Omani Adventure Finale

      

For the last few days of the Omani Adventure, we chillaxed in Salalah which is in the southern region of Oman, near the border of Yemen.  After just a 2 hour plane ride, we landed in a completely different climate.  The breeze was cool, the mountains were green, and it even rained!  We met up with two other friends there and enjoyed the kelp strewn beaches, roaming camels, hotel spa, and spotting enticing waves in the distance (I would love to go back here with a board!).  Unfortunately it was still Ramadan so the swim-up bar was decidedly closed, as were most of the restaurants during the day.  Regardless, we finished out the trip to Oman with a bang and all vowed to return (not during the Holy month) sometime in the future!

So, if you ever make your way to the Middle East, I would definitely recommend checking out Oman.  The government is stable, the country is well run, the geography is beautiful, and the culture is very colorful!

Jabel Shams

With our remaining day in Muscat, we checked out Jabel Shams, Oman's grand canyon.  I think we were all a bit worried as our driver booked it up the dirt zig-zag mountain road to reach the top at 10,000ft, but the white knuckles were worth it, the sight was amazing.  My photos do not do this place justice, it was truly amazingly huge.  We all vowed to return one day during the rainy season so that we could trek, rather than ride to the top.

Stay tuned to hear the last of the Omani saga- the trip to the southlands....

green, green, its green they say

I am a sucker for the Opinion pages.  I just read this article in the New York Times.  I thought it was very good.  What are your thoughts on the matter?  Do you think that we will every solve our, pollution/ energy crisis problem?

Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque

The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat was really amazing.  This house of Islam can hold up to 20,000 people between its male and female prayer rooms.  Despite having to wear abaya, getting a tour of this mosque was really great.  All of us were lacking in knowledge of Islam- up to this point we had read some of the Quran and had talked to Arab friends about the religion, but our tour guide showed us how Muslims pray and what to do in the mosque.  We also left the mosque with loads of free books (information on women in Islam, why they don't eat pork, etc) from the Mosque Education Director who sat us down in his study to specifically tell us about his religion.  While I don't think I'll be converting anytime soon, the grandeur of the prayer rooms (though the women's was more drab) and the friendly staff did make a good case!

check out more photos here

Omani History

One of the greatest things about Oman is that it really is set up for tourism (unlike the eh Pearl of the Red Sea).  We were able to call up a guide who pointed out the notable ruins (that are well maintained by the government!) around Muscat, and took us to Nizwa Fort.  It was great to learn about Omani history and get some insight into local culture.

the souq

Visiting the Souq was one of my favorite parts of our trip.  All of the foreign sights, smells, and tastes seem to stimulate every part of the body.  From the plump ripe dates, to the frankincense, to the very old (and young) shopkeepers, there is constantly something to entice the eye.

More photos of the trip have been added here