Highlights of Oman - February 2019

February is the perfect time to go to Oman - the temperature is a steady 25 degrees and the sun shines every day! In our rental car we bumped along roads that would suddenly peter out or smart new highways where no one had got around to putting up signs for the exit roads. A lot of the time we guessed which direction to take and if we went wrong we would stop and ask someone. Without exception, the Omanis were friendly, helpful and welcoming. We met and made lovely new friends along the way.

There were so many positive experiences from our visit, but for me the turtles in Ras al Jinz remains the highlight. Such a privilege to watch these creatures haul themselves up the sand to lay their eggs on the same beach on which they were born. The reserve is run and protected by the government. Demand outstrips supply so rooms are often fully booked and come at a premium. There are also tents, which are even more expensive! But, an overnight stay includes two tours with a guide – the first one at night (very popular) and the second in the early hours of the morning (less popular probably because you have to get up at 4.30 am!)

Turtle Beach!

It wasn't the time of year for Green Turtles to lay their eggs so we were lucky to see one burying her eggs and another one actually laying her eggs - in fact, two popped out before my very eyes. No photography was allowed on the night tour as the lights from the flash confuse the baby turtles and cause the adults distress. The seashore was alight with phosphorescence - magical.

The morning tour was even better. We helped release baby turtles and watched as they wriggled to the water's edge and vanished into the waves. These little ones had got confused in the night, following the lights of the visitor centre, located about a kilometre away.

The guide led us to a turtle in her nest. At first, she was so still we feared she was dead, but our guide reassured us she was merely resting. It took over an hour for her to start to make her way back to the seashore.  As dawn broke she finally heaved herself from the nest. Deep ruts, like tyre tracks, marked the sand showing where she had crawled from the sea to lay her eggs over two hours before. She paused several times on her way before finally disappearing into the waves. It was an experience I'll never forget. 

There she goes!

Next on my list of highlights was the sight of camels roaming through the hills and desert. This one wasn’t the least bit photo shy! 

We didn’t go into The Sharqiya Sands desert, but we glimpsed the enticing orange dunes from the motorway. We were put off staying there by the huge resorts advertised in the guidebook. We’ve since been told of smaller outfits where you can stay with Bedouin families – definitely something on our agenda for a return visit! 

If only all the road signs were this clear!

Wadi Shab was lush and green with clear, almost turquoise water.  It was a beautiful but popular spot, although there weren’t many walkers who continued past the rock pools. 

Sur, located on a pretty part of the coast, had a laidback vibe and made for a relaxed stopover. They still build and repair Dhow boats here. There were hardly any tourists wandering the souk and curious children called out to us “hello, how are you," and before we could answer they would say, "I am fine, thank you." We ate at Zaki’s restaurant – the best Indian food we have eaten outside India! 

The mountains of the Western Hajar were stunning. Who would have thought that beauty could be found in such an arid landscape. The village of Misfat al Abryeen (Misfah), a group of ochre coloured houses huddled on a hillside above date palms, was beautiful. We stayed at the Hospitality Inn, a typical Omani guesthouse with mattresses on the floor, open communal terrace and shared bathrooms.

Staying here meant we were poised for a walk in the mountains (there aren’t many trekking maps, but the routing for the W9, which leaves the village was clearly signposted with splashes of paint marking the way). 

Walk W9

A Falaji

To stay in Misfah was like stepping back in time. Pathways twisted amongst ruined houses and through date palms. Occasionally a donkey would stumble past carrying a heavy load.  Its popularity with tourists is highlighted by the signs at the village entrance warning visitors to dress appropriately. Many of the six hundred-year-old crumbling mud-brick houses are being restored and one gets the feeling change is imminent. The hillside is terraced and criss-crossed with waterways or falaji, as they’re called. Life revolves around this important water source, which we were told never runs dry. Every available space is used for growing produce including, pomegranates, bananas and papaya. There are 25 different varieties of date palms here and we watched a man take a flower from the male date tree and deftly climb up a female tree to fertilise it with the flower. The modern village sits on the opposite side of the gorge, steadily expanding under the watchful gaze of its old neighbour. 

Misfah

We spent three nights in Nizwa. Our stay coincided with the famous Friday Goat Market in the souk. The event is popular with tourists and locals alike. People gather around a central area to watch the occasion. As well as goats, there are cows and occasionally one of them would break free to run through the crowds. They even had baby camels for sale! 

We also visited our only fort – there are a lot of forts in Oman, but the one in Nizwa is impressive and has lively cultural displays. 

Hide and seek, Omani style!

A wander around the ancient ruined village of Al Munisifeh was very atmospheric as we had the place to ourselves and were able to go inside the buildings to climb rickety staircases and admire the arches and doors that had endured. My obsession with Omani doors began here!  

Al Hamra is another ancient village of mud-brick houses, but here they have a living museum, which was interesting and we learnt about the Indigo trade.

Muscat, the capital, is a pleasant city. The buildings are low-rise, which was a surprise. The Grand Mosque, the only mosque in Oman open to non-Muslims, was incredible.  

We were only able to explore one small part of Oman and there remains so much more to discover, so we will have to go back!

Park Life - Shanghai, China, November 2018

The parks in Shanghai are social centres – calm oasis in the middle of the modern frenetic city. Wandering around the parks of a morning I would stop to watch people practising tai chi, their movements calm and fluid. The same couldn’t be said for the group doing some kind of contorted face exercise. In another area a spot of ballroom dancing was the order of the day as couples took to the pathway twirling their partners accompanied by music. In a discreet corner old men sat hunched over a serious card game. Children, too young for school, ran through the throng usually accompanied by a grandparent. 













In People’s Park we happened along a particular spectacle - rows of elderly parents behind opened umbrellas. Pinned on the umbrellas was a piece of paper giving their child’s age, height, weight, zodiac sign, career prospects. All this detail provided in the hope of attracting the interest of the parents of a prospective suitor. According to the guide book, they come most weekends in the hope of finding a life-partner for their unmarried children, often without the knowledge of their offspring! It was a poignant sight – so many people with umbrellas looking sad and slightly desperate. We presumed the majority were looking for wives for their sons as there’s a shortage of men due to the one child policy, which was only relaxed a few years ago.  

Following the meandering path-way we happened upon an old lady in a wheelchair singing to her family. Her face radiated with pleasure as her family joined her in the chorus.