Salalah Oman 1000kms south of Muscat.

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Salalah Oman 1000kms south of Muscat.

Staying at Salalah Tourist Hotel.
What makes me laugh is that the taxi driver will often ask you if this is the way to your hotel. I don't know I live in another country-you live here-you tell me.
It is a new hotel that could be nice but is already going to seed and quite dusty. Costs just over £30 inc. breakfast- coffee/toast/jam. Just like my backpackers!
Made enquiries about half day tour £80! So managed to get Abdullah from the hotel to take me in the hotel Mercedes for half that.
Visited Taqa pretty village and beaches at last the sea is clear and blue here. On the way the fast traffic had to stop several times for camels casually crossing the road.
Then Khour Rori, the ruins of an ancient city and port that once was a trading post for frankincense in a fantastic setting overlooking a lagoon. Good for birdwatching.
On the way to Mirbat we stopped briefly at Bin Ali Tomb just after some beautiful sand dunes which threaten to engulf the road.
Before leaving England I had seen a TV programme about a battle at Mirbat. Some SAS soldiers were in a fort just outside defending the town from insurgents coming from the mountains. There was a big gun in front of the town and a Fijian SAS soldier had single handedly fired this massive gun which saved the others but then he was injured. His friend risked enemy fire to run 500 metres in open ground to get to him and dragged him to the door of the town gate for help but the Omani soldiers inside would not open the door. If the insurgents got hold of the gun they would have been able to turn it onto the town.Luckily the insurgents retreated and the town was saved. One of the Fijians died but at that time he could not be honoured for it officially because officially the British army was not there.
Funnily enough, I could not get any information about this battle there.
The sun was setting as we drove to the beach and the small harbour were the fisherman were retuning with their catch. Abdullah bought a good size fish which they filleted for him and all for 60p.
We drove back in the dark and I had to ask him to stop speaking dialling on the phone while we were speeding along at 90 mph.
In the evening had a pleasant meal at a Lebanese restaurant and met up with 6 young, friendly, noisy, Italians from a NATO ship.

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