Tony Walsh – author on Oman & Arabia
Snapshots of my life & visits to Oman. Oman’s built history stretches back 5,000 years, its one of the Arab world’s most enduring cultures. Today its a modern economy with a hospitable population.
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.
our sponsored team had a young players tournament
The younger players of Arabesque’s Continue reading “Ramadhan Football in Oman”
Eid Mubarak from Oman
the Dawn Princess arrives in Oman
Setting off from Australia , the Dawn Princess arrived in Muscat today, during its World Cruise .
Its possibly the first World Cruise to start in Australia so, naturally, the majority of the passengers came from Australia and New Zealand. Muscat was cooler than it has been which was good for the people taking shore excursions.
Crossing paths through Oman
I arrived at Aiyun around Sunset. The mountains were cracking as they cooled down after the day’s intense heat and, in answer, birds called .
Wilfred Thesiger first arrived here in the Autumn of 1946, Continue reading “Wilfred Thesiger and Oman’s Desert”
the first of perhaps more than 10 new jets arrive into Muscat
Oman Air has taken delivery of the first of its new A330-200 Airbus jets. These are configured for 216 passengers, including 20 business class seats and 196 economy class seats.
That should allow more comfort to visitors flying from London Heathrow, Paris, Munich & Frankfurt into Muscat.
The airline is expecting 7 planes with an option of 6 more.
we will sponsor this years batch
I enjoy watching turtles on the Beaches of Oman so much that, last year, decided to ‘adopt’ one. The Turtle chosen ‘Havda’ was tracked as she swam up up to the Straights of Hormuz. Unfortunately the transmitter has stopped its signal – so we will miss her future travels
a morning session in Muscat
Oman’s Ministry of Tourism invited Tour operators in Oman for an overview of the promotions that Oman’s Tourism Representative Offices have been doing over the past 12 months in countries from Australia to Britain .
There was considerable variation in their marketing approach – from extensive use of printed media – through to social functions. This variation continued in their style of presentation – with some emphasizing facts – others attitudes.
a key part of Eid shopping
Ramadhan is a time of fasting of course. But in modern Oman it’s also a period of Omani Men’s Turban purchasing. Men’s Turbans’ are a key buy during Ramadhan as it will be worn during the Eid Prayer and general Celebrations immediately after Ramadhan. Usually, the Turban choice is planned to go with the new Dishdasha (traditional gown) which is almost certainly Tailor-Made for every adult male. Sandals are also considered around the same time.
I must say that, accompanying a friend, I felt the shopkeeper needed the ‘patience of Job’ our neighbour buried in Salalah . Colour, Pattern, Quality and, of course price, are key elements in making a decision and with hundreds of Turbans to choose from, in each shop, it’s a task that is not for the faint hearted.
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The colour is often matched with the stitching colour in the Dishdasha. For Eid the Dishdasha is typically white, and if tailored in Oman will be one of 5 government approved styles. Individual touches are the stitched embroidery around the neckline – and the stitching here can be a colour. This colour is often specifically matched to the colour of the Turban.
There are many specialist shops in every town for the men’s Turbans. Each shop will stock hundreds of examples, in every shade of the rainbow, in a remarkable range of qualities. And then this dazzling choice needs to be sifted through – to match a client’s preference.
a bit disappointing – though good to have in Muscat
The Rembrandt Exhibition of etchings in Muscat is about half way through its life. Walking through a replica of his rebuilt home in Amsterdam the prints are displayed around the Ballroom wall of the Grand Hyatt .While the entrance adds a touch of drama to a visit – the Ballroom is so large, and the prints so small; that they loose the intimacy that they probably deserve.
almost like loosing a friend
The National Museum’s work is now under way in Muscat. Jasper Jacob, the designer, has been working on this for many years and has been a great companion with me on journeys through Oman so he can get inspiration for the building.
The overall design is Continue reading “Openings and Closings in Muscat”
a drive to Egypt from Oman looks easier
The Ferries which Oman had delivered seem to have become part of a growing trend in the Arab world . The Red Sea is also now home to Ferries built by the same Australian company who built the couple that are already in service in Muscat .It does make it very tempting to drive from Oman through Egypt / Morocco to England
and an early arrival home
The 22.35 Oman Air flight turns out to be the last flight scheduled from Heathrow each day.
Since, at night, there is no view – I had lots of time to read the inflight magazine. For the national airline I was disappointed that the In-Flight magazine was riddled with errors about Oman.
The error standouts were Continue reading “Descending over Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque into Muscat”
a modern journey along the route
As the Monsoon Season draws to a close in Salalah it will soon be time to start the Frankincense Harvest.
A crew for the BBC filmed in Oman a piece about the Frankincense Trail in June last year. From Oman they went to The Hadramout and beyond, mixing fable, modernity and a bit of history as seen through Kate Humble’s eyes.
Apart from the fact that Frankincense is a living legend – the thing I really like about the tree is the culture that surrounds it.
The smoke from the small pebble size pieces is used in Oman as a welcome to guests and the fragrance will scent clothes for a long time .
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