Off the plane and into the heat. You walk outside and your glasses fog up, your sandals become slippery, your entire being is 'damp' yes, it's like walking into a sauna... literally. Nobody goes outside, and EVERYTHING is air conditioned.
The people in Oman are INSANELY friendly to foreigners, they tend to stare a bit, but that has never really phased me, and is honestly, kind of welcome after two years of being annoyingly overlooked in Eastern Europe. Great coffee shop/English book shop in Muscat – service so welcoming you would think my presence had been a common fixture there for months, AND there are a plethora of English newspapers for the rather impressive ex-pat community (made up of a variety of teachers, industry workers, contractors, engineers, you name it). Supermarket that made me giddy (no sleep and a 'real' large coffee probably added to my kid-in-a-candy-store-glee, but for anyone who knows me, I suppose this really isn't too surprising). An entire 'date corner', rice milk, boxes upon boxes of cereal, humus - not very cheap, but I could not convert rials in my brain under such circumstances so just threw everything in the cart... Oh, the money is bright and colorful, making up for the stark landscape of this desert country.
Two hour speedy car ride down the coast to Sur. Jagged rock mountains as far as the eye can see, occasionally catching a cluster of date palms or herd of goat, practically camouflaged within this multi-toned tan landscape. Part of the newly constructed motorway had been washed away in the cyclone of 2006 so there is some messy re-construction going on, but nonetheless, very impressive. I've been told Porsche often uses a large section of this highway to race. Driving is fun and gas is insanely cheap. An important thing to remember: DO NOT flip off or yell at the obnoxious Cadillac Escalade riding dangerously close on your tail - as it is illegal to offend an Omani and you could face a nasty jail sentence.
A few minutes outside of Sur you pass the cerebral structure where the sister of Moses lies. The ancient village destroyed by the Portuguese – the site leaves a pretty amazing impression as it sits on the stone embankment along the sea. Sur is the home of Sindbad (yes, the legendary mariner of Arabian Nights) and the most mosques in all of Oman. Stunning white-washed houses rise out of the earth here, protected by brightly colored ornate gates and presents quite a contrast from the sights and sounds of Eastern Europe.
Not a lot for the people of Sur to occupy there time with, so in the evening, a lot of people just simply hang out by the water, sitting on walls and in gazebos that line the bay. There are two bars here in hotels that cater to the expat community. Apparently there is still an alcohol problem here, despite it being against the Muslim religion to drink, there is still a black market for booze – a problem dealt with by turning a blind eye. There is virtually no crime in Sur, as I would imagine is the same for the rest of Oman. The Sultan is much loved and respected, leaving the people content and pretty politically indifferent to the happenings elsewhere around the Middle East and the rest of the world. It is however, advised to steer clear of Oman's neighbor country Yemen, as many people tend to 'disappear ' - However, most are returned unharmed.
Ok, so far I have not seen much of the city of Sur. I have walked down the beach outside my house, littered with colorful broken-shells,smooth coral and bright green algae.
There are small groups of veiled women, small children and a few men that wander down the beache at dusk. Midday is too hot for even the locals to be outside, too hot for the beach... now THAT is hot. The weather reports claim it never gets over 50 Celsius – (it is illegal to make people work when it is that hot), but it has been known to get well over 50... but really, what's a few more degrees when it's this hot? I have driven down the main streets in Sur, spent an evening at a shisha bar smoking shisha and drinking coffee and even made it to one of the hotel bars for some lunch and an Amstel tall boy.
I am excited about my classes and hope to get out and see more of this amazing country. So far, my impression is of a calm, kind and endearing people. Perhaps life in the desert is better than one would originally imagine.
On a bit of an ironic note, there was a copy of Young Stalin sitting in my living room when I got here, so I have been engrossed in a 400 page biography that could almost be considered relevant to my thesis topic... but, not quite. Who knows, maybe I can tie it in somehow.
Oh, and in case you were wondering, no, there will be no dance classes today... dancing is not allowed, however, feel free to pray five times a day. I promise you there is a room for that around here somewhere. :-)
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