Muscat, Oman, has a rich history and is also an up-and-coming vacation destination. Muscat is a legendary trading center connecting Europe and Asia. Archeologists claim it has been a trading port for at least 24 centuries. There has been a long line of invaders who sought to control the port and its riches. Portugal controlled it the longest, from 1507 for 150 years. Oman was eventually liberated in the 18th century and ruled by the Al Said dynasty since the 18th century. When Qaboos bin Said ascended to the sultanate in 1970, he began a process of revitalization and growth for Oman.
Oman is what I pictured an Arabian desert to be. Stark mountains, seasonal wadis (river valleys), and hidden oases. We headed out of the city from the port in Range Rovers, an eight-car convoy driving in tight formation at 125 kph. It was a good thing there was not much traffic on the highway, as lane markings were only a suggestion to our driver. Achmed was a nice guy and practiced his English on us as we peppered him with questions about the area. We first headed to a fort built by the Portuguese to defend the coastline for their trading routes. The fort is well preserved and we could walk all around the building. The tower room was a bit of a challenge with crumbling steps and no handrails.
We then piled back into the cars and headed toward Fins Beach, about an hour away. We parked right on the beach and had some free time to explore and swim. The water was lovely – clear and refreshing, but it was a stony beach like the Long Island Sound, and it was difficult to walk in the water as it was so bumpy (even with water shoes).
Once dried off and back into my “modest attire” (arms and legs fully covered), we headed off to Wadi Arabayeen for some off-roading. We turned off the highway and onto a dirt road, winding our way through the enormous valley with a permanent river flowing through it, fed by springs. It was so interesting to see how people have lived for hundreds of years, growing dates and mangoes, building their houses, and raising families. Because the school bus cannot get into the valley to pick up the kids for school, the government provides 4x4s so the parents can drive the kids out to the main road for the bus. And residents share 4x4s in the wadi and park their cars on the side of the paved road. The topography was fascinating. Mostly the mountains are made of limestone and volcanic rock, both of which are very fragile and tend to crumble, creating complex patterns in the rockface.
We also stopped at the only dam in Jordan, which is fed by springs. We had lunch at the little café and sat outside watching the families having picnics and playing.
On our way back to the ship, I could not help but feel like I was in some sort of action movie. A caravan of eight white SUVs in tight formation (barely a car’s length between us) speeding down the freeway. We were the eighth (last) car - which is always the one that gets blown up in the movie. As the one in the passenger seat, I felt I should have some sort of assault rifle in my lap while I watched for snipers. I definitely had my seatbelt on! On the way out the car was a bit quiet, but when we got back in the car for our last leg, Achmed had been listening to the radio and I told him to leave it on. He was so happy! So here we are driving through a Mars-like landscape listening to the Backstreet Boys, Bob Marley, Bad Bunny, and Ricky Martin, watching donkeys and goats walk along the median of the highway. It was bizarre and too much fun. We laughed and sang all the way back.
We got back to the port a little after all-aboard, so we drove right up to the gangway and ran up the ramp while the guys were waiting to pull it in behind us, and off we went to our next stop. It was a very good day.
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