Salalah 2 & Camels and Caves

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Sunday 7 December.
It is less than a week since I left Cornwall but it seems an age already with experiencing so many different things.
A fairly negative day. I woke early and walked to the Post Office. It was windy and therefore dusty. All buildings are vast and spread out and the entrances are never where you expect them to be. Eventually I found the PO after having to retrace my steps and attempting various entrances I found the correct one to buy stamps. I only wanted to return a book that had been given to me by Kath for her to finish. It was going to cost £10- the book only cost £7.99 so I said forget it. The Omani behind the counter looked for ways to make it cheaper whist puffing on his cigarette. Yes the smoking ban has not reached here yet but not so many people smoke.
Then I went to an internet cafe hoping to set up a blog but that didn't work. I tried to find out about flights in the Yemen -no luck there.
After getting lost I decided to return to the hotel and catch up on some sleep. However I bumped into 2 Japanese that had bussed into town from Dubai. One was working in Dubai as an engineer and the other was a professional traveller. Neither speaks good English. They had stolen my Abdullah with the hotel Merc to go to the lost city of Ubar about 100 kms away and some other sights. So I was invited to go as well. Off we went in the direction that we had gone the day before and had some view stops and went to Wadi Dharbat with its beautiful blue lake, camels and caves used by the SAS in the 70's.
We then carried on in the direction of Mirbat where we were yesterday and I kept saying that we were going in the wrong direction to Ubar. But they said that they had made it quite clear and that they just wanted to visit another place which was actually quite interesting. It is a 200 metre anti gravity spot. The car is supposed to move itself up a slope. Ours went down it alright.
Then, when they got the message through to our driver, they were all shocked to realise that there would never be enough time to go to Ubar which was in an entirely different direction.
So they decided to go to Mirbat where I was yesterday.
I was pleased to go back to Mughsail which has a beautiful beach, fascinating rock formations and some active blowholes which were hard to predict causing much amusement.
On our return ton Salalah we went to the Lebanese restaurant that I visited yesterday and the Japanese engineer tucked into a huge lobster. He ate like a pig and was strange anyway. the older one was more pleasant but I do not know how he can travel round the world and have such poor English.
I left them to go back to the hotel while i tried to sort out the trip to Yemen. I couldn't get through to book a hotel and when I did they did not understand. One Omani was very helpful but ineffective. I can't decide to take a 6 hour bus journey but get stuck in a small place, or horrible 15 hour journey to a bigger town with better connections. I am worried about not getting back in time for the Damascus flight.
I shall try to sort things out tomorrow. I do not fancy arriving in the big town at 1am with no hotel booked.
Whilst writing this there was a knock on the door and it was the Japanese engineer. he asked if I was sleeping and when I said no he asked to come in my room. I said no I'll see you tomorrow. I am surprised as he is the younger one and I thought that he might be gay as he wears some trendy pointy shoes and keeps looking at himself in the mirror. What a sleaze ball.


Camels and Caves.
Salalah Oman
Wed 8 December
Took taxi to al Baleed Museum. Closed for 3 days for Eid. Could walk round the ruins but there is no shade and it was mostly piles of bricks made into small walls.
asked the taxi to take me up in the mountains to see Job's Tomb. Not being religious it was not so meaningful but the steep journey up there was good. There were loads of camels which were calm as always as they coolly crossed the road in front of cars. There also some interesting caves in the hills.
The taxi dropped outside the city at the Crown Plaza hotel where I had an expensive sandwich before going on the beach for my first dip in the sea. Here the water is crystal clear and it was certainly pleasant. Consequently I have arranged a snorkelling trip tomorrow.
The only annoying thing is that it is near Mirbat again.
Saw Amer by bus station and he says that his friend in the Yemen can get me a flight to Sa'ana the day after I arrive in Mukala and his friend will meet me off the bus when it arrives at 1am. I had already telephoned Yemenia Air and the man said that the flight was full but he put me on the waiting list.
In the evening ate at Al Faheed restaurant and met Shazia (pretty name) who is of Pakistani origin but works in Dubai. I was surprised to see her on her own and invited her to join me.
we had a good chat and I have a feeling that we'll meet again somewhere.
Then went to the internet cafe to answer emails and set up the blog. Managed to get the text on but still cannot transfer pictures.
On the way back went to buy some biscuits for tomorrow and started talking to some Omanis in the cafe. They will try to help me with th photos tomorrow.
In conclusion it is so good to not feel threatened as you walk around wherever even late at night.

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