On the way from Kathmandu, Nepal to Lahore, Pakistan, I made a stop over at Muscat, Oman. I arrived there around noon and I left the country the following morning, but nonetheless, it was my 94th country.
When I landed at the airport, I was stopped by a health care worker if I have been to China. Based on my appearance, I thought it was only natural. But it was not a pleasant moment.
Oman is located at the eastern tip of Saudi Arabian Peninsula. It is an Islamic nation, but a liberal or secular one. It used to be a ruling power dominating the east coast of Africa. 11 Sultans ruled the empire from Zanzibar.
When I arrived, the city was welcoming me... and I am sure a lot of others.
I was trying to arrange for a pickup, but the airport taxi cost was quite high. So I chose to rent a car to explore the city.
When I first arrived, the overall scenery reminded me of the Palm Springs area. The sandy and barren hills and mountains were like Palm Springs and many palm trees all over the city were also like Palm Springs. In a sense, the city looked so familiar to me.
First, I wanted to check in and eat lunch. Because my GPS was not working properly, I ended up driving around the surrounding areas quite a bit before I finally found the hotel.
The receptionist and the chef at the restaurant all looked like the Filipinos. They were indeed. The chef told me that most of the workers in Oman are from the Philippines. After I ate chicken briani as lunch, I began to drive to the traditional market or Souk. The hotel receptionist told me to explore the Marta Souk and the boardwalk area. It was to take 25 minutes.
On the way, I saw Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque that I saw on the internet, so I stopped by to take a photo. It was indeed a huge facility. It is known to be one of the largest mosques in the Islamic world. It was built over six years and seven months until the construction was completed in 2001.
The Muttra or Mattra Souk was located by the sea. I did not have time to go into the souk, but the scale was quite big. On the boardwalk, many people and families were strolling and playing around. The scene was quite peaceful.
I felt uncomfortable adding Oman to the list of countries visited based on one-night sleep, but for now, it still counts.
At the airport, the benches placed here and there were quite unique. With that, I said Good Bye to the city and the country. - Jeffrey
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