The city of Muscat runs in a north to south direction along the coastal plain of the southeast corner of the Arabian peninsula. Only a few miles inland lies the Hajar mountain range. In many places there is little coast and the mountains jut directly into the Arabian Sea. The old city of Muscat (where the city was founded) was built along a harbor, protected on all sides by steep and jagged mountains. Recently, the boys and I went hiking into these mountains. The climb up was a little steep and in places precarious, but we were rewarded with some fantastic views of the old city and harbor. Watch the above video to see the boys scampering up the rocky hillsides surrounding Muscat.
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Mountains of Muscat
The city of Muscat runs in a north to south direction along the coastal plain of the southeast corner of the Arabian peninsula. Only a few miles inland lies the Hajar mountain range. In many places there is little coast and the mountains jut directly into the Arabian Sea. The old city of Muscat (where the city was founded) was built along a harbor, protected on all sides by steep and jagged mountains. Recently, the boys and I went hiking into these mountains. The climb up was a little steep and in places precarious, but we were rewarded with some fantastic views of the old city and harbor. Watch the above video to see the boys scampering up the rocky hillsides surrounding Muscat.
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Eddy's 7th Birthday
On Thursday, Eddy celebrated his 7th birthday. After a pile of pancakes in the morning, we took him to "The Adventure Zone," one of his favorite places in Oman. It is a warehouse-sized building on the outskirts of Muscat that his indoor climbing equipment and giant slides. He and Peter were in heaven, climbing around and zipping down the chutes. Afterwards, we headed back home for some lunch and birthday cake. One of Eddy's presents was a new bicycle. Later in the afternoon we took him to the boardwalk along the beach to try out his new wheels. As the you will see in the following video, he was smiles all day long.
Monday, October 8, 2012
To the Mosque
Outside of Muscat is the Grand Mosque, a beautiful example
of Islamic architecture. Every corner of
the mosque is decorated with inlaid tiles and wood or stone carvings. Inside the main prayer hall are a dozen
chandeliers. The central one is truly
magnificent, hanging at least 30 feet down and 20 feet across. The floors throughout the mosque are paved
with marble, except for the main prayer hall.
This room is carpeted by a single carpet that is supposedly the largest
in the world. It took 600 women 4 years
to weave. Before entering, you must take
off your shoes. In addition, women
should cover up their hair. The above
video shows us exploring this breathtaking place.
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