A Little Bit of Mussandam By My Side

Oh man, Oman! Just at the northern boarder of the UAE is an enclave of Oman which sits on the Mussandam Peninsula, where, for some shame enducing reason, it has taken us three years to discover. 180km, 1hr 45m later, and you leave behind the headaches of Dubai, venturing past Sharjah, Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah (the northern emirates of the United Arab type), into the mystical and unknown land of Oman.

Crossing the boarder was painfree, evidently the Omani's like the New Zealanders more so than the Australians. Fergus was armed with his International Car Insurance, our passports were at the ready to be stamped by the Sultanate Omani folk, and before we could blink twice and whisper shukran habibi (thank you, dear) to the headscarved customs officers, we were waved through into this other country. Destination: Khasab.

Booked into Khasab's only hotel, the Golden Tulip was surprisingly comfortable for an area that has such limited access. One road in, and one road out, it truly is the end of the line on the Arabian Peninsula. Swimming straight across the water would have you washing up on the shores of Iran, and something lingers in my mind telling me that the shores of which we were stood were slightly more inviting. After driving for the afternoon from Dubai, we were quite happy to enjoy a couple of beers as the sun set, reflecting on the scenery we had surprisingly enjoyed on our journey north. Arabia, to us, is not a beautiful part of the world. Sand and arid rocky mountains (but certainly not the Rocky Mountains) don't naturally provide for stunning breathtaking vistas, however this coastal drive through Mussandam to Khasab may have provided a new light on this generalised view of ours.

Only staying for one night, we woke up early the next morning to find the wharf that our dhow was moored to, to begin the daytrip into the fjords. It was today that you could see the amazing change in the World's ecology over the past million years as what is now a hot, bleak, desolate desert, was clearly a land covered in ice. Fjords carved into the ocean by the glacial erosion make for a stunning backdrop, as we basked in glorious sunshine enjoying the dolphins jumping about in the blue waters.

We often admit to having 'Dubai Moments' when the frustrations of the Middle East break away and you actually enjoy a day in the sometimes very hectic emirate. It was extremely satisfying then to also admit to suffering from an 'Oman Moment' as well!