Oman - The Other Part of Arabia

Prepared August 24, 2012 at home Kona, Hawaii

April 14 in port Khasab, Oman:  Why Are We Here Exactly?

Map of Oman and Arabian Peninsula 

Not easy to find a map with Khasab--practice your German

We sailed from Dubai at 10:30pm the night of April 13.  That evening, before we sailed from Dubai, for the first time in 14 years of cruising with Silversea, J & E (along with ALL previously-embarked passengers) were required to participate in the embarkation life boat drill.  Prior to the grounding of the Costa Concordia, only embarking passengers participated in the drill.  Embarked passengers could if they wanted to but nobody did.

Silver Whisper docked at Khasab, Oman at 8:00am the next morning.  Khasab is an Omani exclave (geographer's word) on the Arabian Gulf that includes the Arabian Peninsula fronting western approaches to the Strait of Hormuz.  The following description from Wikipedia will probably provide you more information than you need about the Norway of Arabia!

Khasab (Arabic: خصب‎) is a city in an exclave of Oman. It is the local capital of the Musandam peninsula. Khasab is located 500 kilometers (310 mi) from Muscat and is dubbed the "Norway of Arabia".[1][2][3][4] The Portuguese built Khasab at the beginning of the 17th century at the height of their naval presence in the region. The natural harbor gave shelter from tough seas. Unlike many forts, which were built on high ground for defensive purposes, Khasab was designed as a supply point for dates and water for Portuguese ships sailing through the strait. Today, Khasab is protected from floods by three large dams.[5]

Access to the area by land was virtually impossible until a modern coast road was built, which allows fast access from the United Arab Emirates, making Khasab a popular weekend destination for people living in the Emirates. The new road also allows access to the village of Tawi, where prehistoric drawings of boats, animals and warriors can be seen in the rock face.[5] Khasab also has a number of modern shopping areas with imported Irani goods and locally created pottery, and a few hotels, including the Khasab Hotel and Golden Tulip Hotel, which sits on a cliff overlooking the gulf.[4]
Khasab has an interesting trading position, which hinges on its proximity to Iran. Iranians import sheep and goats into the local port, from where the animals are dispatched to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia in trucks. On their return trip to the Islamic Republic, the sailors load their boats up with electronic goods and American cigarettes, arriving in Khasab after sunrise and leave before sunset to conform with Omani immigration laws. Since the trading is illegal under Iranian law, they must avoid the Islamic Republic's coastguard as well as all other shipping in the busy waters of the Strait of Hormuz. The crossing is hazardous since the vessels, piled high either with livestock or with numerous boxes must avoid the path of the scores of oil-tankers which pass through the Strait in a transverse direction daily.[5] Recent increases of United States sanctions against Iran have increased the amount of smuggling done through Khasab.[6]

The Airport of Khasab, located few miles inland from the coast, on 27 June 2011, recorded the world calendar day highest minimum temperature of 41.2°C (106.2°F) until Death Valley, California broke the record by 0.5°C (about 1°F) on July 12, 2012.[7][8]

After the excitement of Dubai and the lack of a local horizon due to blowing sand, J & E decided that a trip to the souk to inspect illegal Iranian trade goods was not a high priority for either of us.  We had already seen Iranian-bound dhows stuffed and stacked to the gills with forbidden fruit at Port Rashid, Dubai.  (The port authorities of Dubai all have small, three-monkeys patch on their uniforms.)  Also, we were not keen to visit Bassa beach, especially with the warning -- "swimming  is at your own risk." So you will be spared amateur images of Khasab and Bassa beach just as we were spared another five-mile ride on a Silversea shuttle bus.  If you are heartbroken about the lack of images, google Khasab and Bassa beach on the web; there are numerous ones there.

At 4:00pm we sailed for Muscat, Oman and shortly thereafter, the Captain held an all-hands security briefing.  We were returning to the developing world of the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, and Gulf of Aden, where the local entrepreneurs are called Somali pirates and don't work for Bain Capital (or maybe they do)!  We were each provided with a two-page letter of instruction concerning our transit through the Suez Canal in the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC).  It gave us great confidence to know that a total of four different agencies were overseeing our safety -- the MSCHOA, UKMTO, EUNAVFOR, and MARLO.  We were probably fortunate that they could not speak the same language or they might have got in each others' way!  It looks like their major weapons system deployed against the pirates was the strong letter in multiple copies!  As they say, entrepreneurs create jobs.
After the lecture and many assurances of our complete safety, we went to dinner in the La Terrazza and soothed our nerves with an excellent Italian meal.  Now, there is something they really do well on Silversea!  In the late evening, we started our transit of the Straits of Hormuz.  We hoped that the Iranian Navy and whoever else was armed and dangerous in the area were sleeping off the smuggled wine they had acquired in Khasab!

April 15, 2012 in port Muscat, Sultanate of Oman:  Arabia at Its Best!

After the overdone glitz of Dubai and the barren desert of Khasab, it was a pleasure to make port in Muscat.  Muscat has long been J & E's favorite port in Arabia.  The desert mountains surrounding the bay, the old Portuguese and Omani fortresses that loom above the bright white traditional architecture of the city, provide visual impact that is not soon forgotten.

Muscat, Oman

The Mutrah corniche with the souk in the center of the frame behind the dhow.

Thanks to the leadership and tastes of the Sultan of Oman (Qaboos bin Said Al Said), the 71 year old ruler and the 14th generation descendant of the founder of the Said Al Said dynasty, Muscat has not succumbed to the sterile and banal western urban architecture that typifies most of Arabian Gulf cities.  Much of Muscat's modern construction was forced by the Sultan to adhere to the traditions of Arabic architecture; therefore, one experiences a much greater exposure to the culture and history of Arabia and Oman.

Portuguese-Built Fortress Overlooking Muscat

From Muscat, the Omani's empire extended around the Indian Ocean to modern Pakistan and Zanzibar.

Since we had visited Muscat before, we did not want to do another city tour, but to re-visit (mostly at J's insistence) "The Sultan's Armed Forces Museum" (www.safmuseum.gov.om)  located in Bait Al Falaj Fort just inland from Mutrah and a short cab ride from the port.  The fort was constructed in 1845 at the narrow end of the Ruwi plain on the site of a falaj (well/irrigation system), from which the fort takes it name.  Until the 1980s, it was the headquarters of the Sultan's Armed Forces, and then it was converted into a museum.

The Sultan's Armed Forces Museum - Bait Al Falaj Fort

Built in 1845 by Sayyid Said bin Sultan as a summer house.

Falaj /Well at Site of Bait Al Falj Fort

Water is so beautiful in the desert!

Grounds and Outbuildings of the Museum

Desert, what desert?

We had invited our friends, Charlie and Kathy, to join us.  So, the four of us set out from the port by cab and 10 minutes later were at the museum's parking lot, walking among the manicured lawns of the museum's grounds.  At the museum door, we were met by a senior Omani soldier and escorted to the entry desk where we paid a nominal fee and were introduced to our guide.  Visitors are assigned a guide to escort them through the museum and to answer any additional questions not explained by labeling on the exhibits.  Our guide was a Royal Omani Navy yeoman who spoke (in addition to Arabic) Swahili, Buluchi, Persian, and English.  And, he quickly demonstrated an extensive knowledge of the museum's collections.

The museum is organized into a series of galleries on two floors of the fort.  The Gallery of Oman and Islam presents early military history up to Oman's role in the spread of Islam throughout Arabia and Persia.  There are Galleries devoted to the Portuguese in Oman, the Al Ya'aribah Period, the Al Busaidis (the Royal Family's history), Establishment of the Armed Forces, and the modern Omani Armed Forces, especially the insurgencies along the Yemeni border during the 1960s and '70s.  Because of the desert climate and local preservation of many weapons and other military artifacts, the exhibits are of the highest quality with very interesting items on display.  Regretfully, J did not take more interior images because he was too busy asking questions of the guide.  For detailed views of the exhibits and other collections at the museum visit the web site. (www.safmuseum.gov.om).

Fort's Original Canon, ca 1845.
Canons appear much older and may date to the 18th Century.

20mm  Russian AA Gun

Captured by Omani forces during Yemeni incident.

After two-hours in the air conditioned fort converted to a museum , with our guide explaining the history of Oman and its military, we were escorted outside to see Oman's obsolete military hardware that was too large for the interior of the building.   Another hour was spent looking at aircraft, patrol boats, tanks, and missile systems, mostly British.  Finally, we were escorted back into the fort, and a cab was called for us.  We had spent three and a half hours touring the museum (in our recollection, the most time we have ever spent on a single museum tour) and gained many interesting insights into the Sultanate.  E got the t-shirt.  J already had one.  The Arabic characters sometimes puzzle the neighbors when we wear the shirts on our morning dog walk in Kona.

Royal Omani Army Command Post

Omani Armor (Obsolete) on Display

Royal Omani Air Force Aircraft

Royal Omani Navy Guided Missile Patrol Boat

Not in water, mounted as a display!

Kathy and Eloise Pose with the Sultan's Armored Cadillac

Has been superseded, but appears to be in excellent condition.

On the way back to the port, we decided to stop at the Mutrah Souk to pick up a few local items for the upcoming Arabic dress dinner.  J and E are not fond of these kind of events, but they seem to be greatly in favor with certain cruise passengers (think British).

Mutrah Souk -- Scents and Footballs
Each shop seems to have the same things and no fixed price!

Almost every non-food item could be purchase in one section or another of the souk.  Of course, there were no fixed prices, except for gold which is always sold by weight based on a daily quote, and tourists were obligated to pay more.  J bought the makings of an Omani head dress (mussah), and was given lessons by the shopkeeper in folding the dishdasha and positioning it over the skull cap.  All quickly and neatly done by the shopkeeper, but not so by Jerry.  He needed a lot of practice.

Notions and Bangles for the Ladies
Leads one to suspect that under the burka may be a different world.

After about 30 minutes in the souk, we decided to return to the ship for lunch and a long afternoon nap.  Because that evening, after sailing from Muscat for Sufaga, Egypt on the Red Sea, we were invited by the Captain and Officers of the M/V Silver Whisper to dine in the Officers' mess.

At 7:30pm, eight of the world cruise passengers gathered at Reception on deck 5 and were escorted by the Food & Beverage and Hotel managers to the Captain's salon for pupus and drinks (cranberry juice for J&E).  Then, it was on to the Officers' Mess for an excellent dinner "below the water line."  All-in-all, a fancy Italian-style dinner for 12 -- 8 passengers and 4 officers, including theCaptain.  Needless to say, it was an Alka Seltzer night for J after that dinner.

Capt. Corsaro, J & E enjoy the pasta course, of course
Photo by Norman Rafelson, Hotel Director