Located on the Arabian Peninsula, Oman is the most accessible country, safer than Yemen, and more traditional than the Gulf Emirates. With a population of 3.5 million Arabic-speaking people, Oman has a history of Bedouin tradition, extraordinary forts, and the most unique architecture. In past centuries, the capital of Muscat was a trading post and a military point. Persians, and the Portuguese invaded the inland tribes until the Al Bu Said took control in the 18th century.
Modern Muscat, with a population of 1.4 million people, has an economy based on petroleum and porting. The sultan’s son, Qaboos bin Said disposed his father in 1970, sending him into exile to London. This move brought Oman into the 20th century, and out of the dark ages as far as their citizens were concerned. The result of the booming tourist trade and the discovery of oil was a success story. This capital city offers tours of forts, palaces, grand mosques, as well as upscale shopping and luxury hotels and resorts that feature diving, windsailing, and snorkeling.
What do they like to eat here? Their specialty is called “hares” which is steamed wheat, boiled meat, preferably chicken, fish, beef, and mutton. Even camel meat. Lime chilies and onions can be served with dried shark. Their favorite drink is camel’s milk.
Tours here included city excursions, the Hop on Hop off bus ($75), tea at the Bustan Palace Hotel ($140), or out of town tours to see forts and fresh water springs. These ran from $70 to $200, the most expensive ones included lunch. They ranged in time from 3 to 8 ½ hours. They also came with a warning: modest, loose-fitting clothing, knees, shoulders, and midriffs covered, ladies heads covered in a mosque with shoes off. Also going into a mosque there shoud be no legs or arms exposed, and men must wear long trousers (no shorts). One overland left from here which was the Best of Jordan for 7days, 6 nights for $4300 (double) and $5500 (single).
There had been a mixed message regarding the holiday rules here today. Much of which we were told did not happen. The grand mosque was opened in the morning, but closed to the public during the prayer time. The main museum was opened all day, and from what we saw, the Mutrah Souq was still operating after 2pm, although we were advised it would close at noon. This did cause many folks to amend their plans, when they probably did not have to. As hard as they try, sometimes they get it wrong. We do know that all pharmacies were closed, and a few shops in the souq never opened. Alcohol definitely was not sold anywhere today.
We have been here more times than we can count, and of course, have taken about all of the tours. The Amsterdam arrived to the harbor and was docked by 8am. We had company…..the MSC Splendida, almost 138,000 gross ton vessel. This ship was built in France and launched in 2009. It holds from 3274 to 3900 passengers, who are mostly European. Their currency is the Euro. It is advertised as a family-friendly ship with tasteful and elegant décor. Although we are not certain, we were told that all of their announcements are made in several languages. So there would be a whole lot of tourists in town today.
We left the ship around 9:30am, and upon leaving the gangway, we were handed a landing card. This would need to be turned in when we returned to the ship. Climbing into the small port shuttle, we expected to stop about 100 feet away to go through an xray check in the small terminal. Since there were already four large buses waiting to send their passengers through the checkpoint, our bus keep going. We did remember we did the same thing two years ago. What the point was of a check for some and not for all was a mystery. As far as security was concerned, they may have well done nothing.
The 15 minute ride dropped us off in front of the Mutrah Souq in the center of downtown. We figured that the majority of the guests on both ships would be on tours, and this was the best time to explore this massive market. The Mutrah Souq can best be described as a fantasy of an Arabian bazaar come-to-life, glittering with silver, gold, and copper mixed with clouds of incense. And that is just what we found today….and much, much more.
Some of the items sold here are silver jewelry, daggers called khanjars, perfumes, fabrics, camel bone and jeweled boxes, Omani clothing for everyone, and frankincense wine the burners to let it smoke. Trinkets were sold here by the thousands, as were pashminas and Omani hats for the guys. Every accessory known to man was a bargain here. And by the way, they readily accepted US dollars. The rate of .38 Omani rials to $1.00 USD, is not a bargain for us, especially if you are interested in real gold and authentic gemstone jewelry. The only savior is the fact the vendors will try to make a deal, even though they say their prices are fixed.
Visiting the nicest fabric shop in this maze of shops, we bought a 2 meter length of an Italian silk print. The seamstress among us will be cursing when sewing it, but with the correct needles and thread, it should work. Then we located the narrow small shop where we bought one of the black shawls with rhinestone designs on it two years ago. We ended up making a deal with buying two of them, one made with a black lace. These weigh almost nothing and pack well…no wrinkles.
Job complete, we continued going uphill, taking scores of photos, until we reached the far end and the exit to the street. This is where the locals do business like barber shops, the butchers, and their daily clothing shops. Kitchen stalls offered a variety of spices from opened gunny sacks. At this end of the souq, the ladies are dropped off by taxi, then picked up once again to go back home. It seemed like every short block had a mosque.
We back-tracked and elbowed our way back down from the now really crowded souq to the main street where the Mutrah Corniche is located. It is a waterside promenade around the old part of the city, with the sidewalks covered in tiled designs, and the walls made from granite. It went on for a few miles. At the very least, strolling the waterside of the harbor had a breeze which helped to keep us cool…..for a short time.
The tide was up so keeping an eye out for stingrays or sea turtles did not pan out. But we did see schools of tropical fish like triggers, damsels, and an assortment of transluscent tiny fish. Out of the blue, something bigger was out there……it was a 4 to 5 foot shark. We watched as it came into the shallows, working the pylons along the edge. Never expected to see that, but the locals have a habit of throwing old bread into the waters here, attracting the smaller fish. The shark was visible for a couple of seconds, then it disappeared as fast as it had surfaced.
Continuing on our hike, we enjoyed the backdrop of the dramatic jagged mountains that almost hid the historic forts that are scattered throughout this city. Beyond this desert oasis, is what they call the Empty Quarter, an expanse of desert that includes a major portion of Oman and Saudi Arabia. Never knew that the average temperatures in that desert can get to 124 degrees F. Hard to imagine.
We always walk the Corniche, this stretch of the seawall, but since it was level and not too hot, we continued until we were way past the big Incense Burner that greets travelers arriving from the sea. Passing by parks with fountains and shade, we ended up at a dead end where a few condos were perched on a small beachfront. At the very end, a private gated park offered umbrella-shaded picnic tables and green lawns. Hoping that there was a hotel or shops nearby where we could purchase water or sodas proved fruitless. It was going to be a long walk back.
Good thing there were several spots along the way to get some shade. The decorative fountains appeared to be on timers, going off on the hour. At least they give the impression of coolness, an oasis in the desert, so to speak. The local birds, mostly large crows, seem to know this is the place to get fresh water. And since it was sort of a holiday, many families were out and about having picnics in the parks. There is also an amusement park with rides for the kids at this end. And somewhere in or out of the city, there is a golf course, because we saw a group of folks we know heading off earlier in the day with their golf bags.
We kept an eye out for another sighting of that shark, but it never came back. Reading the port guide, we read that there is an offshore island called Fahal, two miles of the coast. It is known as shark island for the residents of its waters. We wonder if the two fellows snorkeling at those condos knew there was a shark nearby?
Arriving back at the Mutrah Souq, we boarded a waiting shuttle for the ride back to the ship. However, there were still a few seats left, and we were not leaving until they were filled. No fair, the large buses for the Splendida guests were only half full, and they left. The good thing was that the driver, who had left the coach, kept the engine running for the air-conditioning.
We were back to the pier by 2:30pm, in time to go to the Lido for lunch. Bet we consumed a gallon of ice tea there and more sodas and water in our room later. Seriously, we will never leave home without taking at least two bottles of water. We had a little time to cool down while downloading photos and catching up on Oman’s facts and history. Before we knew it, sail away was about to begin. Once again, the Muscat sail away was held in the Crow’s Nest with drink specials.
Thinking the Seaview Pool would be empty, we were wrong. By 6pm, the deck filled with passengers who figured out it had gotten much cooler outside, and a wonderful breeze had popped up. The ropes were dropped, and we were off about 6:22pm, just when the sun was setting behind those jagged peaks. It was nice watching the city lighting up as we sailed out of the harbor. By the way, when we came outside, we noticed the MSC ship had already left the port. Asking our friends, they said it quietly left after 4pm or so.
With police-escorted vessels, several local fishermen and a few of the wooden Arabian dhow boats on dinner cruises glided by us. Taking photos of the path we walked surprised both of us at how far we had actually walked today. Now our friends that had taken the hop-on hop-off bus (same local price as the HAL tour of $75) said they saw so much, and did not have to walk at all in the heat. Perhaps they were the smart ones, but they missed the shark.
There were only three of us at dinner, and once again, we were stumped for choices to order off of the creative menu. Sometimes Slam, our waiter, has a hard time describing food items that are foreign to him. Barb had the fish entrée, sauce on the side, and we had one pasta and one entrée salad. All was good, and some of the fancy names turned out to be the regular stuff anyway. Wanting a little something sweet for dessert, Slam brought us a plate full of warm, freshly baked biscotti. We had asked for two cookies, but he brought a dozen. It’s really hard to keep the calories low, but have been pretty successful on this cruise.
A few extra notes are worth writing about. One has to do with anti-piracy prevention. Starting tonight, all of the drapes in the public rooms and curtains in the cabins have to be drawn and closed. The center section of lights on the lower promenade deck were turned off, with only the bow and aft sections lit. Even though there was supposed to be a 24 hour watch on the outside deck, we did not see the guards there at 10pm. Or maybe we just couldn’t see them. Sure gives one an uneasy feeling when walking outside.
The other message we got dealt with supply loading in Muscat that never happened. Multiple 40 foot containers with general food and beverage supplies never arrived. Local supplies were purchased, but not everything was met. In the next ports in Jordan and Italy, the rest should arrive. The funniest statement was that we still have enough toilet paper! Hmm, good to know….
Bill & Mary Ann
Friday, April 5, 2019
Report #76 Muscat, Oman April 4, 2019 Thursday Mostly sunny & 90 degrees
