Wadi al Abyad

Heading out on another day trip to the Al Hajar area.

Again with the guide book directions - Wadi al Abyad, latitude 22.97 and longitude 57.55 is a hydrographic wadi. At the end of the paved road, head right and pick up the graded track You'll pass plantations on either side. You may encounter an old local guy who claims to own the wadi and won't let you pass. Be friendly, and you should be able to talk your way through.

Scary they have such poor directions and signs they give you coordinates.

Wadi - a valley or ravine, bounded by relatively steep banks, which in the rainy season becomes a watercourse; found primarily in North Africa and the Middle East.

Yep, looks like we found it!

The whitish pools, according to popular here-say, give wadi Abyad (meaning white in Arabic) its name.

Made it to the "end of the drivable track". There was a nice stream with a steady flow along the mountain. Now time to park the car, set up camp and explore.

The pools had a few feet of depth. Miniature fish and toads were plentiful. The kids used their shirts as nets and caught and released their trophies.

Catching the water critters was fun to do.

Tired of swimming...lets go on a hike!

Be careful! It is rocky terrain. Matt slide down on a sharp rock irreparably ripping his shorts.

This wadi always carries water and features 'blue & milky white' pools with white cabonate clouds precipitating from the water.

The Al Hajar range's sharp edged peaks and an impressive backdrop displaying golden brown hues in the afternoon. Well, it was a full, relaxing day. Time to pack out.

Now, the fun part. We were the last car to leave in our pack. You should always have at least two 4 wheel drives when off-roading. Matt decided to have some fun and drive in circles and into the water before we left. Upon entering this stream (he intended to drive up the hill), we went from one foot of water to about four!! The SUV was at a 40 degree angle with the left front tire off the ledge IN the water. Kids jumped at the side door as the car sank further in the ground. The water was one inch from the driver's window. Matt said "Oh, honey". Oh honey me!!! He wanted to keep the RPM up in the SUV so the engine wouldn't die. So yours truly, went to the front of the car to try to push it back. The water was up to my chest and I'm not short. After alot of prayers and wondering how long it would take to be rescued. God willing, the SUV slowly gained ground.

OH MY, what craziness.

After all was said and done, we doubled over with laughter. I guess mostly thankful we were able to get out and the SUV's engine was still running. Matt opened the car doors and ALOT of water gushed out. At that time, I remembered my camera and just have the reminisces of the water trickling out. Thank goodness it was in the car seat. My purse and maps in the floor had a bath. I wish I would have thought to take a picture when we were submerged in the water but shock had set in. Apparently, Matt was having an off day!