While Dubai was pretty flat, arriving in Oman by the sea presented much more dramatic view.
While Dubai was pretty flat,
arriving in Oman by the sea presented much more dramatic view.
As we approached, the port of Muscat appeared from behind the rocks.
We took a bus trip through the city to one of the forts in the countryside.
Muscat is very clean and modern looking.
On our way to the fort, we made a short stop at a small fish market...
...where the catch was being sold off a sheet of canvass like in the old days.
The potent smell lured in many lurkers.
The interior of Oman is very dry and slightly reminiscent of New Mexico.
After about 60 minutes, we arrived at the Nakhal Fort...
...and parked our bus next to stylish lavatories.
Then we took stairs up to the fort...
...which turned out to be quite a maze (and a furnace to boot).
It also offered glimpses into the past...
...and into the surrounding countryside.
This is the view from the fort toward the oasis nestled against the mountains.
Girls mostly play at home, so kids that you see outside are almost always boys.
This was a school field trip we encountered in the fort...
...and these were boys playing in the hot springs below the fort.
Water is rare and always welcome.
On our way back, we sat down for lunch in a quiet restaurant...
...surrounded by a manicured garden that had its own amphitheater.
When we arrived at Muscat...
...we stopped by at Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque...
...an impressive piece of Islamic architecture.
After the tour, we still had some time to spare,
so we took a short walk around the harbor.
Along the route, there was no shortage of mosques...
...or local souqs (markets).
We decided to go off the beaten path, and took a random road into the city...
... so we could see how regular people lived...
...or how they bought their flowers.
Finally, we took a shortcut through the souq back to the port.