At 2:00 AM on November 10, 2005, my cell phone rings while I'm fast asleep in my hotel room in Muscat (my company is keeping me at the Holiday Inn). When I answer, I hear my mother-in-law in a panic, "Hello! Are you alright?"
Apparently, "He Who Must Not Be Named", bombed three hotels in Amman, Jordan. One of the bombings occurred at a hotel that could have been confused for a "Holiday Inn". I had to explain that I was in "Oman" and not "Amman" and that the two were about 1500 miles from each other (as a crow flies), which is comparable to the distance between Houston, Texas and Bakersfield, California. But Houston is 9 hours behind Muscat, so though it was the middle of the day for Mother-in-Law, it was tripping over suitcases and feeling around in the dark for Son-in-Law.
I have discovered that most Americans don't even know about the existance of this place. Oman lies on the Tropic of Cancer and is bordered by the UAE, Saudi, Yemen and Iran (by sea). The country is criscrossed by treacherous looking mountains that have protected the coastal areas from invasion from it's neighbors and by the extreme deserts of her intererior. These recent formed mountains and the warm clear waters of the Gulf of Oman and Indian Ocean make for an eco-tourist's paradise.
The beauty of the country is partly due to it's anonymity with the outside world. The Sultan seems to stay politically neutral, meeting with both Iranian government officials and American on a regular basis. Extremist movements and terrorist ideologies are not acceptable here.
Though Omanis are deeply religious, it is nice to find that you can engage a woman in intelligent conversation - something not allowed in Saudi. Omani men themselves are also very open with thier opinions, giving the opportunity for a fascinating look at the Arab mindset in world events. As a result, I've learned more about Arab culture and Islam here in Oman than I have in any other Muslim country. Wikipedia has a great article on Oman here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oman
Oman is home to the real Sinbad (the sailor not the actor/commedian). A replica of his boat is displayed in the roundabout at the entrance of the Al Bustan Hotel.
Oman is also full of medieval castles that beat anything Europe has to offer. For one thing, they are mostly untouched... No ropes... No plaques... They are full of all kinds of cool things like secret passageways, trap doors, pitfalls and other goodies you only see on Indiana Jones.
Apparently, "He Who Must Not Be Named", bombed three hotels in Amman, Jordan. One of the bombings occurred at a hotel that could have been confused for a "Holiday Inn". I had to explain that I was in "Oman" and not "Amman" and that the two were about 1500 miles from each other (as a crow flies), which is comparable to the distance between Houston, Texas and Bakersfield, California. But Houston is 9 hours behind Muscat, so though it was the middle of the day for Mother-in-Law, it was tripping over suitcases and feeling around in the dark for Son-in-Law.
I have discovered that most Americans don't even know about the existance of this place. Oman lies on the Tropic of Cancer and is bordered by the UAE, Saudi, Yemen and Iran (by sea). The country is criscrossed by treacherous looking mountains that have protected the coastal areas from invasion from it's neighbors and by the extreme deserts of her intererior. These recent formed mountains and the warm clear waters of the Gulf of Oman and Indian Ocean make for an eco-tourist's paradise.
The beauty of the country is partly due to it's anonymity with the outside world. The Sultan seems to stay politically neutral, meeting with both Iranian government officials and American on a regular basis. Extremist movements and terrorist ideologies are not acceptable here.
Though Omanis are deeply religious, it is nice to find that you can engage a woman in intelligent conversation - something not allowed in Saudi. Omani men themselves are also very open with thier opinions, giving the opportunity for a fascinating look at the Arab mindset in world events. As a result, I've learned more about Arab culture and Islam here in Oman than I have in any other Muslim country. Wikipedia has a great article on Oman here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oman
Oman is home to the real Sinbad (the sailor not the actor/commedian). A replica of his boat is displayed in the roundabout at the entrance of the Al Bustan Hotel.
Oman is also full of medieval castles that beat anything Europe has to offer. For one thing, they are mostly untouched... No ropes... No plaques... They are full of all kinds of cool things like secret passageways, trap doors, pitfalls and other goodies you only see on Indiana Jones.
Oman is also home to a pod of humpback whales that never migrate and a mountainous region in the south that is as green as a tropical rain forest during the summer months.
Snorkelling/Diving, rock climbing, speilunking (cave exploring) is also big here.
Snorkelling/Diving, rock climbing, speilunking (cave exploring) is also big here.
2 comments:
I like how all the forts in Oman look like they were built yesterday. Maharashtra's forts are just the opposite - continuous wear and tear has left them disintegrating.
In truth, the forts look new because they have to be maintained. The walls are mud brick construction. The roofs are mud covered slate stacked on palm tree trunks and palm branches woven into mats to give the slate support. If left to the elements, these forts disolve like blocks of sugar. There are plenty of unrestored forts (Ibri for example), but they are dangerous places to walk around.
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