Subject: Report #90 Muscat, Oman March 30, 2016 Wednesday Partly sunny & 86 degrees Part #1 of 3 85 Pictures
The port of Muscat, Oman sort of snuck up on us as we were busy concentrating on previous stops. Now that we are here, we will tell you a little about the country. The capital of Oman happens to be Muscat. The population of the country is 3,418, 085 people who live in a square mile area of 119,467. The official language is primarily Arabic, but many speak English.
Oman is the Arabian Peninsula's most traditional destination. It is more accessible than Saudi Arabia, by far safer than Yemen, and more traditional than the United Arab Emirates. Think Bedouins, camels, souks, and forts, and you will see Oman. As part of the frankincense route, clouds of incense attack you at the Mutrah Souk, Muscat's Arabian bazaar-come-to-life.
The best time to visit is November to mid-March to avoid the monsoon season.
What is there to see? Muscat, of course, the port city souk and Portuguese forts. Yitti, for unspoiled beaches and craggy mountains. Nizwa the inland town with a 17th century fort and souk. Mughsail, a beautiful beach, sheer cliffs, and blowholes. Frankincense trees, camel racing and the giant incense burner that looms over Muscat's Harbor.
What is there to do? Drive the sand dunes in a 4x4 vehicle, see the mysteries of the Lost City of Ubar. Visit the forts and see the opulent places of the sultan. If it is not a Friday, their holy day, visit a mosque, but properly dressed (both men and women). See Job's tomb.
What is there to eat? Harees, steamed wheat with boiled meat with onions, limes, and chilies, dried shark, and marinated meats. Dates and honey.
Drink? Try camel's milk and very strong Arabica coffee.
Random fact: Coastal oasis of Sohar will forever be remembered from the Arabian Nights, as the starting point for Sinbad's epic journeys.
Ship tours in Muscat included Forts of Nizwa with lunch for 8 ½ hours at $145.
Muscat & Market - 4 ½ hours for $60.
The Ho-Ho bus for 2 hours for $63. With 10 stops. If you wish to stay at the souk, you can take the free shuttle back to the ship.
Tea at Al Bustan Palace for 3 ¾ hours for $135.
Dolphin watch, a boat ride for 3 hours at $100.
Cruise on an Arabian dhow (boat) for 3 hours at $115.
Well, here we are, arriving to Muscat early Wednesday morning. Since we had not booked a tour today, we planned a simple day, which started with breakfast in the dining room, of course. By the time we left the ship at 10:30am, most all of the tour groups had gone off, and the complimentary shuttle were lined up to take us to town. You are not allowed to walk from the ship, since this is a working port with lots of truck traffic. By the way, two ships were in port with us today…….the Europa 2, not a large vessel, but quite high end. The other ship was the Splendour of the Seas once again. They would have lots of people flooding the souk in town today.
The security procedure here in Muscat is different, in that we had to board the shuttle bus, be driven to the main terminal building, then proceed through the xray check there. You go in one door, then out the other. The shuttle had continued to the back of the building, where we re-boarded the coach. Then we were on our way to the gate, and towards downtown Muscat about one mile away.
The driver dropped us all off at the Mutrah Souk, the traditional Omani market full of a variety of goods. It is a shopper's paradise, especially if you are looking for some unique items. Most sought-after treasures include silver daggers known as the khanjar. Lucky us, we already have two of these at home. Silver jewelry and boxes are abundant, as are incense burners in all shapes and sizes.
For one of us, fabrics is the most desirable and affordable items here. They can be silk, satin, embroidered, linen, cotton, and even jerseys. It took a few minutes to locate our favorite fabric shop, where we purchased two lengths of stretch jersey for long dresses. Walking up the bazaar even deeper, we found some different fabrics decorated with a bejeweled neckline on one end, and matching jeweled sleeves. All it needs is cutting out and sewing. All one of us needs is the time to sew it once we are home.
At one point, we looked over their scarves, which may be the number one item sold here. Admiring a pretty one, we did not realize that it may have been camel hair. These are apparently worth more than the silk. The vendor, in order to prove it was camel hair, took out his cigarette lighter, and lit the end of the tassles on fire. It smelled strange, like hair burning. And that was the point, to prove that the scarf was made with camel hair. And that was why his price was $65, down from $100. No, we were simply looking for a cheap one for $5. He had a huge shelf of these, and we found just what we were looking for….a black and blue print.
We check out the shoes near the top of the souk. They had some neat sandals, but do you think they had larger sizes, bigger than size 8? Nope, if you want larger, you have to buy men's shoes. No thanks, we said.
Still searching for the make-up, we came across a section with housewares. The vendor said he did not have cometics, and that was that. On our way back out this alleyway, the same vendor offered to show us the way to a make-up shop. We never would have found it, because it was small. This store owner had exactly what I was looking for. The eye shadow kit with lipstick and blusher costs a whopping $6. And it came with two brushes. Good deal.
If we hung around much longer, we may have found many more things we could not live without. So we decided to take a walk along the Mutrah Corniche, a tiled walkway along the waterline of the harbor. This walkway follows the rock wall of the harbor, and provides a nice view of the rocky shoreline below. If you take the time to look, you can see many tropical-like fish, turtles, birds, and even sting rays. We also saw many black and red crabs walking on the rocks below. Following the road, we ended up below the hillsides and a park. A few locals were also walking, and asked for us to take their photos. Although this couple did not speak English, we managed to figure out what they were asking.
It was hot outside, but there was a breeze. We took our time walking back, and got to the shuttle right before they left. We were back to the ship by 2pm. Since we had not planned on eating onshore, we dined in the Lido and got our favorite sandwiches from the sandwich bar. The Lido was full of customers, so that told us that not a lot of people took tours here today.
There was another complimentary sail away, 1001 Arabian Sights, held in the Lido pool area, midship. Drinks, house selection only, were offered from 5 to 6:30pm. The Culinary Team was serving an array of Arabic delights with the party band Oasis, playing poolside. Part of the party included a performance by a belly dancer. We had taken photos from deck nine on the way here to see the decorations, but we were too early to see the craziness that took place later.
Deciding not to fight the expected crowd, we stayed out back, and watched the sail away with friends Bill & Leta, who joined us. They had made a pass through the middle pool, only to be almost knocked down by a dancing woman who took a spill. Bill's champagne went flying, and Leta barely escaped injury from the falling dancing lady. They had been looking for dates (the food) at this party, but there were none. So they came back, and stayed with us until dark. We were able to get an ice cold beer from the Seaview Bar, all free. From what we heard later, some folks had such a good time with the free drinks, that they helped themselves to some of the Arabian decorations. Like the pillows, hookahs, and the carpets. Cannot believe it, since there are security cameras everywhere on this ship. These are not props, but the real thing.
Dinner was good, as usual. With two tables of friends, we rule the bottom level of the lower dining room. At least we think we do, since by the time we are getting our entrees, most everyone had finished and left the room. We can laugh and have fun without disturbing anyone. And we do just that.
The entertainer this evening was Kieran Powell, a ventriloquist. We're afraid we did not attend, but will inquire about his show tomorrow.
There will be a day at sea before we reach the second port in Oman, Salalah.
Bill & Mary Ann
The port of Muscat in the Gulf of Oman
Some ships in port
A few cranes in the harbor
Dramatic cliffs
The city sits below the cliffs
The Europa 2 was also in port
The razor wire rigged under the lower promenade deck
Will help prevent unwanted boardings
Here comes the Splendour of the Seas
A Royal Caribbean International vessel
The harbor of Muscat
The tour buses, Hop on & hop off bus, and the shuttles await
Our windows will get washed today
Skylight in the security bulding
Other ships in port
The Europa 2 docked closer to town
Port Sultan Qaboos
A roundabout in Muscat
The sultan's yacht
Walking on the corniche
Entrance to the Mutrah Souk
Silver is a huge business here
Streets of Muscat
Welcome to the souk……
Very busy with tourists and locals alike
Going up our favorite alleyway
Hair things
Fabrics by the meter
The best fabric shop in the souk
Yep, that will work just fine
So many fabrics, so little time
Alleyway of bargains
Ceiling fixture
Flag-covered ceiling
Silks in all designs – all beautiful
Very unique
Scarves and jewelry
Daggers called khanjar are popular souvenirs for the fellows
Suitable Christmas decorations
A central meeting point in the souk
Trinket boxes and incense burners
Treasure boxes
Most colorful souvenirs
Vendors would bargain deeply
Intricate jewelry
Perfumes are abundant
Custom-made tunics were pretty
Each dress was different
A row of "dressy" burkas
Mostly black, but a few other shades of burkas
We prefer the bright colors
The top end of the souk
The parking lot
Local men selling food stuff
Housewares
Drying stands
Shops for the locals
A friendly cat
Local traffic
A minaret at the top of the souk
Going back inside
Trying to find our way downhill
Stained glass ceiling
One of many shoe shops
Pillow-size bags of popcorn
Golden perfume sets
Traditional belly-dancing costume & a tourist t-shirt
The food store
Spices
Spices sold by the kilo
An old Victrola
Dried beans and peas
Lanterns by the dozens
Tea and coffee pots
Hookahs and sheesha pipes
Incense burners
Silver treasures
Another record player
Daggers (khanjars)
Lanterns of glass
Metal plates
Aluminum pots
Housewares
Fancy plateware
Stained glass window
