From a Camel's Point of View......

Where else in the world would you see a camel traveling down the highway in the back of a Toyota pick-up? (except maybe another desert country!) Don and I were traveling to Nizwa, an old city about an hour and a half into the interior of Oman. There is an old fort from the Ottoman times that they have restored and it displays many artifacts and information about Oman's history and culture. On the way there, we just happened upon this sight:

Makes you wonder what the camel is thinking!

He was a bit camera-shy when we got close enough to get a really good picture, and of course, the battery on my camera died just as it finally turned around to look at us. Just to give you an idea of how we took these pictures, I had to roll down the window (ate a lot of sand that day), Don drove alongside of him as much as we could, the wind was coming in so hard the car started to vibrate, and we were calling to the camel to get it to look towards us! I'm sure we made a pretty funny picture ourselves--at least that's what our children said when they saw these pictures!

He tried to ignore us, but finally started turning around (shot 4) after we called out at him!

Well, we did see more camels on Thursday, but didn't have the camera out! I'll know better next time we go back. On the to rest of the trip......


The mountains we drove through are stark, hard rock, yet as you live with them every day, you begin to see nuances of color, light, and life. The views as we drove through the mountain range were so amazing that no description is really necessary. What continues to astound us is that the mountains change color all day long. The slant of the sun, the haze, the number of clouds, the amount of sand in the air, and how low the clouds are make these mountains change their color. We have also noticed a great variance in the color of the rock as well. They are truly a monument of God's creation! So, without further ado, here are some of the sights out of our car window as we made our way to Nizwa:

House and grounds for a date plantation on the side of the road

More palm trees in a date plantation. I'm learning that
not all palm trees are created equal!

See how the rock is turning darker now?

When we first arrived, the small green plants you see like the one in this picture reminded me of the dried up, old dead tumbleweeds I remember from days as a child in Kansas. The cooler weather combined with rainfall has brought life back to the desert.

Hope you enjoyed this trip down the Nizwa highway! More on the fort in another post!

Celebrating National Day

In November the Omani's celebrate National Day/National Week in honor of HM the Sultan's day of ascension to the throne. They decorate with lots of lights and congratulatory notices.Don and I went shopping at the Muttrah souk last week, preparing for our trip home next week. It was the end of the Omani celebration of National Week, so the lights were up everywhere. 

The souk is located on the water and it gave us the opportunity to take some really neat pictures of the street along the water as well as the boats on the water and the coastline as it curves around. I had to get out of the car to take the pictures then run to catch up with Don as he drove off because there wasn't a place for us to pull over. I guess I'm lucky he didn't just drive off without me! I did get lots of strange looks as I literally ran to catch up to Don because women here don't do that!

You may not be able to tell, but the roadway is completely full of cars. Omani's love to come out in the cool of the evening and enjoy the sea, the company, the sights. Stores here in Muscat typically stay open till about 11 p.m. to take advantage of the nocturnal habits of its citizens. (My mother-in-law would be in shopping heaven here as she has always insisted that retailers should keep the shoppers' hours!)

The weather now is gorgeous! We are still swimming during the day, although they do run a heater for the water now. The walks along the beach are still warm enough and humid enough to keep you warm! Sitting out on a patio at the beach to eat dinner is a pleasure since the breeze off the ocean is usually cool; I actually enjoyed wearing layers outside for the first time since getting here! We're going to try and hit the souk one more time before coming home for Christmas; I'll try to remember my camera to take some nighttime pics inside the souk for you!

On the right is the seawall; the left is the street
(same one the Starbucks is on--see earlier post)
with festive lights strung along the roads.

Dhow outlined with lights; cruise ship in background

Coastline. You can see the red, green and white lights better from this view. (Omani's national colors!)

Close to the souk; you may not be able to tell from the picture, but this is a happening place!

A Dress-Up Evening

Don and I visited the Royal Opera House Muscat in November to hear the BBC Symphony Orchestra perform a selection of three different classic composers. We really enjoyed the evening. However, I can't share the music with you, but I can share the pictures that we took of the magnificent building. We dressed up, of course, long dress and suit, which is very appropriate for the magnificence of the building.

There is a magnificent pipe organ installed in the Opera House; pictures are not allowed inside the actual concert hall. I know I'm using superlatives a lot, but it truly is a beautiful building and a mark of pride for the Omani's. We really enjoyed the evening!

Courtyard in front of Opera House; note the marble flooring covering the entire area.

Entry Foyer

Attendants in traditional dress--they were beautiful!

The woodwork, tile mosaics and ceiling are spectacular.

A better view of the ceiling and entrance to the theatre itself

Orchids were placed in tables around the base
of all the marble columns

Entrance

Balcony entrance to concert hall

Don in front of doors to one of the many service rooms off the
entrance with access to another patio courtyard area