My Graced Journey: July 2009

Thursday 30 July 2009

Rustic rural Oman

English Teacher in Oman

Exploring Ibri & rural Oman

2008-2009

During 2008 and 2009 I worked in Oman as an English teacher at the Ibri College of Applied Sciences. I rented a Nissan Tida from Muscat during my stay in Oman. With limited entertainment in Ibri, I often drove to all the surrounding villages to explore, and in many ways discover rural Oman, where few of the tourists ever venture....off the beaten track.

Desert scenery near Ibri

On the road between Ibri and Nizwa, I encountered these two camels stretching their necks to get some leaves from a tree

About Oman

Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is an Arab country on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Holding a strategically important position at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, the country shares land borders with the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest, and shares marine borders with Iran and Pakistan. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the southeast and the Gulf of Oman on the northeast. The Madha and Musandam exclaves are surrounded by the UAE on their land borders, with the Strait of Hormuz (which it shares with Iran) and the Gulf of Oman forming Musandam's coastal boundaries.

From the late 17th century, the Omani Sultanate was a powerful empire, vying with Portugal and Britain for influence in the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. At its peak in the 19th century, Omani influence or control extended across the Strait of Hormuz to modern-day Iran and Pakistan, and as far south as Zanzibar (today part of Tanzania, also former capital). As its power declined in the 20th century, the sultanate came under the influence of the United Kingdom. Historically, Muscat was the principal trading port of the Persian Gulf region. Muscat was also among the most important trading ports of the Indian Ocean. Oman is an absolute monarchy. The Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said has been the hereditary leader of the country since 1970. Sultan Qaboos is the longest-serving current ruler in the Middle East, and sixth-longest current reigning monarch in the world.

Oman has modest oil reserves, ranking 25th globally. Nevertheless, in 2010 the UNDP ranked Oman as the most improved nation in the world in terms of development during the preceding 40 years. A significant portion of its economy is tourism and trade of fish, dates, and certain agricultural produce. This sets it apart from its neighbors’ solely oil-dependent economies. Oman is categorized as a high-income economy (Wikipedia).

First exploration with my rental car

Nature scenery near Ibri - On the road between Ibri and Nizwa

Nature scenery near Dhank (About 20 km from Ibri on the Al Ain Road)

Goats - rural area near Dhank

Rural area near Dhank

Rural area near Dhank

Occupied ruins - rural area near Dhank

Indian and Pakistani laborers usually take up residence in these ruins. They earn between 60- 90 Omani Riyal per month, half of which they send back home to their families. Deplorable conditions as they are exploited by their Muslim 'brothers' in the Gulf. One thing they however never compromise on, satellite TV.

Occupied ruins - rural area near Dhank

Landscape near Ibri towards Dhank

Landscape near Ibri towards Dhank

Romantic desert outing

Some sand dunes, where Baxter, a colleague of mine took us to. Oman is mainly rocky desert, unlike the UAE, more like a lunar landscape, but there are places where these fine sand dunes spring up. This one was about 40 km away from Ibri. Baxter took some teachers in his jeep and I another 4 in my car. On our way back, we got stuck and had to literally dig out the car. We actually wanted to get married here, but could not get a license to do so. We flew back to South Africa for a week eventually to get married.

At the sand dunes

Footprints in the sand

Romantic desert outing - Ansu walking on the dunes

Sand dune

Landscape surrounding dunes

Romantic desert outing - a penny for your thoughts...

Ansu

Romantic desert outing; desert scenery

An afternoon with Ali - Mesharab, near Dhank

Ali in a date plantation, Mesharab, near Dhank. My wife and I explored the area.
He came to us and asked us if he could show us around
and then invited us for lunch at his home