We finally arrived in Muscat, Oman, after 14 hours flying from Sydney to Abu Dhabi, plus another 4 hours in transit to Muscat.
The flight was good, including our first Arabic food, We had 4 seats for the 2 of us so we could stretch out and sleep a bit.
The weather is hot, about 32c when we arrive, rising to 38c by the afternoon.
We were met at the airport by Tony, A British expat who's been living here for 25 years - there's a story there. Tony runs Arabesque Tours who we'd booked from Australia for a two-day desert tour.
First impressions are interesting - there are visual elements of our trips in Timor L'este and Thailand however the people, clothing & architecture look completely different. Muscat sits in a large series of bays, the centre sits in a bay surrounded by high rocky hills. There is almost no vegetation, and what there is, is drip fed by grey water. The entire water source for the country, and Saudi Arabia is provided by desalination plants.
We walked around the area and had lunch in a little Indian restaurant - excellent beef and vegetable curries with paratha. They were very hospitable, and we tried to eat with our right hands only - not easy.
There are many guest workers, from what appears to be India, Pakistan & the Philippines who form a complete second culture within the society - restaurants, shops, accommodation, etc.
Later we explored the Corniche (bay front) and the Souk (market) which was mostly deserted as it was Friday, the holy day. The architecture is 'plain' but striking in its simplicity and detail.
Tomorrow we head into the desert for a couple of days.
