Muscat, Sultanate of Oman

if I could only describe this place with one word it would be: WOW!!!!

we've been to Omani cities a few times by car, some are only 1h30 away from Dubai and already the environment is totally different, but Muscat is a whole other story...

So this was our 2nd try to get to this place, our 1st being last week, when Fadi mixed up the flight schedule and we arrived at 6h30pm for our flight that had left at 6h30 am...

After a 45 minutes plane ride, you arrive to the most beautiful place I have ever been to...There are trees, flowers, grass, ocean, mountains, the birds make the best sounds ever, the air is crisp and clean, the heat isn't unbearable, the people are very nice even if they are quite traditionnal.

Their costumes are different only in the turban/hat they wear. They have these colorful scarves knotted on their heads, not the typical white and red squares you see everywhere else. They are simple, mostly fishermen. (Omani fish and seafood are the best of the Middle East...)

We stayed at the Al Bustan Palace, and it is just breathtaking...thanks Andre for all those IGH cards! :) the water of the ocean is clear, the sand is fine and hot...why did we leave!

We went to the Souk on friday afternoon,(after prayer time, when the city livens up) in this maze of little streets, the smells of spices and frankincense (smelled like church) made the experience so much more particular, and we would get lost and end up in different areas...textile souk, gold souk, spice souk...Iwas trying to buy saffron, this very expensive spice, and they all keep them hidden...we don't know if it's because it's illegal or expensive...the guy we bought it off from had this hole-in-the-wall spice store where his grandpa (a very fat, mean-looking man) was sitting. He was the one dealing with the money. And they had this old (130 years old) contraptions they used for weighing spices and lemons....we even got a history lesson...
Fadi left with a Disdasha (look out, here comes the arab man), i got a traditionnal housewife dress and a few gorgeous scarves!Love the souk!

We then walked around the Corniche, trying to spot dolphins (that area is known for dolphins), we walked up this old staircase leading us to a fort, but we had to back down because the stones kept crumbling down...

I could write all day about this place, and still wouldn't be able to describe it truthfully, to it's fullest...you just have to come see for yourself!

we were both sad to leave that place, but thankfully flights are cheap, and a short distance away...

Have i ever said how glad i am to be in the Middle East? Who gets to see all these places?