This morning, I went on a city tour of Muscat. My overall impression is that it is a very livable city. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are flashy, ever growing, with their motto being bigger is better. Here the impression I get is of the balance between people and nature and an emphasis on quality of life. Except on the mountainsides, there is greenery and flowers everywhere. And the plantings were designed by someone with a good eye for colors, shapes, and contrasts.
The first stop was to the Grand Mosque. It can accommodate 40,000 worshippers. Last night I saw it with the dome and minarets lit up and it was stunning. I was hoping to get to see the inside, but for some reason unknown to my guide, the mosque was closed. I settled for a photo op.
Driving to another area of the city, Mutrah, I paid a visit to the Bait al Zubair Museum. The museum is dedicated to explaining Oman’s heritage. There’s a great emphasis on ethnographic items, such as clothing, cooking items, musical instruments, weaponry, and architecture, both past and present. The museum does an excellent job of explaining the differences between regions of the country.
In an exhibit explaining wedding customs, my guide Yosuf said that most Omani’s marry by age twenty-three and that it can be for love or an arranged marriage. When I asked how old he was, he blushed and said twenty-four. Then he mumbled, “I don’t need to get married yet.” He then launched into an explanation of the various regions of the country, anxious I think, to quickly change the subject.
Next on the agenda was a photo stop to see one of the King’s many residences. This one is used for official meetings with other leaders. I wasn’t invited in (haha), but did get to wander on the lovely grounds and see the many historic fortifications surrounding the residence.
Then it was a short drive to the old souk and the gold market. There were items in this market that made it unique from the others I’ve visited in the middle east. Many stalls had piles and piles of frankincense, and the air was fragrant from it. Shops specialized in selling kummas, the caps that Omani men wear. One of the proprietors insisted on having me try one on and taking my photo. Other shops sold khanjars, a traditional dagger that is part of the Omani identity. Most of the shopkeepers were very friendly and not especially pushy (thank goodness). The gold market, like ones I’d visited in other middle eastern countries, was over the top.
Because it is Ramadan, all restaurants are closed during the day. Yosuf suggested dropping me off at the Mandarin Oriental, a 5-star hotel, where I could get lunch. The hotel, on a beachfront property, was gorgeous. Lunch was delicious. I would have preferred to stay and use their pool, but that would have been pushing their hospitality. Besides, my bathing suit was back at my nice, but definitely not upscale, hotel. The pool at my hotel is an infinity pool with a view of the neighborhood and the mountains. The water was warm, the view lovely and altogether, very relaxing.
Dinner was at another Omani restaurant, Ramssa. This one wasn’t as fancy as where I ate last night. The clientele was also different, largely expats (not locals nor tourists). And, I had a camel skewer (shishkebab). It tasted okay, but was extremely tough.
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