Tony Walsh – author on Oman & Arabia
Oman’s built history stretches back 5,000 years, its one of the Arab world’s most enduring cultures. Today its interconnected through modern highways and impressive mobile telecom networks.
in the Historical Association of Oman’s 2010 Calender
The Historical Association of Oman publishes a Calender each year . Most images are usually of northern Oman, as thats where the Association is based . This year as a bit of balancing I was happy that a couple of my pictures of the Salalah area could be used.
Here is one, a Frankincense Tree, appropriately the month is December, being cut for its Gum, by a friend of mine.
and it was a total immersion in Oman’s Camel culture
Making the Oman national newspaper – Colin Carroll & Graham Little created a stir as we helped them undertake 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.
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.
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”
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”
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 .
see this and be inspired to invent
Here, in Oman, we run on British voltage and 3 pin plug sockets (which with the Earth and Fuse protects you and your equipment from damage) –
but lots of equipment comes with a 2 pin plug fitted as standard.
We also, amazingly, run on screw in light bulbs and British pin type light bulbs (which like their plug’s are also safety oriented as they are either, all in or all out – with the screw type it has an infinite amount of ‘just might be’ ) .
The problem with a British style plug is …. its so bulky and the pins stick out at 90degrees from the body so, along with the bulk, they can dig into and damage so much – including your laptop.
What to do when you have a LapTop, Phone etc that need charging when you take a tour of Oman with us ? ? Continue reading “Travel with a new plug to Oman”
a first as far as I know
In the heart of the English country side Wimborne Minster might not seem to have links with Oman; but! In what will be a wonderful first Wimborne apparently wants to twin with an Omani town.
So perhaps we will have Rustaq and Wimborne Minster as twins .
a great event for Ras al Khaimah
The neighbouring Emirate to Oman, Ras al Khaimah, will hold the 33rd America’s Cup as landlocked Switzerland has nominated the Emirate for 2010 . Congratulations Ras al Khaimah.
Sitting next to Musandam the event might well come into Omani spectacular waters
With 11 wins in 20 starts by Masirah, Oman’s racing boat, Oman really should try and put an AC33 yacht and team in for the America’s Cup 2010
A very opportune time to visit Iran
Iran is an important neighbour of Oman and the President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will be taking the oath for a new second four-year term. Continue reading “Sultan Qaboos visit to Iran”
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