Oman and beyond

Muscat, Oman is a shock to the eyes after India.  The port is surrounded by brown peaks, reminiscent of Arizona.  The buildings gleam bright white against the backdrop.  The men wear the dishdasha, most of them in spotless white, some in shades of beige.  The dishdasha is an ankle-length long-sleeved “dress.”  They look cool and comfortable and I assume they’re made of cotton.  I can’t figure how they keep them so white and how they keep them so wrinkle-free.  Anyway, between the white buildings and the white-clothed men, the city sparkles.

Next to us in port is the AIDAstella, a German cruise ship of about 2100 passengers.  We can expect the town to be bustling. The sultan's two yachts are also in dock.

We decide to skip the excursion which visits a mosque, a palace, and the market.  Instead, we make the quick trip into town on the port shuttle and go straight to the Muttrah Souk.  The souk is hard to describe if you’ve never been to one.  It’s a colorful labyrinth, a rabbit warren, a maze.  There are innumerable paths in and countless ways out, unless you’re trying to find one; then you hit dead ends and lose all sense of direction, going in circles and fearing you might run out of water. 

When we enter we’re greeted by shopkeepers trying to lure us into their cubicles.  I had done a little research and learned that you should travel the smaller paths and follow the locals in order to escape the hawkers and find the bargains.  Still, I’m intimidated by the expectation that I should bargain.  I follow a couple of burqa-clad women into a fabric shop.  The fabrics are stunning and mesmerizing in their quantity and variety.  I bought a couple of sheer scarfs and didn’t bargain.  Shame on me. 

We go deeper.  We’ve gotten to the jewelry section.  Shop window after shop window is packed full of gold, gaudy gold, filigreed gold. 

Omani men are allowed to have four wives, though this is becoming uncommon as it’s so expensive.  The man must pay a dowry which usually includes gold jewelry.  The wife continues to collect gold after marriage as an economic hedge and in case she needs to buy her way out of the marriage.  Divorce is becoming more common and accepted.

A necklace in a window catches my eye.  Not gold.  Silver with citrine and amethyst.  Inside the small store are a couple of Americans, and another couple leaving remarks that this is a good shop, good people, good prices, good quality.  Also, good air conditioning.  Anyway, without going into detail, I came away with the necklace and a ring.  There was a bit of bargaining, but I probably could have pushed it some more.  I hope I do a better job when I get home and have to buy my new car!  A bit of buyer’s remorse because I really didn’t NEED these.  In my stupor, I left my scarf purchase in the shop.  The kind gentleman chased after me.  We hadn’t gone far because we were spinning in circles trying to find a way out.  After heading down some dead ends Bob used his iphone to lead us out.  We were almost out of water. 

We walked back to the ship and stopped at the public market fish/vegetable/meat market.  It was later in the day, not as lively as it would have been earlier.

Back to the ship and settle in for our six days at sea while we follow the coast of Yemen and eventually into the Red Sea.  Today, on our third day sailing the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Aden, we’re about to enter the small passage between Yemen and Somalia.  This is the scary bit.  There are extra security precautions in force.  We’ve been cautioned not to share any pictures on social media.  So, if I tell you, I’d have to kill you.  Details in our next communique.