Muscat, Oman

Muscat, Oman                                                         March 21 and 22, 2017

Upon leaving Mumbai, India, Captain Jonathan, the Amsterdam’s commander, sent out a letter to the passengers about a  practice drill for piracy. Oh my…this was a new experience for us….PIRACY. After a brief update on the possibilities of being boarded by a smaller boat of hostiles, all passengers were alerted to stay away from all windows and outer decks (during the rehearsal drill)…in fact we were told to go to the inner  hallways for security purposes.

The crew strung up razor wire along the sides of the ship and powerful water hoses were installed along the decks of the third floor….and they remained during our journey.  Officers with binoculars were given duty to keep watch on the back open deck of the ship during our journey crossing the seas between India and Oman as well as sailing past Somolia, Yemen and Saudi Arabia. The captain sped the boat up to 25 knots ….best to be going at top speed through these modern day pirate infested seas.  This was serious business…and the crew did not take it lightly. Preparation for a possible confrontation was the command for the next seven days…. Better safe than sorry.

Captain Jonathan surprised the passengers with an early arrival into Muscat….5:00pm, a day early. Larry and I were one of the first to jump on to the pier bus and head into Old Muscat to experience the night life.

What a spotlessly clean, pristine city nestled amongst the sharpest ridged peaked mountains! An incredible sight! The ship’s landing was so very scenic….a big contrast from the ugly container ports previously visited. The town actually had grown right to the foot of the rocky mountain edges.

The bus took us along the attractive Corniche, a waterfront   promenade with statues and fountains. The evening sunset was striking against the serrated mountain crests. The bus dropped us at the Mutrah Souq, a traditional Arab market housed under a modern timber roof outdoor structure.

 The smell of Frankinsense burning was immediate as we wandered through the walkway of tiny shops of antiques, textiles, perfumes, copper, silver and gold.

                                                                                         Arab men's hats

Colored globes for candles

                                                                                               Frankenscence...a resin from local trees

             Water pipes for smoking

                                                                                   Copper pots....just like the smaller one that  I have

Moslem women's clothing

                           I stood out among  the locals...all in long, black clothing.

Music tantalized our ears with Arabian sounds. At 8:00pm the local Mosque had a Muslem gentleman singing the call to prayer over the tall tarret speakers.

Being mostly an Islamic nation we watched the women dressed fully in black from head to toe while shopping and gentlemen talking in small groups in their long white gowns and little Arab hats. What unique sights!  After getting lost in the Souq’s twists and turns of shops, we finally made our way back to the Corniche to find a bus back to the ship. The sights, the sounds, and the smells were all an eye opener to what lie ahead for the next day.

Muscat means safe harbor. It has been the capital of Oman since 1793.

The next morning, Larry and I were the first to board a Hop On-Hop-Off Bus at the ships dock.

As we traveled into the city we spotted high upon the hills, two old Portuguese Forts of Mirani and Jalali built back  around  1580.

They blended into the mountains to almost appear camoflauged.  In 1650, Omanis took over this area, driving the Portuguese out of the region, and have remained ever since.

 The current leader, Sulltan Qaboos, took command of this Absolute Monarchy back in 1970, sending his ruling father to London in a bloodless takeover. He proceeded to open Oman up to the outside world. He required that the architecture  remain with the traditional domes and arabesque windows as well as no high rises.  It certainly made the city quite whimsical. We also learned that the sultan controls all journalism that is written in the country…giving power to only a chosen few to write about local news.

           How about the Sultan's two yachts? Both white...one a bit larger than the other.

We rode by the latest achievement of the sultan, the Royal Opera House. 

                 We enjoyed seeing the natural mangroves and  Qurum Beach…so clean and natural.

                                                     The roads around the city were great!

The Parliament building was quite impressive, but my favorite was the Sultan’s Palace. The expansive court yard and flowering gardens were gorgeous.

                                         We stopped for a view of the marina and......

ended our day with a walk along the Al Muttrah Corniche. The waters here are crystal clear….so clear we could watch the locals snagging fish with breaded hooks.


Larry enjoyed talking with a couple of local men who were actually from Pakistan and Nepal, working here to send money home. So many times we have met men who are working out of their native country because there is no work there. It has to be heart wrenching to leave your family in an effort to gain an income to support them. In this part of the world, it is very common.

Larry and I really enjoyed Muscat, Oman. The city is quite manicured with flowering gardens and tree lined roadways.  It is quite a unique country with such an interesting culture.