Ah, Salalah

In the misty morning fog

 One of the best parts about living in Abu Dhabi is getting a chance to explore the rest of the Gulf. Like Europe, where it is so easy to hop in the car or catch a quick flight and be in another country an hour or two later, travel in this region is quick and easy. So far this year, I've had a chance to visit Bahrain, Qatar, and now Oman. Next on the list are Jordan and back to Oman, our next door neighbor.

Mughsail blowhole

Everyone we've met who has spent time in Oman raves about the place - to a person. All we've heard is that the people are so friendly, the cities are gorgeous and steeped in tradition, and the landscape is breathtaking. Some friends suggested a quick trip to southern Oman over the Fourth of July, and we quickly agreed and booked tickets and a hotel. Bonus? The Dhofar Region is about 20 degrees cooler in the summer because of the rain and mist. 

Rocks overlooking the blowholes

Salalah is the capital of the Dhofar Region and home to Wadi Darbat (a green river valley), Marneef Caves and blow holes, some stunning mountain drives, a delightful souk in the middle of the city, and more than a few historical forts. It was the perfect spot for a three day trip - enough to see but not so overwhelming that we felt we had to get up and go from early morning to late at night. Because we traveled during Ramadan, our hotel was really quiet. Like, really quiet. We had the pool to ourselves on two afternoons and were the only ones in the restaurant for breakfast. It was almost eery, but apparently the hotel is fully booked from Eid (end of Ramadan) through the rest of the summer. Pays to travel during the low season!

Camel crossing

Salalah definitely has a small town, laid back atmosphere. No huge skyline with glimmering buildings. Although we were only a few short flights from home, I definitely felt we were a world away.

One of the best parts about Salalah was all the outdoor activities. Since summer hit the UAE, I've been spending a lot of time indoors. It was so nice to walk around, hike a little, and not sweat my face off. One our first day, we arrived pre-sunrise and set off to see the blow holes on the southern end of the town. We didn't quite get a sunrise since it was so foggy, but it was a quiet and peaceful way to ease into the trip after not sleeping at all on the plane. Since it was Ramadan, our choices for breakfast were limited and we chose a hotel buffet and stayed for hours, drinking coffee and scarfing waffles. Afterwards, I finally felt normal again! Thank goodness for bottomless coffee.

Choosing our coconuts

 Once caffeinated, I was willing to entertain the idea of one of Salalah's museums. One the way, we pulled over at a fruit stand to grab some drinking coconuts and bananas. In Abu Dhabi you can occasionally find a small, one-off fruit seller on the side of the road, but in Salalah there was a whole stretch of street lined with little fruit shacks. We we thrilled (and the bananas were great!).

Simple and gorgeous museum entrance

 We stopped in to the Museum of the Frankincense Land to learn more about Salalah's history. It was so well done, with many examples of traditional fishing and trading boats and tons of archaeological finds from centuries ago. The area surrounding Salalah is also known for its frankincense trees and, thus, for the oil and resin used to perfume homes. It was fascinating to learn about the Sultanate and more about the Gulf - I highly recommend the museum!
 

So. Much. Food.

 To round out the day, we spent some time at the pool and then enjoyed Omani food for dinner. We ate on the floor in a small room with pillows around the sides (pretty typical for this area) and tried some fish dishes and curry. Some of the dishes were good (E's lamb stew got thumbs up and one of the fish curries was fine) but we struck out with a fish soup. One bite and I knew that was all I could stomach. We didn't go back for more the next night, but I'm glad we tried once!

Full view of the Travertine Curtain from the bottom - the trees on the top are full sized,
giving some sense of how big the cliff is

The next day Hubs and I went for a cool run around the hotel to the beach, and it was the best way to start the day. I really miss being outside and running in someplace other than a gym, on a treadmill. We hopped in the trusty rental car after breakfast and set off for the Travertine Curtain first. A quick walk later and we were craning our necks up at the enormous cliffs. The curtain formed when water rich in carbon dioxide ate away at the rock, causing interesting holes and crevasses before the rock was redeposited into stalactites. Or so I've read. At any rate, it's unlike anything I've seen.

Edge of the Curtain

After admiring it from below, we drove to the top and hiked to the edge. The landscape was incredible and the views even better. It was still a bit foggy, but I can imagine one could see all the way to the coast on a clear day.

Wadi Darbat

A short drive away was Wadi Darbat, a river that feeds the area and eventually flows into the Gulf. The landscape was soooo green, it could have been Colorado or maybe even the midwest. Aside from some paddle boats, there isn't much to do at the Wadi (no swimming unless you're willing to brave a few nasty bugs) so we set sail for the next site pretty quickly. 

Fishing dhows

My favorite part of the day was a quick stop in Mirbat, a fishing town with an active port. We got there just as one of the dhows was emptying its catch, and a crowd had gathered. I imagine a car full of Americans doesn't show up often so we got our fair share of stares. Only one guy approached us and wanted to know about our religious background, why we live in the UAE, and if we could introduce him to American women. He also asked me to take his picture, which isn't a request I get often, and offered to help us buy a fish or two. We passed since we had our hearts set on Indian food for dinner, but I'm sure he could have helped negotiate a great deal!

Watching the catch come in

Our new friend

One last stop to see Sumhuram, a 3rd century BC settlement and trading village, before we called it a day. Several camel herds were heading home, too, and we had to share the road with the tiniest herder and his animals.

Running home

Our last adventure was a little shopping in the souk, which came alive after sunset when fasting was finished for the day. Omani men wear intricately embroidered hats that often match their colorful dishdasha. Emirati men almost always wear white khanduras (the floor-length, long-sleeved gown) and a white gutrah, or head covering. Seeing the Omani men in different colors with their gorgeous hats was fun. We did a little browsing in the souk, getting tips from men about which hats were well-made and which prices were reasonable. I asked the young man in the this picture which design was best, and he (smartly) told me, "whatever you prefer."

Choosing our favorites

I can't wait to explore more of Oman and am thankful it's so close!