"Treasures of Cruising the World" with Bill & Mary Ann: Report #82 Muscat, Oman March 22, 2017 Wednesday Mostly sunny & 77 degrees Part #1 Of 3 85 Pictures

Well, here we are in the country of Oman with a population of 3,419,000 people that speak primarily Arabic. It has a total area of 119,467 square miles. The capital is Muscat, and that just happens to be where we are docked since last night. Muscat is a pivotal trading and military point, and has been for thousands of years. It has a most sheltered harbor, although was invaded by the Persians, and eventually the Portuguese, who controlled the area for over 100 years. Evidence of this occupation stands today with their forts and watch towers facing the Gulf of Oman. The sultans eventually took over in the 18^th century and have remained ever since. And they have big, big money, and are not afraid to show it with massive palaces and two extravagant yachts in the harbor. Products that keep them in the $$$ are petroleum, trade, and porting. Tourism has become number one, ever since Sultan Qaboos bin Said took over in 1970, deposing his father. Now you see upscale shopping as well as souk bargains.

Surprisingly, Oman has diverse natural beauty….the main draw to tourism these days. It is more accessible than Saudi Arabia, safer than Yemen (by far), and more traditional than the Persian Gulf Emirates. Oman is Arabia's most rewarding destination, especially if you ask the Sultan, who resides here.

Bedouin traditions show through the forts, villages, and all related architecture. The most interesting draw in Muscat has to be the Mutrah Souk, an Arabian bazaar from the past, come to life. Where else can you see and smell real incense as clouds of it emits from the incense burners from one end of the souq to the other?

There are also beautiful stretches of natural white sand beaches, but you will see little swimming. If locals go in the water here, the ladies will be fully dressed in black burkas. If you are searching for a place to show off that bikini, best go to one of the modern hotels. Still a conservative country, the best time to visit is from November to mid-March. Or you may find yourself in the middle of a monsoon. It did happen one year when we stopped in Muscat, to find they had been having so much rain, that the souq was flooded. A river was running through it, and everything was closed.

Things to see in Muscat include the best bazaar, Portuguese forts, mosques, castles, palaces ( viewed only from the outside), and unspoiled beaches. The craggy mountains make for a beautiful backdrop in this picturesque city on the protected harbor. Nizwa is another inland town to see. It boasts a 17^th century fort, and another huge souq. Mughsail's jaw-dropping bay with sheer cliffs is a good place to find frankincense and myrrh. Many years ago, we bought small containers of the resins, but have yet to burn it. Reminds us of church when we were kids growing up.

Things to do in Oman could be a walk through Wadi Shab, a green gorge that looks like paradise. Or see copper-colored dunes of Wahiba Sands by camel or 4WD. A drive over Hajar Mountains brings you to Ubar, the lost city. Another place of interest is Musandam Peninsula, a dramatic Omani outpost the guards the gates of the Gulf.

So what do people eat here? "Harees" , steamed wheat, boiled meat (usually lamb), lime, chilli, onions, and garnished with owaal, which is dried shark. Or try shuwa, marinated meat cooked in an earth oven. Chicken, fish, and mutton is served with spicy sauces, drizzled with lime or lemon. We did see barrels of dried brown-looking lemons and limes in the souq today for that purpose. Kebabs are popular, especially with mutton. Visitors to Oman are only allowed to drink alcohol if they buy drinks from licensed hotels. Western fast foods, such as KFC, have found their way here. So has Starbucks, we read. The local favorite drink in Oman is camel's milk. Wonder if they serve that at Starbucks?

Trademarks: Considered a former "hermit" sultanate, Oman has become one of the most open Arabian Peninsula states. You can find the khanjar or the curved dagger (yes, we own one), frankincense (quite valuable in days past), ancient forts, and palaces. Bedouins, sands of the Empty Quarter, and camel racing are huge here.

A random fact: The coastal oasis of Sohar will forever be remembered from the "Arabian Nights" as the starting point for Sinbad's epic journeys.

Tours offered here by HAL's shore excursions were from 2 hours to 8 ½ hours for $63 to $200. They included a hop-on, hop-off bus for $63, dolphin watching, tours to museums, the palace, and forts. There was a visit to Nakhl, Muscat and the market, a cruise on an Arabian dhow, or tea at the Al Bustan Palace Hotel. There was a 4WD visit to a wadi (dry river bed), but with the recent rains, it was cancelled.

We were not alone today, as the Vision of the Seas (RCI), docked in the slip across from us as we ate breakfast. It is classified as a large resort ship with pleasant décor for casual family-friendly cruising. Built in 1998, it is 78,491 gross tons and holds up to 2435 passengers. We happened to have sailed on her many years ago from Hawaii to Vancouver. It was not the best experience we have had, so we never went back to that line. Heard things have improved immensely with the building of the newer mega-ships. They are the destination in themselves we have heard.

Having done every tour here, we chose to take the complimentary (and mandatory) shuttle to the Mutrah Souq. We were handed an Omani landing card, the boarded one of the many shuttle buses. There was supposed to be a stop at the terminal, where we should have debarked, gone through their security, then reboard the bus to town. Well, that did not happen that way. An Omani man boarded the bus near the terminal, and counted all of us, and perhaps was looking for large back packs. We were OK to go straight to the gate, and on to town. That was good. Sometimes this process takes up to ½ hour.

Took all of ten minutes to arrive at the entrance to the souq. It was around 10am when we arrived, which turned out to be perfect, since most all of the passengers on both ships were on tours. It was not overly crowded. It was obvious that the rain last night had left major puddles from the bottom of the souq all the way to the top. Not enough for any shops to close, thank goodness.

We were not looking for anything in particular, but more interested in taking some colorful photos. Although some of the shops here are not inexpensive, like the jewelry stores, the rest of their treasures are negotiable. Never hurts to pick up a few Burberry scarves, not exactly the real deal, but pretty good looking. One of us already has a healthy stack of fabric from here, so we looked, but only took pictures. Also picked up a diamond-jeweled black jacket, commonly seen on the local ladies. The bargaining was just as much fun as the actual purchase, which was way less than half of the asking price.

We zig-zagged all the way to the top, where the souq opens up into a street full of local shops. We heard later that if we had been interested in buying anything out here, they would not have taken any US dollars. Only Omani rial at .38 to one US $. Like we said, things could be expensive here. The vendors in the souq readily took the dollars.

We spent more time running into people we knew and chatting than buying things. Had to check out every shoe shop, but had no luck in finding white dress shoes or sandals. Gold, silver, or copper color? Not a problem. Finding the right size……a big problem.

Back down to the entrance, we crossed the busy street, and walked the corniche, or what they call the waterfront road. It was so overcast today, we felt like it could rain any second. Of course, we packed the umbrellas, assuring us that no rain would fall. It worked. The sun finally peeked out in the late afternoon. We looked for the tropical fish we know are in the harbor, and saw a few. The tide was out, and the rocky shoreline was full of gulls eating bread that a local girl was tossing to them. On past trips here, we have seen café owners tossing lots of stale bread in the water for the fish. We had hoped to see some sting rays and turtles as well, but no lick today.

We made our way up towards Riyam Park, where we ran into friends Peg and Rich, that had taken the shuttle last night to town. They found a good place for dinner, saw some shops that had stayed opened in the souq, then got back before the rain came down hard. Some folks are just lucky, but we are sure some were not. At least it was not too hot to walk the seawall today, so we didn't mind it. Hard to get the best photos without the sun however.

We went back to the ship with a short wait for the shuttle, without ever having to go through the terminal. Good deal. All of us handed over the Omani cards before we went up the gangway, since we did not intend to go back. All aboard was at 4:30pm, and the expected sail away should have been sometime around 5pm. That would not happen……..

Captain Mercer announced at the sail away around 5pm, that two trucks bringing deliveries to the ship were delayed. They were expecting fresh produce, flowers, and much needed medical supplies. We waited until the goods were loaded, but ended up leaving around 6:30pm, over 1½ hours late. The good part was that leaving in the dark, gave us different photos to take. And exactly at 6:17pm (sunset), all of the minarets in town sounded the prayer call. Reminded everyone that could hear this that we are NOT in Kansas anymore. The bad part was that we had been invited to a special President's Club party in the Officer's Bar at 7pm. It would take a quick dash to the room, change, and be at the meeting point on the Dolphin deck by 7pm. Made it by the skin of our teeth.

Most all of the President's Club members onboard were lined up in the hallway to go down the "secret" staircase to deck A, or take the elevator down one deck. We were led to the Officer's Bar and had the opportunity to mix and mingle with some of the officers and staff. Many of the junior officers were present, but hugged the bar for the most part. Seasoned officers mingled among us, including Shiv, Henk, Gene, Christel, and of course, Peter, who spent the most time with our group with Don and Barbie and us. Many elegant canopies were passed among all of us, as well as copious cocktails of our choice. Manny always takes good care of us. Only the best is served here. Thankfully, only our small group (about 30) had been invited, as compared to last year, when deck seven folks had been included. We were stuffed in like sardines back then. That is probably why our buddies, Eddie and Lee, did not attend tonight. Earlier in the day, we ran into them, and they thought the invite was for tomorrow evening, a sea day, instead. Now that would have made sense, right? We certainly appreciate the invite to this special event, but tomorrow may have been better….a sea day, not a port day. And who knew we would be leaving so much later? In their nineties, it must have been too much for Eddie and Lee to handle, so they did not attend. The hour flew by, and it was time for dinner, although we could have called it night….we were full already.

We joined our table to find we had company. Both watercolor instructors, Carol and her assistant, Kelly, were there. It is the first time we met Kelly, although she has dined here when we were in the Pinnacle Grill. It was a nice evening, and our dinners were served on hot, regular plates…..no bowls for any of us. Barb had gone to Philip last night, and asked for plates from now on. So, it was done. Now we do hope, it continues.

The entertainer of the evening was a singer by the name of Peter Cutler…..variety at its best. Did we attend……no, it had been a very long day, and nothing sounded better than turning in by 10pm.

We did not take our usual walk on the lower deck, since all of the lights have been turned off now. Security teams roam the deck on constant watch, a reminder that we are in some of the most dangerous waters in the world right now, and will continue to be for several days.

Bill & Mary Ann

Local wooden boat