A Love/Hate Thing: Part 1

اهلا وسهلا

As a flood of graduation posts hit my Facebook news feed this past weekend, I realized that I, too, will be completing my collegiate career in just a few short weeks. Along with that, I realized that I have exactly 18 days left in the UAE. Whoa. It seems like just yesterday I was wandering wide-eyed through the Dubai airport after my transatlantic flight from DC touched down on the tarmac. In light of this reality check, I decided to sit down and reflect on some of the many highs and lows of my semester abroad.

As the title of this post implies, there are many aspects of life in the UAE that I'll dearly miss when I return home, but there are also many annoyances and frustrations that I'll be glad to leave behind. Such is the nature of life, and such is the nature of studying abroad. The thing about studying abroad, though, is that it acts as a multiplicative coefficient. On the one hand, seemingly ordinary activities can become extraordinarily meaningful, but on the other hand, slight inconveniences can quickly turn into major headaches. If you've traveled to a foreign country, you likely can relate to some degree, but I guarantee a week-long vacation is but the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the spectrum of emotions and experiences a person can expect to feel while living abroad for an extended period of time. To give you a better idea, I'd like to share with you this week some of the things I'll miss about the UAE. In a later post (after I return home to the United States, where I am able to speak freely and critically), I'll introduce you to the opposite side of the coin.

LOVE: Things I'll miss ...

• The call to prayer. It's quite beautiful to be able to hear the voice of the Imams summoning the faithful to obey Salat--the second pillar of Islam--no matter where you are in the city. For some background info on this practice as well as the other pillars, click here. 

• The food. If you know me, you know I am a pretty big foodie, and as such, I've thoroughly enjoyed having the opportunity to sample the many diverse cuisines represented in the Emirates and elsewhere in the region. Indian, Emirati, Jordanian, Palestinian, Egyptian, Nigerian, Turkish, Iranian, Moroccan, Saudi Arabian, Filipino, British ... the list goes on and on. You name it, you can probably find it somewhere in Dubai.

• The weather. It's almost always sunny here, and nighttime temperatures are absolutely perfect, typically in the 70s and 80s. As it gets closer to summer, I'm liking the heat less and less (The high was 106 today, and I've heard it can hit 130 in July/August), but with its coastal location and ubiquitous A/C, there are many ways to stay cool.

• The nightlife. Maybe it's just 'cause I'm from Idaho, but I'm in love with the cosmopolitan club/lounge scene here in Dubai. There's a venue for every budget and nearly every type of music, and whether you just want to chill with some shisha or dance the night away to EDM, you can always find the perfect spot. 

 

• The cultural diversity. There are so many nationalities represented both on campus as well as in the UAE as a whole. It's interesting to note that Emiratis are a minority in their own country, making up less than 15% of the population. The majority of residents are from the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia, but there's a good chunk of expats from Europe, the Americas, Africa, and elsewhere in Asia as well. A great example of this is my previous post about the Global Day event on the AUS campus.

• The architecture. From outstanding examples of classical Islamic design to stunning skyscrapers and other modern marvels, the UAE is an architect's dream come true. I'll definitely miss the ornate patterns and stately domes as well as the bold, beautiful creations of glass and steel that make up the skyline of Dubai and the surrounding area. For some examples, click here, here, here, and here.

 
Well, that's it for today. Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for the second part of this post!

~ MH

A Day in Doha

مرحبا!

Last weekend, I had the unique, exciting opportunity to fly to دولة قطر‎ (The State of Qatar) and spend a full day in its illustrious, modern capital: الدوحة‎ (Doha). Courtesy of everyone's favorite reference, Wikipedia, here is a brief overview of the country:

"Located in Western Asia, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula ... Qatar has been ruled as an absolute and hereditary emirate by the Al Thani family since the mid-19th century. Formerly one of the poorest Persian Gulf states, the mainly barren country was noted mainly for pearl hunting. It was a British protectorate until it gained independence in 1971. Since then, it has become one of the region's wealthiest states due to its enormous oil and natural gas revenues. Beginning in 1992, Qatar has built intimate military ties with the United States, and is now the location of U.S. Central Command’s Forward Headquarters and the Combined Air Operations Center.

Qatar tops the list of the world's richest countries by Forbes. In 2010, Qatar had the world's highest GDP per capita, while the economy grew by 19%, the fastest in the world. The main drivers for this rapid growth are attributed to ongoing increases in production and exports of liquefied natural gas, oil, petrochemicals, and related industries. Qatar has the highest human development in the Arab World. In 2009, Qatar was the United States’ fifth-largest export market in the Middle East (after the UAE, Israel, Saudi Arabia and Egypt).

With a small citizen population of fewer than 250,000 people, foreign workers outnumber native Qataris. Foreign expatriates come mainly from other Arab nations (20% of population), the Indian subcontinent (India 24.5%, Nepal 13%, Pakistan 7%, Sri Lanka 5%), Southeast Asia (Philippines 10%), and other countries (5%)"

As you can see, Qatar is quite similar in many characteristics to the United Arab Emirates--so similar, in fact, that at one point in time it was actually a part of the union called the Trucial States that preceded the forming of the UAE. Bahrain was also originally a member of this coalition; however both Qatar and Bahrain ultimately resigned and formed their own independent states due to regional conflicts with the Emirates.

Now that you know a little more about the country, I'd like to take you on a whirlwind tour of Doha, its largest city and seat of government.

Souq Waqif

After a 45 minute flight from Sharjah, myself, two professors, and about 10 other AUS students took cabs from the main airport to Souq Waqif--a traditional open air marketplace that's a favorite destination for both tourists and residents alike. The marketplace has been in use for over a hundred years; however it recently underwent a restorative facelift. As one of the professors put it, its authenticity was remodeled in an effort to look more authentic. Kinda ironic, isn't it? The end result is that portions of the souq resemble a movie set, but despite these embellishments, the area still retains much of its historical significance and architectural charm. Here's a picture of what one of the main thoroughfares looks like today:

In the above image, you'll notice an abundance of outdoor cafes lining the pedestrian avenue. Our group ate both breakfast (a lovely meal of Lebonese pastries and mezze) and lunch (Iraqi style mixed grills) along this corridor. You might also notice a peculiar spiral structure rising up above the souq in the distance. Here's a better shot:

Here's another shot of it lit up at night:

This building, based on the many Arab minarets built in the style of the famous Great Mosque of Samarra (located in Samarra, Iraq), houses FANAR, the Qatar Islamic Cultural Center. Due to time constraints, we were unfortunately unable to visit this landmark, but it was still a neat sight to behold from the exterior.

The Corniche

From the souq, we walked a short distance past FANAR to the Corniche for our next stop, the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA). Along the way, we had an excellent view of the Doha skyline and its gorgeous modern skyscrapers. Here's a great HD shot of the city in the daytime sourced from the web:

At night, these buildings look even more spectacular, as seen here:

The Museum of Islamic Art

The main reason for my visit to Doha was to visit this landmark--an amazing collection of Islamic art and antiquities spanning many centuries and cultures throughout the Muslim world. What makes this site extra special, in my opinion, is that even the building itself is a form of art. From its many-layered exterior geometry, built to resemble the Alhambra, to its stunning industrial interior, MIA is a great example of classical architectural elements merged with modern materials and ingenuity.
 
Here's a shot I took of the exterior:

And the interior:

And now for some of the coolest exhibits I saw inside ...

^ Yes, those are real.

 

Well, that's about it for today's post. I hope you enjoyed the taste of what Doha has to offer. I definitely want to return to Qatar someday to see the sights I missed, perhaps in 2022 when they host the FIFA World Cup :)

Until next time, thanks for reading!

مع السلامة

~MH

All the Small Things: Part 2

السلام عليكم

Back in February, I published a post entitled "All the Small Things" in which I highlighted a few unique elements of إماراتي‎/خليجي (Gulf/Emirati) society that I noticed soon after my arrival in the UAE. Now, exactly three months later, I'd like to share with you a few more interesting aspects of the local culture to give you a more complete idea of what living in a foreign country is like.

 A Full Spectrum of Service


One of the more noticeable characteristics of the UAE is that many trivial tasks that we Americans do without complaint every day--like pumping our own gas or clearing our tables after dining in at a fast-food restaurant--are viewed not as the responsibility of the public but as the responsibility of those employed by the establishment at which you're being served. As the semester progressed, I became more accustomed to this full-service society; even so, I still find myself searching for a place to dispose of my trash and tray from time to time, and despite having the luxury of cleaning staff to make my dorm room spotless each week, I still end up doing my own dishes and dusting out of habit. You can take me out of America, but you'll be hard-pressed to take the American individualism out of me. On that note, here are a few more situations in which American might be surprised at the level of service provided:

Delivery and Dining Out 

Nearly every fast-food place (including all your typical American brands) and local cafeteria offers door-to-door delivery, and it's often free of charge. I can order everything from Starbucks coffee to a gourmet Indian feast and have it brought to my dorm in rapid fashion. Also, in lieu of drive-thru, most of these same restaurants offer drive-up service à la Sonic, so patrons aren't inconvenienced by having to leave their air-conditioned cars. But instead of orderly parking spaces with two-way speakers for placing your order, the typical scene is 20+ haphazardly-parked cars honking to get the attention of the servers or express their displeasure at their inability to extricate their vehicles from the circus.

All Things Vehicular

Oregonians rejoice! Just like at home, all gas stations in the UAE are full-service, and you don't even have to tip the attendant! Additionally, as an aside, I should mention that petrol is ridiculously cheap here, as you might expect from the world's 7th largest oil exporter. Next, for those of you who like to keep your car as shiny and spotless as the day you bought it, many parking lots, especially in places frequented by those whose wallets are fat and whose patience is thin, are populated with workers eager to wash or wipe down your ride for a handful of dirhams in a never-ending struggle against the dust of the desert.

Shopping: Where Past Meets Present

As I've mentioned before, the UAE is a study in contrasts. Ostentatious megamalls are as ubiquitous as traditional souks, and both serve as excellent examples of the cultural diversity that defines this small yet globally influential nation.

The Traditional Way

Traditional shopping is exemplified by a trip to one of the many souks (public markets) around the Emirates. In addition to large, covered marketplaces offering a wide selection of general wares for both locals and tourists alike, Sharjah and Dubai offer a handful of specialized shopping centers such as the Gold Souk, Spice Souk, Fish Souk, and Produce Souk among others. There are even souks for modern goods like consumer electronics as well as a host of stalls offering knock-off designer clothing and accessories--a 3rd-world parallel to Dubai's glamorous 1st-world boutiques. At all of these souks, however, there is one common theme: haggling. For visiting tourists, it can be a headache, but for locals, it's a way of life. Here's how a typical visit and transaction might go down:

You stroll leisurely through the souk, glancing at each stall as you walk by. You're here to buy your mom a new pashmina scarf. To an outsider, the selection of shawls might be overwhelming, but you've been to the markets enough times to know who the reputable sellers are. You can distinguish quality craftsmanship from souvenir junk, and you're not persuaded by the incessant barrage of "Excuse me, sir, step inside, best pashmina, special price" that follows in your footsteps. After a few minutes, you arrive at your destination--a "hole-in-the-wall" stand covered wall-to-wall with woven fabrics in a plethora of colors and patterns. You greet the shopkeeper, and from your demeanor, he instantly sizes you up, concluding that you're a respectable adversary, not some bumbling tourist with more money than sense. Haggling, you see, is like a game of chess. It's psychological warfare--a series of calculated moves in predictable sequences in an effort to prove you're the dominant member of your species. As you peruse the shelves, he inquires if there's anything in particular you're looking for and offers you some of his finest scarves while describing their quality in great detail. One of them catches your eye. It's a lovely floral pattern. Gold stitching on a blue background. "I'd like this one," you inform the shopkeeper, "how much?" "150 dirhams," he replies. It's an outrageously high price, and you act insulted, but in your mind you know it's just part of the game. "I see pashminas like this all the time. 50," you reply. "Sir, it's best quality, won't find anywhere else. Maybe I feel generous today, give you special price. 100 dirhams," he counters. "Eh, maybe I'll go look at some other shops ..." you start. "Ok 80 dirhams, but that's as low as I go," the owner offers. "I have to feed my family you know." Still, you're not convinced. "I guess I could afford to pay 70 dirhams," you say, "but only if you throw in a bracelet as well." The owner ponders your offer for a moment before replying, "Ok you buy both, but for 80." "75 is all I can afford," you answer. "Ok, ok, 75." And so it ends. The shopkeeper gets to brag to his friends that he sold you a pashmina worth 50 dirhams for 75, and you're satisfied because you were willing to pay 100 for an item of this style and quality and you got a bracelet for free as part of the deal.

That's haggling in a nutshell. Love it or hate it, it's how business is done if you want to shop the Middle Eastern/South Asian way.

The Modern Way

Not much explanation is needed to describe shopping the modern way in the UAE. Nearly everything a person could ever want can be found within the brightly-lit corridors of the world-record-holding Dubai Mall, and if you've got the cash to spend or a hefty credit-limit, Dubai is your playground. You can buy a Patek for yourself and Louboutins for your girlfriend, sign a lease on a luxury condo, order a custom-tailored kandura, enjoy camel-tenderloin and exotic tea at an upscale restaurant, scuba-dive in a massive aquarium, and finish off the day with a french pastry and some Turkish coffee at a cafe with a prime view of the Burj Khalifa as well as a fountain show that makes the Bellagio envious ... all in a day's work, as they say. Even if you have a smaller budget, you can still get your shop on at over 1200 stores, goggle at the parade of luxury cars valet parked near Fashion Avenue, grab a bite to eat at one of the many multicultural fast-food establishments in the massive food court, and conclude your visit with ice-skating at the indoor rink on the premises.

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Well, that's it for today's post, but stay tuned, 'cause I'm going to Doha, Qatar tomorrow, and I'm sure I'll have lots to share with you about that excursion when I have the time to write again.

As always, thanks for reading!

~MH

Türkiye

Ahlan!

Due to a deluge of projects and midterms, I haven't had the time to update this blog the past few weeks. But seeing as things have finally slowed down a bit, I'd like to take a moment to share with you a few reflections on my incredible spring break trip to Turkey--a country with a vibrant culture, fascinating history, and beautiful landscape. Be prepared for a lengthy post! :)

Due to its transcontinental location along key waterways like the Mediterranean and Black seas as well the Bosphorus and Dardanelles, Turkey has always been one of the great crossroads of the world. Accordingly, its lands have played host to a plethora of empires, many of which were among the most influential throughout recorded history. If you recall anything from your world history courses, you might recognize a few of the following names, all of which had a stake in this region at one time or another: Alexander the Great, the Byzantine Empire, the Seljuk Sultanate, the Mongol empire, and the Ottoman Empire.
Today, remnants of this diverse, turbulent past can still be seen, forming the tiles of the multicultural mosaic that is modern Turkey. And when I say multicultural, I mean it. Where else in the world can you enjoy an Arab-inspired meal in cave dwelling built by early Greek Christians while sipping wine that would make Tuscany jealous while in the middle of a landscape that looks like the moon and the American southwest had an illegitimate love-child?

With that, please fasten your seatbelts, 'cause you're about to be transported to the magical land of Turkey!

 

DAY 1: Travel & Arrival in Istanbul

5:00 AM. "It's not that early ..." you say as you set your alarm the night before. I mean, you'll be able to sleep on the plane, right? WRONG. Waking up before sunrise and then spending your entire day shuffling through airport lines interspersed with periods of continually changing positions in an effort to get comfortable while trapped in the confines of economy class next to foreigners that don't bathe regularly should be banned by the Geneva convention. But such is the nature of air travel--a necessary but thankfully temporary evil. However, seeing as I was rewarded for my troubles with a week in Istanbul and Cappadocia, I can't really complain. And hey, the food on Royal Jordanian was actually pretty decent, something that can't be said about travel on most US-based carriers. Anyway, after a full day of transit, myself and my 3 travel companions finally arrived at our cramped but hospitable accommodations tucked away along a side street in the Sultanahmet district of Istanbul's Old City.

Here's a picture of our hostel in all its pink-painted glory. Fun fact: it used to be a police station, and the basement (where our room was located) used to be the jail! Nonetheless, the beds were quite comfortable, the bathroom was clean, and our next door neighbors,  three flamboyantly fabulous South Africans, were quite friendly and entertaining.

DAY 2: Major Landmarks of Istanbul

Ayasofya (The Hagia Sophia)

This was definitely my favorite architectural stop on our tour of the city. It was really fascinating to see how the space was transformed over the ages as Turkey shifted from a Christian empire under the Byzantines to the predominately Islamic state it remains today. One example of this was that much of the Christian iconography was defaced, since in Islam it is forbidden to have images of people and animals in a place of worship; however bits and pieces of the old mosaics remained, and despite the addition of the minarets on the exterior, the place still felt more like a church than a mosque.

The Basilica Cistern

 

Not much to be said about this landmark, as the pictures do a pretty good job of illustrating the ornate columns and stone medusas that adorn what used to be a massive water storage facility in ancient times. As with many historically important cities, Istanbul has many layers, and it was interesting to see this subsurface example of Byzantine engineering prowess.

DAY 3: More Istanbul Highlights

Masjid Sultanahmet (The Blue Mosque)

From the beautiful symmetry of its exterior domes and minarets to the intricate complexity of its stained glass windows and mosaics on the inside, the Blue Mosque was a magnificent sight to behold.

Topkapi Palace and Museums

Visiting the sprawling Topkapi Palace complex took up the majority of our second day in Istanbul. Our first stop was the Archaeological Museum where we were able to see some phenomenal examples of marble sarcophagi like the Alexander Sarcophagus seen above. The name is a bit of a misnomer, since Mr. Alex himself wasn't entombed inside this burial fixture; however the carved decorations depict a scene of his conquests with some of the original colors remaining. Topkapi also boasts an extensive collection of bejeweled clocks and artwork from the private collections of its previous inhabitants, but perhaps the most important artifacts on display are the sword and cloak attributed to the Prophet Muhammad.

DAY 4: The Golden Horn and Bosphorus

For our final day in Istanbul, we embarked on a full-day tour of some of the lesser known but equally interesting sights of the city. In the morning, we took in the fabulous frescoes of Chora Church and the ornate interior of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchy as well as scenic vistas from the tops of Yedikule Fortress as well as Pierre Loti Hill. In the afternoon, following a delicious Turkish lunch, we visited the Spice Bazaar (where I purchased some authentic Turkish tea!!) and Rustimpasa Mosque and finally concluded our day with a 1.5 hour boat cruise up the Bosphorus strait, returning to port just as the rain clouds arrived.

Chora Church

Greek Orthodox Patriarchy

The Bosphorus

DAY 5: Travel to Urgup (Cappadocia)

Day 5 in one sentence: If you think air travel is fun, just wait til you get to spend 13 hours on a bus!

DAY 6: Ballooning, a Breakfast Fit for a King, Ihlara, and Kaymakli (the Underground City)

Ballooning

Another 5AM morning. This time, however, we had a different sort of airborne excursion ahead of us--just as cramped, but infinitely more enjoyable: Hot air ballooning!!! This was hands down the best experience of the entire trip; in fact, it just might be the most incredible thing I've ever experienced while traveling.

Picture this ... you're soaring above a surreal lunar landscape filled with "fairy chimneys" and canyons evocative of the best Utah and Arizona have to offer while the sunrise paints the sky a canvas of orange and pink ... dozens of colorful balloons drift by, borne by the breath of the morning breeze while you hold your camera over the edge of the woven compartment trying to decide what to shoot next yet unable to make a decision because there is a perfect photo in everything ... a blast of hot air warms the back of your neck as flame erupts from the propane burners, providing just enough lift to keep the basket from brushing against the canyon floor below ... and then you're gaining altitude, up, up, up until you can see for miles and miles ... then a graceful descent, and when its all over and the colorful folds of fabric come cascading to the ground, the ground crew greets you with a smile and a glass of champagne ... and you think to yourself: Ahhh, c'est la vie.

That's Cappadocian ballooning for you.

Breakfast at our Cave Hotel

What's so special about breakfast that it deserves its own section in this post? Well ... the breakfast at 4ODA Cave Hotel isn't your typical low-budget grab-n-go hotel fare. Each morning of our stay, the owners and their staff prepared a feast fit for a king (and it was included with the cost of our room!) consisting of local cheeses, homemade bread, Turkish mezze, eggs your way (they even make omelettes if you'd like!), a selection of fruit preserves (my favorites were the apple/quince and the passion fruit varieties), hot pastries with meat, cheese and herbs, Turkish tea, Turkish coffee, and even a cereal bar! As if this breakfast wasn't enough, the accommodations were 5-star worthy, and the owners were the nicest people you could hope to meet. They drove us around in their personal car, made us dinner reservations at the best places in town, secured us discounts on tours and activities, and even assisted us in getting cold medicine and arranging our bus transfer back to Istanbul. If you ever visit Cappadocia, you HAVE to stay at 4ODA in Urgup. And no, they didn't pay me to say that :P

Hiking in Ihlara Valley

Exploring Kaymakli

The most well-known feature of Cappadocia is its abundance of cave dwellings. To hide from invaders, early Cappadocia settlers carved cities and churches out of the soft volcanic rock, and many of these are still visible today. Perhaps the most impressive of these dwellings is the underground city of Kaymakli. Designed to mimic a tree's root system, Kaymakli's multileveled network of rooms and tunnels is still a marvel of engineering even by today's standards. In its heyday, it had everything from stables to wine-making facilities as well as ventilation shafts for fresh air and massive stone doors for protection. We toured the complex with an adorable old man named Mustafa who has been a guide at the site since 1967. I'll never forget his voice saying "Ladies and gentlemen, watch your head, watch your step" before we entered each room and tunnel.

DAY 7: Highlights of Cappadocia

For our last day in Turkey, we went on a full-day guided tour to see the "highlights" of Cappadocia, which included an up-close look at "fairy chimney" rock formations that resembled everything from a camel to a cowboy, a hands-on visit to an artisan pottery shop in Avanos, a photo-op near Uchisar Citadel, a delicious clay-pot kebap meal for lunch, and finally a visit to the UNESCO heritage site at Goreme where stunning Christian frescos are preserved inside rock-cut churches.

The Camel Chimney

 Visit to an Artisan Pottery Workshop

"Evil Eye" Talisman on a Tree Overlooking Uchisar

Goreme

DAY 8: Travel Hell

Because air travel, lengthy layovers, cross-country bus rides, and public transit are just the bees knees, let's put them all together into a 32 hour super duper awesome travel marathon! First, we were thrilled to repeat our 13 hour overnight bus journey from Urgup to Istanbul. Next, we rode the metro to Ataturk airport, where we were forced to wait for 7 hours until our flight was scheduled to depart. Then, guess what? 2 hour delay! Yay! Next, we took a 3 hour flight to Amman and waited 3 hours in Queen Alia airport. While we were waiting, I did manage to capture this pretty cool photo of the sunset, though :)

Finally, we took a 2 hour flight to Dubai, spent an hour at the airport going through passport control and getting our luggage, and then took a cab ride home, arriving at AUS just after 2AM. WHEW. Talk about an exhausting two days. Would I plan such a return trip again? Nooooope. But was it worth it? Hell yeah! I had the time of my life touring Turkey avec mes amis, and I can't wait to return someday to see even more of the country.

I'll leave you with a group pic of myself and my travel companions, aka "The Fantastic Four." As always, thanks for reading! مع السلامة

 ~MH

Sojourn in the Sultanate

Ahlan!

Fasten your seatbelts, 'cause you're about to be transported to a little-known gem of the Middle East: سلطنة عُمان (The Sultanate of Oman) ...

Located on the southeast coast of the Arabian Peninsula, Oman is a country with strategic geographical importance, a rich history, a vibrant culture, and stunning natural scenery. Yesterday, I had the unique opportunity to experience each of these aspects through a day-long excursion by dhow (a traditional Arab boat) along a fjord in Musandam, a small enclave in the north next to the Strait of Hormuz bordered by the UAE, the Persian Gulf, and the Gulf of Oman. In the map above, Musandam is denoted by the red circle; for our trip, we entered Oman by way of Ras al Khaimah and then continued on by bus for about an hour to the district of Khasab, dubbed the "Norway of Arabia". The image below (from Wikipedia) shows a section of the road between RaK and Khasab. Note the interesting geology, a result of the Arabian Plate slowly pushing under the Eurasian Plate. You'll see more examples of the unique rock formations later on in this post.

With its winding curves and scenic vistas, the drive was evocative of the Pacific Coast Highway along the California coast--minus the greenery of course. For the car enthusiasts out there, the elevation changes and winding curves would be the perfect companion to a tuned Lotus or Mitsubishi Lancer EVO. A guy can dream ... ;)

We arrived at our destination, a small fishing village at the mouth of a fjord, at around 10am, 30 minutes before our boat trip was scheduled to begin, giving us some time to take in the sights, get fitted for our snorkel gear, and take a quick cat nap amongst the embroidered cushions lining the deck of the dhow. The images below show what a typical dhow looks like from the inside and outside. On the way to the islands for snorkeling, we played cards and relaxed on the lower deck, but on the return voyage, myself and the other students took over the spacious top deck where we sunbathed and took Titanic parody photos :)

As I mentioned earlier, Musandam has some pretty neat geology, thanks to plate tectonics, wind, and waves. Here are a couple more photos that highlight the landscape:

During our cruise up the fjord, we also had the opportunity to witness a different side of nature's majesty: a pod of bottlenose dolphins frolicking alongside the boats. On the return trip, we even saw a baby dolphin swimming next to its mother! Unfortunately, I didn't have my phone or camera with me to record the moment myself, but here's a YouTube clip (from user SuperBetocan) that shows these magnificent, playful creatures racing a dhow in the fjord:

 

Seeing dolphins was pretty awesome, but the real highlight of the trip for me was when we stopped at a place called Telegraph Island to have a delicious lunch (Arabic Chicken Masala with rice, hummus, tea, and flatbread) and swim/snorkel amongst schools of tropical fish and rock formations populated with an abundance of sea urchins. The water was clear and a pleasant temperature, and we enjoyed hearing our guide tell how the British used to operate a military telegraph outpost on this remote slab of rock. Today, all that remains of the outpost are the original stone stairs and a few segments of crumbling walls, but it was still a sight to behold.

On the return portion of our boating adventure, our guide gave us some more interesting tidbits of history. For instance, we passed by a few tiny fishing villages carved into the coastline that used to be occupied by pirates. While the newer buildings had white walls to reflect the harsh rays of the sun--temperatures can reach over 50 Celsius (122F) here in the summer months--older structures were built from sand stone to blend into the surrounding landscape, enabling their former inhabitants to camouflage themselves and their illicit activities from the prying eyes of authority. Hearing these stories of pirates of old was very interesting, but what was even more fascinating was learning that even today, Musandam boasts a very active smuggling trade with neighboring Iran, a result of the sanctions placed upon the latter by the United States. The following paragraph, sourced from Wikipedia, does a good job explaining this thriving subversive economy:

"Iranians import sheep and goats into the local port, from where the animals are dispatched to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in trucks. On their return trip to the Islamic Republic, the sailors load their boats up with electronic goods and American cigarettes, arriving in Khasab after sunrise and leave before sunset to conform with Omani immigration laws. Since the trading is illegal under Iranian law, they must avoid the Islamic Republic's coastguard as well as all other shipping in the busy waters of the Strait of Hormuz. The crossing is hazardous since the vessels, piled high either with livestock or with numerous boxes must avoid the path of the scores of oil-tankers which pass through the Strait in a transverse direction daily. Recent increases of United States sanctions against Iran have increased the amount of smuggling done through Khasab."

As we returned to port, our guide pointed out a selection of dhows tied to one another near the docks that had been seized by authorities due to their use in smuggling activities.

Well, that's about it for my day-trip to Musandam, Oman. I hope you've enjoyed learning a little about this unique region, and perhaps one day you'll be able to experience it all for yourself. I highly recommend it! As for me, I've got some homework to catch up on and a sunburn to sooth, but I'm definitely going to look into planning another excursion to Oman in the future--maybe an overnight camping trip, or maybe even a visit to Muscat!

Shukran! Ma'asalaama :)

~MH