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:
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 :)
