World Cruise: Oman

After leaving Mumbai, India, we sailed southwesterly across the Arabian Sea to the port city of Salalah on the south end of Oman, near the border of Yemen. Frankly, we knew nothing about Oman before the trip. It was our first stop in the Middle East and we were intrigued to learn about this country of 3.9 million people which is bordered by Yemen to the south, Saudi Arabia to the west, the United Arab Emirates to the west and the Arabian Sea to the east.

The sail into the port was beautiful and we immediately felt a difference from our stops in southeast Asia and India. The water was sparkling clean and glistened against the backdrop of the stark white limestone landscape. The area is arid and dry this time of the year so we saw very little greenery in the flat, sandy coastal area near the port and on the mountains in the background. As we watched the entry from the front deck of the ship we were greeted by dolphins, stingrays and a sea turtle as we approached the docks. The port was recently expanded so it was very clean, orderly and quiet which was totally different from the bustling ports we had just left in India.

We took a 1/2 day tour of the City and surrounding area. We learned that Oman is ruled by Sultan Qaboos bin Said (pronounced, Sultan "Caboose") who is now 73 years old. He took over the country in 1970 in a coup against his own father, who was apparently shot in the foot during the takeover and was exiled to England. Sultan Qaboos is a good looking, British educated Sultan who has been a major reformer of the country and is very popular here. During his reign the quality of life for the Omanis has greatly improved and the country has progressed with improved infrastructure and educational opportunities.

As we drove around in the afternoon, it was very quiet in the City and surrounding area because the businesses close from 1:00 to 4:00 each day due to the heat. The shops (called "souks") re-open at 4:00. We visited Taqah Castle, a historic compound in the area that was the former home of the Sultan's mother. Next, we drove out to an archaeological site called Sumhuram that was the location of an ancient trading post for the frankincense trade and reportedly a port for the Queen of Sheba. Archaeologists from all over the world come to this area to dig, recover and preserve the ancient ruins. The site was very interesting and sits up on a bluff overlooking the Arabian Sea. There were lots of wild dromedary (one hump) camels running around the site which added to the whole Arabian mystique.

Next, we visited a history museum and learned a lot about the country's trading history, especially the exportation of frankincense, from the exhibits and our knowledgeable tour guide. There was a grove of frankincense trees on the property. We learned a lot about frankincense! We also drove around the center of the City and saw the elaborate compound of the Sultan's palace which is his home when he visits Salalah from the capital of Muscat. Clearly, it is good to be king because the large walled compound was very luxurious with palm trees, green grass and beautiful, modern streetscaping all around. Unfortunately, the Sultan did not invite us in for tea.

Our last stop at the end of the day was to visit the marketplace for a shopping opportunity. There was plenty of frankincense for sale. We bought some costume pieces to wear at an upcoming Arabian Party on board ship. Brian bought a new hat called a "taqiyah". It is perfect for the Arabian Party, but we're not sure how much wear he'll get out of it when we return home. Oh well, we're both getting better at the expected price haggling thing so we hope that we got a bargain on the taqiyah.

We enjoyed our first visit to an Arab country. It seemed safe and clean and orderly here even though we are in a volatile part of the world. It was a great introduction to the Arabian and Muslim cultures.
We look forward to our other upcoming stop in Aqaba, Jordan.