Salalah Land …

Salahah, Oman, aka “Frankincense Land” and “the perfume capital of Arabia”, is much like you’d expect to see in this part of the world. Human scaled buildings constructed of concrete block made of local sand as the aggregate and cement.  Except for a few colorful signs in Arabic and English at the marketplace everything is the color of sand – tan.

Somewhat unique to the Arab world is how green parts of the country are.  July, August and September is consider their monsoon season which allow the valley or "wadi" to become lush with vegetation.  This rain is captured and used for general irrigation and farming. 

The Sultanate began its reemergence in 1970 when H.M. Sultan Quaboos bin Said assumed the throne from his father after a friendly takeover.  Educated in England, Sultan Quaboos brought the country “out of darkness,” as he characterized it, and set it on a path as a global player in the Arab world.  Improved infrastructure, schools and public facilities have created a renewed sense of pride in his people and their apparent devotion to the Sultan.  

Among his many accomplishments is a Mosque named in his honor.  It’s smaller than the Grand Mosque of Sheikh Zayed of Abu Dhabi, but impressive none-the-less and with its temperature set for about 3,000 Muslims in prayer, a welcome oasis for the incredible heat outside.

Frankincense, a resin obtained from the sap of the Frankincense tree, it is used for birthday gifts (or at least one), an incense fragrance, for medicinal purposes including being placed in drinking water for general well-being, and as an oil to alleviate joint pain. We tried one variety used as a chewing gum.  Trident need not worry.  

The market is always a fun place to visit to get a sense of local life.  It’s not just a spot for tourists, but also a place where locals hang out.

And at the end of "Market Street" you'll stumble across one of the most beautiful beaches around.  No wonder the Sultan keeps his summer home here.

Thankfully we made it out of the pirate waters without incident.  Right now we’re in the Red Sea on our way to Aqaba, Jordan, about 900 miles away.  Pat’s going to hike the 5 miles across rough terrain into Petra.  I’m going to lay by a local hotel pool, read a book and enjoy the day.  If I wanted to see Petra, I could watch “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade” … you know, the temple housing the “holy grail.” 

Stay tuned.