Omani Break

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... While leaving Dubai in only 3 weeks, I feel I could have at some point missed out the beauty surrounding the Emirates....

During last year's Ramadan my parents dropped in for a 1 month visit, and begged us to show them around the country.... This was a challenge. My parents are romantic traveler’s, in love with culture, adventure and architectural beauty. They are hippies at soul, thirsty for new discoveries.... Would the Burj or the Royal Mirage stand up to the level of the Pyramids, Thailand, Petra or Matchu Pichu?

I had a job to do. I had to find what I though was inexistant in the Emirates.... and found that it couldn't be found, it did not have it. Hence my homework begun. India was relatively cheap for us, we could easily just fly to Rajastan, I knew Jaipur had an airport and they had flights from Sharjah, I knew my parents would love Jaisalmer, Jaipur and Jodpur, perhaps even Pushkar or Udaipur. Unfortunately, I felt this was cheating. I was planning on taking them to a complete different cultural, ethnical and geographical destination!! (regardless of the amount of Indian citizens in Dubai, this is not after all, India).

Yemen was out of the question, a friend ensured that all the kidnapping stories related some way or another to me. Hence, although tempted and bedazzled with all the stories and pictures of Yemen I opted to continue the search around other neighboring countries.

So, after discarding Saudi Arabia, Iran (due to political and social discomfort), Qatar and Bahrain I made my mind up for Oman.

As per our job responsibilities, we work in F&B and have barely time to breath, we only had 3 days to drive to somewhere in Oman, wonder around a bit and drive all the way back to Dubai. So that was it, we would drive to Muscat and spend 2 days there.

Oman was amazing we really loved the drive there, enjoying the change in scenery and the little towns spread all the way along the coast on our way to Muscat. As everywhere in the UAE, mosques rose along the way and decorated the skyline. This was truly magical. At last I had found in Oman what we once thought Dubai would provide... a bit of futuristic 5 star architecture meddled with old solid cultural beauty, such as white square houses, old mosques and markets along old streets. No pretense, no need, proud in their heritage and a sense of history. Local people working the markets, the restaurants and the shops.

Some real sould in the East......

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Comments

[thomas]

B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L.L
TALK ABOUT THE BEAUTY OF NATURE N ITS ALL HERE. I LOVE YOUR WORK.I STIL SEE YOU AT WORK EVERYDAY, HOPE ALL'S WELL.