Blogs from Muscat, Oman, Middle East - page 4

Off ship first thing with our excursion buddies Bill and Joan, great couple, 82 years old and like 60 year olds, met our tour guide, as per instructions outside the port gate, took a shuttle bus out and met Valentina, a gorgeous Russian lady, what a fantastic day! She took us all around Muscat in her a Toyoto Landcruiser. She has lived in Oman for 4 years after having lived in the UAE for 16 years, I had booked her online for a private tour for the four of us and we were not disappointed. The most unlikely places sometimes turn out to be wonderful! Valentina says she really feels at home here in Oman, men and women are equal and it is a very safe country….and as we found out throughout our 6 hour tour ... read more

Thursday, Jan. 28. Muscat, Oman. Sunny, clear skies. 22C Jane - Went right (when facing harbour). Wonderful walk along the corniche (harbour front). Beautiful public gardens and walks. Ended up at the huge frankincense burner. There is an amusement park just below it, but it was not open. Walked back to turrety thing, missed the fountains. Wandered through Souk. OMG! So much fiddle faddle. There were a couple of things...a vase made of camel bone...too expensive, did not even try to bargain; and lovely hand woven 3D hangings with semi-precious stones. Unfortunately, there was not one that I wanted to take home, wrong size, wrong colour, so did not even ask the price. The chests were interesting, but all from India and we are going there. Alas, nothing to remember Oman by. Stopped for refreshment and ... read more

Wednesday 12 January: Muttrah Port Muscat: after breakfast we got off the ship around 10.30am and left the port for a look around Muttrah Souq which was entertaining and then a quick look for the building that had housed the branch of Eastern Bank that I’d opened in August 1970: amazingly still there though the Bank is long gone. We took a taxi to “Old” Muscat to see what had happened to the Bank building there – where it stood is now the car park of a grandiose Government building. It seems as though most of the original town of Muscat (the area inside the walls) has been demolished and rebuilt as Government offices and ministries. We took an interesting tour around an old house that has been restored as a museum: had a look at ... read more

December 8 2015 continued navigation along the coast of Oman all day the Sultamate in an Asian State located in the south oriental portion of the Arabic penninsula, bordering with the United Arabic Emirates (NW) and Saudi Arabia (in the west) and Yemen in the (SW) passing the Island of Masira and moving into the Arabic Sea. Late in the Day we passed the city of Al Hadd, we centered the Gulf of Oman in the mast oriental port of the Arabic penninsula, where there is a natural canal that connects the Arabic sea to the strait of Harmuz and he Persian Gulf. Now heading North to arrive at Muscat by sun up to arrive muscat tomorrow, December 9 2015 Took a jeep adventure heading out through the city of Muscat 1.8 million of the 3 ... read more

The drive down from Nizwa took all of the afternoon and we arrived into Seeb quite late but fortunately the whole of the next day to explore the towns and surrounds. The day started with a quick visit to our final fort of the trip at Nakhal. More interesting though was the nearby Ath-Thowra hot springs, not that a place bathing in 40 degree heat requires hot springs! Back in Seeb, we had a short wander around the town. No tourists sights as such, Seeb is a coastal town that thrives on fishing and has an interesting souq and a wonderful corniche. We strolled down the corniche watching fish dry out on the sands and take in the wonderful sea views. It was early evening before we knew it and I sat and watched a 25-a-side ... read more