So this is it...

Ok so this is it, the last post after an 8+ month journey around the world. It seems a lifetime ago that I was surfing with Damian in California, or ice-climbing in Bozeman, or even playing a game beer-pong with the MSU crew while downing a few ‘Moose Drools’. What a journey it has been!

I am typing this post from my hostel in Singapore, with the scent of incense fills the air as it rises from the nearby temples. This peaceful, functional and thoroughly enjoyable city has been a pleasure to tour around, and a welcomed change from the completely dysfunctional and chaotic U.A.E.

The flight into Abu Dhabi really set the scene as to what was to come. The fasten seatbelt sign is completely ignored. People receive sms messages throughout the flight. Chairs are completely reclined during take-off and landing, despite repeated pleas from the cabin crew to comply with their instructions. And children run around the aisles, screaming, oblivious to their parents who are busily replying to the sms text they have just received.

Arriving in Abu Dhabi and talking to Rob about this complete disrespect for authority, he told me that you’ve just got to laugh at it, accept it and move on, otherwise it gets so overwhelming you’re likely to explode with frustration. As he was explaining all this to me, a sportscar shot past us as we were cruising at 120km/h – he must have been doing in excess of 220km/h. Speed cameras were going off, but I guess with that much money the meagre fines are insignificant. ‘Welcome to The Emirates’ Rob wryly remarked.

Arriving at Rob and Jacqui’s place I jumped in the shower seeking refuge from the hot and extremely humid Arabian air, to be burnt by the water that shot from the cold-water tap. Later, Jacqui explained to me that you have to shower with only hot water as the pipes are heated so much during the day, the cold water emerges close to boiling. After this searing shower I lay down to bed, feeling somewhat feverish, and awoke the next morning sick as a dog, destined to be bed-ridden for the following 4 days!

Miraculously getting better just enough to make the drive up to Dubai with Rob to pick up the surfboards we had hired, we headed 7 hours over the desert to Muscat to spend the night, before motoring further south the following morning to get a few waves on Oman’s east coast. Without going into too much detail – it pumped! Far better than I expected, and Rob and I surfed so hard the first day, we were unable to even paddle out the following day, so we decided to head back slowly across inland Oman, through the beautiful mountainous terrain, to Abu Dhabi. Surfing the long right-hand pointbreaks was one of the highlights of my trip for sure. Getting absolutely mauled by bed bugs that night, to the point of looking as though I had chicken-pox all over my back, was less of a highlight. Ah, the hidden joys of travel.

So still feeling less that 100%, and still with bites all over my body, I am ready to come home. It has been a truly epic trip, and I have enjoyed every moment of it, bed bugs and all! Looking forward to seeing you all in a day or so!

Cheers,
Matt.