The final few nights of our Oman road trip treated us to some of the best camp sites we might ever have. On the evening before this day we had camped on the edge of Wadi Ghul, a crevice that is commonly known as the Omani Grand Canyon. In the morning we set off on the Balcony Walk, a 3 hour trek along the edge of the canyon that terminates in an abandoned village perched a thousand feet above the wadi bed. Perhaps more spectacular than the rugged views was the complete solitude we were able to enjoy for nearly the entire trek. Oman really is the place for world-class outdoor adventure in the absence of world-class crowds.
That afternoon we stopped in Al Hamra at a small museum called Bait Al Safah; a traditional old Omani home that has been preserved to offer a glimpse into what life looked like in this location for centuries. We enjoyed learning about the process of making Omani bread and other common household products, and then conversed with our guides over coffee and dates, sharing stories about each others' lives. Each conversation we've had with locals and tourists alike throughout our trip continues to reinforce the understanding that the human condition and life is the same at its core; it's only the small peripheral details that differ around the world.