Man, oh, man – Oman!!!

Have found paradise in the Middle East! A group of eight of us went to Oman for a 4-day Easter weekend. It was an amazing get-away, and all eight women came back to Doha intact and still speaking to each other. Oman is a beautiful country with real mountains (!) and more trees and greenery than Qatar and other Arab countries. The people are friendly and the infrastructure is far better than what is in Doha.

We spent our first day relaxing and lounging by the pool of our hotel, which was right on the sea so we had a beach to enjoy as well. Of course, we ate and drank our way through the day – we took it as our mission to find the perfect Margarita. They weren’t bad – especially considering we were in a Muslim country.

The next day we did some driving into the mountains, visiting the town of Quriyat on our way to Wadi Shab.

7 hot chicks in Quriyat

A ‘wadi’ is a valley or dry river bed. Wadi Shab is Arabic for ‘Gorge between cliffs”, and that is exactly what it is. After crossing a small river via rustic ferry, we started our trek to a spring-fed pool. Cliffs rose on either side of us as we walked in the blazing heat for about an hour and a half up to our destination.

We start out hike up Wadi Shab

I nearly didn’t make it, stopping about 300 meters short of the goal feeling like I had heat stroke. I sat in the shade and told the others to go on ahead, that I’d wait for them there. About 5 minutes later, one of the group came back and sat with me until my temperature came down and we had something to eat. She urged me on, knowing that a swim in the pools would cool my body temperature. All I could think of was that I’d have to be carried out. It turns out Jackie was right – the cool water helped immensely and I was able to make it out – exhausted, but intact.

The path we hiked through Wadi Shab

Tourism is relatively new in Oman and they haven’t mastered the art of leading groups and advising about fitness levels, appropriate attire, etc. Our drivers and our guide really should have given us more information. Our guide for the hike was adorable and once he figured out he was dealing with a group of mostly middle aged and older (only one under the age of 45), out-of-shape Canadian women, he was very helpful. He was a high school geography teacher during the week, and did some guiding on weekends.

The next day we did some kayaking and snorkeling. We are all beginners and, because it was windy and the sea was pretty rough, we remained in a bay rather than venturing out into the ocean. It was enough for us and we had a really good day. The water was beautiful and we all got lots of sun.

That evening we went to the Souk to see if the Muscat souk was any different than the one in Doha. It was pretty much the same – just a few things that are more Omani – frankincense and myrrh, traditional Omani hats and lots of silver. The merchants seemed to be a little more aggressive than those in Doha, trying to lure you into their shops.

Display of Omani hats in the Muscat souk

Easter morning we visited the Grand Mosque. Here is a photo of me in my Easter Bonnet:

The mosque is very large with beautiful mosaics, carpets, chandeliers, and domed ceilings. It certainly was an odd place to spend Easter morning!

Dome of the Grand Mosque in Muscat

Interior of Grand Mosque in Muscat

We all had a wonderful time and are determined to return - especially since it is such a short flight from Doha (only about an hour and 20 minute flight). It's a great place for a long weekend get away. I am anxious to return to see more.