Day 46 is an accidental picture. Look up. Click. I parked my car under these gorgeous palm trees at work, and went about my day as usual. Except everything is unusual here. (If you are not local that is). Me and Oman, we have a unique love-hate relationship. I can see myself living here for the next 10 years, easily- but sometimes I wake up and realize the smallness of it all, is suffocating me. I can have the best weekend on the beach or camping, then come back home and realize I’ve done this a million times before and I am bored now. We would like to start a family here, but not being able to own your own house or send kids to a normal public school- is a huge inconvenience. The climate and the heat are also smothering 4 months out of 12. No one lasts in Oman for two long. It is the country of good-byes. The Sultanate is also magical and perfect in its own twisted ways.
The roads are perfect, not a bump not a scratch. The mountains are rugged and rough. The sea is turquoise and warm-like a bowl of soup. The beach is golden and lined with shells of every size and color. The locals have huge hearts and long eye lashes. The government is open minded and involved. The architecture is charismatic and straight out of Disney’s Alladin. And there are date palms- on every corner. It is true that Muscat is one of the most attractive and charismatic cities in the Middle East. It may not be a party hotpot spot like Dubai, but there are some great eating and drinking venues in Muscat. It is also clean and green. Yes, green. Camping and hiking is very popular. You can spend hours laying on the cool sand, staring at the night sky as the occasional sea turtle lays its eggs just a few meters from you. Diving and snorkeling are also a favorite sport, from coral reefs to abundant sea life are a treat. Venture out to one of the 5 star hotels for a nice Long Island, if getting sweaty in the sand dunes is not your thing.
Lay by the beach and soak in the vitamin D, there is no place like it…
I love oman this's the greatest country in the world for me. I can't imagine to live in any other pleace expect oman. I agree with u there isn't many pleace u can spend ur weekend but still it's peacefull pleace to live.:)
ReplyDeleteYeah, it is a good country, but don't you have somewhat challenges of being a white woman in there? Don't forget it is Muslim country as well. I personally always very cautious towards Muslim countries, and not because something is wrong with them, but because we are way too different. Culture, religion, lifestyle and etc and etc.... But I cannot truly judge about Oman unless I visit it one day. :)
ReplyDeleteVera, no there are no racial, or sexist challenges as such. It's just the extra attention everywhere you go, which gets very annoyed. I love blending into the crowd, back in Tashkent that is just the way it is, and its very relaxing. But here in Oman, its different. But I do love the cultural difference, and everything Oman has to offer from food to architecture. Its a second home.
ReplyDeleteI love Oman. But I am a long-timer. I was a child here by expats. I somehow became a Muslim. Maybe I'll write that story one day? But I stay because of the land and it's beauty and the people.
ReplyDelete*The attention is still strange, after all these years of it.