A "Round-about" Trip in Oman

A piece of hail.
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After much anticipation we arrived in Oman to take a break from our travels and enjoy being around family and some creature comforts. Ah yes, Oman....a land of serenity, beautiful white beaches with turquoise water lapping against it's shores, secluded mountains and friendly people. The perfect stop for us....except we landed in what seemed like bizarro Oman and other than the people being ridiculously welcoming, everything else was a little unusual. Before going further, we'd just like to admit that we were not hosted by Joel and Tina, but spoiled. They were extremely generous and we couldn't have asked for anything more. Back to the trip.

Joe Camel welcoming you to Oman.
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Our flight from Dubai to Muscat was delayed by 45 min because all the big wigs of the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) had concluded their meetings in Muscat so the airport and all the roads around it were closed until they had departed the city. Our friends from England, Matt and Cora, arrived in Oman a day earlier than us so it was a reunion of sorts. Joel and Tina had just returned from South Africa hours before we arrived but they didn't let on that they were at all jet lagged. The next morning we all headed out into the desert to spend a New Years Eve in a really cool desert camp under a sky of countless stars and the next evening in Nizwa to see the goat market. Seeing people buy live goats in an open air market sure beats buying them from Safeway back home.

The country had caught football fever and every game Oman won was followed by insane driving, peel outs and smoke shows, and people dancing out their car windows

Entrance to a particularly beautiful Wadi.
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From there we made our way back to Muscat over the mountains and through a wadi (dry river bed) past many beautiful villages. On our way up into the mountains a couple of Porches blew past us. Joel exclaimed that this was very unusual. This comment was only made better when we arrived at the summit to be joined by a variety of 30+ Porches gathering for their monthly car club convention. Typical Oman.

Back in Muscat, Alisa, Joel and Matt all got older and entered their third decade. During the party a heavy rain storm (Oman rarely gets rain) turned into an all out hail storm with pieces of ice the size of golf balls falling from the sky. Should have seen that coming when we heard the weather predictions call for frigid temperatures of 16 degrees. Muscat experienced flooding for the next few days as well.

Joe Camel saying "Goodbye from Oman"
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Also very typical Oman was the Gulf Cup (soccer tournament) that Muscat hosted this year. No tickets were sold, it was first come first serve so it inevitiably resulted in a run to the gates to get seats. We were able to see three games and Oman ended up winning the cup! The country had caught football fever and every game Oman won was followed by insane driving, peel outs and smoke shows, people dancing out their car windows, etc. Again, typical Omani behaviour.

All in all we had a fantastic and relaxing visit (including the uncharacteristic events we witnessed) in this opulent country. From the Grand Mosque, bustling souks (markets) and over the top round-abouts to the ubiquitous aroma of frankincense, beautiful waterfront and welcoming locals/expats it's no surprise Joel and Tina found it easy to call Oman home.

Our guides, Joel and Tina, were excellent. They ensure our safety so that none of us would take a huge tumble down the dune. Thanks Tina.
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Our first taste of the Middle East definitely has us craving for more. Next on the list: Dubai, Jordan and Syria......