Mary Jo's Life Has Finally Begun: Oman Part III

After spending two nights in Sur, we left for Nizwa. On the road there we saw these "wild" camels. There were four of them wandering down the hill, grazing as they went.

As we drove along we noticed that the horizon was taking on a very different hue than we had noticed before. Shortly after becoming aware of the colour change we began to realize that what we were seeing were orange sand dunes - Sharqiya Sands. The picture above really doesn't do the colour justice. I have never seen sand that colour before...well I suppose that I should add that I have never seen sand that colour outside of a store setting and never in this quantity. The boys below, Mohammad and Sayed wanted to show us the sights of Sharqiya Sands, but we dutifully declined. Our car was definitely not the right vehicle to take out into the sands. Apparently there are camps out in this desert, where you can make a reservation and stay for a couple of nights and go dune bugging driving, etc. That wasn't on the agenda this time. Who knows, maybe next time. I am sure that Mohammad and Sayed will be there to greet us again.

After viewing the sands, we came back into a small town of Bediyh and visited this museum. There wasn't a lot to look at, but it was still interesting to see the memorabilia of the area and Oman. The guide that was there was very proud to explain what we were looking at. It was at this museum that I made my first purchase of frankincense. I must admit that I was totally clueless as to where frankincense came from. It comes from the resin of a tree found in Oman. This is a picture of what actual Oman frankincense looks like. And yes, it does smell very aromatic. I have already burnt one entire bag this winter. It give the apartment a wonderful fragrance.

http://peaceandaloha.org/?wpsc-product=oman-frankincense-oil

A couple of swords and khanjar.

One of the doors inside the museum. I just love the colours, etching and shape of it. The door really caught my eye.

This is a khanjar up closer. A khanjar is the traditional dagger of Oman. Apparently by counting the rings on a khanjar you can tell if it belonged to royalty or just a regular citizen. I believe the one above actually belong to a member of the royal family that ruled this area centuries earlier.


SR and DP posing with a statue of a traditional coffee pot. The picture was taken at the entrance to Al Hoota Caves. These caves are one of the largest cave systems in the world. They were interesting to walk around in. They definitely have very large caverns. We were not allowed to bring cameras with us, so the best that I can do is provide a link for you to view a picture on your own. Please notice the people in the bottom right of the photo. It really is a large cavern. http://gulfnews.com/life-style/travel/al-hoota-cave-in-oman-lighting-up-the-dark-1.592141

After leaving Al Hoota Caves, we drove to Bahla. The town of Bahla has an immense mud-brick fort dating back to somewhere between the 12th and 15th Century. It is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Along side the actual fort are the remains of mud brick family dwellings, bath houses, etc. The fort is also surrounded by a 12 km mud brick wall. We came across several remains of this wall through out the town of Bahla. I read somewhere that it was a woman who came up with the idea of building a wall. I, of course, like that idea.

Notice the size of the vehicle compared to the size of the tower. It is one of the biggest forts that I have seen to date. My only regret is that it wasn't open for us to go into. I understand that there are some interesting displays inside the fort. Next time. Inshallah.