#wadis

I have always loved the desert. One sits down on a desert sand dune, sees nothing, hears nothing. Yet through the silence something throbs, and gleams.

Oman was our first foray into the Middle East, and it did not disappoint! Oman was so different from the other places we have been, from the scenery of desert and mountains to the warm, welcoming people and interesting cultural immersion. We got to learn more about Islam, eat some delicious Omani, Lebanese, and Middle Eastern cuisine, and explore nature in wadis (valleys) and at a turtle beach. It was neat being in a country that is not yet very touristic, and we left wishing that we had more time.

Highlights 

-Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque- The mosque was gorgeous and we learned a lot. Here are some fun facts gleaned from our guide:

The mosque was started in 1995 and completed in 2001.

It has the capacity for 20,000 people to come worship.

Muslims are supposed to pray five times a day. Men are encouraged to come to the mosque for prayer. Friday is their holy day.

The mosque has 5 minarets which represent the 5 pillars of Islam.

The women’s prayer hall accommodates 800 people. It is meant for women to be more comfortable without feeling inconvenienced by the presence of men.

The main chandelier weighs 9 tons, and there’s a door so you can go inside it. It is also air conditioned.

The carpet took 27 months to complete– it weighs 21 tons!

-Learning more about Islam- Visiting the Grand Mosque’s visitor center was a culturally enlightening experience. A friendly volunteer chatted with us and answered questions that we had about Islam. He talked with us about their central beliefs and about misconceptions. He emphasized that Muslims are peace loving and that the people who commit acts of terrorism are crazy people. He talked with us about the many similarities between Christians and Muslims (for example, they believe in the prophets from the Bible). It seemed like many of their interpretations are stricter (not eating pork, more conservative clothing, etc). Although we do not see eye to eye on everything with our faiths, it was a good experience and left us feeling more educated on what Islam is about. We strongly believe that experiences like this are essential for helping to limit ignorance and hate. 

-Our couple nights at the Grand Hyatt Muscat- Hotel points for the win! The hotel was gorgeous and had a Vegas quality pool. 

-Bimmah Sinkhole- Didn’t have time to swim in here but it was a lovely quick rest stop on our road trip from Muscat to Sur. 

-Turtle reserve- This is both a highlight and a bummer. It was really neat seeing the giant sea turtles digging themselves in on the beach to lay their eggs. We also saw an adorable baby turtle! See below for why it’s a bummer.

-Driving around Sur- Sur is a small seaside town. While there, we went and checked out the Lighthouse. Becky said it reminded her of Santorini.

-Wadi Bani Khalid- A more popular spot for tourists but for good reason– it’s gorgeous. We did a little hiking and then went swimming. 

-Wadi Quari- Our Airbnb host in Nizwa recommended this lesser known wadi, and it was super cool! We only ran into a couple other people during the hour and a half we spent there. We hiked along an irrigation system through the mountains and encountered a couple of goats along the way. It was starkly beautiful, and we only wished we had had a full day to explore further! 

-These places weren’t open but we got to check out the exteriors:

Jibreen Castle

Bahla fort (also a fun fact- apparently Bahla is very haunted: http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2014/10/30/worlds-most-haunted-cities/) 

-Misfat Al Abriyeen- This town filled with houses built on top of rocks made us feel like we were walking back in time.

-Nizwa Fort- Not a very information heavy tourist attraction, but cool views and fun to wander around. 

Bummers

-Turtle reserve- So despite the coolness of seeing the turtles, there were a lot of pitfalls. The tour was very poorly organized. We were in the fifth and final group of people to go out, so we had to wait over an hour to go out. We had a bunch of morons in our group who could not listen to the rules and continually kept their flashlights on, took flash photos, and wandered away from the group.

-Our beds in Sur- They were like slabs of concrete. Fortunately, it was only for one night.

Eats

-Mixed grill of Middle Eastern food- So we still haven’t figured out what this place was called, but the guy from a shop we went to recommended it and walked us over. For only 8 OMR for the three of us (about $20 USD), we got an enormous spread of food: soup, salad, pita bread, hummus, lamb, and chicken.

-Lebanese food- We got sandwiches, hummus, pita bread, and falafel. Tasty and cheap! 

-Dates- We tried dates at the mosque. They are very popular in Oman. I’m not a huge dates person but I did enjoy having a couple. 

Drinks

-Turkish coffee- It tastes like a cross between coffee and tea. I don’t even like coffee but I enjoyed this!

People

-Becky- Our friend Becky came all the way from Houston to join us for the Oman and Dubai legs of our trip! Becky is a fantastic travel companion who is always up for new experiences.

-Our Airbnb hosts in Nizwa- Mamdouh was very welcoming and invited us into his home for tea and to meet his wife and two children. He and his wife were charming, funny, and friendly hosts. 

Observations and Insights

-People here are so friendly and welcoming!

-People in Oman dress very conservatively. Men wear long white outfits and colorful turbans, and women wear abayas (usually black, long outfits that cover you down to your wrists and feet, accompanied with a head scarf). Becky and I bought abayas in order to visit the mosque and be respectful. It also makes for a cool souvenir.

-There are goats everywhere.

-Most likely to die by: falling off a ledge in a wadi.

-The cross street walking man signs are hilarious. 

Tips

-Allow lots of extra time for picking up or returning a rental car- things move a bit slower in Oman.