The mid April heat of Muscat made it great to ascend to the cooler heights of Jebel Akhdar and join Professor Reginald Victor http://blog.omanholiday.co.uk/blog/Photos/_archives/2007/4/20/2995005.html and Mrs Victor on a visit to several areas that are included in his long term study of the ecosystem. He is so enthusiastic about his subject and managed to include biology, ecology and geology in probably half a day I was especially thrilled to see a trace marker of Permian–Triassic extinction event 250millions year ago.

Making a ‘hat trick’ of reasons to be in the mountains - a young friend was formally getting engaged http://blog.omanholiday.co.uk/blog/Photos/_archives/2007/4/20/2995028.html and I joined a large crowd of well wishers witness the event – as usual these take place in an evening – and generally the entire male population of a village attends (the females have their own events).

Of course to go to the mountains and not take some of the amazingly fragrant pink Damask Rose flowers with me would be a mistake; my car smelt like a boudoir for the entire 200kms.