Tony Walsh – author & tours through Arabia
and gaining the letter ‘Y’
A client who had travelled with us previously was in a ‘competition’ to visit a country starting with each letter of the alphabet. There is only one with the letter ‘Y’, Yemen, and we organised a Yemen Visit for her. Continue reading “Picnic in Yemen to gain the letter Y as a Passport Stamp. “
and it was a total immersion in Oman’s Camel culture
Making the Oman national newspaper – Colin Carroll & Graham Little created a stir as they did a unique double – a regional Camel Race and a local Camel Race in Oman.
On two consecutive days they joined in the quintessentially Omani pastime of Camel Racing – not as spectators as I often do – but as participants for their program ‘Colin and Graham’s Excellent Adventures’
Thrills and spills was the order of the day – but you will have to watch the program on RTE and BBC – to see how they survived the gruelling desert events.
into the future with Robot jockeys
As a child I enjoyed Horse Riding – and occasional jumping. Though of course not as skilled as the 9 year old British children who enter the show jumping events at the UK’s Pony Club I cannot recollect my having a serious fall.
Perhaps it was this enjoyment of riding that attracted me to Camel Racing in Oman; though Camels don’t jump
they manage most other things , including beauty competitions.
The start of this years Camel Racing Season in Oman marks a departure from previous years. The jockeys – young Bedu boys from the local communities close to the race, with all their swagger and bravado – have disappeared, to be replaced by Robots.
I will certainly miss the cultural interest in future Camel races – and hope that the Pony Club in England doesn’t eject the British youngsters from their saddles in favour of robots.
in a nail biting finish
In an extraordinarily close finish in the last leg of the last race on the last day (just as they won the Gulf Cup in Football – nail biting) Oman Sail’s Masirah has won the “iShares Cup Champions 2009” in Almeria, Spain.
Whats even more extraordinary is that this was their first season – hopefully more to come.
What a shame the America’s Cup isnt in Oman’s waters.
the sewn boat for Singapore
Just before it launches I took a look at the Jewel of Muscat, the replica of a 9th Century West Indian Ocean (Arabian Sea) boat. This is being constructed in Muscat and will sail to Singapore where it will be the focus of a Museum about the Belitung, a wreck full of Chinese merchandise .
The boat is sewn, rather than nailed together, a technique used in Oman until the mid 20th c .
The Jewel uses extreme sewing – which in most boats I’ve seen was used for structurally critical parts of a boat. Probably for a long ocean voyage, between Oman and China, every part of the boat would be considered critical.
You must be logged in to post a comment.