friday meditation: my top ten happy memories in the sultanate

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Life, Oman, Travel

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.

• Taking Beg and Mona Lisa up to the mountain on Valentine’s Day, 2013:  a valentine’s day adventure on jebel akhdar
  

  the terraces of Jebel Akhdar on Valentine’s Day

• Taking Mike, Alex and Adam to the Hanging Villages on January 8, 2013: a hike around the hanging villages of wadi al ayn on jebel akhdar
  

  Alex, Mike and Adam on Jebel Akhdar

• Hiking through Wadi Bani Habib with Mario and his Omani friend Mohammed on Thanksgiving Day, November 22, 2012: thanksgiving day on jebel akhdar: villages of wadi bani habib. {part two}
  

  finding colorful ruins at Wadi Bani Habib with Mario & Mohammed

  

  Mario in the ruins of Wadi Bani Habib on Jebel Akhdar

• Taking Malcolm and his lovely wife Sandy to Jebel Akhdar on a cold December night in 2012: a cold but lovely night at the sahab on jebel akhdar
  

  Sandy & Malcolm on a cold night on Jebel Akhdar

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)

Exploring Wadi Tiwi with Guido

10) The first time I went to Nakhal Fort, had lunch with an Omani family, then drove through Wadi Mistal to Wekan was simply magical. (nakhal fort, lunch with an omani family & a wild drive up wadi mistal)

My first magical time in Wekan

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. 🙂

weekly photo challenge: lost in the details

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Oman, postaweek2013, weekly photo challenge

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

 

the rustaq loop: nakhal fort & ain a’thawwarah hot springs. {1st stop}

Tags

Oman, Travel

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.

a restaurant in Nakhal where we have some lunch

a variety of fruits to make fresh fruit juices

nakhal fort, lunch with an omani family & a wild drive up wadi mistal

Tags

Oman, Travel

Thursday, December 8: During the National Holiday, I met a 30-year-old Omani guy named Adil at Wadi Bani Khalid.  Adil saw I was traveling alone to this wadi and he took me under his wing, along with his other 10 or so friends.  (See national holiday chapter 4: wadi bani khalid)

the amazing nakhal fort

On that day, Adil invited me to come and meet his family at his home in Al Awabi, near Rustaq, as soon as possible.  I couldn’t go last weekend because Guido was here, but this week, after Guido is gone, Adil invites me to visit him on Thursday.  He actually invites me to come ANYTIME I want, to spend the whole day at his home, to have dinner and spend the night!  I tell him that I have been going nonstop with a guest for the last week, and I spent the previous week traveling as well, so I probably will stay only for lunch.

nakhal fort

When I embark on these journeys I never really have any idea how long they will take.  Oman is a much bigger country than it looks, partly because of the multitudes of mountains and the dearth of roads.  Sometimes in Oman it is possible to walk someplace faster than it is to drive. For instance I find out later today at Wadi Mistal, which is a 3 1/2-hour drive from Nizwa, that it’s possible to walk directly from the top of Wadi Mistal to Jebel Akhdar, near the university, in a little over 1 hour.

inside the gates of nakhal fort

After I drop Guido at the airport early this morning, I return immediately to the hotel and go back to sleep until 8:00.  I enjoy the great breakfast buffet at Safeer Suites and by the time I leave it is quite a bit later than I intended. I drive past the airport (again) to Seeb and then in the direction of Sohar on the north coast.  Before Sohar, at Barka, I turn inland on Route 13 toward Al Wasit and Nakhal.  I told Adil I would try to arrive at his house by noon, but when I get to Nakhal I get a sudden urge to stop and check out the fort there.

I love this fort!

The town of Nakhal is about 30 km inland from Barka and about 100 km from Muscat.  Its name comes from “nakheel” which means date palm.  The fort here, which has been restored and is a maze-like castle, has superb views of the countryside and town from the watchtowers.  The Hajar Mountains and date palm plantations surrounding the fort provide an amazing backdrop. This is one of the largest date palm plantations in Oman. The country boasts over 8 million date palm trees (phoenix dactylifera) spread out from Musandam to Wahiba Sands.  Palm trees usually have their lower, dry fronds removed in order to be more fruitful and to look more appealing.  Palm fronds make excellent basket material and are suited for other woven goods.  They are also used as a roofing material known as barasti.

the view of the date palm plantations and the Hajar Mountains from Nakhal Fort

The Nakhal Fort is really impressive, built as it is on the foundations of a pre-Islamic structure.  The towers and entry way to the fort were constructed in 1834, during the reign of Imam Said bin Sultan.  The interesting thing about this fort, besides the amazing view, is that the entire structure is built around a rock, saving the problem of constructing a sound foundation.  It actually appears as if the rocky foundation is grasping at the fort, holding on to it for dear life.

Nakhal Fort is built on a solid rock foundation

I poke my head into a majlis (seating area) on the top floor, where windows are aligned to catch every wisp of summer breeze.  Each majlis is covered in sumptuous Oriental carpets, and colorful silk cushions line the walls.  I love the rooms in this fort.

one majlis at the fort

Wandering through Nakhal today is a tour group of Italians. I hear them speaking their native tongue,  which makes me think of Guido who just spent a week with me and babbled in incoherent Ital-ish the entire time.

more of nakhal fort

When I’m finished at Nakhal Fort, it is 1:00.  I feel bad because I still have a half hour to drive and I had told Adil I’d be there at noon.  But I didn’t want to come all this way and miss Nakhal Fort, which after seeing it, has become my #1 fort in Oman.

See below a short video clip of the fort with the call to prayer sounding in the background:

When I finally get to Adil’s house at Al Awabi, I meet his family of 6 brothers and 2 sisters, his wife, his brothers’ wives, his mother and father, his two children and his nieces and nephews.  They all live in the same villa in Al Awabi.

“snacks” at Adil’s home

They promptly have me sit on the carpet in a kind of common room (there is no furniture so I have no idea what room it REALLY is) and they bring some snacks of dates and fruit and unusual beans that I’ve never tasted before. It’s delicious and I think it’s lunch so I eat and eat.  The next thing I know they bring out a huge dish of rice and chicken and vegetables, which Adil tells me they eat with their fingers, although he kindly gives me a fork and knife.  By this time I’m no longer hungry, as I stuffed myself with the “snacks!”

Adil’s little girl

Adil bids me farewell, telling me that the men and women eat separately.  So I am left in the room with the women and children.  We eat mostly in silence.  One of Adil’s sisters speaks decent English, and she speaks some to me, but mostly the women sit and speak in Arabic with one another.  This is when I wish I had been studying my Arabic, which is one of my goals while living in Oman.  However, I’m ashamed to say I have barely studied at all and I’ve forgotten almost everything I once knew.

the actual lunch

It’s interesting to me that the women in Adil’s family all have on colorful and flowery long dresses and matching headscarves.  I ask them if this is the way they dress only while in their home, if they wear the black abaya when they go out.  They say, yes, in the home they can wear colorful clothes.  I ask about their headscarves, as I have heard before that inside the home the girls can wear anything and can go without headscarves.  However, since one of the sister’s husbands lives in the household, and he is not a blood relative, the women still must cover their hair.

Adil and me and my GMC Terrain at Wadi Mistal

I sit with them for awhile and try hard to eat the wonderful chicken and rice they have brought, but I just cannot eat much.  I wish I had known the other food was just a snack!! I always get in trouble with appetizers!

I ask if it’s okay to take some pictures, and all the women move out of the way.  They allow me to photograph the food and the babies, but they don’t allow me to take pictures of them.

Before long, Adil comes in to suggest that he and his friend Mahmoud, who I also met at Wadi Bani Khalid, should take me up to Wadi Mistal.  Soon, we’re on our way.  They don’t have a 4WD vehicle and apparently one is needed to go to this wadi.  So I drive and they are my guides.

in Wadi Mistal

We drive about 20 km back toward Nakhal, and soon we turn off the paved road onto a dirt and gravel road.  This dusty road goes 33 km into the wadi and at first I’m driving on this bumpy road quite gingerly. After awhile I step on the gas with great enthusiasm and bounce over the road through a valley surrounded on both sides by rocky peaks covered in wisps of clouds.  The view is magnificent and I stop and take pictures several times. We are in the Al Ghubayrah bowl that leads to hidden plantations where figs, dates, apricots, pomegranates, mulberries, alfalfa and limes are grown.

Wekan at Wadi Mistal

After we’ve driven about 20 km, Mahmoud tells me to look high on the mountain before us.  There is a tiny village perched precariously on the steep mountain.  He says, “See that village up there?  That’s where we’re going!”  It looks dangerously impossible, so I’m excited.  They ask if I’d like one of them to drive my car but I decline saying I need to learn to drive my car over these kinds of roads.  So, as we climb the mountain, I put my car to the test and climb the dirt roads higher and higher, alternatively putting my car in first gear, second gear, first gear.  It gets to be slow going the farther up we go, but I’m undaunted.

a little village below Wekan

Finally, we reach a small village called Wekan.  It doesn’t look like much but it’s the one we had seen from the valley floor.  I’m thrilled that we made it up here.

We park the car and Adil and Mahmood lead me through the village and up a path where, behind the little town, is the Garden of Eden.   A little paradise in Oman.  Wekan roughly translates as “it used to be,”  and with the lush oasis we find, I can only wonder what more “used to be” in this lovely spot.  We walk along a falaj with running water, in the midst of yellowing mango trees, date palms and verdant plantations of green onions and alfalfa.

the view from Wekan at Wadi Mistal

A falaj is the Arabic word for a channel used to irrigate palm plantations and farm fields. The plural of falaj is “aflaj.”  These channels can run for many kilometers, from the source of the water to the plantations in outlying farms and villages. Aflaj in mountainous areas typically run above ground, weaving a meandering path while hugging the walls of wadis.

the plantations at Wekan

I love this place that these new found friends have brought me.  With the sound of the water streaming through the falaj, and the emerald green and yellow foliage, and the cool mountain air, the whole place is soothing to the soul.  My Omani friends in their white dishdasha and kumars add an ancient, even Biblical, mood to the scene.  It is truly beautiful and I feel as if I’ve stumbled upon the true Garden of Eden.

the little garden of eden

By now it is starting to get dark and I say we better start our long descent back down before dark.  I don’t want to drive these treacherous roads after dark, with their precipitous drops at the edges of the road.  I know I will have to use my 4WD on the way down and it will be slow going.

So we head back down, slowly but surely. I’m sad to leave this peaceful spot.  Down at the bottom, Adil asks if I can make a stop at a place that looks like some kind of water or electric plant.  The sun is going down and it is time for them to pray.  So I pull my now-dusty car into this place, and they get out and face Mecca and say their prayers.  I wait patiently.  I’m a little unsure about these prayers as they also prayed at a little mosque on the Wekan plantation, which was less than an hour previous.

the view from paradise

I know at this point that I’m very tired, as I’ve been traveling almost non-stop for the last 2 weeks.  I know I will want to drive straight home to Nizwa tonight.  I also know it’s a 3 hour drive, at least.  Adil tells me I should stay at his home for dinner and then spend the night, but I am determined I want to spend the night in my own bed, and wake up Friday morning in my home.  He doesn’t give up trying to persuade me, and when we get to his house he says, “Please, come in, sit.”  I say no, I really appreciate all he has done for me, but I really want to go home now.

way up high above wadi mistal

I really do think Adil feels sorry for me being alone, but he doesn’t understand that it doesn’t bother me.  He asks me how I like being alone, and I say I actually quite like it.  He says he could handle it for a couple of hours only, but he wouldn’t like it day after day.  I can see today, from visiting his huge family, why he would never have time to be alone, and so has probably never come to understand the joys of being alone.

a scene right out of the Bible

In the end, I don’t get out of the car and I drive the 3 hours back to Nizwa, where I arrive home around 9 p.m.  I’m happy to be at my little villa, and to have it back to myself after having my visitor for the last week.  In the evening, I climb into my bed, and dream of the soothing paradise of Wekan, its running stream, its cool and calming breezes.

overlooking the village of Wekan from the plantations

If you would like Adil to show you anywhere in Oman, he has access to a 4WD vehicle and would like to offer his services as a tour guide.  His phone number is 99582569.