Amazing Clouds!

It does rain in Muscat, like I blogged about six weeks ago.  But, really cloudy days are still unusual.  And I just don't remember seeing clouds like this.  My friend, Paula, was driving my other friend, Debi, and I to lunch.  I kept remarking on the clouds.  She said, "Do you want me to pull over so you can take pictures?"  I said no, because we were driving on a major highway.  And who really takes pictures of clouds? But then I thought, why not?  This is Oman, after all, where one can pull over anywhere you want.  And I wanted pictures of clouds.  :)  I really need to blog about driving here.  

Paula was driving on the Muscat Expressway, a highway I am not usually on.  I liked the views.  This was by the Ghala Valley golf course.

This is one of my favorite mosques in Muscat.  I didn't include it in my 'Mosques of Muscat' blog post because I could never get a good picture of it.  And it is still not completed.

I took pictures on the way to lunch and on the way back.  Hopefully I am not duplicating scenes.  :)

A better picture of the mosque.

The best picture yet!!  This did require stopping on the side of the highway again.  Paula drove us on a road I had never been on before.  The Amirat road exit,  before you get on the Amirat road.  :)  Something like that.

It did rain that day and most of the night, but not as heavy as last month.  Which is a good thing!

There is all sorts of beauty in Oman-- even in the clouds!

Not clouds, but this picture was in my camera just after the clouds.  Savannah decided we needed a new selfie, so she waits till I am in the middle of cooking dinner to take it.  Austin with his photo-bombing expression.  Love my kids!

Next blog post?  Probably spring break.  Which we haven't gone on yet. 

Austin in India!

While Savannah was in Nepal, Austin was in Chennai, India for his track meet.  I don't have as many pictures of India, since the track team didn't have the chance to go sightseeing like the soccer team did. 

One of Austin's coaches' mom works in Chennai.  Her students made these signs for the track team.

The 'track' in Chennai.  Really a soccer field.

Austin at his main event-- the shot put.

Austin in action!

Coach Price congratulates Austin on his gold medal in shot put!!  Yay Austin!  Austin won with a distance of 11.71 meters.

Austin also received one of Sportsmanship awards.  :) The schools give them to the students of a different school.  Austin received his from the Bombay school.

Austin takes a selfie with his friend Leo.

The emergency 'exit' at the airport.  A window.

All the students stay in the homes of local students.  Austin stayed with an American family whose dad works at Ford.  Seems that Chennai is the Detroit of India.  Who knew?  Earlier this year, we hosted two American boys from Pakistan for the soccer tournament.  The cool thing is that Austin saw one of the boys from Pakistan in India!  My kids are going to have friends all over the world!

Savannah in Nepal!

School sports are a little different in Oman. No bus trips to an out-of-town tournaments.  Here, one hops on a plane to play other schools!  During the season, the kids play other schools in Muscat.  But once a season, they go to a tournament in one of the other cities in their conference.  Those cities include Dhaka, Bangladesh, Bombay and Chennai in India, Lahore and Karachi in Pakistan, and Colombo, Sri Lanka.  Last week, Savannah went to a soccer tournament in Kathmandu, Nepal!

Here are the pictures she shared with me.

Welcome to Nepal sign in the airport.

This is the opening ceremony of the soccer tournament, where they introduce the teams.

Savannah hugging an elephant at the school.  Not sure why.  :)

I asked Savannah.  "Where are you guys in this picture?  Is this the school?"  She replied, "No, the school doesn't have a soccer field.  This is the police station.  I sent you a picture."

Now I understand the random police force billboard.  :)

Looks like they have nice fields.

The view from the soccer field.  Or pitch, as they call it here.  I actually heard Savannah call a soccer field a football pitch!!  Really!!

One of the streets in Kathmandu.

"The view from the monkey temple."  I am quoting my daughter.

One of the holy monkeys.  From the aforementioned monkey temple.

This area, which really is known as the Monkey Temple, is an ancient religious complex atop a hill in the Kathmandu Valley.  There are monkeys living in parts of the temple.  This is an important site for Buddhists and Hindus.

This sightseeing trip was on the last day.  This square in Kathmandu is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The square is home to the Ancient Royal Palace and many temples.

There was a market in the square selling these beautiful Nepalese paintings. They really caught Savannah's eye.

According to Savannah, people would rub their heads against this statue.  ... I will take her word for it.

Masks for sale.

I am sure this tour guide is saying something very interesting about this door. 

One of Savannah's soccer coaches looks at their school, featured in this Nepal newspaper.

All the students stay with local families.  This was the view from where Savannah stayed.

The team at the airport.  They came in third place, by the way.  Good job!

The girls flew on Oman Air to Nepal.  The pilot is actually the dad of one of the girls on her soccer team, so Savannah got her picture taken in the cockpit!

Nepal is the third country Savannah has visited without me in the time we have lived in Oman.  So grateful for the experiences my kids are getting!