Trip - 2017 Oman — ThePhotoGuy.dk

My 2017 Trip to Oman

7 Days with Faith

After our reasonably successful trip to Fuerteventura, I allowed Faith to convince me to take her to Oman.

It may seem strange that I put it in this way. After all, if I did not want to visit Oman myself, why should I let Faith convince me to take her there?

Looking back, I can see a part of myself that considered myself “open to new experiences” was in conflict to a part of myself that felt quite unsafe heading to a very conservative Muslim country with a model who had a strong tendency to choose provocative poses that might get us both put in jail.

She enlisted the help of a photographer who lived in Oman. He arranged most of our itinerary and we had planned to travel with him, but in the last minute, he had a medical emergency and had to cancel. So we were on our own. I’m not sure if this was a blessing or not.

The trip turned out to be quite difficult for me, as I was suffering from a minor medical condition myself (nothing more than a cold or flu, but enough to make it difficult for me to sleep many of the nights). In this weakened state, I had less patience with Faith’s idiosyncratic personality, and we clashed more than ever. I was aware that this negatively impacted our ability to collaborate.

In the end, however, we did get many striking images.

On the other hand, it was the last trip we took together and the last time that I chose to travel with a professional model.

Our route

Day 0 - Friday, December 15, 2017

Muscat 23.42

I’m sitting in bed in Muscat. The trip here was a little more difficult than normal.

First, I got stuck in a long customs line in Germany because I had to take the non-EU passports line (Faith could use the automated EU line).

Second, I misunderstood a comment Faith made about a bottle of water I had bought her, so I drank from it and she was upset, because she would not drink from it after that.

Third, we got onto the plane so late that I did not have a spot for my camera bag, and I asked the man who had put his backpack where I wanted to put mine, if I could put his pack over another pack, and he seemed quite annoyed with me. So I started the flight feeling like Faith and this guy were upset with me, which I don’t like feeling.

I mediated for a long time and eventually felt better. Faith and I didn’t talk for a while, but eventually we were able to smile and laugh again. I suspect she didn’t notice it at all, just thought that I was annoying for drinking out of her water bottle.

The line to come through customs in Oman was very long as well, although luckily I had correctly paid for a VISA before getting in line (unlike some other unlucky people).

We got our car OK, although the rental company did not have a GPS unit, so getting to the hotel was a bit challenging. I, somewhat testily, coached Faith through reading the Google map because it was not willing to give normal directions for some reason.

At the hotel, the staff suggested that I download Waze, which will hopefully solve that problem. Fingers crossed.

I had said I would sleep on the couch when we got to the business suite, but in the end I realized that I would not have blankets, so I’ve told Faith that I’m sleeping in the bed with her (with each staying on our own sides). She’s not happy about it, although I can’t really be sure whether she’s just complaining for fun or seriously unhappy. She has been laughing a lot, so I think it’s the former, although I do expect that she is very picky about germs and would prefer not to be in the bed with me. I’m glad I booked separate rooms for most of the trip.

Day 1 - Saturday, December 16, 2017

Day 2 - Sunday, December 17, 2017

Muscat 10.54

I had a terrible night last night with coughing. I have to share a bed with Faith, and I felt so badly about coughing so much (it took all my concentration to avoid coughing all the time, so even when I wasn’t coughing I was taking deep breaths and exhaling loudly), I decided to move to the couch to sleep.

I did finally fall asleep, but then had to get up at 7:30 when my alarm started (because Faith could not turn it off without my thumbprint).

Now we are going to leave soon (at least, she has begun to get ready, but that can take another hour).

Clouds in the hills, Sun on the ramparts

21.16

It’s evening and we’re packing and will get ready for bed soon. We went to Nakhal Fort today, which turned out to be both a great site and a good day to be there, since there were very few other visitors. We took all the pictures for the day there.

Then we drove to a beach, but it was packed with cars and not so interesting, so we left again. Then Faith got a second application of Henna, again for 20 OMR, again probably over priced, but as I said to her, we’re tourists and so we’ll often pay too much.

We ate at Starbucks then came back to the hotel and she looked at pictures while her Henna came off in the bed, which irritated me a bit.

Then she wanted a piece of the last protein bar, and I told her no, that I wanted to save it for sometime later when we needed it. She couldn’t really accept this and kept asking, expecting me to cave at some point, and I wouldn’t. I think it went on for something like an hour before she finally gave up. I finally pretended to put the chocolate in the safe, but she knew I was faking and went for it again. But now I actually have put it in the safe. I’m not sure if I’m being mean or within my rights.

22.06

Done with pictures. I’m nervous about whether I will be able to sleep tonight. We have to check out by 10am tomorrow and we have been sleeping fairly late because of jet lag and my coughing. It’s already past 10pm and Faith will probably be in the bathroom for a while yet. There is no sense trying to go to bed until she is out.

No more noise about the chocolate from her. It will be interesting to see if she’ll forget it or try to get revenge somehow.

I have ironed my Arabic cover-all and I’m wondering if I will dare try to wear it in public. Faith is expecting to wear her outfit as well, although we have not practiced putting on her headscarf yet. I’m a little doubtful that we’ll figure it out, even though we did find a YouTube video showing how one woman did it (and there are countless others).

Faith’s response to my saying no, about the chocolate protein bar, by the way, was just to repeat, “No, Kerry, give me the chocolate. I want the chocolate. Kerry, give it to me! Stop being so complicated, just give me the chocolate. I want the chocolate now. We’ll buy something else for you tomorrow.” And so on.

I feel pretty secure that I have the right to reject her request, although it’s only because I give her so much that I feel OK with it. I wonder if it is somehow mean in a way that I will regret later.

I can’t really ask anyone else about this, because I’m the only one that can really understand what Faith is like and what my relationship with her is like.

Oh, well.

Day 3 - Monday, December 18, 2017

Day 4 - Tuesday, December 19, 2017

You call that a "nice view"? I'll show you a "nice view"...

Day 5 - Wednesday, December 20, 2017

Saiq 09.09

Ouch. Bad headache today. Very difficult to get to sleep last night due to my continued cough, which is only really bad at night. Once again, we had to share a single bed, but after a while I went to sleep on the sofa once I realized I wasn’t going to sleep after all (I slept OK when I had my own room last night, because I could go to sleep and not worry about being disturbed or disturbing Faith with my coughing).

We’re more than midway through the trip now. We’re at the luxurious hotel at the top of the mountains. It’s very nice, although I’m disappointed with the pictures we managed to take. I think it didn’t go as well as hoped because I was tired and because Faith and I are not working as effectively together as we have before.

In general, I feel like we’re much less in sync on this trip.

Somewhere in the desert 20.31

Ug, what an awful day. It started, of course, with a bad night where I barely slept and then woke with a massive headache. We continued to have problems with the bathroom heat (or, Faith did). We asked the hotel to pick up our bags at 11am (Faith takes a lot of time in the morning), and it took them 20 minutes to come. Then we struggled to find directions to the next hotel, which ended up causing literally 4 extra hours (to an already 3 hour trip) to get here (in the end).

Much of it was my own fault, which Faith happily pointed out when we realized that we were not able to locate using the GPS coordinates. She pointed out, that is, that it would have been better for me to call the hotel in the morning, rather than once we realized we were lost.

“True,” I told her, “and it would have been better if you had suggested that this morning rather than now.”

Anyway, I was pissed at the world by the time we were waiting at a gas station for the hotel to send someone to guide us. Faith wondered what we would take pictures of next. I told her I doubted I would be in the mood to take pictures tonight and we could discuss at dinner. She said we could discuss “now”, and I let her know that I was in such a bad mood that if I had to decide now I’d probably just say we shouldn’t take pictures for the rest of the trip.

She asked why I was in such a bad mood and I said I’m tired and hungry. So she pointed out that I should have eaten more at breakfast. Another somewhat frustrating and irritating conversation with her, made worse by my bad mood. I did my best, however, to keep a level head.

We did finally get here and after dinner I was feeling better and by the time we got to our tents (they upgraded me to a tent as well at reception, despite my ordering a normal room for myself).

She wants to know when we will get up.

I never really know how to answer. I would say early, but I am not sure how well I will sleep. By early I mean 6:30, although who knows when breakfast starts here... probably 7am.

I shouldn’t even think about taking landscapes. I don’t have the time or energy.

Day 6 - Thursday, December 21, 2017

Somewhere in the desert 08.36

We agreed to meet at 7am for breakfast. Then I spent over 9 hours in bed and slept for most of them, waking only once at about 2am coughing. I had thought to put cough drops and tissues in the bed next to me, so I took a drop and managed to fall asleep again and sleep until 6:30 when my alarm went off. I stayed in bed for another 25 minutes, then got up and dressed without taking a shower and went to Faith’s tent, half expecting her to still be in bed, because my tent had been very cold.

She was up though, and ready, so we had breakfast as planned.

We got back to our tents at 8am and agreed to use 30 minutes to get ready and then go take pictures. I would wait for her in my tent. It’s now 8:40 and I have had time to write this. My door is open so I will see her coming.

I do feel better today. Sleep really helped. I don’t know what kind of pictures we will take, but I don’t have very high expectations.

When your 3 hour drive turns into an 8 hour drive, things only look better after a full night's sleep

09.02

I walked about and took a few landscape snaps. Now I’m back and still no Faith. I may walk over to her tent soon, though I don’t really feel much rush. I think I hear her coming now.

Day 7 - Friday, December 22, 2017

Al Hadd 09.53

Last day. I’m expecting Faith in 10 minutes to my room. Our plan is to drive to 2 different wadis today. She’s gotten almost all the pictures she wanted. She wants a close up with a camel, but she did get one shot with a camel in the background (a relatively wild camel).

After hell day, things have been a bit better. This hotel we are in now was not a great success. We chose not to see the “turtle show” last night, in favor of getting a good night’s sleep. We have at least a 6 hour drive ahead of us today, then a 1am flight, so lots of time.

Dinner and breakfast were interesting, in a, “Well, we’ve never seen that before...” kind of way (not necessarily good). But we had enough to eat, which means they were fine.

I got a few bright yellow sunset pictures last night.