Optimum Oman: Pre-Getaway

http://www.omantourism.gov.om


(disclaimer: none of the photos in this post have been clicked by me)

Visiting a new country is always an exotic experience for most because of the new flavours they offer with their typical touch of history and tradition which becomes a natural addition to everything native. I have visited a few countries myself, Mauritius, Seychelles and the small and independent Bhutan being among them.

The other day, our family was sitting together having a cup of tea, when my mom very aptly put, “Son, don’t you think our family needs a vacation?” We all got into scanning modes, right away. Oman with its rich blue waters, a unique taste for architecture and elegant variety of living, attracted me easily in a glimpse.

Being a wildlife photographer, anything related to the fauna catches my eye without any efforts. Wetlands are a favourite hangout for us guys, and that could be very quite the reason why Al-Ansab didn’t take long to engage me. Al-Ansab is well known wet lands of Oman with over 280 species of birds on view on certain days. It is popularly called the eagle capital of the world. “To see flamingos, spoonbills and gangs of wading birds, head to Barr Al-Hickman, one of Oman’s 16 national nature reserves”, my close friend, Nadim, who has already visited the country, suggested. He also very animatedly spoke about the place of turtles, Raz Al Jinz. What got me high browed in surprise was, it’s the only place in the world where one can spot more than 50,000 female turtles make their way slowly up the beach every night, to lay their eggs, before slipping back to the sea before dawn. I honestly hope I don’t miss them.

Every family has a foodie, though in my case each one of them has a weakness for biryani. But watching in proximity, my sister wins the game with a tough competition. And when I told her about the lively fish market in Barka, she couldn’t wait to get there and see for herself how they auction the rich varieties of sea food and cook them to finish the very last bit of it inside the belly.

How can one be to Oman and not think about the Grand Mosque in Muscat? I am eagerly waiting to be wowed by the architecture of gold, crystals, Italian white marble, a 10-tonne crystal chandelier lit by 1,122 bulbs and a 21-tonne carpet woven in one piece by 600 Iranian women. One very popular website remarked that the ascend on Jabal Shams (Mountain of the Sun) either on foot or by 4-wheel drive jeep and a little pause to buy a goat-haired carpet from the mountain's itinerant weavers while doing that, should clearly be listed in my writing pad, since these rocky mountains are the rare Grand Canyons of Arabia. A huge “Of Course!” is what I told myself after googling its images and ending up stunned by the nature’s finished canvas.

Ever since reading the mesmerising “The Alchemist”, I have reared a desire of riding a camel the way Santiago (protagonist) does across the mystic desert lands. These rich brown terrains carry a silent charm of the endless secrets it protects. I hope I become the worthy knight who discovers the treasures the Sharqiya Sands hide beneath the dust, with an introspective slow camel ride. As dusk falls I plan to return to my campsite for a barbecue of goat kebabs and spend the night indulging in star gaze. I also plan to catch up with the historical city of Niza, a capital for the country during the sixth and the seventh centuries and inflate my bags with copper handicrafts from the artisans at souks. After all what good is a trip if you don’t return with mementos that carry the whole journey in them?

Being a migraine patient I have to avoid the heat as much as I can, hence the doctor forbid me from visiting the place in around May to July when the temperature is maximum, though, even in these times the southern Dhofar region has its own microclimate.  Known as the Khareef, the area catches the Indian Ocean’s monsoon season and keeps the temperatures cooler than the rest of the country. Since that will restrict me to only few places, I plan to visit anywhere between October to April when the weather is dry and warm: perfect to support my explorative adventures.

One of the important reasons we have succeeded in our family trips is my dad’s fantastic organizational skills. And it starts with his sensitivity towards the customs and culture of the country. He always has a pre-getaway speech to make us come in terms with them. This time around in his speech he spoke of how my mom and my sister should be in light and decent clothes and how I should take polite permissions before clicking away photos as I please. And trust me, it truly is a pleasure to blend in the local culture for the time being. It clearly adds layers to the exotism of the whole journey. He poetically concluded it with a saying, and I quote

“All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveller is unaware.” – Martin Buber

The wait for my secret destination to reveal itself has brought me on toes. Considering its wide and diverse terrain, I am hoping a pleasant surprise.

I am planning to lie down on the beach after I have made ticks on all the to-dos, and that said, from the places that I have browsed around, Salalah seems to be the perfect abode especially considering the current season when people from all parts of the Middle East Gulf and elsewhere flock to this haven in hopes of getting some respite from the blistering heat. It clearly sounds like it is going to be one of the most liberating events in my life. The journey sketch alone has already got me excited, no wonder Nadim just texted, “I might join you buddy, for a second trip to the Optimum Oman”.