Have you heard the expression "When in.." as in "When in Oman" ? Well, I finally took the plunge, went out on limb and did just that.
Give me 20 minutes in the Muttrah Souq and what happens.....
Actually I think this is the best picture I have taken in a long time!
We stopped in two ports in Oman, Muscat and Salalah. One North and one South. I love the word Salalah. It just rolls off your tongue. It sounds romantic and mysterious.... a place for adventure. Oman seemed deserted where ever we were. Empty. The beaches were empty. It felt like we were the only people on the planet. I saw a worker or two taking care of gardens, police in the streets, a man or two heading to a car, people in cars. The only women I saw were at the souqs shopping (men tended the shops). All the women I saw wore the abaya and head scarf. I am sure there are those in western wear but I did not see them, Most of the women were also masked. I saw a few channel bags attached to the hands under those abayas.
The traditional market place in Oman is called the souq. One of the oldest preserved souqs in Oman is the Muttrah Souq, our first stop Muscat. Gold and silver jewelery is abundant here as well as wooden carvings, spices. frankincense, daggers, household items and clothing. This souq is a maze of pathways leading in and out of each other. It is dark until they turn on the lights. They are closed as is everything from 1 - 4 each day. Bargaining is part of the experience. Nothing has a price tag. Gold and silver are sold by weight but you still have to bargin. The jewlery was amazing! Our tour gave us a whole 30 minutes. I took this as a challenge.
I hopped off the bus, with a mission and limited time, I bravely entered the souq. It was a bit difficult getting venders to understand what I wanted and, for sure, I was not about to answer 'why exactly do you want to buy a burka?". I moved with a quick study of all the bounty each shop offered until I found what I wanted. The national dress for Omani men is a simple, ankle-length, collarless gown with long sleeves called the dishdasha. The colour most frequently worn is white. Its main adornment is a tassel (furakha) sewn into the neckline. On the head they wear a muzzar, a square of finely woven woollen or cotton fabric, wrapped and folded into a turban. And/or they wear a kummar, an intricately embroidered cap. Our guide wore the kummar and had a scarf in hand. He demonstrated various ways on how to wrap it in an Oman style turban. I bought David a dishdasha in a mens store. I wanted a white head covering with the black braid but I could not communicate that well. I settled on the cap.
I also bought the scarf and had our guide show me how to wrap it on my head.(muzzar) I found the American baseball cap could not withstand the winds off the beach. My trusty kummar, wrapped well, stayed in place, helped with keeping my hair from whipping around and kept my forehead dry....a great combo for my tours in Oman.
www.apexstuff.com/ot/200710/culture.asp
I then found a ladies shop. I tried describing what I wanted there, a full face covering, please, I described in English and hand language. I was shown various colored dresses. I ended up with a really nice black abaya look crepe coat with turquoise embroidery. Not what I saw on the street but it is close enough for me. I was given a choice of two black face coverings. I took the one that was full cover. It has fabric for the front and back of the head, a hole for the eyes and a thick band that goes over the forehead and ties in back, very stylish. No one asked any questions and bargaining was nice yet tough. Dressing in it, let me tell you, gives you a whole new persective on life. I liked the hiding factor. I like the drapy flowing effect. Hard to believe but it had a certain sense of freedom to it. I was cocooned. I smiled for the photo..:) ....go figure....
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| Muscat - seaside city |
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| selling gems in the Muttrah Souq |
The Muttrah Souq .... practice your bargining skills. They are masters.
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Muscat Grand Mosque- a mosque a day, minimal... largest mosque in Oman
closed to us on the day we were in port |
Oman is officially called the Sultanate of Oman. It is HOT and humid here along the coast, surprise. There is little rainfall but they do have monsoon season. Drought and water shortage is a problem. They have oil but it won't last forever. I would guess water will be more expensve then gold or oil someday. Our guide told us the people love their Sultan. This Sultan gifts homes to its citizens. Education and healthcare are free and there are no individual income taxes. Citizens have a high standard of living. Life expectancy is good, around 80 years old. Here the government gives its people seemingly everything free, as a gift. No taxes, free education, healthcare, and homes. So, why all the protests?
Our guides in both ports told us living in Oman is a paradise. Hmmm. I wonder what they are NOT telling us.
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| yep, this is the landscape |
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| camels everywhere |
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| Job's Tomb- 40 min drive to see this... |
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| view from Job's Tomb |
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| meet you in the tent... |
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| a gardner and some of the bit of grass in Salalah |
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| one hump camel |
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| Mughsail Beach |
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| let's demonstrate how to tie this |
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| even camels need a break |
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| a playground for Caelan when he comes to visit |
So now we have 5 days at sea. There were 4 but we blew a generator and are quietly limping past Somalia and Yemen. Not the best of timing. We arrive a day late in Aqaba where Petra awaits us as well as our new parts to fix us up good as new.
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