Sur, Oman
South from the U.A.E. on the Arabian coast is the Sultanate of Oman. Oman’s capital city is magical and quite a contrast to its bustling northern neighbor. It is situated on a striking cove on the Gulf of Oman, ringed by striking volcanic mountains and guarded by two ancient Portuguese forts. Muscat’s architecture, most of which is fairly modern, from the Grand Mosque to the Sultan’s 1970s-esque palace, is elegant and features Islamic design. No buildings are higher than 8 floors. The old port city boasts one of the region’s best souks. There are lovely beaches for swimming, gorgeous scenery beyond the city and genuinely elegant resorts. The Arabic traditions and the influence of Islam run deep. The call to prayer echoes out over the cities five times a day. The people are genuinely friendly and fascinating to talk to. Everybody has a story there, our driver Ibrahim was so fascinating, the boys loved him. And with 5 kids of his own, he could really relate to my boys. Well, we made it through the Gulf of Aden and into the Gulf of Oman, phew, I was a little worried. Although rare, pirate attacks against ships have taken place in the region, particularly in the Gulf of Aden or when the ship travels from the Arabian Gulf into the Gulf of Oman. We didn’t get any warnings so there was no cause for alarm, but they say when you are warned, the warnings are not to be taken lightly :-l Since I’m still not acclimated to the 12 hour time change, I was up at 5:30 again this morning. So instead of tossing and turning and trying to go to sleep, I decided to go have coffee on the outside deck and watch the sunrise over the Al Hajar mountains which form the backdrop of the city of Muscat. To hear the morning prayers blaring from the speakers in all the minarets in the city was a real magical experience. We ventured to Sur to visit Wadi Shab. After driving on the barren plain, the vista of mountains opened into a pea-green lake and we were here. Aptly named in Arabic the ‘Gorge Between Cliffs’, Wadi Shab is known as one of the most lovely destinations in Oman. During a 45 minute hike we passed turquoise pools, waterfalls and terraced plantations. Native kingfishers splashed here and there and brightly colored pink oleander bloomed by the water’s edge. Luckily we had some shade because it was in the low 80s and it would’ve been pretty hot to do this hike in the sun! We were rewarded with a glorious crystal clear swimming hole to swim and splash in! Then we navigated through a keyhole into a huge cavern that reminded us of the Goonies! The boys climbed up the waterfall, they slid down natural slides, they jumped off of huge rocks near the top of the cavern into the deep water. Our next stop was Bimmah sinkhole, a stunningly beautiful limestone hollow that had the most beautiful colored water. It’s about 60 feet deep and attracts swimmers and scuba divers. We got there too late and weren’t able to swim. The boys were a little disappointed but still thought it was amazing. It is listed as one of the most beautiful sinkholes in the world and I can see why. On our way out we had to stop and drink some Arabic coffee and eat dates. Everywhere you go they offer this, even when you are paying for something in the souk! You take a few minutes to talk and enjoy. The Omanis are very hospitable and friendly. I really enjoy this tradition, the coffee is very different than ours. It’s made with cardaman and smells very good. I was never a fan of dates but the ones I have been eating here are delicious. I guess it’s because they are grown right here. Date palms are everywhere. Our driver Ibrahim even brought me a big bag of them from his home. He sealed them all up so I can pack them to bring home. He also gave me Date syrup and said it’s good to drizzle on fresh bread in the morning.
