Frankincense capital

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After four uneventful days at sea we reach Salalah, Oman and berth in a not very attractive container port. Salalah is the capital city of the Dhofar region of Oman and is in the south of the country. It is the second biggest city in the country and is judging from what we can see relatively industrial. The cement works is a local landmark and then some !



Salalah along with Yemen experience a monsoon season which lasts from July to September. (So we should be ok!) During the rains the brown and dry landscape we see is transformed to a beautiful lush green and locals and tourists flock to Salalah to experience it.



But Salalah’s real claim to fame is its ancient frankincense trade and UNESCO has put it on it’s World Heritage Lis, naming it the “Land of Frankincense”. This trade dates back well before biblical times, but even today Salalah is still well known for the quality and quantity of the frankincense it produces.



We have been notified that we must wear a mask when we go ashore and even if you stay on the ship you are required to wear a mask at all times. Additionally if we go ashore we will be provided with immigration slips which we must take extremely good care of. (Loss of said card costs $5 !)



We have decided to take an organised trip, ‘Salalah Contrasts’. As we are about to disembark we are told the ship boarding cards (our electronic ID / key / debit cards on the ship) will suffice and we no longer need the immigration slip.



We leave the ship and board a coach to take us on our journey. As we leave the dock the coach is stopped by security. All passengers are required to wave their ship cards in the air so the police officer standing by the driver can confirm we are all legitimate. What eyesight that man has given that the cards are the same size as a credit card.



The first place we visit is the Palace where we are told we can stop for 15 minutes to take photos. The palace is closed so all we see is a large closed wooden gate, some walls and tops of towers. 15 minutes is plenty long enough.



Our next stop is to visit a kind of market where we are told to barter. We buy a long cotton robe for me to wear over a swimsuit, while Ian buys a scarf. This he can use to protect his neck and our guide uses his to fashion a turban. We have half hour to wander round. The vendors are approachable and entirely non aggressive, unlike their Egyptian counterparts. As a sign of the times, most of the items for sale are marked ‘made in China’.



We travel on to a beautiful beach with turquoise seas gently lapping the sandy shore, with palm trees providing shade. It is a pleasantly warm day with a refreshing breeze. The guide says that in the summer temperatures average in the 30’s but it doesn’t get as hot as elsewhere in the Arab World because of the sea and winds.



Our penultimate stop is the partially restored ruins of an ancient (as in 3,000+ years) fortified settlement which was the main export port for frankincense for ancient Egypt. It is starkly attractive with a river from the mountains winding past the town. The ships collecting frankincense would have moored in the river mouth to pick up the cargo.



Finally we stop at a spring at the foot of the mountains, which is only a few miles from the sea. The spring is active all year round due to the monsoon rain feeding the aquifer. The surrounding mountain sides have caves which were used as habitation (or probably more accurately shelter) until comparatively recently, 50 years or so. With the pools and vegetation it is in it’s own was very pleasant.



Throughout the trip our guide has been Saleem, a cheerful happy young man who clearly sees being a tour guide as great fun. He was informative enough and helpful even if his constant commentary about frankincense did eventually become a little repetitive. He told us about the history,geography and how people live. He was very pleased to tell us that education is free with children in years 1-4 going to mixed schools years 5-12 they go to single sex schools and mix-up again for some courses.

Hospitals are also free and they do not pay any tax! I had no idea how frankincense was made ,Saleem points out some small tres growing by the side of the road and tells us they are Frankincense trees and that the sap is taken from the trees, (like rubber) and a resin forms, that is frankincense! He takes us to a shop selling frankincense and charcoal burners. The resin is heated up on the burner and he tells us that the smoke can keep away ‘the evil eye’ and also fumigates your clothes!



The entire day was enjoyable; good sights, a guide who kept things moving along and generally speaking attractive and tidy countryside. All helped of course by the balmy weather, neither too hot nor too cold to quote a well known nursery rhyme.



By the way, there must be something in the food or air here. The security officer who stopped us at the dock gate on the way back to the ship could see all our ship ID Cards were correct when we held them up and he was stood by the driver. It was a different guard but same fantastic vision.



Two days sailing and then we reach Abu Dhabi.

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