Aswan
The moment we landed in Aswan, I knew it was my kind of city. It was warmer, and cleaner, and calmer. Just look at the difference between these two pictures!

Cairo:

Aswan:

As soon as we got to the hotel, we unloaded our bags, then went on a felucca sunset cruise. A felucca is a traditional Egyptian sailboat. Riding a sailboat, on the Nile River, without the sound of a motor, was so serene… At least it would have been if Mason weren’t acting like such a dickhead! We learned a very important lesson that afternoon. NEVER spend a day traveling with a two year old who hasn’t taken a nap, and expect to do something fun after. NEVER! Mason was exhausted, angry, and had an utter hatred for his mother. He was on a mission to kill himself by falling into the Nile, and after 10 minutes on the boat, I wasn’t sure I wanted to save him (I’m joking…kind of).

Thankfully I was able to get a...

Hello everyone,

I have decided to change my blog’s home. I enjoy svbtle’s site, but I think a site with the ability to comment on the posts would be better for what we are doing. People have been mentioning that they would like to engage a little more. The only down-side is that the new site needs to connect to your facebook, twitter, or email in order for you to leave comments. If you would just like to read it without leaving comments, you can do so without linking your account, but it will ask you to create an account if you try to follow me. I hope everyone likes this change. I have already transferred most of my posts, and I am almost done with a new one. My newest one will be on both sites. Please tell me which one you like better!

Thank you for everyone’s encouragement, and kind words. I hope you continue to read and most importantly, I hope I am keeping you entertained!

Love...

Cairo Part-1:
We had a four-hour trip to Cairo, and to say it was smooth sailing would be a lie. Our boys were acting like monkeys after they snorted a few lines of coke (and I am not referring to the refreshing beverage). When we got to the airport, the boys made a friend and we all played catch with a little rubber ball. I love it when the boys play with kids who don’t speak English. It always amazes me that they are able to have fun and interact without understanding each other. It is such a cool thing to see.

On the plane we were able to arrange it so both boys got window seats (which is the only way to make the trip bearable), and they both had their own headsets to watch movies. Hunter is like a little man! He sits in his seat, finds a movie, and puts his headset on. Mason does the same, but is only entertained for 30 minutes. Thankfully, Steve Jobs produced a handy gadget that...

Good morning/afternoon/night everyone. While you all enjoy your nice calm day, I have some wonderful news to share. Someone started crawling, and I know most of you are reacting with thoughts like, “Awwww”, or “wow, already?”, or “yay, that is great”. While all you are being so positive, please know my thoughts are, “oh dear god, please save me”, or “I am a good person, please let Austin be a calm child”, or “I wonder if tying a child to a bed-post is still frowned upon”. For everyone who is thinking that I am being dramatic, or thinking that I am over exaggerating, please enjoy this treasure…

I literally put him on the floor for one minute while I went pee (yep only pee, it wasn’t even a poop). I came back, and a tall pile of tissues surrounded him. Our trips are about to get a whole lot more interesting.

Day 14 Continued: Flowers on my Bed Y'all
The night before we left Dubai, we...

Preface
Traveling the way we have the last 10 days has taught me many things about myself. It really has been eye-opening in so many ways. After being in Dubai, I realize that I enjoy being in nature, and in more low-key environments. Don’t get me wrong, Dubai is spectacular, but I prefer natural beauty. It is important for everyone to know this before continuing reading. We saw many wonderful things, but it can be a lot to take in (sorry Thomas and Diem, I hope you don’t disown me after this statement. I know how much you love Dubai).

Day 10: Holy Shit, That’s a Big Building
Today we started our trip to the United Arab Emirates, specifically Dubai! We drove to Dubai from Oman (only a 5 hour trip not including our stop through customs…so much fun…). After a couple meltdowns, a dance party, a forced nap, and a few suicidal thoughts, we saw the city. One of the things about Dubai I was...

Day 6: Ninjas in a Half-Shell. Turtle Power!
The next four days are going to be our road trip days. Oman has so many outdoorsy things to offer, that we needed to move from spot to spot. Here is a map of Northern Oman, and the stars are the places we stopped at (or planned to stop at).

The first stop we made was at Ras al Jinz (number 2 on the map). Oman has one of the largest Green Turtle nesting sites in the world in their Turtle Reserve. The hotel we stayed at is the only way to watch the turtles lay their eggs and/or hatch. The beach is closed off to the public, and there are laws put into place by Sultan Qaboos that prohibits beach access unless you are part of a guided tour. The Ras Al Jinz Turtle Beach Reserve Hotel was our way in, and it was amazing. First we checked in, and the boys were excited when they walked into the room to find this…

BUNK BEDS!!!

The turtles only...

Man oh man, where to start? We are in Muscat, Oman right now, and words cannot describe how stunning this country is. Oman is so different from Bahrain, ranging from the smells, to the looks, to the people. We are having a great time so far! Here is what we have been doing.

Day 1: Dolphins here we come!

Bookie had to go to the embassy today, so I decided to take the boys out on a day date. Oman is known for having great diving, but we all know I wasn’t able to do that with the little poop faces (stinkin’ kids), so, we did the next best thing, DOLPHIN WATCHING.

Yes, I took my three boys on a boat by myself, and it was spectacular! We asked the hotel to call a taxi to the marina, and by the time we were done with breakfast, Faisel (the taxi driver) was waiting for us. He was so nice! On the way to the port, Faisel was pointing out landmarks and telling me all about Muscat. It was...

I am happy to report that I was not one of the four Americans arrested earlier this week. To all my friends and family who were unsure, thank you for having faith that I would not throw bottles and fight with police officers. On Sunday, while all of you were buying/receiving flowers, Bahrain was celebrating The Day of Rage (Happy Valentines Day). Sounds fun, right? Februrary 14th, 2011 was the first day of an uprising where the Bahraini people started protesting the government. Long story short, the government didn’t take to the protests kindly, and swiftly shut them down. Every year since, the government has increased police presence to minimize the political violence. I did not, and do not, plan on involving myself in any type of political rally, and am going to avoid them as much as possible. On a different note, I am pretty sure I have diplomatic immunity, which means I could totally...

Guess what we finally have… Fiber-optic WIFI!!! It only took three weeks (rolling eyes). When the Batelco man came to the door he said:

“Hi, you remember me?”
“Yes, you told me you were coming back tomorrow. That was three weeks ago”
“Oh I have been very busy”
“Yeah, you told me ‘in-sha-allah’ when you left. I didn’t know if you would back”
He started laughing, and said, “Okay, Okay, no more ‘in-sha-allah”

I guess he got a kick out of me calling him out. Either way, he got our WIFI working, and I am one happy woman!

The Genest Boys found their new favorite activity: Bedouin Camping! Last weekend the Embassy hosted a Bedouin Camping excursion. Embassy families spent the day at the camp, and a select few (four families to be exact) were ballsy enough to stay over night. A Bedouin Camp is the technical term for camps set up by desert nomadic tribes in Arab countries. Traditionally, they...