The next morning we set the alarm for seven, got up at nine and finally left for Muscat around ten. I got blamed for this tardiness but I refuse to accept it. It was not my fault that I over ate at breakfast and have dread locks that will not be tamed. Anyhow we drove the 150 kilometers to the capital and it was beautiful. The buildings were gleaming in the bright sunshine, we passed multi million dollar palace style homes and finally got to the second cleanest city on earth. We went to a huge mosque which refused us entry because we were not Muslim and it was not within public visiting hours. We did, however, get to enjoy it from afar and saw the largest carpet on earth, it was a hand woven Persian carpet. The cost of this mosque (which was a gift from the Sultan to the people) was about 50 million dollars and it looked it. Next we went to the old city to see the fort and the market. They were selling a lot of pashmina scarves, spices, toys and middle eastern clothing. We also went to see the sea. It reminded us of the blue of the ocean in Australia down the great ocean road. The sandy mountains provided a beautiful contrast with the lighter blue sky and the effect was picturesque. We did not expect to see these beautiful beaches in Oman. We stopped for lunch at good old Subway where I ate a foot of sub and two pops and then regretted it immediately afterwards.
We then went to see one of the dozens of the Sultan's palaces. It was huge and elegant and extravagant, exactly how one would expect an Arabian King's property to look like. He has many palaces and the people of Oman love him. Apparently he is a very good King who is generous and careful of his people, this is nice and different to hear of any world leader.
We stopped at a cafe by the beach and chatted for hours with my uncle while enjoying the breeze and scenery. Even though I was the butt of most of the jokes I still enjoyed my time. We drove back to Nizwa where we ate more and relaxed for a bit. Tyson and my uncle went to his restaurant for some time before we all went to my aunt's parent's home for dinner. After visiting with the family we had to rush home because there was a very important football match on that we couldn't miss. Before the second half of the game even started we were all falling asleep so we called it a night.
The next day after our usual awesome sleep in, hot shower and breakfast, my uncle came home from work and we went out for a while. We went to the market and shopped for crafts, vegetables and fish. We then stopped at the restaurant for cold drinks and Omani dates. After a few other stops we had fresh barbequed fish at home with the family. After watching a scary movie during rest time, we played backgammon and went out again for drinks and a stop at the office. We tried Avacado shakes and chicken shwarmas from the restaurant.
The next day, after breakfast, we drove to about 10,000n above sea level to the mountains and milder weather. This means 25 degreed instead of the 45 degrees on the mainland. It was a very touristy area and for good reason. The scenery was absolutely beautiful. We had to rent a four by four vehicle to get up the mountains and rocky roads, there were times where I thought I would die, but we were ok. We stopped for drinks on the way to waterfalls, small lakes, farming areas and small villages. In the villages we met some local people who showed us some of the garlic, roses and onions that were growing. One man showed us the irrigation system which was very interesting. There was a drought this year though and he said the plants are not doing well. In the small ponds we saw thousands of tadpoles, frogs and small fish. When we stopped to see some of the views, a local family welcomed us to Oman and then invited us to join them for lunch. They were very friendly people.
We ate lunch with my family back home and then watched movies and snacked during "rest time" in the afternoon. Tyson and I used the full gym and games room on the third level of the house to play fooseball and table tennis. Although Tyson may claim to have won, this would be untrue. We then went out for some shopping with my uncle in the evening where we bought more junk food than anyone should consume in a life time. On the way home my uncle felt it was necessary to pour a water bottle full of water all over me. This entertains him.
The next day we continued the eating frenzy at breakfast time and then we went to the "Friday market". This is a very old market held in downtown Nizwa. There are sections where locals sell fruit, fish, clothing, used vehicles, toys and even live animals. Live animals can be bought right out or during an auction. The owners lead the cows and goats in a circle and people make offers. The highest offer wins! There are also pigeons, budgies, chickens and other animals for sale. My uncle almost bought a baby goat as a pet and was rightly convinced not to by my aunt.
We then drove in the four by four truck to the highest point in the Arabian Gulf. We stopped at a lot of scenic points including an ice cream joint, of course. It was beautiful and we have a lot of pictures to prove it. We were overlooking the second largest canyon in the world. The view of the mountains from so high up was exhilerating. We came home for lunch with the family and Tyson and I slept for part of the day in the afternoon. In the evening we went out for drinks and hung out with my uncle's friend for a while. At this time my uncle again threw water at me. Payback time is coming! After a delicious dinner we continued to eat desserts and watch movies through the night. Our time here has been very relaxing and enjoyable thus far!
"If we are not happy and joyous in this season for what season shall we wait"
We then went to see one of the dozens of the Sultan's palaces. It was huge and elegant and extravagant, exactly how one would expect an Arabian King's property to look like. He has many palaces and the people of Oman love him. Apparently he is a very good King who is generous and careful of his people, this is nice and different to hear of any world leader.
We stopped at a cafe by the beach and chatted for hours with my uncle while enjoying the breeze and scenery. Even though I was the butt of most of the jokes I still enjoyed my time. We drove back to Nizwa where we ate more and relaxed for a bit. Tyson and my uncle went to his restaurant for some time before we all went to my aunt's parent's home for dinner. After visiting with the family we had to rush home because there was a very important football match on that we couldn't miss. Before the second half of the game even started we were all falling asleep so we called it a night.
The next day after our usual awesome sleep in, hot shower and breakfast, my uncle came home from work and we went out for a while. We went to the market and shopped for crafts, vegetables and fish. We then stopped at the restaurant for cold drinks and Omani dates. After a few other stops we had fresh barbequed fish at home with the family. After watching a scary movie during rest time, we played backgammon and went out again for drinks and a stop at the office. We tried Avacado shakes and chicken shwarmas from the restaurant.
The next day, after breakfast, we drove to about 10,000n above sea level to the mountains and milder weather. This means 25 degreed instead of the 45 degrees on the mainland. It was a very touristy area and for good reason. The scenery was absolutely beautiful. We had to rent a four by four vehicle to get up the mountains and rocky roads, there were times where I thought I would die, but we were ok. We stopped for drinks on the way to waterfalls, small lakes, farming areas and small villages. In the villages we met some local people who showed us some of the garlic, roses and onions that were growing. One man showed us the irrigation system which was very interesting. There was a drought this year though and he said the plants are not doing well. In the small ponds we saw thousands of tadpoles, frogs and small fish. When we stopped to see some of the views, a local family welcomed us to Oman and then invited us to join them for lunch. They were very friendly people.
We ate lunch with my family back home and then watched movies and snacked during "rest time" in the afternoon. Tyson and I used the full gym and games room on the third level of the house to play fooseball and table tennis. Although Tyson may claim to have won, this would be untrue. We then went out for some shopping with my uncle in the evening where we bought more junk food than anyone should consume in a life time. On the way home my uncle felt it was necessary to pour a water bottle full of water all over me. This entertains him.
The next day we continued the eating frenzy at breakfast time and then we went to the "Friday market". This is a very old market held in downtown Nizwa. There are sections where locals sell fruit, fish, clothing, used vehicles, toys and even live animals. Live animals can be bought right out or during an auction. The owners lead the cows and goats in a circle and people make offers. The highest offer wins! There are also pigeons, budgies, chickens and other animals for sale. My uncle almost bought a baby goat as a pet and was rightly convinced not to by my aunt.
We then drove in the four by four truck to the highest point in the Arabian Gulf. We stopped at a lot of scenic points including an ice cream joint, of course. It was beautiful and we have a lot of pictures to prove it. We were overlooking the second largest canyon in the world. The view of the mountains from so high up was exhilerating. We came home for lunch with the family and Tyson and I slept for part of the day in the afternoon. In the evening we went out for drinks and hung out with my uncle's friend for a while. At this time my uncle again threw water at me. Payback time is coming! After a delicious dinner we continued to eat desserts and watch movies through the night. Our time here has been very relaxing and enjoyable thus far!
"If we are not happy and joyous in this season for what season shall we wait"
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