Cruising to Muscat with the Clipper Odyssey

Cruising to Muscat’s Mina Sultan Qaboos is always an experience, the harbour really looks great from the sea.

Muttrah from the Clipper Odyssey
Muttrah from the Clipper Odyssey

Of course though enjoying the views it was also Continue reading “Cruising to Muscat with the Clipper Odyssey”

Sea and Sun in Musandam

Waking early enabled me to enjoy sunrise over Musandam as we entered Khasab on the Clipper Odyssey.

Bukha Fort Musandam
Bukha Fort Musandam

It was a treat to visit Continue reading “Sea and Sun in Musandam”

Zodiacs onto Sir Bani Yas

The Zodiacs of the Clipper Odyssey (now renamed Silver Discoverer) ably lead by John Yersin came in handy to get us onto Sir bani Yas .

John and the Clipper Odyssey off Sir bani Yas
John and the Clipper Odyssey off Sir bani Yas

Once on the island I joined other Continue reading “Zodiacs onto Sir Bani Yas”

Oman and Yemen inspired magazine articles

I uploaded some Oman and Yemen inspired magazine articles I wrote

The Arabian Leopard was the subject of an article in the new daily paper from the UAE http://www.thenational.ae/article/20081009/NATIONAL/76935597. The piece highlights how few of the animals there are – the writer covered the possibility that there might be, or might not be one Arabian Leopard in the UAE mountains. That prompted me to scan in the piece I did about the Leopard for ‘Oman Today’ along with 3 other ones .

The visit I made into Wadi Hadhramaut which Oman Today (again) published in 2007 was a wonderful journey . Seeing ‘hand made’ houses rather than ones made from mass produced material was very stimulating. Each one individual and yet harmonious . To get some nice photos I wandered around just after dawn – in Seyoun waking up a pack of several dozen ‘wadi dogs’ on a mountain slope which made me back away very carefully and in Mukalla enjoying watching the men of the old town take up their places in the tea houses . Along the coast, the scenes of fishermen chasing gulls away from drying sardines spoke volumes of their need to preserve ‘wealth’ .

Bank Muscat asks me to produce brief articles which cover towns where they have branches . I am waiting in hope that they will ask me to do one for their Egyptian branch – and of course pay my travel expenses.

Arabian Leopard in Dhofar

Wadi Hadhramaut Yemen

Ibri town in Oman

Al Hamra town in Oman

Oman Air to Muscat

Flying from the green of an English Summer into Muscat on Oman Air

The rain of a typical British Summer has kept trees in early summer leaf (except the Horse Chestnut which, where we live, has been badly affected by the new fungus which creates an Autumn brown off in early July).

English Fields
English Fields

On the ground the constant downpours have forced the birds of the garden under the creepers, Continue reading “Oman Air to Muscat”