nomadic pal num. 5 : hynd lalam

FINALLY! Sorry for the wait. 

OLB.

QUICKLY

I AM: Hynd, 21. HOME: Paris, France
I'M CURRENTLY: studying Comparative Literature with a minor in Latin and interning for The Beckett Letters
I DIG: Shakespeare, fine cuisine and Patrick
DESTINATION: le sultanat d’Oman
WHAT: relaxation and some well overdue family time
WHY: a last, desperate attempt to flee the horrors of the French winter
WHEN: December 2011
WEATHER: wonderfully mild
TRIP TUNES: lots of Corinne Bailey Rae, Bob Marley and the inevitable Adele
TRIP THREADS: long flowy dresses and headscarves to visit the Mosques
TRIP READS: The Help by Kathryn Stockett and Jane Austen’s Sense & Sensibility.
CAN'T FORGET EVEN IF I TRIED: my mother bargaining like a straight up thug for the most beautiful necklace I have ever laid eyes on.
NEXT STOP: lots of European capitals are booked on my calendar for now, but I’d love to see New Zealand someday.

BEST

RELAXATION SPOT: endless dips in the Gulf of Oman followed by unsuccessful tan-sessions on the hotel’s hammocks.
MEAL: the Omani cuisine is very close to what I know as Indian so lots of biryani rice and deliciously spicy sauces. Their coffee is by far the strongest and most sour I have ever tasted. Ironically, I also came to taste divine pasta in Oman.
DRINK: none alcoholic please, (Muslim country) – but delicious fresh squeezed juices as well as the usual bubbly-sugar-filled refreshments
ADVENTURE: running through the desert dunes of Rimal Wahiba, with my (ill-treated) bare feet
SLEEP/LACK OF SLEEP: one of the most beautiful hotels I have ever seen – Al Bustan Palace, built by the Sultan himself. Highly recommended.

excused absence

Sorry about the long absence, but between my 2 weeks of traveling the European continent whilst on break, and my grandpa Mac having a bit of memory issues, I have been unable to blog as I had intended. No worries though, because today I am making my way back to Paris and getting back on the online bandwagon. Coming this week, finally, a new nomadic file: that of literary friend Hynd Lalam, a lovely, intellectual and multilingual young lady I've had the pleasure to ignite a friendship with since having moved to Paris. We usually swap travel stories over tarte tatin and café noisette so it felt only natural for me to ask Hynd to join my growing group of Nomadic Pals. She will be telling through witty words and beautiful photos of her December escape to Oman. Also in the works, a few tales from my own 2 weeks of travel: Mallorca, Brighton, Bruges... Stay tuned! OLB