Oasis!

Bus ride was longer than expected. We watched 2012, unfortunately, and started a de Niro movie called Ronin that looked really good, but we didn't get to finish. The first rest stop defined middle of nowhere, it was insane. Hard to believe they could even run a business there. I could have made $1000 by diving face-first into the most disgusting water I've seen in my life, but, well. (Lucky for John I chose not to.) Lunch was a tasty Egyptian buffet. We got to the hotel, dropped stuff off, met our guide and into rovers to explore the nearby area. He showed us a hill he played on growing up, which had a decent view and some mantid egg cases on a bush, we saw lots of the desert, a salt lake which apparently has some small fish in it, and then there was this naturally eroded cone/pyramid-shaped hill.

Yeah, we climbed it.

Not all of us, but a handful. It was taller than expected, and while I love climbing stuff, sand is definitely different. Tricky. One step forward, sink two back. It was easier to climb the stone, usually, when you could find it. Finally I got up there, one of the last of the group that had headed up, we took a couple group shots and back down again. Beautiful view of the surrounding area from the top.

Stone is harder going down than sand is. Reverse.

So the top part was mostly stone, so that was hard, but when we got to the sand I took a page out of John's book, sat on my butt with one leg out and one leg bent, and slid. I lost control a few times but it was great fun and a lot faster. Partway down I found a dessicated stick or reed or something which I used as a ski pole. Eventually walked towards the bottom, talked with some German tourists for about 45 seconds, and “galloped” the last bit down. At least that's how the people at the bottom described it. Then we had to wait for a couple people who had gone up later than the original group, then we finally headed out.

They stopped to show us how they pump water up, but Nate, Allen and I went to play soccer for maybe two minutes with some guys there. My team scored, I learned that “tamal” means goal, and then we had to go. That was fun. One great thing about soccer, it's easy to join a pick-up game, even in the middle.

The last stop was a hill with a ruined house, really just parts of walls. It was built by the British in WWII, and natural erosion had done all the damage. Beautiful sunset, photos, some guys played hackeysack and I got a few good pictures of that, and back down again.

Came back to the hotel, had a good dinner, great chicken and bananas as well as some vegetables and rice. Then we went swimming. The pool here is a little... questionable, rather brown, but nice and warm being from a warm spring. I was a little late getting in, but it was great to be in water again, and I got out last of all. Played around with people, sat, did lengths (small pool) holding my breath the whole way, sat at the bottom, lay at the bottom which was an odd experience. Yeah, it really did feel great. Then a shower and here I am. Bed soon, breakfast, class, Black and White Deserts in the morning.

Wednesday, March 3rd, roughly 9:25 PM local time