Quran, Communities and Culture

It is extremely evident that the three components of Oman society are the Quran, communities and culture. They all exist and thrive based on the interdependence on one another. I would say that the Quran and it’s 5 pillars is the backbone but because of it, all the other aspects fall into place. The commitment to Mohammed and his teachings has made the culture and communities welcoming to all, richer or poorer, young and old, healthy or disabled. Crime is very low, and the quality of life and the moral compass that is embraced, leads to a much more civilized community than what we are accustomed to. Islam is too great a subject to discuss here, but I for one have truly been impressed with its teachings and values. The weather has certainly been as expected. Sunny and hot. And our small group too, are fun and entertaining led by our energetic guide and host Gordon and our local guide Zahir. I don’t really relish the thoughts of going to local markets but today was an exception. Due to Friday prayers, the crowds were manageable and well behaved. The butcher and vegetable stalls were in abundance along with the spice vendors. The constant chattering in Arabic along with the fragrances all added to the lively and colorful atmosphere. These markets are also where one would go to get a customed sewed Dishdasha at one of the many tailor shops, which are mostly run by tailors from India. I didn’t get a Dishdasha, but I did get a customed made to order Kufi along with a keffiyeh scarf to make it into a turban. We were treated to a calligraphy class complete with the history of the Arabic language along with hands on instruction on how to write left to right. I did my best and the teacher was very encouraging by giving me a passing grade. As a reward he presented all our group with individual certificates with our names written in Arabic which he did with his own free hand. I also purchased an Arabic saying which he personally designed proclaiming something like Mohammed is the enlightened one. Amongst other things, there was a visit to a women’s centre devoted to self sustaining and a sundown cruise in a Dhow which sailed along the coast viewing the Sultan’s Palace from the Arabian sea. However, the highlight to date has to have been our trip to the Grand Mosque. Unbelievable! From concept to completion, it took a total of nine years and was paid in full by the Sultan. No one knows the final cost, as by the rule of Islam, one has to be modest and not be boastful when it comes to extravagances. Chandeliers made from Austrian crystal, tiles from Iran, Teak from Burma and Turkish gold to Italian marble; stained windows designed in France and rugs woven from Scottish weavers. A maximum of 20,000 worshipers in total can be accommodated and no less than four Imans are employed onsite. I could go on and on but enough for one day. Time to take a break and fit in a little pool and beach time. Allahu Akbar الله أكبر

Geography 101

It’s almost like living in the bull’s eye of a dart board. We are on the Arabian Peninsula surround by the GSC or otherwise known as the Gulf State Countries. Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates or the UAE. All these countries lie to the southwest of the Persian Gulf. On the opposite side of the gulf lies the hot spot of Iran. Across from the Gulf of Oman on the parallel shore sits the perennial hot spot of Pakistan with India right next door on the coast of the Arabian Sea. If the US seventh fleet does come to the region as speculated, then they should be sailing past our front door. I’ll keep you posted. Can you spell nuclear disarmament? It’s early days but the little bit we have seen has been extremely impressive. Great roads, outstanding architecture, very clean surroundings with NO graffiti to be seen. The people, dress code and language are right out of central casting. I’m temped to take pictures of the women dressed in their burkas and hijabs and the men in their thawbs or dishdashah and mussar head gear. However, I am hesitant for fear of insulting them but more so for looking like a tourist, so I purposely take pictures from a distance. One of the hotel employees and our guide were gracious enough to let me take their pictures. I met a couple of women from Kuwait today when we were out on our snorkeling trip to the Daymaniat Islands. They were so nice I had to give them Canada pins, and they too let me take their pictures, even though they weren’t in traditional dress. The snorkeling was great, but the water was cool at 23C. Lots of turtles and colorful fish and the coral was alive and flourishing, It’s always a challenge to get your sleep pattern back to normal and with a 9-hour time difference, and while keeping that in mind, it will be a few more days I’m sure before I’m able to get my head straightened out. Allahu Akbar الله أكبر

On the Road Again.....Finally

It's been a year since my last blog https://hobbitsdinosaurs2025.blogspot.com when we traveled back to New Zealand with an extension to Bali and Indonesia. However, that is not to say that we have been idle. Au contraire. In August we did a self drive around Iceland (not to be confused with Greenland... Donald), followed by a cruise circumventing the island. In October we did a self drive in Spain focusing on the northern Basque region, with special attention paid to the wine and pintxos before finishing up in Madrid. Next up is a return to the Mideast. We will be concentrating our travels with a small group of 13 Canadians around the country of Oman with stops in Doha, Dubai, and an extension to the "Norway of Arabia" fjord region located in the Musandam Peninsula to the north. Why Oman? Why not? It's probably going to get us as close to Iran as we will ever be able to get to. Not to be outdone by Sarah Palin, "I can see Tehran from our day cruise on the Strait of Hormuz". Watch for the fashion photos of Jennifer wearing a hijab and the even more revealing burquini when we take a plunge into the Gulf of Oman. Hopefully my prayer rug from Amazon arrives in time. I hope you will be able to tag along, and I will do my best to get out a post every couple of days or so. استمر في السفر aistamira fi alsafar الله أكبر allah 'akbar God is Great