Open, honest… Oman

First view of Oman

Surrounded by redish-grey razor sharp mountains my first view of Oman was striking. The sun scorched, the sky was brittle blue and the water left white waves beating the desert like shore. Bordering Yemen, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emarites, Oman could be seen as a place unwise to venture as a blonde woman alone. In January I found myself just outside of Muscat with a day to kill. Dressed in a long skirt and a scarf covering my shoulders I began the 20 minute walk into the town centre with two other young women from europe. I have to take this moment to say, I didn’t know what to expect, yet, Oman gripped me as one of the most friendly places I have ever traveled to. As the three of us rounded the corner of the port and began the trail towards the marketplace a man began to follow us. My awareness piqued, we began to walk faster. He also walked faster… finally he caught up with us.

“Where are you going?” he asked in perfect English

“The marketplace” I replied

“I’ll show you”

I began to check to see if I had change to pay him for his kindness. A naïve mistake I now know: He looked genuinely hurt.

“I will walk with you,” he said again “just to make sure you are safe. Enjoy your time here in Muscat!” As we walked he chatted about his brothers business how long he had lived here and how the weather was a little chilly right now.

Opposite the market he left us with a smile and went on his way, satisfied the women he had spied were safe.

Market place

The marketplace

I straight away began to drop my preconceptions. Oman is an educated and beautiful country. Its opera house is a huge pull of tourism and culture as this country’s appreciation of art is unrivalled. Even the bus stops along the seafront were so intricately designed they almost become art themselves.

Ceiling of a bus shelter on the seafront

After a wander through the stalls, picking out fabrics for my upcoming wedding and to generally add interest to outfits (and finding the obligatory fridge magnet to take home!) I found myself wandering through the backstreets of Muscat. It struck me as similar to many greek islands The white of the houses, the dust of the dry landscape mixed with the intricate music of local radio yammering from shaded windows. Shop keepers eyed us with interest… three young women alone in western dress! Surely we must be lost!  Needing a drink we came across a sea front café looking out the clear water towards the old battlements on the mountains. A family, one father, many wives and their children joined the hubub. The monochrome covering of the women shifting now and again to reveal bright glimpses of colour and jewels. They laughed together, wives of the same man, happy in their afternoon activities. Children clattered by on BMX’s chasing one another loudly through the traffic.

European girls in Muscat

At that moment it struck me, regardless of society structure, this was as any other place in the world. I have sat in cafés in the USA and UK and seen a similar sight just with slightly different social constructs. Everywhere in the world, whether under a Sultan or a President, kids chase each other, brothers torment their sisters and families spend an afternoon sipping iced tea by the sea.

If you ever get the chance to go to Oman, I encourage you to do so. Don’t expect a travellers playground like Dubai, but do expect a conservative, proud and educated country. Eager to please and help you experience their own culture. The dusty desert hides a gem here.

View from the ship