Two things worth saying
and if you put them together, this is what it boils down to.
and if you put them together, this is what it boils down to.
Whilst packing for Oman I was aware that whatever I decided to take, I would probably have to carry. That's a wonderful incentive for packing light.
They say that a camel can smell water. I'm not sure if that's true, but they do have a knack of turning up at camp..
I'm quite proud of our work in Oman, we went really not knowing very much, but it turned out wonderfully in the end. We worked (and are still working) on a lot of projects..
The first thing you notice about Oman, is how welcoming everyone is. The second thing, is that it’s very, very hot. That’s probably why everyone is so utterly chilled out and relaxed..
Science is taught in the classroom and practiced in the laboratory. Sometimes you get to have a go in the field. Lab's are sterile, everything goes (almost) to plan
Here's an image from the Empty Quarter. I'm not old fashioned enough to take photographs in black & white, and considering that by nature the desert is quite simple and plain..
We had been bouncing along in the 4x4's since first light. Progressively the road turned from tarmac to gravel to sand, and then with the minarets of Al Hashman fading back into the heat haze..
Sometimes science seems boring. It can be difficult to connect the apparently disparate effort in the field, to the long term goals and achievements.
“Anywhere else in the world, and there would be a hotel here.” Terry said to me one day, as we stood watching the waves breaking. The huge imposing cliffs of the Dhofar Mountains stood behind us, one of the last refuges of the Arabian Leopard..
It's been a month since we arrived back at Heathrow, weary from the expedition, but elated at how much we managed to achieve in that time..
On the edge of the Empty Quarter is the ancient city of Shisr, a centuries old spring that provided water for generations of desert travelers..