netllama
Observer
I recently returned after spending nearly two weeks in the middle Eastern nation of Oman. Yea, most folks have never heard of Oman, and those who have, can't place it on a map. It occupies the south eastern portion of the Arabian peninsula. Its one of the (sadly, few) mid eastern countries which are safe & stable. There's no religious extremism, their citizens aren't ruled by a dictator, they are tolerant of non-muslims and they've been an ally of the US since the mid 19th century. Why did I go to Oman? First, I'd never been to the middle east, and despite all of the extremes of that part of the world, I found it an intriguing and fascinating place. Second, I saw a few trip reports from those who did go there, and it reminded me in many ways of the deserts of the US (particularly the Mojave & Great Basin deserts).
I had a fantastic time in Oman. The scenery was amazing, the people were friendly, the food delicious, and the weather, well it was ridiculously hot. The highest temperature of the entire trip was 122F one day, but it was over 100F nearly every day. I rented a four wheel drive Jeep Grand Cherokee for the entire trip, and did drive off road on a few occasions (across the sand dunes, through a very rural area where the washes were the roads, and over some very steep, remote mountain trails).
Despite the extreme temperatures, I can't emphasize enough how gorgeous the scenery was. Obviously, lots of desert, but also rugged mountains and hundreds of miles of coastline. Lots of hiking & camping opportunities. I wouldn't hesitate to return some day, it really was that spectacular. Below are some of the highlights of the trip.
Wadi Shab
camel transport
Camel in Wahiba sands
Nomadic desert camp
Look out for camels
Camels!
Indian ocean on the left, canyons on the right, road in the middle
Dhofar
Al Baleed Ancient City
what desert?
Mughsayl beach
the really empty quarter
the desert reclaims its own
hot, dry and rocky
timeless
Ghul
Wadi Ghul
Ghul
Oasis
crossing Jebel Shams
into the valley
slight detour
Al Hazm fort
All of the rest of the trip pictures are posted here: https://secure.flickr.com/photos/netllama/sets/72157647567670338. For a detailed trip report, also see here:http://netllama.linux-sxs.org/llamaland/?p=1851
I had a fantastic time in Oman. The scenery was amazing, the people were friendly, the food delicious, and the weather, well it was ridiculously hot. The highest temperature of the entire trip was 122F one day, but it was over 100F nearly every day. I rented a four wheel drive Jeep Grand Cherokee for the entire trip, and did drive off road on a few occasions (across the sand dunes, through a very rural area where the washes were the roads, and over some very steep, remote mountain trails).
Despite the extreme temperatures, I can't emphasize enough how gorgeous the scenery was. Obviously, lots of desert, but also rugged mountains and hundreds of miles of coastline. Lots of hiking & camping opportunities. I wouldn't hesitate to return some day, it really was that spectacular. Below are some of the highlights of the trip.
Wadi Shab
camel transport
Camel in Wahiba sands
Nomadic desert camp
Look out for camels
Camels!
Indian ocean on the left, canyons on the right, road in the middle
Dhofar
Al Baleed Ancient City
what desert?
Mughsayl beach
the really empty quarter
the desert reclaims its own
hot, dry and rocky
timeless
Ghul
Wadi Ghul
Ghul
Oasis
crossing Jebel Shams
into the valley
slight detour
Al Hazm fort
All of the rest of the trip pictures are posted here: https://secure.flickr.com/photos/netllama/sets/72157647567670338. For a detailed trip report, also see here:http://netllama.linux-sxs.org/llamaland/?p=1851
