Desert diaries

The group begin their journey across the Sharqiya sands

An international group of teenagers is travelling across the Sharqiya Sands in Oman to try to further cross-cultural understanding.

The young people come from Britain, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Oman, Pakistan and Fiji.

They are walking 20km each day using camels to carry their provisions. Their daily diaries will be published here to record their journey.

FRIDAY 9 FEBRUARY

Jack Lister - British:

A long day for the team, ending in the heart of the Sharqiya desert in Oman.

After several team-building and problem-solving challenges, a team of complete strangers from six nations is getting on extremely well, having identified that despite cultural differences they have much in common.

The camel journey begins tomorrow just after sunrise.

My first visit to Oman and hopefully not my last, the contrast between snowy London and the dry desert outside Muscat summed it all up.

The roads led us through the startling scenery of the mountain range before we reached the desert. It was unlike any other place I have ever visited and I have visited a few.

It was bare red rock and there is a rugged beauty to the area. My first impressions of the looming sand dunes were that the landscape is barbaric and hostile.

On closer inspection though, I wish we were here for longer. As I watch the sand move across the plain and the sun set, I now feel there is definitely something special about the area.

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Jesse Lee - Fiji:

It was an early start on a long awaited expedition into the al-Sharqiya sands.

We picked up the final team members and set off from the airport. We followed the road through the very rugged but spectacular landscape of Oman.

Between ourselves, it was fairly quiet to begin with, but very welcoming, with smiles exchanged, then brief introductions leading straight into friendly conversations - soon it seemed like we knew each other pretty well.

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Harub Ahmed - Oman:

Once we arrived at the camp the Muslim people prayed while the others waited for them to finish.

We were then given two challenges to help us get to know each other better.

In the first challenge, the group was split into two teams. The challenge was that we throw the ball to each other and call out the name of the person you threw it to.

The group spend some time getting to know each other

In the second challenge, a rope was given to each team and we had to make it into a perfect square. Each team thought about the problem and came up with suggestions, everyone was blindfolded.

The result of the second challenge was great, each team was able to complete their challenge with the different cultures and languages and everybody was happy with what they did in the first day.

SATURDAY 10 FEBRUARY

Mark Evans - Trip organiser:

In over 20 years of running youth expeditions I have never witnessed the degree of learning that is going on out here, both about themselves as individuals, and importantly about each others' cultures.

Some very powerful discussions developed around the campfire today, and no doubt more will follow tonight. An outstanding group of young people.

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Simeon Koole - British:

The first meeting with the lads from the other countries was surprisingly open and friendly.

However, I feel that at this point, it was nerves and excitement that carried us through.

It was only over time that we were able to communicate for prolonged periods. Through a series of activities, I have realised that patience and a positive attitude is key to our communication. Language has proved to be a barrier but when we all relax and become less afraid to make mistakes, we are able to converse.

I have been particularly impressed by how Islam plays an integral part in many of the lads' lives. It is, however, not separate from daily life and is openly discussed - something I feel we can learn from.

I have found the Omanis themselves noble and wonderfully hospitable but in a natural rather than consciously forced way.

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Sean Cowell - British:

On Friday, everyone met for the first time but after the day we were still unfamiliar to each other.

The two team-building activities that night showed me for the first time just how important understanding and communication is in order for a group to achieve a goal as a whole.

In my group, our plan failed because not everyone understood the plan and time was not taken to implant a common understanding.

At first the barrier that our different languages posed hindered the ability of people to build friendships but I have found that it just takes a little longer. It is not impossible, I just needed to be patient.

There have been many conversations about traditions and customs from the different cultures and the Saudi Arabians, Jordanians and Omanis have been surprisingly open about their religion and how it affects their lives.

Basically, to summarise, what I've learned so far is that patience, understanding and communication are key factors in building relations.

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Read more on the background to the trip at Connecting Cultures.