Monday became a travelling day; a long one. The Pajero was loaded with four days of ‘stuff’ for the four of us, and we left Abu Dhabi heading east to Al Ain and the border with Oman. We arrived at 11am, queued to leave the country and then queued for hours to get in to Oman. I’ve never seen such a stationary queue. We took it in turns to eat our lunch in the air-conditioned car, though Rodney and Ramsay spent most of the time in the hot stuffy building, standing in-line at, what may have been, the slowest line ever. Nearly three hours later we were allowed to pass through the last checkpoint and drive south along the edge of the Hajar Mountains to Ibri. Around 3pm we reached Ibri and turned east again over the Hajar Mountains.
The landscape changed completely to an almost lunar landscape; every shade of brown and grey, layers and layers of crumpled jagged teeth-like edges. It was fascinating. Having just been discussing how the weather forecast always says “sunny” every day, with a temperature somewhere between 34 and 40°C, it took us quite by surprise when it started to rain. As we arrived near to the edge of Al Rustaq the road was under heavy flood, the brown muddy water in a fast running river had broken across the road. Cars were backing up and all the 4WDs were weaving around them and ploughing through the water. Ramsay did the same and waves were flowing past us. On the far side of Rustaq, it happened again. After driving through so much barren desert and dry and dusty mountains, it did seem strange to be travelling in the rain, on roads that seemed more like rivers.
About 20kms further on, the scenery started to flatten out again, and we drove over to the coast of Oman at Al Masnaah. Somewhere along the route, we then hit a dust storm; I really was beginning to wonder when the locusts would be arriving….! Finally a sign said 150 kms to Muscat, but I was starting to wish we were already there.
At the Intercontinental Hotel we checked in at 6pm, keen for our free drink and nibbles in the Club Lounge, but unfortunately the holiday festival of Eid means no alcohol from 6pm on the first day for a whole 24 hours. We had arrived on the dot of 6pm on the first day, so it was cappuccinos all round and no chance of a cocktail by the pool all of the next day. I imagined we would all be in the bar at 6:01pm on Tuesday evening and yes, we were! We drank water and ate our dinner that first evening at Mumtaz Mahal, an Indian restaurant set on a small hill with views over the twinkling lights of Muscat.
On Tuesday morning we all met for a long, late breakfast and it must have been 11am by the time I dipped my last date in the chocolate fountain to end my breakfast session. The next three hours were spent lazing under an umbrella by the pool, cooling off in the pool, and strolling along the beach on the other side of the palm garden.
Later in the afternoon, Ramsay drove us across to old Muscat and the Al Alam Palace, home of the Sultan Qaboos of Oman, which is a very different style of architecture and quite colourful with its gold and blue facade.
After a bit of a nose around we headed back to the hotel and arrived just as the Ghazal Pub and the Club Lounge bar were re-opening, with alcohol available. And at 11pm, after drinks in both places and a meal at the pub, the girls retired to bed and the boys settled in, with quite a number of Omanis in traditional clothing, to watch England v Poland play soccer. Rodney enjoyed the game, probably because England won, but he was also fascinated to watch one of the Omanis being ejected from the pub for loud and objectionable behaviour; obviously too many beers after waiting 24 hours……
