Marina Hotel Muttrah

... throttle open while Thierry steered with the trailing main engine. Co-ordinating throttle and steering to get back on the trailer was an evolution we definitely need more practice at, but we managed without major injury to the boat or personnel.<br><br>So now we are the proud owners/co-owners of two boats, neither of which has a reliable primary means of propulsion. <br><br>My experience with boats looks fated to continue repeating itself. Updates to follow.

... first stores, I saw displayed brightly colored small tulips - a definite nice change from the long winter we've been experiencing this year. One of the next sites, was this glassed enclosed smoker's "cage". The Amsterdam airport is smoke free except for these bizarre enclosures. More on arrival in Muscat. David

... buy but that was the first place we were at so we promised to come back and we did.  But there were other places that were opening and I needed to see what was available! On my list of things to buy-a kohl pot, a traditional Omani hat, and some frankincense to take back with me.  I hate haggling for prices and I am sure that I could have done better but I am happy with the things I did get.  In addition to the list, I bought an antique copper bowl and an incense ...

... meat - lamb or chicken - sliced from a spit), hummus (thick spread made from mashed chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice and garlic) and falafels (small croquette of mashed chick peas or fava beans seasoned with sesame seeds). - Drink In India beer is widely available. In Oman it isn't. - Wealth India sells rice, textiles and call centres and whatever money the country seems to have benefits only a tiny percentage of the population. Oman ...

... and it took only an hour at the central bank to get them converted to cash -- minus a 13% charge to the bank; thanks, guys. But that wasn't enough cash to do what I had planned, and here's where we first meet the people of Oman. The night before, at the internet cafe, once the web phones had gone down (they're illegal there, but it was probably just mundane technical problems), I'd sort of explained why I was in such a stressed-out condition, and he sort of ...

... cafe and buy the same thing online for less than half the price. They were joking, right? Anyway, I wasn't sure when I wanted to return, and when a US national flies into Muscat, they demand a roundtrip ticket. Nah. So I took a taxi back to the place where the guy in the bus station said to go. Let me tell you about Dubai-Muscat buses. If you ever want to ride on one, you will hear lots about it online; however, I couldn't find ONE ...

... bit disturbing. The only people who talked to us asked if we were from England. I don't think they get too many tourists in Oman. Eventually we stumbled upon what we think was the Royal Palace and Fort. It was dark now and the 104 degree weather was starting to wear on us. We hopped in a cab and headed back to the hotel to figure out what we would do for the next couple of days.

... of Caucasian women lunching at an outdoor cafe - Oman has many European expats working here because I 'm told the jobs pay well, nannies are cheap, you get these gorgeous townhouses on the beach and there is no income tax. Anyhow, since the Sultan took over from his father (who was mean &amp; tortured people), women have entered the workforce and gained the right to vote. The Sultan has also invested heavily in education and healthcare. He also takes 2-3 months ...

... homegrown leaders that checker its past. When the current ruler, Sultan Qaboos took power in 1970 the poor, civil war torn, pariah that was Oman began to change dramatically. The Sultan took it upon himself to bring Oman into the modern world while still keeping its traditional roots intact. What has been attained in just a few decades I would consider nothing short of a Renaissance. In the last two days here, I've been really impressed with how modern, clean, and ...

... the blowhole. Thankfully, it happened and it is now part of our photo portfolio (but too boring to post). We re-boarded the bus and were happily going along when the bus died again. The driver got out, fixed it again and on we went. By this time we were all concerned that we would not make it to Job's Tomb, which obviously was the highlight of the tour. So, Ali got on his cell again and insisted they deliver another bus to us. We rendezvoused at the local ...