Sometimes I walk around Dubai and I forget I'm in the Middle East. Just looking out my window I see advertisements for Nokia, CNN, Leo Burnett Group, Sony Ericsson and a Radisson. I eat at places like Subway and Quiznos more often than I eat schwarma or hummus, and I'm certainly not making any use of the Arabic I'm supposed to be learning. It is only when I zoom in a little closer and see men in their dishdashas and women in their abaayas, or try to go somewhere on a Friday during the day (when EVERYTHING is closed) that I realize that I am in fact in another country and another culture altogether. My weekend border-run to Muscat, Oman (now two weekends ago) was a pleasant little reminder that I am, in fact, quite far from home and am, indeed, in the Middle East.
We took a bus there. I think it was 110 Dirham round trip, which is like $30.00, so you'd be correct to assume that it was a little bit shady. Not wanting to break suit, we spent the night at an equally glamorous hotel not too far from the bus station. The day we got in we took a cab out to another part of town, where the Muscat Festival was going on. We walked along the beach for a little while, just taking it in. It was a really gorgeous day, and the beaches were awesome... that is until I almost walked on some dead fish that were lying in the sand... at that point I (may or may not have flipped out and) was done with the beach. We found out way to the Muscat Festival, which was WAY farther away than we'd estimated from the map, but of course we didn't realize that until we'd already walked a really long way. Walking places in Muscat is a lot like walking places in Dubai-- totally hampered by construction, with sidewalks mysteriously ending and reappearing at random intervals, among other lovely traits.
Once we finally did get to the Festival we were greeted by the most RIDICULOUS display of flashing lights ever seen. I'm pretty sure my new dream job is to be the lighting designer for the Muscat Festival. Every surface imaginable was strewn with strands and strands of bright, multi-colored flashing lights. Probably enough to cause seizures. It was awesome! Besides lights, the festival had rides, games, shops, performers, tons of food, more food, fireworks, and awesome people-watching. Aside from our group of nine, I think I only saw two other Westerners there. Its so interesting to watch the way people interact here. Families, men with each other, men toward women, women with each other. Everything. Maybe some of it has to do with my Western conception of Arab Muslims, but I find it SO interesting. After the Muscat Festival, we found our way to Trader Vic's bar (There are a couple in Dubai, and I think they are in the States, too) and walked around outside a little bit. The night life in Muscat is very different from that of Dubai in that there is none. Really, we only found the one bar, and there was no one out past about 11:00. Right now its 12:30 and I can hear the bar at the hotel across from my dorm bumpin' at full blast, and will continue to hear it until about 3:30 (bars here all close about then).
The next morning only three of our nine made it out to Old Muscat. We did a walking tour (thank you Lonely Planet) and saw some really cool stuff. Muscat is in the Hajar mountains, in kind of a valley and is surrounded by old Portuguese forts from the 1580s. Very cool. We started out walking through the Mutra souks and the fish market (yuck), saw the marina and the gorgeous blue water, got lunch by the souks, then walked out to see various forts, all built into the mountains surrounding the city. Most of them were closed off, but we climbed up one that was an old watchtower right over the water. Very cool! Muscat is very green and pretty, with tons of flowers. Seeing that, and the mountains all around made me think of The Sound of Music a little bit. The walk along the marina had a very European feel, but still managed to maintain that Middle Eastern vibe at the same time. We saw the harbor, which was probably one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen. The Gulf of Oman is really really beautiful. The water is so clear you can see schools of fish swimming in it. The mountains in the harbor have been "graffitied" over the years by visiting ships that pull in. We saw the Sultan's palace and a huge white building that was actually a giant incense burner...
Which brings me to my next point: Oud. I cannot fully express in words how much I totally and completely detest Oud. Its this perfume Arabs wear and burn as incense. I think it comes from a tree fungus (not kidding). It smells like musk and gagging and death. And not only do people wear it often, they wear it in mass quantities, like enough to fill an entire classroom with the smell for an hour. I don't understand.
Anyway, we finished out the day in Mutra, took a cab back to our luxury accommodations, met up with the rest of the group, grabbed a quick lunch and got back on the bus. Oh and about cabs in Oman, they aren't metered, so you have to stand in the road negotiating a price with the driver before getting in. That's interesting, especially because most of them only speak Arabic. Its also interesting to try to decipher peoples' accents and dialects there, as they are much different than those you learn in formal Arabic classes. Cabs are also much more expensive in Muscat than in Dubai, which I feel is ridiculous, as everything else is so much cheaper. Anyway, the bus ride home was unevnetful, and I couldn't believe how glad I was to find myself back in Dubai. For as ridiculous as this city is, it has come to feel comfortable, on some level, in some way, like home.
From top to bottom: entrance to the Muscat Festival, roundabout in old Muscat, the Sultan's palace, me in front of the Gulf of Oman (with the giant incense burner and Portuguese forts from the 1580s in the background), the harbor, men fishing in the Gulf in front of one of the forts.Love and miss you all! I'm off to the beach!!
I loved this post- when you come home this summer- I will cook Fish (yuck) for you every day!
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