A day in the Interior

Monday September 13: I spent the day exploring a few sites in the interior of Oman. By car, I traveled from the capitol city of Muscat to Rustaq and then to Nahaal. The interior of Oman is slightly different from the bustling capitol. It's just a bit more primitive. Essentially, the modernization within Oman has grown outward from the Northern tip of Muscat across the Northern coastline ( The Batinah Coast)... and spread slowly but surely southward toward the Yemeni border. Both of the towns I visited were within 100km of the capitol...my cell phone still got service and the roads were paved. However, my guide often had to stop the car for a wild goat or camel crossing. First, I stopped at the great fort of Rustaq...the fort overlooks the historic city which is famous for its date production. It is a massive structure built from mud and stone...all by hand...directly into the mountainside. The view from atop the lookout tower was splendid. After touring the fort and its respective city...I drove about 45 minutes southward to the 'wadi' town of Nahaal. 'Wadi' means riverbed. The city has historically thrived off of its relationship with the river...during the summer months, the riverbed drys up to roughly 2 feet of water. Instead of fishing and using the river for general utilities...the people of 'Wadi Nahaal'... party. They call this gigantic festival "Al-Wadi Kabir" or "The Big River Bed". Hundreds of natives from Nahaal as well as Omanis from neighboring towns and the capitol flock here to celebrate the end of Ramadan as well as a general lust for life. The scene at "Al-Wadi Kabir" reminded me of a music festival I attend every year at Denison called "Bear Dance". Everyone...families...groups of men and women, children, Omanis with African heritage, Indians, Pakistanis...all bring their traditions to the riverbed in abundance. It took me an hour to get through 200 yards of the long winding riverbed...I was constantly called by natives to take their picture or in some cases to share food...they were very curious about the only white guy walking through the party. A thumping drum beat resounded throughout the 'Wadi' and seemed to set the pace for every one's mood. I didn't make it through the entire riverbed. I hope to go back soon. There are a precious few places in this world where differences between cultures are allowed to mesh and thrive in an environment of such excitement and energy. I really felt at peace at "Al-Wadi Kabir". After the 'Wadi'... I drove East to a similar situation... the beach. I forget the name of the beach but it was heavily populated with families enjoying picnics...I had the chance to pay a fisherman for a ride over to one of the many small islands that dot the Eastern Omani coastline. Camp sites were set up on a few of the islands... I climbed a pretty steep cliff on one of the islands and marveled at the spectacular view of the ocean. It too was a very special place that I will always remember.