Today included a lot of driving, much of it through strikingly beautiful mountain ranges.
The first stop was Nizwa, almost two hours southwest of Muscat. It is the capital of the interior and the birthplace of Islam in the Sultanate of Oman. First, I walked through the souk. It was surprisingly modern. I bought two of the local specialties, rose oil and rose water. I didn’t like the scent of frankincense, so that remained behind. There were vibrantly colored ceramics, but they were made in Iran. Also for sale was lots of silver—khandars (daggers unique to Oman) and jewelry.
Nizwa is famous for its Round Tower Fort, built in the 17th century. I somehow managed to climb endless dark stairs to emerge in the center of the round fort. It’s quite impressive and would have been effective in deterring enemies. Getting down from the fort was a more difficult challenge. The final few steep steps had no handrail. A kind Italian tour guide lent me a hand, or I might still be wondering how to get down.
Next was the start of a long drive through the mountains. The road was steep and winding with breathtaking views. Up, up, and further up until we reached Al Jabal Al Akhdar (2,000 meters / 6,561 feet above sea level). These are the green mountains of the Hajjar mountain ranges. They are famed for their temperate cool climate. There was about a 20-degree F difference between Muscat and the mountains.
Because it is cool there, the growing season allows fruits and vegetables to thrive. Crops are planted on terraced beds that climb up the side of the mountain. Near Muscat the mountains are completely bare of vegetation, here there are bushes and low growing vines that will flourish in the coming months. Several villages are nestled between the terraced gardens. The one thing I found distressing was when my guide told me that some of the gardens will go untended because Omanis don’t want to do the physical labor. The work that is done is performed by Indian laborers.
After I finished oohing at the landscape and taking a zillion photos, Yusef drove me to the Anantara Hotel. I would be able to have lunch there (every other restaurant along the entire drive was closed for Ramadan). I was grateful for the stop; I would happily stay at the hotel for a week. It’s very upscale, with lush gardens, an infinity pool that looks as if you could swim out onto the mountains, and five restaurants. The views, no matter which direction you look, are of peaks and gorges and are glorious. At night, the sky must be awash in stars. I had lunch at their Italian restaurant and the food was as good as any I’ve eaten in Italy.
On the return home I stopped at another landmark hotel, the Chedi. It was the first seaside resort in Oman, built in 1970. I found the place Zen-like. It’s another place I’d be happy to spend some time at.