After our night in the desert we headed back out the way we came, doing the driving ourselves this time. We headed North on our way to the old capital Nizwa, getting a little lost on the way but making it eventually in time to see some of the markets in the souq before they all shut up shop for the day. We took a walk around the big old fort and then hit the road again for Jabal Shams - Oman's highest peak. It was a nice drive up the mountain, utilising the 4x4 and enjoying some pretty spectacular views. Some boys sold us some key rings (they were hardly a bargain...) and challenged to a game of soccer. We had a wee kick around and then got moving again, stopping to take in the view of Oman's Grand Canyon and to buy a goat hair rug from some local Bedouin.
The following day was the journey home. We stopped on the way at Al Hoota caves, where we took a guided tour through the very humid tourist attraction. The rest of the drive was fairly uneventful, and the following day was our last day in the country. We went to the Diving Centre in Muscat to pick up our diving licences, and went for a snorkel and a sun bathe. This time I managed not to stand on a sea urchin and get a number of spikes embedded in my foot, however the fish were not as impressive as at the Yacht Club. We flew out that evening without any troubles and managed to catch up on a bit of sleep in Doha airport. We managed to cancel out special meals before boarding the flight for Bangkok, and in Bangkok we got a hotel room for a very reasonable price. It was great to have a comfortable bed to sleep in between flights, and I even got a free 1 hour Thai massage to boot. We bought some duty free in Singapore and when we finally got home to Perth we were welcomed with an unseasonable 11°C. All in all it was a fantastic trip, and I really do want to return to Oman one day (although probably at a different time of year, because it was bloody hot). The people were lovely, the scenery amazing, and basically I had a down-right wonderful time.
A couple of extra things I thought I'd mention. Petrol is CHEAP over there. The price does not change from day to day, and we were paying 120 baisa for a litre of unleaded. That equates to about 41 cents (NZ) per litre, and that was for super unleaded too I believe. Driving in Oman is more dangerous than, well, quite possibly anything else in the country. Bangkok drivers are crazy, and in Oman it is the same except that the cars are a lot nicer (in Oman you can get fined for having a dirty car!). Overtaking in the on-coming lane is very common, and you will often find the over taker leaving literally metres to get back into their lane. The government is quite secretive with negative statistics, so I don't know the accident rate, but it must be very high.
I also forget to mention the mosques. There are mosques everywhere, and they are all beautiful. One of the few mosques that opens to non-Muslims is the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat, which the sultan had built to celebrate his 30th year in charge. It is a truly incredible building, and the ladies prayer room had us fairly impressed, until we entered to men's prayer room and the difference in size and decoration is remarkable. The carpet in the main prayer hall is the largest single carpet in the world, and everything else about it is stunning as well.
I really would recommend to anyone that they visit Oman, and Kiwis get a free 3 month visa, which is pretty awesome.
Photos
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