Golden Tulip Nizwa

... International flights allow 30kg of check-in baggage. I had a suitcase, a box and Oli's guitar which added up to 38kg. Every kg over the limit costs 3500yen (aprox. $40CAD) so it would have been a small fortune, something I really can't afford. I say would have been, because in the end I only paid 10,000yen ($120CAD) because after taking out 3 pairs of shoes (which brought it down to 36kg, still too heavy!) and bursting into tears in front of the check-in girl they finally took pity on ...

... things (the Omanis,<br>and the Jordanians too, have an insatiable appetite for sweet pastries), two dishdashad<br>men sat not far from me and proceeded to cross their legs, first hitching up the lower<br>extremities, to reveal another loose layer of cloth with an embroidered border rather like a<br>petticoat. I sat for some time in the hope that they would show a bit more, but they failed to<br>do so, and I thought it would be a bit rude to ...

... whatsoever, and according to the guide book involves "Challenging off-road mountain and wadi driving". Yes, we have the guide book (and luckily we had it in the car with us) but no, I didn't bother to read it properly before setting out. Apart from the quote above, other comments which may have set alarm bells ringing were: "....perhaps the most spectacular mountain road in Oman", "Tragically, there have been casualties in this area" and the classic "....a stone memorial ...

... T left. I asked him if he thought there'd be room and he replied "Of course of course!!" WE got up to the bus where everyone was milling about and I scored a seat. :-D OFF we went... after about 45 minutes of travel the bus pulled over at a gas station and filled up, we were told then that some people had missed the bus and were being brought to us. *Ut oh* So Two girls arrived and luckily there were just TWO seats left. Meaning I didn't have to sit in the aisle as I'd been ...

... the road signs and lanes,  don't honk at every thing and know how to drive around the circles.  The other thing that amazed me was all the green I saw-trees, grass, and flowers along with clean streets. I definitely knew I wasn't in Amman right now! There was a brief side road drive to see some ruins that looked interesting.  It took us about 2 hours to get there only to find it closed.  So, not to be deterred, Anita and I took a turn thinking it would get us ...

This is the weekend in Muscat. Spent time yesterday on the Souq (city market) shopping for lots of jeweleries and visited Qantab beach in an extraordinary scenery surrounded by mountains. This beach and another one we visited (Magan beach, an area where lots of European expatriates are located) are impressive due to its brilliantly clear and blueish waters. Swimming in public beached is here not easy ...

... than Al Ain's; it was a Thursday morning, and this was the last Thursday before Eid. (Picture a Safeway turkey department the last weekend before Christmas for a comparison.) There were scads of trucks in the parking lot, many holding sheep, cows and goats with a very limited lifespan, but the bulk of the activity took place in the souk proper. A large circle formed, lined on both sides with dozens of men, as sellers paraded animals (mostly ...

... fort. Some of the original walls can still be seen. The main fort structure was built in the 17th century to fend off the Portuguese. The whole place was very clean and it had obviously been recently restored. Oman has made a push to restore and enhance cultural landmarks throughout the country for the past few decades. We checked out the different rooms and views from the tops of the many towers. Most of the rooms ...

... tourism - splunking, hiking, rock climbing, water sports (someone told me there is good surfing/wind surfing, but not on the beach I was on - the waves were maybe enough for body surfing), etc. Seemed like even the small towns had at least 1 motel, but it is also an easy place to camp. I guess since the Sultan loves camping, he's made it easy for campers. Supposedly you can camp on the beach, in the mountains, in the desert...Since I only took day trips, I only saw ...

Most of the expats went "Wadi Bashing" on the weekend with their families. Wadi is basically the Arabic name for canyons or dry river beds. Everyone would get in their four wheel drives and head off on the rocky tracks to see the country's beautiful landscapes. I never liked the driving part, it was too hot and far too dusty to be of any useful entertainment to a child ...