Wahiba Sands

Trip Start Sep 21, 2006
1
42
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Trip End Ongoing


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Flag of Oman  ,
Saturday, December 16, 2006

Oman is a country very rich with natural gas and oil, but not filthy rich. There is no income tax and the state pays for all the important public services such as education and health care. Omanis don't need a lot of money to get by but they still have to work to make a living. Here in Oman, contrary to most places in the Middle-East, you feel like the people are ordinary down-to-earth people. And that allows for great conversations with them.

Mohammad, our jeep driver in the Wahiba Sand Dunes, was a great guy with and definitely more liberal than average. He told how hard it was to convince his Dad to let him marry the woman he loved and we were casually talking about our respective family when he asked:
- Do you have a big family?
- Well, kind of. I have two brothers. That makes three of us.
- How about you?
He then started to laugh out loud replying:
- I have 38 brothers and sisters?
- WHAT?!? Did you say thirty eight?
- Yeah, my dad has four wives and one of them is currently expecting a baby ! That will make 40 of us.

He explained that according to their Muslim faith, a man is allowed to have four wives. But it's a revolving four, meaning that one can divorce a wife and replace her with a younger one. That's what his dad has been doing for years. When one of his wife gets around forty, out she goes... ...and here comes a beautiful new spouse in her early twenties. We had quite a laugh about that. But he acknowledged that the family had grown to be too big. According to traditions, one has to shake everyone's hand when he arrives at home. "It takes way too much time" he said. "Besides, if you think a women can dig a hole in wallet, you should try with four at time", he added. "OK, I'll remain a Christian then", I concluded. LOL.

You know the old saying: "Every religion has its pros and cons." LOL
Andre.
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