After an erratic and somewhat weird National Day celebration at school, it was a relief to head to the airport and out of Kuwait Thursday evening. Maria and I were apparently not alone in the sentiment, as the dozens of cars snaked along the highway enroute to the airport. The place was packed. Our flight was more than an hour delayed but that was a small inconvenience after we were bumped into first class. How this happened exactly is unclear but what I do know is that I like flying this way. Such a much more civilized way to travel with a four-course dinner, Spanish wine, hot towels, and abundant space. The two-hour flight went by too quickly.
We arrived in Muscat, Oman in the wee hours of the morning, but managed to get to bed by 2:30. We both slept hard that night. The whitewashed Beach Hotel was located in the central part of the city in the Al-shatti Quorm neighborhood, a few minutes from the beach. Our rooms were spacious, clean, and comfortable, with a balcony, and resembled a villa in Greece. In much of Muscat we found white buildings and tiles. Maria and I spent most of the late morning lazily roaming around the beach area with it's picnic areas and outdoor cafes. It really felt more like an island to me than anything else.
We decided to head out to the far end of the city to Al-Bustan Palace, which is a hotel resort, but might as well be a fortress. The lobby resembled an ornate mosque with high ceilings, intricate woodwork and complex chandeliers. We headed out to the beach area and had a light late lunch, while digging our toes into the sand. After walking around the gardens, we took a taxi back through Old Muscat and along the Corniche back to our hotel, where we commenced on happy hour. The night before we bought some alcohol in Duty free, and stopped by the supermarket on the way back from Al-Bustan. For some reason, this market had a wide variety of South African and US foodstuffs. I gleefully bought a box of Ouma rusks, some Lime Tostitos and believe it or not, Santa Barbara salsa. Margaritas, chips and salsa were a fantastic way to spend the afternoon, chilling out on the balcony.
For dinner, we walked across the street to the Intercontinental Hotel which boasted several good restaurants. We chose the dark wood interior of the English pub, ordered a couple of pints, and enjoyed our surroundings. Not only was the beer a draw, but Maria ordered real bacon on her hamburger. There were quite a few Omani men comfortably in the bar, but did not seem out of place. Gone were the sunglasses and head scarves (with their annoying air of arrogance) that are so prevalent with Kuwaiti men. Omani men wear the white dishdasha robe but it is simpler with a fez type hat or turban. It just looks friendlier and we found the people there as a whole much more welcoming and open.
For so many reasons, Oman is the complete opposite of Kuwait. It has a long storied history. We looked at maps from the 1500's and Oman is on there. No where is Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, or Kuwait mentioned. It's culture is varied and valued, at one time the empire stretching north far into the desert and south along the coast of East Africa. So-called Kuwaiti culture is hard to define. We found Muscat to be clean, orderly, and quiet. No honking horns, no crazy drivers. There are signs posted everywhere to respect the country - no littering and please keep the peace (stay quiet), which was much appreciated. Aesthetics is important and everything seemed to be thoughtfully designed. It is a lovely, uncrowded, pleasant city.
We were up surprisingly early on Saturday morning and took a taxi over to old part of the city where the Sultan's palace is located. Ruler for over forty years, he is much beloved. With every other country experiencing some kind of unrest in the Gulf over the past year, Oman has risen above the fray. They genuinely seem to be some of the happiest people around.
I loved walking through the Old City, where small storefronts blended into the neighborhood of immaculate houses, brightly tiled mosques, and tree-lined streets. We stopped off at Beit Al Zubair, a museum showcasing Omani history and culture. It was well-designed and fascinating.
From there we walked several kilometers from the Old City along the waterfront. The temperature was a comfortable 80 degrees with a slight breeze. We arrived at the fabled Mutrah souk tired but exhilarated. After stopping for a quick falafel sandwich and pistachio milkshake, we headed into the shopping area. There were fabric stores, silver shops, storefronts carrying frankicense, myrrh, and other spices. Traditional daggers, hand-knotted carpets, silk scarves, and perfumes were available as were tailors, shoemakers, jewelry makers, and other craftsmen tending their wares and services.
Back by mid-afternoon, we started up with happy hour again, and bemoaned the lack of it in Kuwait. It really is a nice thing to do after work sometimes. For dinner we returned to the InterCon and ate fresh fish and drank tiki bowls at Trader Vic's.
Yesterday offered another whole day before our flight left in the evening. We walked over to the Royal Opera House which was awe-inspiring (and that was only the lobby which we were allowed to see). We strolled through the gardens at the Intercon before finding a couple of lounges to enjoy the tranquility. We each had a delightful gelato and then walked through the Embassy neighborhood over to the Hyatt hotel. Lonely Planet talked about this place in Disney like terms; what we found was an Ali Baba atmosphere, over the top but still tastefully done. There was a hopping pool scene and we found a shady spot to enjoy one last beer (Corona no less). We finished off our afternoon and time in Muscat with high tea in the lobby and were not disappointed in the finger sandwiches, scones, clotted cream, and tea. To say we ate well on this trip is an understatement.
Maria was a wonderful travel companion; we liked to do a lot of the same things and had a blast. No surprise there. Everything went smoothly, and we felt like we had the best hotel in the best location. Coming back to Kuwait was the hard part last night, but we'll manage...April vacation is only a month away.
It was great to see Russ again and we spent most of today together.
No comments:
Post a Comment