Subject: Report #92 Salalah, Oman April 1, 2016 Friday Forecast: Look up? Oh, ha-ha, it's April Fool's Day 81 Pictures
Today's On Location newsletter was all mixed up, and completely silly. Yes, it was April Fool's Day, and perhaps some of us were fooled, but others might not find it so funny. Especially those who rely on the printed itinerary for the day's activities. Nothing made sense with the day beginning with activities at 11pm, and ending with 2am, as well as setting the clocks back 24 hours, then setting them ahead 24 hours. Some other funnies: Debby Bacon tickles more than the ivories, play Caribbean stud muffins in the casino, ask location guide Barbara H questions that she will ignore, mandatory naptime (really?), sit and sleep with Jodie, or Fitness class – flab abs. Well, you got the idea now.
Salalah is a much different port compared to Muscat. We prefer Muscat, only because that port is very accessible and very typically Arabian in feel. Salalah is industrial, and nowhere near as scenic or as interesting as Muscat. This is an opinion that is shared with many of our close friends, who chose to stay on the ship today, treating it as a day at sea. Yes, there are things to do and see here, but we have done them all, more than once.
Here are some samples of the tours offered here:
The Best of Salalah for 7 ½ hours for $155. Takes you to a small souk, the archaeological site of Al-Baled, Taqah Castle, and to Khor Rori Creek, once the site of the ancient city of Sumhuram. This may have been the site of the Queen of Sheba's Palace. Lunch is included at the Crowne Plaza. A stop at Mughsail Beach is included where you might see blowholes up to 45 feet in height. We never did see them as the tides were always out.
A shorter excursion takes you to Sumhuram and the Taqah Castle for 5 hours at $80.
Leisurely Salalah is for 4 ¾ hours for $55. Here you will stop and see a frankincense tree, that was once the prized item for trade in the ancient world. It produces the sap that is burned for its fragrance. As Catholics, we were raised with that heavy aroma since it was, and still is, used in the Mass service. We learned from previous tours here, that the sap was burned in the tents to mask the bad smells from tainted meats and fish, and also to disguise human body odor. Bathing was not a priority in those days. Animals that were kept around the tents also contributed to the bad smells, so the frankincense helped with that too. Whether or not this was the reason for the demand in the trade, it was a coveted commodity back in the day. Also included in this tour is a stop at Job's tomb, located in the hillsides. It is questionable if his remains are still here, if we remember the commentary the two times we were here. Nevertheless, strict dress requirements were in place while visiting this sacred site. Modest attire was a must. Then you went back to the port, passing lush orchards, with a brief stop at a souq along the way.
Lost City of Ubar and the Sands of Arabia for 8 hours for $180. This would begin with a 4x4 jeep ride over the dunes, followed by a drive to the excavation site at Ubar. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this set of ruins is in the early stage of discovery. Friends Maureen and Tom M went on this tour and later reported the details. Lunch was a boxed meal, provided by the ship. It consisted of a ham and cheese sandwich, which would have been OK if the hard apple and the large banana had not crushed it on the bottom. The same went for the muffin included with a bottle of water over it. Love these firsthand reports, as you cannot make it up. The only negative remark was about the pit stop at the truck stop and gas station. Their only facility for a restroom was a hole in the ground…not always something you think to ask before the excursion. Some of the ladies chose to wait until they got back to the ship around 4:30pm, a most long day for them to be sure.
One overland trip left from Salalah today. It was highlights of Jordan: Amman, Petra & the Dead Sea Overland Adventure for 6 days and 5 nights. The cost? $4500 per person, and that did not include any dinners. Those meals were on your own. Not sure how many folks went.
Except for the overland, we have done the above tours at least once….twice to Job's tomb we remember. So we decided to stay onboard and treat it like a day at sea, as we have already stated.
Our port lecturer, Barbara, had said quite firmly in her Salalah talk that no complimentary shuttles to downtown would be provided, no matter how hard they tried to get one. She said to be prepared to pay money here to do anything or go anywhere. In her opinion, this would be the place to book ship tours, and not depend on doing anything on your own. From experience, we know that the taxi drivers can be very aggressive here. That was confirmed at dinnertime, when Greg and Heo said it was a zoo outside the port gates this morning. The taxi drivers were almost combative with each other, and it was not a pretty sight. Even the local police got involved keeping them civilized. The guys and Martha went to the Crowne Plaza Hotel, as did many other guests, in search of lunch and internet, of course. They had a nice time and a good lunch.
So glad we did not attempt that, since we had work to do and finally the time to do it. Expecting to be dining at a table for two for lunch, we were surprised to see Barb, Ellen, and Aart enter the dining room at 12:30pm. We were certain they would have gone to the Plaza, but they were thinking the same way we were. Not worth it. We were about done with our dessert, but we joined them at a larger table while they ate their meals. We had a fine time visiting with them, and ended up staying well beyond closing time. The waiters are so nice, they never disturb us when we linger longer than we should.
The afternoon evaporated with us getting lots of work done in the comfort of our room. By 4:30pm, we headed up to deck eight, where the sail away party would commence at 5:30pm. There were a few folks outside either sunbathing or swimming. Only the "sun lovers" among the group would be out there. That desert heat combined with some humidity can be dangerous. There was a redeeming breeze, however, that helped cool the air off.
We spent the time watching local dhow boats being loaded by cranes. These traditional wooden boats are still used for trading between the port cities of Oman, and are interesting in design. This port happens to be one of the busiest in Oman, so there was never a dull moment if you wanted to watch the dock action.
Between watching the dock work, and the few birds and fish we saw in the waters, we ended up spending three hours back there. Some of our buddies joined us while we sailed slowly out of the harbor. It was wonderful when the sun began dipping towards the horizon, presenting a most colorful sky with the cranes from the dock and boats in the water in the foreground. A most nice way to end the day.
The only ones missing at dinner tonight were Martha and Barb, who took some dance hosts to dinner in the Pinnacle Grill. We still had to use two tables, since 11 at the round table was one seat too much. Someone had arranged for an "April Fool's Day" birthday in Bonnie's honor. By the way, Bonnie and Paul had donned costumes of pirates for dinner tonight, assuming the costume party included dinnertime. It did not, but, oh well, they were here, and it was too late to change. Paul came as the sheikh of Arabia, and Bonnie was dressed like an Arabian milkmaid, as she put it. Hope they win the prize at the party in the Crows Nest tonight from 9 to 11 pm. They deserve it for having to sit through dinner in those get-ups.
Greg, Heo, and Sharon squeezed into the table with the group when the Snickers Cake arrived. Happy birthday or not, there were no candles. Forgot they are not allowed to have an open flame anymore. Probably a wonderful deletion, because now there are no candles to blow out, thus no germs covering the dessert. Our kind waiters served vanilla ice cream with the generous cuts of cake. All of us left the table stuffed to the gills.
There was no show tonight in the Queens Lounge, due to the Costume Party event in the Crows Nest. But there had been a one-time show at 7:15pm featuring harmonica virtuoso Bernie Fields. He recently opened for Pink Martini with the Pacific Symphony in Los Angeles. Having not read the newsletter today, mostly because it was so silly, we missed the early show. Oh well, bet we were not the only ones to miss it.
The next four days will be true sea days, as the Amsterdam heads towards the Red Sea on the way to Aqaba, Jordan. We will be sailing in very dangerous waters according to Captain Mercer. Good to know there will be many eyes on our hopefully safe journey.
Looking forward to smooth sailing and lazy days.
Bill & Mary Ann
Coming into the port of Salalah
A very active port for Oman
Dhows in port (old vessels still in use)
These boats were being loaded with cargo all day.
The spacious dock area
We could not walk to the gate.
Isolated and desolate in Salalah's port
The gangway was protected with tarps, two shuttles standing by
Shuttles only went to the port gate
Best scenery was the opposite way.
Watching port activity from the promenade deck
Hard to see, there are millions of tiny fish swimming near the ship
Sail away Pictures……..
Piles of silica or something similar on the dock
Many cranes loading the Maersk ship
Hundreds of containers to load
The city of Salalah in the distance
The gangway surrounded with tarps to hold down the sand
Might be the sultan's summer residence
A traditional dhow boat
Piles of steel pipes on the dock
Getting ready for the sail away at 5:30pm
A few ladies cooling off in the pool
Local tugboat
The dhow boats are unique
Fun to watch the loading procedure
More dhows docked
Looks like a palace
A slum dog
A local crow watches us briefly
Watching the crew work
Tug is ready to assist us
The flags are flying in the breeze
Living quarters on the dhow are in the aft
Here comes the pilot boat
The name is on the back
This one had Emaar on it
Well-constructed and still in use
A naval ship flying the Korean flag
Boats made with fine wood
An oasis on top of the hillsides
These travel along Oman's coastline
Leaving the harbor in Salalah
Seabird
These waters had dolphins we heard
Different type of tern
Tug ready
On our way out
Sun was going down as we left
Naval boat
Anchored dhow
Salalah, the city
Dhow at anchor
A tanker arriving
Lights will be on soon
Harbor traffic
Getting dark as we leave
The party is over
Downtown Salalah
Colorful ship
Sunset over the harbor
Close to 6:30pm
Finally, the day got cooler
A hot sunset
One of the better ones of the trip
The day ends in Oman
Sun disappearing behind some clouds
Never a clear horizon in this part of the world
About gone
Getting darker
That's about it
Gone
Nightfall
Very hazy skyline
