Day 81 - Muscat, Oman (Day 1 of 2)

 

Date:  March 30

 

Location:  Day 81 – Muscat, Oman (Day 1 of 2)

 

Next Port:  Salalah, Oman, April 2

 

Quick Summary:  We arrived at the rocky coast of Oman and picturesque harbor of Muscat at about noon. The temps were in the 70s, with a gentle breeze and humidity about 42% – what a pleasant surprise!  We spent the late afternoon and early evening walking through the Mutrah Souq (market) and along the harbor front.

 

Report:  Muscat, from the Arabic masquat, means “cliffs.” The city is aptly named for the sharp, sheer cliffs that dominate the landscape and define the districts of this city. Many travelers remark that Oman’s capital feels more Arabian than any other in the Gulf. It doesn’t have the slightly artificial feel which typifies so much of the rest of the region.

 

Muscat, Mutrah and Ruwi are the capital’s core districts. Muscat, the old walled port area, is the site of the sultan’s main palace, but it has few shops. Mutrah (two miles northwest), where the Voyager docked, is the main trading and residential port area. A few miles inland lays Ruwi, the capital’s modern commercial district.

 

There are three main forts in Muscat that date back to the 1580’s and the Portuguese occupation of Muscat. All of them are still being used by the police or military and are closed to the public (which is a shame because they would offer tourists some fantastic views).

 

Oman, which is home to 2.2 million people, at one time was the center of a large empire that reached into present day Iraq, Iran, India and all the way to eastern Africa. The century before the present ruler, Sultan Qaboos bin Said, took the throne in 1970, Oman was something of a backwater – isolated and mysterious. Unlike Dubai in the UAE, under Qaboos, Oman has been more guarded in its rush toward the 21st century – preserving the language, customs and architecture of its ancestors.

 

For example, to preserve Muscat’s appearance and to encourage it to grow outwardand not upward, city planners have imposed height restrictions on new construction. Buildings that are viewed against a mountain backdrop must be painted white. New districts have been created for specific commercial and governmental purposes.

 

The Sultan has created modern roads that are fully landscaped. The harbor is lined with a beautiful promenade with decorative sidewalks, granite sea walls and public sculptures. He has created new modern, but understated, sports complexes.

 

And yes, oil has provided the resources. But it seems that this finite resource is being used wisely for the betterment of all the people. Those on the ship who have been here previously have noticed tremendous improvements to all aspects of life over the years. Now it is a very clean, modern city that still retains a definite Arabian flavor. We fell in love with it at first sight.

 

We spent the late afternoon walking through the large Mutrah Souq, one of the oldest market places in Muscat. Here one could enjoy the scents of exotic Arabian perfumes and spices and also have the opportunity to buy antiques, silver jewelry, semi-precious stones, handmade Omani clothing and Omani khanjars (daggers).  Most of the souq is now covered but used to be open-aired with dirt floors. Many of the shops were just opening for the evening. Then we walked through several city blocks before returning to the Corniche (harbor promenade).

 

It was great fun to be amongst the people, most whom were dressed in traditional garb. Everyone was very friendly. We talked to a man and wife who were with relatives buying presents for a local wedding the next day. They had driven with their 7-month old twin boys about 100 km to Muscat in the driver’s ed cars from the school where they worked. On the harbor promenade, we met a father and his young son playing with a mechanical toy camel. Another couple out for a Friday evening stroll stopped us and asked where we were from and expressed genuine thanks for coming to their country.

 

We enjoyed the afternoon very much.

 

Larry and Karen

 

Photos of our cruise are available at the following web site:

 

picasaweb.google.com/larryworldcruise

 

Photos of Day 1 in Oman have been added