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Sea kayaking in 40 Celsius and the “tunnel of doom”, Oman, May 2007.

View at the the rocky coast, tunnel center/left of picture (barely visible).

Overview of the PDO club, rocky coast with the tunnel right of picture.

What to do outside when it is between 40 and 42 degrees Celsius? After a week inside in the Shangri-La Resort South of Muscat, it was about time to go outside on the last day but the temperature was just a bit too high.

The Shangri-La Hotel is a luxurious, large resort with nice pools, a spa, a fitness club, a large beach and even diving or snorkeling opportunities near the cliffs on the sea. Still, I felt locked up.

Shangri-La Hotel, South of Muscat.

So far we only went outside at night when the temperature dropped to 38 degrees Celsius, to go swimming in the cooled pool with a water temperature of only 25 degrees Celsius. The sea was warm, about 30 degrees Celsius, but still fine, you could feel the cooler water below the surface.

The visit to the Mutrah Souq on on the corniche (or harbour) is now more bearable by the new ventilation installed during the recent renovation. Also, the plastic sheets as a roof were replaced with a proper roof so when it rains, although rare, the water won't be flowing down the alleys.

An idea, sea kayaking

For going into the mountains, my limit is around 36 degrees Celsius or body temperature. It will be cooler higher up but I did not feel like it. Wadi Quri (closest) or Wadi Shab (furthest) would be possible as it is an easy short walk to reach the pools in the canyons.

Doing something in the sea, apart from snorkeling did not cross my mind but the suggestion of sea kayaking for an hour near the PDO club sounded like an original idea.

Kayak.

On the terrace of the PDO club I measured 40 degrees Celsius in the shade.

40 degrees Celsius in the shade on the terrace.

The wind on the sea felt cool and caused moderate waves. There were a few sailing boats on the sea.

Apart from watching shoals of fish in shallow water near the cliffs, we would try the “tunnel of doom”, the main target for seven year old Clara. So far, she was never able to enter it.

Tunnel of doom entrance, center.

The tunnel is some 30 meters long and about 5 meters high. At low tide, rocks block the entrance but we were just fine as it was near high tide.

We did the tunnel four times while Clara was shouting “the tunnel of doom .....!!!!”. We saw dozens of crabs clutched to the cool rock walls. We even a pigeon nest. Inside the tunnel the temperature was much lower, the tunnel was “cool”.