Todd's visitor's visa was about to expire in the UAE so he had to leave the country and re-enter. We decided to make a weekend of it and went to Dubai's bordering neighbor, Oman.
We flew into Muscat, the capital, and spent two days exploring the city. Muscat has about 1 million people, but somehow feels like a small town. Perhaps it was largely due to the friendliness of every taxi driver we had. Omani born, each driver seemed to be so proud of their country and wanted to tell you everything about it. Our last day, we even had a taxi driver offer to take us up a mountain for some great views and didn't care what we paid him! (Taxis here are not metered, so you have to bargain.)
Other than riding in taxis, my favorite part was walking around in the Mutrah Souq, a large open-air market where you bargain for everything. We picked up a few souvenirs...probably could have gotten them cheaper, but oh well. We also spent a lot of our time walking around. (Note to self: Oman shuts down from 1:30-4:30 daily. Don't bother walking in the heat. Go back to hotel and take a nap. (Which we did.))
Muscat has a long coast line with lots of beaches and pretty views. We checked out the beach one morning and liked what we found. We could have paid to go to a "nicer" beach with chairs and umbrellas, but we decided to go to a free one instead. People were out swimming (in full clothes, no bathing suits) and having a good time with their families. We felt a little out of place but soon got over it. The water was cool and clear, the sand was burning hot. It was a nice way to start the morning.
Before we left on Saturday, we stopped to visit the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. This beautiful mosque is home to the world's second largest persian rug and huge chandelier. To show respect, women have to be covered from head to foot. The mosque and the courtyards around were beautiful.
We had a great time in Oman. It's strange visiting a country that you've never actually given much thought to before (until we moved here) and seeing the people and their history. Reminds me just how big the world is, and really how small and insignificant I am in comparison. We hope to go back to Oman again. We heard there are lots of outdoor things to do once you get outside of Muscat.
I'm having trouble putting pictures on this blog, but most of you have seen them on facebook anyway. If you haven't, check them out here: Oman Pictures
Last but not least, I will leave you with my Arabic word of the week: burtokali (meaning the color orange).
We flew into Muscat, the capital, and spent two days exploring the city. Muscat has about 1 million people, but somehow feels like a small town. Perhaps it was largely due to the friendliness of every taxi driver we had. Omani born, each driver seemed to be so proud of their country and wanted to tell you everything about it. Our last day, we even had a taxi driver offer to take us up a mountain for some great views and didn't care what we paid him! (Taxis here are not metered, so you have to bargain.)
Other than riding in taxis, my favorite part was walking around in the Mutrah Souq, a large open-air market where you bargain for everything. We picked up a few souvenirs...probably could have gotten them cheaper, but oh well. We also spent a lot of our time walking around. (Note to self: Oman shuts down from 1:30-4:30 daily. Don't bother walking in the heat. Go back to hotel and take a nap. (Which we did.))
Muscat has a long coast line with lots of beaches and pretty views. We checked out the beach one morning and liked what we found. We could have paid to go to a "nicer" beach with chairs and umbrellas, but we decided to go to a free one instead. People were out swimming (in full clothes, no bathing suits) and having a good time with their families. We felt a little out of place but soon got over it. The water was cool and clear, the sand was burning hot. It was a nice way to start the morning.
Before we left on Saturday, we stopped to visit the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. This beautiful mosque is home to the world's second largest persian rug and huge chandelier. To show respect, women have to be covered from head to foot. The mosque and the courtyards around were beautiful.
We had a great time in Oman. It's strange visiting a country that you've never actually given much thought to before (until we moved here) and seeing the people and their history. Reminds me just how big the world is, and really how small and insignificant I am in comparison. We hope to go back to Oman again. We heard there are lots of outdoor things to do once you get outside of Muscat.
I'm having trouble putting pictures on this blog, but most of you have seen them on facebook anyway. If you haven't, check them out here: Oman Pictures
Last but not least, I will leave you with my Arabic word of the week: burtokali (meaning the color orange).
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