Friday, 18 November – We pulled into the quiet port of Muscat, Oman, around 7:30 AM this morning. The cream-colored private yacht of the Sultan was impressive as was the larger-sized support vessel that travels along with the yacht.
One of the most interesting sights as we entered port this morning is called the Incense Burner, and it was a gift from Iran. We weren’t told the details of the reasons behind the gift or when it given, but it certainly does look like an incense burner, doesn’t it. One question people asked was, “Do they really burn incense in it to provide an aroma for the port area?” The answer is, “No.” I don’t know what it’s used for; perhaps you can use wikipedia to find it out.
We went on a tour today to the Muttrah Souq, billed as “one of the most popular souqs in the Middle East.” It’s an indoor bazaar with a myriad of shops selling textiles, fragrances, oils, and spices. We bought some frankincense since that is one of the export items of the southern areas of Oman. We then visited two museums, which are essentially private homes (a home is called a ‘Bait’) that have many important items, and some of them generate their income from hosting tours through the home.
We also made a quick stop at the Royal Palace. Calling it “the” palace is a bit of a misnomer since the Sultan (who has been in power since 1970) has 7 palaces in Oman, 1 in Switzerland, and 1 somewhere else in Europe I think. I tried pushing the button to see if we could have a look around inside, but no one came to the door.
We got back to the ship around 1:30 PM, had some lunch, and really did not much until dinner with Kurt, Camilla, John, Sharon, George, and Tawni. We did pull out of port around 6 PM to make our way up to Abu Dhabi.
I think we might need to start packing tomorrow!
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