Friday, Mary 24: I will carry to America hundreds of wonderful memories of my time here in the Sultanate of Oman.There are too many to put into one blog post, as I have written over 475 posts during my 20+ months here. As part of my fond farewell to Oman, here are my top 10 happy memories.
1. On April 19, 2012, Mario, his Omani friend Sultan and I went on a mis-adventure to Wadi Damm. It was shortly after a big rainfall and we had to cross about 10 fast-flowing wadis. It was a foolish exploit, because many people get killed every year in flooding wadis; it rains so rarely here that most of the time the wadis are bone dry and people don’t realize how dangerous they are. For us on this day, it was a grand & somewhat dangerous adventure. We laughed a lot and then ended up at my house drinking wine and enjoying the night away ~ high jinks all around. (an attempted trip to wadi damm ~ foiled by raging wadis)
one of the raging wadis on the way to Ibri
2. On April 26, 2012, two of my friends, Kathy and Tom, and I ventured across the Hajar Mountains in Oman. We drove over a treacherous dirt road along the edges of steep mountains through Wadi Bani Awf toward an idyllic little village called Balad Sayt. In order to get to this beautiful village, we had to clamber through a pool-filled canyon to emerge on the other side in an open bowl surrounded by mountains. The village with all its lush green plantations sits in the middle of this bowl. Kathy made the mistake of abandoning her shoes beside one of the pools in the canyon. When she came out on the Balad Sayt side, she struggled mightily to walk over the burning gravelly path up to the village. She devised several methods to protect her feet, using discarded pieces of rotten wood which she tossed ahead of her one step at a time; this painstaking method didn’t work too well. She finally tied some flexible bark around her feet with old twine. I know it wasn’t too funny for Kathy, but Tom and I never laughed so hard in our lives! (52 pick up: success (aka overcoming adversity))
Kathy and her bark and twine makeshift shoes ~ at Balad Sayt, Oman
3. On March 28, 2013, Mario and I went up to Jebel Akhdar to see the roses. The year before, we had tried to see the roses but had come too late. This time, we were able to breathe in the sweet fragrance and take lovely photos of the pink blossoms. We had a lovely time walking through the rose gardens and then having wine and dinner at the Sahab Hotel after (the roses of jebel akdhar & a lovely encounter with an irish couple). We repeated similar amazing experiences on Jebel Akhdar so many other times, I can’t even count them all.
Roses on Jebel Akhdar
Everyone who reads my blog knows that my favorite place in Oman is Jebel Akhdar. Each time I went up the “Green Mountain,” I had different memorable experiences that I’ll carry in my heart always. Here are a couple more of my favorite times.
4) On May 11, 2012, Mario and I went hiking on Jebel Akhdar in search of the roses, but we were too late to see them. However, we had one of many great conversations throughout the course of our friendship. After our hike, he invited me to come over and share lime-flavored white corn TOSTITOS® tortilla chips (a rare find in Oman), apricot & almond cheese, cheddar cheese and a bottle of wine. We sat in his air-conditioned living room and talked about the tribal society of Oman and the confining rules under which a tribe must live, a conversation I call “escaping the tribe.” Sometimes I think I should write a book titled “Conversations with Mario.” (searching for roses on jebel akhdar & a conversation about escaping the “tribe”)
Ruins at Wadi Bani Habib on Jebel Akhdar
5) On January 13, 2012, my sons came to visit me in Oman, and all of us loved our excursion into the watery cave at Wadi Shab (cliff-jumping in the hidden caves of wadi shab). Stunningly beautiful.
The entrance to the pools at Wadi Shab that you must swim through to get to the cave
6) On April 11, 2013, Mario and I went to explore Wadi Bani Kharous. Not only did we explore the multitudes of picturesque villages in that wadi, but we experienced some great Omani hospitality along the way. (a trip to wadi bani kharous)
Omani hospitality at Wadi Bani Kharous
7) On Tuesday, February 21, 2013 Mario and I went on a huge road trip, where we explored Wadi Dayqah Dam, among other places, and ended up in Wadi Arbiyyin on the east coast of Oman. Then we headed to Muscat and had a sushi buffet. It was the road trip to beat all road trips, and perfectly lovely, except for the gunshots that scared us out of our wits. (wadi arbiyyin >> quriyat >> sushi in muscat. {the road trip: part 3})
Wadi Arbiyyin on the east coast of Oman
8) When I first arrived in Oman, I coudn’t find anyone who wanted to go exploring Oman on the first National Holiday, so I went by myself. I had a great time at Al Areesh Desert Camp meeting random people and listening & dancing to the Bedouin music. (national holiday chapter 3: sharqiya sands & al-areesh desert camp)
Bedouin singers at Al Areesh Desert Camp
9) When I went to Jordan over the 2011 Eid, I met an Italian guy, Guido, who came to visit me in Oman in December. We had a great time going to Wadi Tiwi on his visit here on December 2, 2011. (cathy takes guido to wadis tiwi & shab…and up the coast to muscat)
I’ve been to some of these places many times, and each time was wonderfully special. I’ve picked my favorites based on a feeling of peace and contentment I experienced during those specific times.
My time here in Oman is coming to a close. I am ready to leave, but I will carry many happy memories with me. 🙂
Friday, May 17: This morning, a small group of us meets at Mario’s house in Izki at 6:30 a.m. for a day trip to Wekan, a small village perched on the side of a mountain at the end of Wadi Mistal in Al Batinah.
Anna and I drive in my turquoise Suzuki Celerio because I have to return it Budget Renta Car at the airport on our way back through Muscat. I had a flat tire last week and found out from the person who helped change the tire that ALL the tires on the car are bad. Now I’m driving with no spare. Besides that, there is no crank for the jack. I am returning it this afternoon for a different Suzuki.
Mario and Gavin drive in Gavin’s 4WD; he’s the one who will drive us off the beaten path through Wadi Mistal. At the clocktower roundabout at Al Rusayl, I leave my car and we all get into Gavin’s car for the rest of the drive.
When we arrive at the entrance to Wadi Mistal, we are pleasantly surprised to find 18km of the paved road into the wadi is now complete. We only have to drive an additional 12 km on a dirt track. That makes for a smoother and more pleasant drive.
When we arrive, Gavin brings out a plastic container of muffins to fortify us for our hike through the gardens of Wekan. It’s quite hot today, about 106 degrees Fahrenheit, but up on this mountain, we find it’s a wee bit cooler, thank heavens.
the view of Wadi Mistal from the village of Wekan
shadow play in a building near the entrance of Wekan that looks like it was once a ticket booth
the watchtower at the entrance to Wekan
Heed the sign!
Wekan is quite an exciting village for those of us living in Oman because it is one of the few places with a lot of green. Our first sighting is of some green ornamental grasses. We don’t see too many grasses in this country.
some pretty grasses near the entrance to Wekan
the field of onions that seems to have been harvested already
a budding pomegranate
We come across some Bangladeshi boys who have picked a bunch of apricots and Mario shells out a couple of Omani rials to buy a bag of them. We all enjoy the snack of fresh fruit right off the trees.
a collection of apricots
It seems the whole mountainside is lush with grapevines.
trellises of grapevines
figs
beautiful red and yellow leaves from the grapevines
a makeshift fence
another pomegranate
the fuzzy bush in the foreground is an asparagus plant. I never knew asparagus looked like this!
I’m especially captivated by the smattering of red and yellow leaves on the grapevines. As I haven’t experienced autumn in two years, I feel compelled to capture them in a photo so I can look at them and dream of being back in the USA this fall for my favorite season.
red and yellow grapevine leaves
I love the colors of this leaf
I love this delicate little weed
looking across the wadi to the mountains on the other side
Looking down on Wekan from the gardens above
some harvested Omani garlic. We can really smell it!
view of Wekan from above
another view of Wekan
going up the Persian steps in Wekan
Gavin, Anna and Mario
grapes, not quite ready for harvest
figs
more grapes
grapevines on trellises
more grapes
date palm and the Western Hajar Mountains
more tiny grapes
another interesting weed
partly shaded Persian steps alongside the pomegranates
shaded steps and the falaj beside them
date palms and the mountains above
the falaj and the Persian steps
more of the Persian steps
Wekan
a picture of an Arabian Oryx drawn on a wall
a pretty onion, according to Mario
I always feel like a walk through Wekan is like experiencing a bit of paradise. With the running water in the falaj humming a soothing tune and the slight, though warm, breezes on the mountain, it’s a little escape from the miserable heat down below.
As it takes about 3 hours to get to Wekan from Nizwa, I don’t think I will be returning to Wekan again before I leave Oman.
Fare thee well, Wekan! You’ve given me many happy memories. 🙂
Saturday, May 11: Ailsa’s Travel Theme for this week is Beaches. Here are some beaches I’ve encountered in my travels.
Let’s start at the beginning. Here is the beach of my childhood, on the York River in Yorktown, Virginia. I spent many of my teenage years hanging out with my friends on this beach.
Yorktown Beach with the York River Bridge in the background. This is my hometown.
In general, I prefer deserted, quiet, peaceful and unpopulated beaches, NOT beaches packed with people and umbrellas and chairs and tents and inner tubes like Guryongpo Beach near Pohang, South Korea or Patong Beach in Phuket, Thailand. Most beaches in South Korea are crowded, as Korea is a tiny country with a huge population of 48 million people. Haeundae Beach in Busan is nice enough in early April, when this picture was taken, but it’s usually quite crowded.
the crowded Guryongpo Beach near Pohang, South Korea
another crowded beach in Phuket, Thailand
Haeundae Beach in Busan, South Korea
It’s not so bad if the beach is set up with mostly EMPTY beach chairs and umbrellas, like this beach in Plakias, Crete, Greece. At least it’s on the Mediterranean, and what could be better than that?
Plakias Beach, Crete, Greece
Plakias Beach in Crete, Greece
Sometimes it’s nice to hang out at a hotel beach, like this beach at Shangri-La Resort near Muscat, Oman. It has a huge pool and a lazy river, so you can dip in the fresh water and wash off the salt and sand from time to time.
Beach at the Shangri-la Resort near Muscat, Oman
Beach at the Shangri-la Resort near Muscat, Oman
Some beaches in Oman are quite deserted or are used mainly by fishermen. Every time I’ve been to these beaches, they’ve been so extremely hot, I don’t find them enjoyable. Some of the beaches are so deserted they’re used only by campers.
As Sifah Beach near Muscat, Oman
Omani fisherman at Al Musanaah Beach, Oman
Seashells on the beach at Al Musanaah in Oman
a deserted beach where people camp on the east coast of Oman
This beach on the Dead Sea in Jordan is quite small, and it’s really impossible to swim in the water because of the high salt content. No matter what you do, you end up in a position like you are sitting in an armchair, with your arms, legs and head floating on the water’s surface. Only your rear end sinks in the water.
beach at the Dead Sea in Jordan
Some beaches are just little strips of sand situated on a lake shore, like this beach at Lake Langano, Ethiopia.
a small beach at Lake Langano, Ethiopia
Luckily, there are some picture-perfect beaches like Sangju “Silver Sand” Beach in South Korea.
Wednesday, April 24: I listed my 2008 GMC Terrain for sale on April 1, just as I planned. I was worried about the whole process because 1) I’m always a worrier and 2) I’m a foreigner in Oman and don’t know all the ins and outs of doing business here. So, as you can imagine, my stomach was tied in knots as I went through this process. All I could do was take steps that I thought would lead me to my goal and keep my fingers crossed that everything would work out as it should.
My GMC Terrain all clean and shiny
The hardest part was determining a price because Blue Book values as we know them in the United States are not applicable here in the Gulf. The price is determined solely by the market. I looked at similar 4-wheel drive vehicles with prices ranging from 4,000 rials to 5,600 rials, with higher mileage than mine. But I knew I had paid 5,550 ($14,421) for mine in November of 2011 and I’d put 60,000 km on it in 18 months. I am a good and gentle driver, but I often took the car off-road into wadis and up mountains in less than ideal driving conditions.
The Terrain on the dirt road through the Hajar Mountains, a harrowing 70 km route.
the Terrain at the bottom of Wadi Bani Auf
I had done all the proper servicing through the GMC authorized service garage, but I also knew there were some problems with the car: 1) One was the small dent on the front driver’s side of the hood, which was there when I bought it. I didn’t know the origin of that dent and so couldn’t answer potential buyers’ questions about it. 2) The tires were questionable, but my friend Tony looked at them in December and told me that the tread was good and the tires were perfectly good. Mike also looked at them when he was here in January and agreed that the tread was good and I didn’t need to replace them.
the small dent in the driver’s side hood
3) The last issue was the electrical system of the car. Before I first bought the car, I took it to Precision Auto for a computerized test. They told me a few minor problems that needed fixing, but they also said that there was some kind of electrical problem with the car. However, they couldn’t determine what it was. I could tell that in a small panel in the dashboard, the date and time didn’t work. My CD player and radio worked, but I couldn’t advance through tracks because the button didn’t work. But everything else seemed to be just fine, so I never bothered with checking it further.
the time and time electrical panel on the dashboard never worked
Mario told me the way he got a value for his used car when he sold it was to go to the Toyota dealer and pretend he was interested in buying a new car. So I took his advice and went to visit them. Of course, it didn’t help that I had originally bought my car from this same Toyota dealer, so they knew the whole history of the car. This is life in a small town in Oman.
This is where I originally bought the car in Nizwa
I told them I was looking to buy a Toyota RAV and that I wanted to know what value they would give me for a trade-in. The same guy who sold it to me asked how much I owed on the car and I told him 2,600 rials. After a couple of hours of thought, he called me back and told me he’d give me 3,000 ($7,795) on a trade-in!! I was shocked at the low value, so I called my husband Mike in Virginia and told him the situation. Being the finance guy that he is, as controller for a large government contractor, he did an extensive analysis with detailed spread sheets telling me the dealer would mark up the car about 20%, up to about 3,600 rials or more. Thus I should expect to get about 3,400 in the private market. He said I’d do well to get my loan paid off and recoup about 1/2 of my down payment of 1,400 rials. So the ideal sale value would be about 3,400 rials. Because I know everyone wants to think they’re getting a good deal, I raised my asking price to 3,700 rials ($9,614).
The Toyota dealer in Nizwa gave me a very low offer on a trade-in 😦
I started by telling my students, who immediately texted their uncles, brothers and fathers with the news. I put up an ad on Dubizzle, an online free advertising site for the Gulf. I sent an email to everyone in the Foundation Institute at the University of Nizwa, with a link to my Dubizzle ad. I put up flyers all over the university. A number of expats at the university told me my 3,700 asking price was a very good price.
And the calls started coming in.
The barrage of calls I got in the first two weeks were Omanis calling or sending text messages: “What is your last price?” I quickly got annoyed with this question about the “last price,” as I was certainly not going to tell them my last price. After all, who really knows what their “last price” is until they decide to accept that price? The last price always depends on the seller’s level of desperation — how quickly the seller wants to get rid of the vehicle. My last price in June, when I am due to leave, would certainly be lower than my last price in April, when I still have several months to go.
At first, in answer to this question, I would say, “I’m not going to tell you my last price. You can make me a reasonable offer and I’ll tell you whether I will accept it.” But I quickly found this was a waste of time. They’d make me an offer of 2,500 or 2,700 or 2,900 or 3,000 and then refuse to budge. So I finally started answering that my last price was 3,500 ($9,094). That immediately eliminated the people who were wasting my time.
The other calls and texts I received said the following: “I’ll give you 2,500 rials ($6,500) upon inspection of the car.” I got so many of these calls, I figured out that these were Omanis looking to buy the car at a low price, then mark it up and resell it. I got to the point where I cut these people off, either by not responding to their texts or telling them in the phone calls that they were way too low so there was no point in wasting time talking.
I showed the car many times at this Lulu Hypermarket
The first person I showed the car to was an Egyptian pharmacist who works in Birkat al Mouz. When he took the car (with me inside) on a test drive from the Lulu Hypermarket, he almost wrecked the car before we even got out of the parking lot. Then he drove the car at about 150 km/hour on a road where no one should be going that fast, looking at me and talking with his hands and swerving over the line. I kept having to yell at him, “Slow down! Watch out! You’re going too fast!” When we finally returned to the Lulu parking lot, happily unscathed, he said, I’ll give you 2,800 right this minute. I said no. I said 3,500. He came up to 2,900. I said 3,500. He said he wouldn’t come up anymore and I said I wouldn’t come down. So we parted ways. A week later he called and asked if I changed my mind. I said, I’m not yet desperate. Call me back in June and if I still haven’t sold it, I’ll consider your offer.
Another long line of Omanis at the university asked to test drive it. The car has always been noisy and make a kind of shimmying noise, but some of these people were commenting that the tires were not good and that was what was making the noise. I said no, I had been assured by several people that the tread on the tires was good. They said, no, in Oman, because of the heat, the tires can have good tread but they get very dry and hard. They insisted that was what the noise was. I heard this comment enough times that I started to think they might be right. I went to see a friend’s trusted mechanic who told me that yes, the tires were responsible for the noise.
On the weekend of April 11, Mario and I were on our way to Wadi Bani Kharous and we stopped in Muscat to show the car to two Omani brothers. They drove the car and made an offer to buy the car at 3,300 right then and there, AFTER they took the car to Precision Auto to have a computerized test done. By then I was getting sick of the effort of selling the car, and sick of the really low offers and it was close to my “last price” of 3,400. When they took the car to Precision Auto, the computerized test showed some problem, as it had when I first bought the car, with the electrical system. They said something about a catalytic something that senses buildup in the exhaust system and said it could present a POTENTIAL problem in the future. By this time, the two Omani brothers had been joined by their father and several other brothers to inspect the car. A whole family affair!! They asked the mechanic at Precision Auto if he could guarantee there would be no problems for 5 years. Of course the mechanic couldn’t guarantee such a thing. They tried to get me to come down further on my price and I said the car was already discounted for the unknown of this electrical problem. The deal fell through and Mario and I went on our merry way to Wadi Bani Kharous.
The next day, on our way back through Muscat, another Omani drove the car and offered me 3,200 and told me to think about it a few days. I told him I would do so, and then we returned home to Nizwa.
In the meantime, one of my colleagues had expressed interest in the car, but she needed to obtain financing. She didn’t give me a deposit, nor did I have anything in writing from her that she would buy the car. Therefore it was impossible for me to hold it for her. She and I had agreed on a price of 3,500, but I had determined that until the deal was done, I would sell it to whoever made me a reasonable offer first and could close the deal.
Finally, last Thursday, April 18, two Omani friends, Badr and Senad, came to look at the car. Senad came because Badr can’t speak English, so he came to translate. Badr had heard about the car from a student at the university who had seen my flyer. Badr, who is from Suwaiq in Al Batinah on the north coast of Oman, wanted the car for his wife. He has four children from 2 years old to 8 years old. When he drove the car, immediately he asked about the electrical panel and I said it has never worked since I bought the car. He mentioned that the tires seemed to be a problem. He asked me my “last price” and I told him someone at the university had offered me 3,500 but she was trying to get financing. However, I said, if you want to give me 3,400 today ($8,835), I will sell it to you now. Badr decided he liked the car and said he would go to the bank to get the money. We had to meet at the finance company to pay off the loan and get a release letter. I would get the difference in cash.
We had an hour to wait until the finance company opened, so I ran home and cleaned out my car while they went to Bank Muscat to get the cash. When we got to the finance company, Oman ORIX Leasing, we found that Badr could pay off my loan, but it would take a number of days to get the release letter from their Muscat head office. The police station is closed on Thursday anyway, so it was impossible to transfer the registration until after the weekend. We agreed since they had to wait to get the clear title, Badr would just pay off the loan We would draw up a bill of sale for the difference of 879 rials ($2,284), and we would meet next week at the police station to do the transfer. However, as Oman ORIX Leasing wouldn’t open again until Sunday (the bank weekends are Friday and Saturday), it would take until Monday or Tuesday to get the release letter. I had the sudden realization that the payment for the Terrain of 141 rials/month had just come out of my account and thus I had no money to rent a car, which I would need to do right away. So Badr gave me 200 rials ($520) of the 879 rials he owed me, leaving a 679 rial balance remaining ($1,764).
Oman ORIX Leasing, where I have my loan
When we walked out of the finance company, Badr opened the back car door of the Terrain and ripped off the FOR SALE sign I had taped to the inside window. “Khalas! (Finished!),” he said happily. Then I drove the Terrain and he drove his Nissan Altima to Muscat, where we met at the Clocktower Roundabout. We drove together to a used car lot where someone drew up the bill of sale for the remaining 679 rials. As we were driving, Badr again mentioned that the tires were no good. These Omanis know their cars, there is no question about that. Even though two people I trusted had told me the tires were good, they were Americans who didn’t understand what Oman’s heat can do to tires.
I handed over the keys and all the paperwork on the Terrain to Badr, keeping a copy of his ID card, the bill of sale, the receipt for the loan payoff, and the mokia (registration) for myself. I also had his phone number. We agreed to meet at the police station in Nizwa the following Wednesday morning, April 24, to do the transfer. He attends Master’s degree classes at the University on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so that seemed to be the perfect arrangement.
After all of this, he kindly dropped me off at the airport where I went directly to Budget Cars and rented a turquoise Suzuki Celerio for 150 rials/month. That is $390!! Outrageous! My car payment on the Terrain had only been $141 rials a month, and that for an all-wheel drive!
me with my Suzuki Celerio rental car
Of course the unfinished deal left me with a lot of discomfort. I thought right away that both Badr and Senad were honest and upright people. It was just a feeling I had. I would have never felt that way dealing with that Egyptian who drove my car like a maniac. I was slightly worried that Badr might never show up to pay me the remaining balance. However, I had all the documents in order and could go to the police if he didn’t show up. My bigger concern was that when we met again, he would have had the car for a week and might decide there were more things about the car he didn’t like. I was afraid when we met again, he would try to wiggle his way out of paying the whole 679 rials on the grounds that he found repairs that needed to be made.
the Suzuki Celerio I will have until I leave Oman
Then we had a water debacle at the university. On Saturday, the beginning of the work week in Oman, there was no water in the university. As you can imagine, this started creating back ups in the toilets. Disgusting, yes. On Sunday, the situation was the same. The university decided to cancel classes for the week; however the administration insisted the teachers continue to come to work. As you can imagine, this made for some very unhappy teachers. I will write about this in another post.
This situation threw a glitch in my plans to meet Badr in Nizwa because if classes were cancelled he would have no need to come to Nizwa on Wednesday. However, when I communicated through Senad, he told me that the Master’s classes were not cancelled, so Badr would still come to Nizwa. During the week, I obtained the release letter from the finance company and transferred the insurance to Badr’s name, so I was ready to go on the final deal. In Oman, unlike in America, the insurance is on the car rather than the person, so when the car is sold, the insurance goes with it. I had just renewed my insurance for 175 rials in January of 2013, so the insurance was good through January 2014.
New India Assurance Company, where I transfer the insurance to Badr
On Tuesday and Wednesday it started raining in Oman. This is tantamount to a blizzard in the USA. When it rains here, everyone is afraid to drive because of flooding wadis. Many people are killed as they try to drive through raging wadis and get washed away. Apparently, the wadis in Al Batinah, where Badr lives, were quite problematic as the rains in the north had been quite heavy on Tuesday.
As I walked into the Nizwa police station through a steady rainfall on Wednesday morning, Senad called to tell me Badr wasn’t able to make it out of Suwaiq because of flooding wadis. He wouldn’t be coming to Nizwa after all. He suggested we could wait till next week, but I wasn’t happy with that. I wanted to close this deal, get my money and be done with it. I was already feeling so much anxiety and I didn’t want to go another week feeling this way. So I suggested that if Badr could at least drive to Muscat I would meet him there. Senad called Badr and he agreed to try. We both headed on our way to the Royal Oman Police in Muscat.
In Muscat, there are four or five police buildings across from the airport and I wasn’t sure which one I was supposed to go to. I drove through several parking lots looking for the Terrain. I called Senad and asked if Badr was driving the Terrain so I could look for it. He said, no, Badr is driving his Altima because the Terrain is in the shop! Gulp! I panicked, wondering what was wrong with the Terrain. I again feared that there was some problem and he was going to try to pay me less than we agreed for the car.
When I finally met Badr at the police station I knew all my fears were in vain. The first thing he did was proudly show me pictures of the Terrain on his phone. The dent on the front hood had been repaired and repainted and the car looked like brand new!! His excitement was infectious. I said, “How much?” He said 30 rials! That was nothing. He added that he also put 4 new tires on the car. I was afraid to ask, but I did anyway: “How much?” He said 350 rials ($909)!!! I was shocked. He said he needed to make the car perfect for his wife. It was so sweet!! He was as excited as a little boy who just got some brand new toy.
He asked to see the papers. I gave him the manual, which I had accidentally removed from the glove compartment when I cleaned out the car, and showed him the release paper and the insurance document. I asked about the money and he had the 679 rials bundled up in a rubber band. I counted it in front of him. He told me he had a friend in the police so we didn’t have to take a number; we could get in right away. We sat down with the policeman and the transfer was done in two minutes. Badr showed me pictures of his children, glowing.
Badr and his Altima
What a perfect ending for my GMC Terrain. I couldn’t have sold the car to a nicer person, someone who I know will love and take care of that car like it’s a precious gem. He obviously is a caring person – to his wife, his children and his possessions. I’m so thankful that he turned out to be the next owner of my much-loved little GMC Terrain that has enabled me to explore all the terrains in Oman!!
Badr, the new happy owner of my car
Finally, after leaving Badr in Muscat, I drive the long 1 1/2 hours to Nizwa in the pouring rain. Here’s some very rare video footage of rain in Oman.
Ma’a salama (مع السلامة) ~ Goodbye in Arabic ~ to my dear traveling vehicle! I hope that my little car will give him and his family as much happiness as it gave me. 🙂
Thursday, April 11: Before leaving Mario’s house in Izki this morning, he shows me a flower he discovered growing against the wall of his building, which is located in a hot and dry environment. We both marvel that such a pretty & delicate plant is able to thrive in such a barren place.
delicate flowers near Mario’s flat
beautiful delicacies
We then go to Muscat, where we spend a couple of hours showing my car to some Omanis. This detour turns out to be a big waste of time. By the time we grab some lunch and arrive in Awabi on the Rustaq loop, it is well after one o’clock.
This wadi used to have a 26 km unpaved road back to the lovely town of Al Alya, but in the last several years, the road has been paved. It’s a smooth and well-constructed road, so it’s now an easy drive. We drive through Wadi Bani Kharous, flanked by the steep limestone cliffs of Jebel al Jaru to the east, Jebel al Akdhar to the southeast, and Jebel Al Hijayr to the north.
Wadi Bani Kharous is surprisingly developed, unlike most wadis in Oman, with a string of seven villages forming an almost continuous settlement, according to The Rough Guide to Oman. There are more than 4,000 people living in Wadi Bani Kharous, compared with less than 500 in Wadi al Hijayr, according to Oman Off-Road. This wadi is geologically important because of its range of rock formations spanning over 500 million years, from the Cretaceous period to the Late Proterozoic era, according to The Rough Guide to Oman.
On the way to Al Alya, the village of approximately 1,000 people at the end of the wadi, we take a detour off the main road to explore Al Hijayr. At the end of this road, in Halhal, we come upon some Omani men congregating for a social hour. They offer us some bananas and oranges. Some allow us to take their pictures. Only one among them can speak a little English, so we exchange a few words with him.
some Omani men who offer us bananas and oranges in Halhal, near Al Hijayr
an amusing old man
In Al Alya, we find some Yemeni-style traditional houses, with their ornate upper rounded windows and castellated balconies.
Traditional house in Al Alya
arched windows
a view from the entrance
From the traditional houses, we can see a grand view of the mountains looking back from where we drove in. The wadi is especially pretty with its terraced plantations of date palms, grapevines, and mango, peach and almond trees.
Looking down Wadi Bani Kharous from Al Alya
We descend down some steps into the wadi, where we find some interesting plants, another traditional house, and a school bus.
flowers lining the steps into the wadi
another traditional house in Al Alya
School bus
pretty weeds in the wadi
the leaves of this spiked plant
more spiked balls
the same weed, flowering
terraces with date palms in Al Alya
We climb back out of the wadi and drive further down where we stop to take pictures of a pretty mosque. While there, three boys come out of their turquoise-gated house all dressed to play football.
a mosque in Al Alya
Some boys going out to play football
all dressed up and ready to play
the mosque in Al Alya
As we turn around and head out of Al Alya, we stop to explore the wadi near a picturesque white mosque situated in the midst of some thriving date palms.
another mosque amidst the date palms in Al Alya
the picturesque mosque
the mosque in the wadi
the mosque
the minaret
At the top of the hill above the mosque, we find a pretty little farm, but we don’t know for sure if we are welcome to explore too much, so we stay on the fringes and take some pictures.
plantations
plantations up the hill from the mosque
When we come back down the hill, we meet an Omani man who speaks a few words of English. These farms are his and he’s pleased that we like them. He invites us to come to his house for coffee. We sit on the porch with his mother and sister and two cousins, who are all busy embroidering kumars, the traditional hats worn by Omani men. I’m surprised that the women don’t run into the house, especially since a foreign Western man is in their midst.
We eat apples and oranges and dates and drink some coffee. He looks through the pictures I’ve taken on my camera and then proceeds to show us some beautiful pictures he has taken using his phone. He is really a great photographer, with such a good eye. We can tell he’s quite pleased with his pictures, as he should be.
the Omani photographer/farmer, me and Mario, sharing apples, dates and coffee
As we leave, we see this plant right next to the porch, punctuated with some bright red leaves.
colorful leaves outside the kind Omani’s house
Back down in the wadi, we come across this flowering weed, a lone plant among the rocks.
another lone spiked ball
parting view of the mosque, mountains and date palms
The sun is starting to set and as it falls low in the sky behind some clouds, it sends its last warming rays into the wadi.
sun shining from behind mountains and clouds
As we drive back out, we stop to take pictures of some terraced fields and pretty houses in the waning sunlight.
terraces and houses
a picturesque setting
Wadi Bani Kharous
houses and terraces in Wadi Bani Kharous
Wadi Bani Kharous
We head then to Al Musanaah, where we have some dinner at a Pakistan “SPCIY” Village Restaurant. We have a laugh over the misspelling, which we can’t even pronounce. We eat a simple salad sprinkled with lime juice, some chicken with sauce and naan and paratha.
Pakistan “SPCIY” Village RESTAURANT
Salad with lime juice
Pakistani chicken with delicious sauce
the waiter at the restaurant
Finally, we check in at the little chalets at the Gulf Sand Hotel, where we have some trouble communicating with the receptionist who doesn’t speak a word of English. After we each check into our rooms, I join Mario for a little wine and conversation. We are both feeling really tired today because of the heat and humidity on the coast. I fall asleep easily in my ice-cold air-conditioned room.
Saturday, April 6: By happenstance, Ailsa of Where’s my backpack? came up with a counterpoint to the Weekly Photo Challenge of Colorthis week. She challenges us to come up with photos highlighting Pale. She writes: Bright and colorful photos can be show stoppers, but sometimes the palest of photographs can capture the imagination.
Friday, March 1: The WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge is Lost in the Details. This challenge is about getting lost in the details. Once you’ve found a subject you want to photograph, challenge yourself to work a little further into the scene. Tip: Get low. In photographing details in a landscape, lower the camera close to the ground to see its impact on the composition.
Here are some photos for the challenge:
a door at Nakhal Fort
the same door at Nakhal Fort
a frog in an algae-filled pool at Wadi Muyadin
pools and mosses at Wadi Muyadin
mushrooms on a tree at Swallowtail Falls near Deep Creek, Maryland
a fern & moss filled grotto at Birkat al Mouz in Oman
Thursday, February 28: After leaving Nakhal Fort, we head east along the Rustaq loop to drive into Wadi Bani Awf. We want to explore Little Snake Canyon, a less scary version of the real Snake Canyon which lies deeper in the wadi, nearly to Balad Sayt.
the opening to Little Snake Canyon
There’s a lot of road construction going on as we go into the wadi, and we’re happy to find large portions of the road are now paved. I haven’t been to this wadi since May or June, and a lot has been going on since then. It’s still quite a drive over unpaved roads, but at least it’s now mostly a smooth ride. We arrive at the parking area for Little Snake Canyon and head out to explore.
near the opening of Little Snake Canyon
Right at the entrance to the canyon, we find a little pool with fish, dragonflies and pretty butterflies, all surrounded by tall grasses.
a pretty little butterfly
red dragonfly
We wander into the canyon and I can’t help but comment that it seems a rough version of Petra. It’s not nearly as amazing as Petra, of course (what could be, after all?), but the canyon is incredibly narrow with steep high cliffs on either side, giving it that Petra look. I tell Mario that it’s too bad the Nabataeans didn’t come here to settle, otherwise some of the huge boulders strewn throughout the canyon might have been used to construct something as amazing as the Treasury or the Monastery, or even the Street of Facades.
going through the first hundred meters of the canyon
a little pool full of colorful rocks
As it is, the first hundred meters of the canyon are a flat bed of smooth rocks. However, the further back we go, we are blockaded by huge boulders strewn about. It looks prehistoric; I can’t help but imagine a gigantic Tyrannosaurus Rex picking up the huge boulders and, in a fit of anger, flinging them all over the canyon. The rocks are so cumbersome and in such awkwardly precarious positions, that it seems as if they are the aftermath of a nasty temper tantrum. Some violent upheaval.
deeper into the canyon: boulders everywhere
it looks as if these boulders were flung here by some angry being
We scramble over the boulders as far as we think is feasible, and then we decide to turn around. Later I read in Oman Off-Road that “the canyon opens up into a wide wadi and then, for the next kilometer or so, is easy hiking among boulders. Just before you hit the second canyon section, you’ll see a huge ‘scoop’ in the wall on the left. The canyon really narrows (to less than 5m wide) and eventually gives way to a long pool. Continuing further will require approximately 50m of refreshing swimming in a section of wafer-thin wadi.”
a little pool under some rocks
obstacles to tackle in our hike
“Easy hiking among boulders??” I don’t think so!! We have to slide along on our butts or climb up steep boulders to make any progress. Apparently, once again, we missed what we were supposed to see. I’ve done this too many times to count in Oman. I thought it was somewhat disappointing that we couldn’t go very far, but I guess we just didn’t try hard enough.
deeper into the canyon
Mario under a table-top boulder
close-ups of some of the stone in the canyon
And swimming in “wafer-thin wadi??” So much for that. We never found a “wafer-thin wadi,” much less any pool to swim in. 😦
Will there be a next time? I simply don’t know if I’ll have enough time to go back there again!!
a cairn left by a fellow explorer
On our way out, we notice a number of cairns that people have left to mark their territory. Mario builds one too, leaving a memento of our visit.
more cairns
Mario & his cairn
Mario’s cairn, up close and personal
the view on our way out of Wadi Bani Awf
We leave the Little Snake Canyon and drive to Rustaq, where we see the Rustaq Fort that is sadly closed for an extensive renovation. This fort is one of the biggest in Oman, with a huge central keep surrounded by low exterior walls topped by four towers. It is one of the most ancient in Oman, thought to have been built by the Julanda dynasty 50 years before the arrival of Islam. It was expanded in 670 AD and again in 1698; further towers were added by Sultan Faisal fin Turki in 1906 (The Rough Guide to Oman).
Rustaq Fort from the outside
Rustaq Fort
Rustaq Fort
Rustaq’s fame was based on its strategic position between the coast and the mountains, managing the exits of several wadis through which goods would have been transported from the mountains above. The town became a major center for local commerce. Some of the country’s finest metalworkers and silversmiths were based here. The town is also the source of some of Oman’s best halwa (a dessert) and honey. Beekeeping is a popular local occupation today (Rough Guide to Oman).
a little old mosque near the fort, still used today
We walk around the fort and take some photos from the outside. To me the most interesting things are the shadows of the date palms on the outer walls.
the exterior wall with date palms shadows
walls of Rustaq Fort
Rustaq Fort
Rustaq’s residents have long been known for their care of palm trees and their dates. They’ve used branches and leaves to build shelter and make baskets. Leather tanning is also one of the industries in Rustaq. People use leather to save water and food, and for making shoes. Other prominent industries produced textiles, agriculture, daggers, swords, guns, blacksmithing, carpentry and others (Wikipedia: Rustaq).
a date palm plantation near the fort
Finally, we go to the Rustaq hot springs. Ugly concrete bath houses, for men-only, straddle the hot spring. Someone tells me there is a women-only bathhouse, but I don’t see it. Apparently the water, with its hot temperature (45 Celsius) and its sulphur content, has curative properties. Mario spends some time in the bathhouse, where he finds some relief from the back pain he often suffers. While he’s in the bathhouse, I chat with Mario’s friend Mohammed, who lives right down the road from Rustaq Fort and has joined us in our wanders around the town.
Both of the hot springs I see today, in Nakhal and here in Rustaq, are a big disappointment because of their crowded and commercial aspects. Not only that, but they are downright ugly. Oh well, like Mario says, I’ve been there, done that. Check.
We head to a hill to take a picture of the mosque in Rustaq. I’ve admired this mosque in the past as I’ve driven through Rustaq, but sadly I never stopped to take a picture. The dome on the mosque, during those earlier drive-bys, was gorgeous, but today, sadly, there is green netting over the dome for renovations.
the Rustaq mosque
Finally, we end our day by going to Al Musanaah‘s Gulf Sand Hotel, where some new little chalets have been built that are only 15 rials! I stay in the 15 rial room, while Mario gets the 20 rial room which has a pleasant patio shaded by trees. We sit outside for a long while chatting and drinking wine until I decide it’s time for me to crash.
my lovely 15 rial “chalet” at the Gulf Sand Hotel
the outside of my little “chalet”
our favorite restaurant in al Musanaah for breakfast
Friday, March 1: In the morning, we take a drive back down the Rustaq loop to see the other famous castle in the area, Al Hazm, but we find it is closed for renovations. This must be renovation time in Oman! We try to take some decent pictures of the outside of the castle, but it is non-distinct and quite unimpressive.
the entrance to Al Hazm Castle
Al Hazm Castle
Finally, we return to Al Musanaah, where Mario and I split, since we’ve driven separate cars during this whole trip. He heads to Muscat to do some shopping and I head home to Nizwa. It turns out to be almost another 600 km road trip, but with an overnight stop built in. I guess I better use my car as much as I can in the next month or so, because soon I will have to put it up for sale. I’m certainly going to miss my GMC Terrain and all the adventures it’s taken me on in Oman. 😦
Thursday, February 28: Today, Mario and I embark on another road trip, this time to Al Batinah. Since we pass the outskirts of Muscat, we make a stop to stock up on some wine, and then head west along the north coast to Barka. Driving inland from Barka, on the Rustaq Loop, we end up at Nakhal Fort by about 10:30 a.m.
Nakhal Fort
Nakhal Fort
Archway into Nakhal Fort
Nakhal Fort is by far my favorite fort in Oman. This is the third time I’ve been here, and each time I love it as much as I did on my previous visits. Nakhal means palm, and once you climb to the top of the fort, you can see date palms stretching out in every direction. The fort sits atop a small natural rock outcrop, surrounded by these date palm plantations, with Jebel Nakhal, a spur of the Western Hajar Mountains, as a backdrop (Rough Guide Oman). It’s picture-perfect.
majlis with jewel-colored cushions
Nakhal Fort is built on a solid rock foundation
Looking up at Nakhal from inside
The view of the Nakhal mosque from the fort
watchtower at Nakhal Fort
According to Rough Guide Oman, the fort probably dates back to pre-Islamic times. It has been remodeled throughout the centuries, including a substantial rebuilding in the 17th century. During the reign of imam Said bin Sultan, in 1834, the present gateway and towers were added, and in 1990, the fort was totally restored.
Nakhal Fort
Canon at Nakhal Fort
Date palm plantations and Jebel Nakhal
the fort
crenelations
the fort
I like this fort because of its crazy angles and because the rock outcrop is incorporated into the fort’s foundation. There are multiple sitting rooms, or majlis, throughout, decked out with colorful pottery, beautiful carpets, and jewel-colored cushions. A couple of the children’s rooms have beds in them. Mario thinks he wants to lie down on one because his back has been giving him trouble, but he doesn’t, of course.
fort
more of the fort
me in the majlis
a child’s bedroom
ceiling in one of the rooms
Some of the small watchtowers have small loopholes just big enough for a rifle barrel, plus wider openings where, in typical Omani fashion, boiling date juice or honey could be poured over attackers below.
the imposing Nakhal Fort
views from the fort
from the gardens below: Nakhal Fort
another view
in the gardens below the fort
We walk into the jail, where the smells are not pleasant and we can only imagine the horrible conditions the prisoners endured. After making the rounds, we go outside to the gardens below the fort and take some pictures from there.
a peek through the flowers
pretty blossom
After we leave the fort, we venture further into the town of Nakhal to Ain a’Thawwarah hot springs. This place reminds me of Wadi Bani Khalid; it’s crammed with locals. It’s a popular spot for practically everyone, including groups of Omanis of Zanzibar origin pounding on drums, chanting and dancing. The sounds are quite cacophonous, as two groups are playing their own brand of loud music right across the stream from each other. The hot spring itself is just a small rectangular concrete pool fed by warm natural spring water and filled with local Omani boys. Not my kind of place at all.
Ain a’Thawwarah hot springs, full of Omani boys
hamming it up
the Zanzibari-Omanis dance and play drums and music
the stream leading to the hot springs
After leaving this spot, we have a nice little lunch in a restaurant in Nakhal before we head to Wadi Bani Awf to visit Little Snake Canyon.
IN A NEW POST CREATED SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PICTURE THAT MEANS DELICATE TO YOU.
Delicate could be the tracings of frost on a window, a child’s tiny fingers and toes, the intricate pattern of a tree’s canopy, or something yet-to-be-discovered. So much of this challenge depends on your interpretation of “delicate,” and we look forward to seeing the range of images you capture.
a nomad in the land of nizwa 