A Guys’ Day Out

 Today was filled with so much fun that it felt like 2 days. We started off with meeting with Diaz, an Omani whom we have become great friends with. 

He borrowed his friend’s jeep so that he can take us to Quriyat, a beautiful place in the mountains where a huge dam has been constructed. About an hour and a half later we were there admiring the beauty of the scene.

Of course, we had to take some pictures. After an hour or two our unanimously voted tour guide Diaz took us to a nearby village where we picked up a few of his friends who had moved here from Ghana for work. We headed out to the beach and found a great un-crowded spot to hang out and talk. We had very interesting friendly dialogue about the culture of Oman, Ghana, and the US as well as shared interesting stories about our lives. These light-hearted conversations were most definitely the highlight of the day. 

After talking, we decided to go a short distance to the one of their friend’s boats and finish the day with some more swimming in the ocean.

Today was such an amazing learning experience for our group. We learned things that could not be taught in school, but only learned through firsthand dialogue and experiences. Here in Oman it is not the sights or even the heat that catch a visitor’s attention, but the way in which these people live and love.

Visiting Mutrah

On Wednesday June 6^th, we headed out to Mutrah Souq (which is a shopping market) in a city nearby with our new local friends!

We stopped at almost every shop that had scarves until all of us were at the point where we could not buy anymore scarves!

They took us to an Abaya shop, where we got to see three men hand making abayas. The man was putting each jewel on, one by one.  He told us that it takes him between 1-2 days to make a full abaya and matching scarf.

We then ventured off a bit further where my friend stopped me and showed me this platter that had different shaped containers on it. She told me that in the village it is tradition that when you have guests over at your house, after you eat a meal, the family will bring this platter out that has incense burning and perfume for the guest to put on. We were invited to her cousins wedding in the village and she told us that when we go to her house we will get to experience them giving us perfume after the meal.

She also showed us traditional chests that Omanis used to use to store their dresses and gold.

After about 2 hours of shopping we sat down for some fresh coconut milk!

Then our wonderful friends took us to see the Sultans palace in Muscat. It was very extravagant and beautiful. We were happy to find that there were no crowds because it was so late at night.

We finished off the evening by grabbing some very tasty Turkish chicken sandwiches called “shwarmas”. We had an amazing time visiting Mutrah with our new friends!

~ Written by a traveler

Day Arba (Four)

Day Arba (Four)in this Omani Adventure. In not giving up hopes of connecting with Omani women, we, Grethel and Kelly, ventured out to the mall, a nice choice for 110 degree weather and 89% humidity. We had a hilarious time getting to know an Egyptian couple and Iranian family, we still looked forward to meeting Omani women. So we took our hijabs (scarves) and wrapped them around our heads and set out for the beach to meet up with the guys in our group. It is common here for guys to play soccer, hard core soccer, around 5pm when the weather is cooler. As good sports we sat down to watch and cheer, but the Latina soccer player in Kelly could not be restrained. She started with yelling at the top of her lungs, “Gooooooooooaaal!!” until her feet could not stay put and she had to run after the soccer ball that two young boys were playing with.

Returning to the sidelines, Abby called us over to meet some Omani women who spoke great English. Hugs and Kisses started wonderful conversations amongst us. We enthusiastically accepted our long awaited invitation to hang out with Omani Women. Agreeing to meet them at 8pm at a local restaurant called Zenzaban, we rushed home to get ready for the evening. Dinner took place at an Omani food Restaurant. We were led into our own private room where we sat down on the floor. Our hosts ordered traditional Omani food that was absolutely delicious Alhumdilallah! We had as much hummus and pita bread as we could.

 

The evening followed with driving about 10 minutes to the Opera House where we were stopped by a guard who let us know that it was closed. Then we went to Al Quram which is a very popular spot in Muscat. Al Quram is a long strip of beach with restaurants and cafes. After a walk we were tired, so we drove back home and the Omani girls treated us to some ice cream. After that we said our goodbyes for the night and headed home.

Meeting the Sheikh

Today was our third day in Muscat. We headed out to the largest Mosque, located in downtown. Upon arrival, we were utterly stunned by the beauty and the intricacy of the architecture; the floors were paved with polished marble and geometric patterns. Extravagant water fountains filled the courtyard and artificial streams of water flowed throughout. We received friendly smiles, greetings, and a more than welcoming atmosphere. Shortly after arrival, we were welcomed into a room by the sheikhs of the Mosque where we received a concise summary of the religion of Islam, and afterwards had a question-answer period. The sheikh was very helpful in pointing out some of the misunderstandings people have about Islam. He clearly drew the line between religion and culture, pointing out various misconceptions of how culture is frequently confused with religion. All in all, I believe this was an awesome learning experience, and the friendliness and loving atmosphere was very welcoming.

– written by a traveler

Saudi Travel and Tourism Exhibition

A few weeks ago we had the privilege of attending the Saudi Travel and Tourism Investment Market.  We met so many amazing people who had such a love for their country and their regions.  Each visitor was greeted with incredible Saudi hospitality.  We learned about fascinating places all around the country like the beautiful rich landscapes of Al Ahsa, historical sites that inspired famous Arabic poetry in Al Qaseem, and festivals such as the upcoming Rose Festival in Al Taif.

We also learned about the many amazing traditional handicrafts – such as knife (kanjar) and sword making, pottery, stone carving, painting, traditional architecture, weaving, and prayer beads.

A country which has fascinated us for years has suddenly become an even more fascinating land with so much to explore, discover, and learn about.  We look forward to visiting some of these amazing regions over this next year…stay tuned! 🙂

Click on the picture to see more pictures from the Saudi Travel and Tourism Investment Market 2012!

Ghumra

A few weeks ago I attended my first Ghumra – a traditional Saudi pre-wedding party held for the bride.  The word Ghumra means “soaking” – perhaps because she is soaked in beautiful gold jewelry -perhaps also because the bride is truly soaked with love, blessings, and congratulations.

Arriving around 9pm, I was one of the first to arrive.  The room was beautifully decorated and women sat around round tables adorned with beautiful linens, flowers and jewels.  Tea, coffee, and sweets were at every table for guests to enjoy.

By 10:30pm the room was filling up with women dressed in colorful jelabias.  I loved watching as people came in and greeted every lady one-by one.  I also loved seeing all of the different jelabias.  There were black jelabias with shiny gold, hot pink and vivid purple jelabias, floral jelabias, and pastel jelabias with silver and jewels. The styles varied from Egyptian to Moroccan to Indian; modern to traditonal.  Similar to the Jelabias pictured below.

As the room began to fill with people, Arabic music began to play and some older woman began singing traditional songs.  As the music filled the room, women took turns dancing in the middle of the room as servers walked around offering more beverages and sweets – including delicious clusters of nuts with honey.

As the evening progressed, the bride arrived.  Close female relatives walked in front of her, tossing rose petals and carrying two large poles adorned with fragrant leaves and roses.  The bride walked arm-in-arm with her mother.  She was adorned in a beautiful dress, gold jewelry, and a face covering made of crystals – similar to the one pictured in this article.  At the end of the isle was a small couch with beautiful fabrics draped over it – the seat of honor for the bride.  As the bride sat, family and friends surrounded her, danced around her, cheered and celebrated her.

The rest of the evening and early morning was filled with more dancing, more music, more singing, and eventually a feast -including the traditional dish of kabsa (rice and lamb) and many delicious desserts.

Around 3 am, women began to say their goodbyes and trickle out.

The evening was absolutely beautiful, and it was such an honor to be a part of it–getting to see another incredible part of Saudi culture.

Two Weeks

From exploring new places

to playing soccer at sunset

to meeting new people and making new friends

to hiking in dry river beds

to camping on the beach

to singing our hearts out…

the past two weeks have been filled with adventures, laughs, new friends and a better understanding of a country and people not so different from the place we call home.

*Update: AE Group is all safely on the plane and headed home.

Nizwa

Yesterday we spent the entire day in Nizwa, the largest of the traditional Omani villages of the interior.  The culture there is much more conservative Islam and so there is almost no trace of western clothing or practice.  We took the day to tour Nizwa Fort, a recently restored fortress that is centuries old.  We took a trip to Bahla and walked through ‘Old Bahla.’ It was an area of nothing but narrow narrow walkways, old mud buildings, and few residents. The Bahla Souk featured a master copper-smith who was very kind in demonstrating his artistry. With each stroke of his hammer he crafted beautiful copper pans, dishes and bracelets.   His work is of such traditional origin that it has been displayed in the Smithsonian museum.   We returned to Nizwa at sundown to walk the Nizwa Souk.  The market was full of handcrafted silver, wood, and pottery.  It was difficult to find anyone who spoke much English and trading with the locals was an adventure.  “The heart of Oman is in Nizwa” was a phrase used to describe this ancient and culturally rich city.  The only thing more impressive than the splendor of the city is the people who are now a reality to us rather than a distant thought or idea.

-Traveler

Omani Hospitality

We never knew what it meant to truly serve someone and show them real hospitality until we were welcomed into our first Omani home.  These families go to great lengths to treat their guests with kindness and respect.  To them, this is how a host should always honor their guests.

When you first arrive, it is customary to remove your shoes before entering the home.  Once you are inside, the men go into one room and the women into another.  It is refreshing to be able to spend our time alone with women.  It makes it very easy to have relaxed and open conversation.  At about 8 o’clock we gathered around the table for a traditional Omani dinner.  Following the dinner was more conversation until late hours of the night.  To them, there is no limit on a guest’s stay.   Even though we came from different cultures and did not know each other very well, by the end of the night we felt as if we were part of the family.  We will never forget that night full of hospitality spent with such a beautiful family.

­Yliana and Caitlyn

Not So Different

For someone from the west the middle east at first glance can be intimidating. Everyone dresses different, the food is different, the bathrooms are different, and the language is different. So many differences it seems like another world some times.

We have been spending many of our nights down by the beach with a group of guys some of us met the second night in Muscat. When one of our friends walked up to them they told us that they had been the first westerners to ever stop and talk to them, most just walk by without ever acknowledging them. Many of them are in college all with plans to get a job, maybe travel, get married and start a family. The more time we spend with them topics like family, funny stories of things that they probably shouldn’t have done with their friends when they were younger, nicknames and inside jokes all eventually come up. They told us about the best place in the city to get schwermas, their favorite things to do, and the places that we have to visit before we leave. Most nights though they end up at the same spot along the beach just sitting around and enjoying each others’ company.

The more time spent at that spot makes us realize that most of the differences between us seem to disappear the longer that we spend with them. The more we talk the more we realize we’re more alike than we ever were different.  I wish everyone in the world could come and spend a week in the beautiful friendly country of Oman, I think it will change their outlook on life forever!

Josh and Keith