group Oman.  I wore heels which necessitated a pedicure and alcohol.  The wine that was served was not wine I would have paid money for in Australia (shudder) but the food was fantastic.  An Australian chef had been flown in and it was marvellous.  I shall put photos up on the food page...soon...I promise. Of course the next morning was a little...slow...there had been a lot of alcohol consumed and we had hit the sack at 1:00am - well past our bedtime.  So we settled for picking up a second hand Ikea bookshelf for not a lot of money and going out for a late lunch on Friday after we had both got some work done.

The weekend before saw us drive down to Sawadi Beach.  It's not far out of Muscat, only about 65km on a good road.  It's a beautiful place and anyone coming to visit will be dragged down there to enjoy it.  It's a very shallow beach and has a series of islands just off shore. 

Sawadi Beach from the beach, looking across to the largest island

Sitting in the boat waiting for the driver and looking at coral

Pakistani lads playing African drum patterns
Later, they walked/waded/swam out to the bit island

I had left all my photographic equipment at home, so these are David's rather beautiful photographs.  It seems to be a favourite picnic spot and there are a series of shelters and a little Indian restaurant - with excellent cheap (and abundant) food.  There is a resort attached to this beach, but we didn't go there and I don't think we missed anything.

The largest island with its Tower.

There are a series of boats on the beach, with drivers (I'm sure that's not the right word, but it will do) and we didn't haggle about the 5 rials one suggested to us for taking us right round the islands and dropping us at the large one so we could climb to the tower on the headland.  I know that's not very sporting, but hey, we can afford it.  He took us for an exhilarating whip around the islands - at great speed!  Apparently there is excellent snorkelling to be had off a couple off the islands and each of them are resplendent with little caves and sandy beaches. Sawadi is renowned for its shells, so you can imagine the fun I had.  The lad dropped as at the island and promised to come back in an hour, so off we went.  There is a laid stone path all the way to the tower, with lots and lots of steps.  We thought we would be clever and go up the side.  Okay, so we both changed our minds after the first 100 metres.  This was what we were heading for:

The tower.  I'm not sure where this was taken, it could have been from a long way since David was playing with his zoom.

Climbing, climbing, climbing.
There were conveniently place rotundas along the way for those of us
who were sensible and didn't want to die on the way up.

Almost there.......

Oooh look, a really cool carved door

The ghost  in the tower.
It was very, very dark.  I could see absolutely nothing
and I have the bruises to prove it.
Of course the new camera can see in the dark.

Look - fragrant flower on large rock in the middle of the sea.

The view from the top.
Those are the other islands in the background.

The young man came back with his boat to discover us lazing in the water, not far from where he'd dropped us and zoomed us back.  We nipped into the restaurant for a quick meal and then made our way back home.   Strangely enough we both were in need of an afternoon nap.