Oh-man, Oman
With the celebration of Eid this past week we had two days off from work. It seemed like everyone was heading out of town for a quick and relaxing getaway. Oman seemed to be the destination of choice since it is accessible by plane or car. We choose to drive the four hours and cross the border into Oman and head for the capital city of Muscat. We had a reservation at the Millennium Hotel and Resort in what we thought was Muscat. After successfully crossing the border (nothing like a Jason Bourne movie at all) we managed to get ourselves VERY lost and drove around for hours. We asked taxi drivers, gas station attendants, and locals to help us find this luxurious resort we were desperate to reach. No one had heard of it or what direction we should be going in. Finally, on the verge of a total breakdown we spotted a lone cab driver at the gas station we stopped to fill up at and he knew where we need to go. Much to our surprise we were about an hour and a half away from the resort. It wasn't in Muscat, not even close (thank you Kayak!). Another u-turn and off we went. It was about 2am when we finally reached our destination. What should have been 4 to 5 hours turned into 9!
After a few hours of sleep and a great buffet breakfast we drove back to Muscat for a 3 hour boat trip. On board was a family of four from Alaska and our group of six. The captain was a local gentleman who filled us in on the local history. At first he wasn't sure if we would spot any Spinner Dolphins as the brochure promised, but he said he would try. The landscape was magnificent with mountains and small coves that dotted the coastline. The water was a beautiful deep blue. Temps were perfect with no humidity. After about 45 minutes we slowed and drifted for awhile. Shortly after the waters were littered with dolphins. They came in pairs and then merged into larger pods. Then the real acrobatics began. They would emerge from the water, complete a 360 and effortlessly slip back below the surface. It was like watching an Olympic gymnast. Then the captain pointed out a sea snake moving through the water and that is when I started to rethink the snorkeling portion of this trip. The entire ride back I wrestled with my fears and finally I thought, when I will I have this opportunity again. I'm doing it! AND I DID!
While snorkeling we noticed an area offshore with white stones and wondered what they were. We asked the captain about them and learned they were tombstones of the Portuguese that had defended the shores of Oman over 500 years ago. Unfortunately I couldn't get a good picture. Once we arrived back at the marina we changed and headed into town. We wanted to visit the Souks we had heard so much about right along the corniche, a popular waterfront area. This was the day before Eid and the crowd was similar to New York on New Year's Eve. Needless to say we couldn't find a parking space after several attempts, so we had to settle instead for a stop at the Sultan's Palace. The current Sultan overthrew his own father in 1970 to take control of this little piece of heaven. The successor is unknown as the Sultan never married and has no heirs. I heard they are taking applicants.
So sorry to hear about your 'three hour tour', clearly you needed the Professor and MaryAnn to help you find civilazation. Next time take McGyver, he always finds a way to take a simple AM/FM radio into a GPS!
ReplyDeleteThe pictures are amazing so I hope the trip was as well. Miss you and hope you are doing well.
Mary