Suez Canal
Our ship was first in a convoy to go through the newly enhanced Suez Canal. They added to the canal to stop ship blockages and tie-ups. One of the guest lecturers set up in the panoramic Horizons lounge to guide the keen cruisers through the process, pointing out highlights both technical and historical. We got up early to join them. The water is shallow, a bit stinky in parts and with sand flies. However it was interesting to watch the shore side sights from the comfort of Horizons.
The day before we had a “pirate drill” – moving to interior corridors and hunkering down. We were told what we would do in the unlikely circumstances of a pirate attack. The ship dimmed their top deck lights and set out fire hoses. Evidently cruise ships are not the main target anymore – oil tankers are.
Aqaba (Petra), Jordan
What a fantastic day yesterday but totally exhausting! And we had the tail end of a sand storm. Our group left at 6:50 am for the two hour drive to Petra.
Southern Jordan where Aqaba is located is just about all rocks and sand. There are some wadis (valleys) with trees. We passed some camels roaming freely along the road. Once we had to stop for one to amble across. These are not wild, but the owners will let them roam for a few days without seeing them. Evidently the camels know where home is.
We turned off onto the King’s Highway which has historical import and drove until Wadi Musa where Moses struck the rock to get water. When Petra became a World Heritage site, the government gave financial incentives to people to move to Wadi Musa.
Petra is huge and only a small percentage has been excavated. There are some ongoing digs and some recent ones as well. We started our walk through some shops in blisteringly hot weather to the Siq, a mile and a half long winding cleft in the towering rocks.
Our excellent guide pointed out the amazing water system developed by the Nabataeans. Even high up, they had chiseled clefts in the tops of the mountains to control the flow of rain water. There are also the remains of ceramic pipes. And a recently discovered fossil of a fish just above our heads. We also saw remains of a tomb and the remnants of carved arches. He also explained that the Siq was a ceremonial way to enter the city of Petra, a rich city that was on many trade routes. The camel caravans came in through another direction, directly into the city. A few of the products they got rich on were myrrh, frankincense and gold.
And then, there before us we could see the Treasury, that iconic Petra sight. And that’s just the beginning! Many other tombs, a Roman theatre, and the remains of the city, and up high, a church. Our guide spent a few hours with us and walked as far as the remains of the city. We used modern toilets, one built in a cave, and he introduced us a to New Zealand woman who had written a book, My life as a Bedouin.
Before he left us to explore on our own, he pointed out some easy trails to the church, a cave, etc. We stopped for a soft drink at a restaurant with shady tables and decided that we couldn’t even do the “easy” trails. It was so darn hot (in the 40’s C) and the only shade was at the few cafes and if you could walk close enough to the walls. The heat finally got to Frances and she decided to risk a horse and cart ride back the rest of the way through the Siq. Richard got persuaded to take the free pony ride back.
Petra is amazing and well worth visiting. Just don’t do it in September!
Salalah, Oman
An interesting country! Oman extends along the Indian Ocean for a long way. From our port today (Salalah) it is 1000 kms to the capital, Muscat. On the inland side of this populated area, there is a high range of mountains that creates an unusual climate for Arabia. They get the Indian monsoons and the mountains capture the moisture and greens up this side of the mountains and the coast, mostly with fog. We did see one sign that seemed to say there could be flash flooding. Otherwise it is a rocky or a sandy desert on the far side. And beyond that, the Empty Quarter which is sand dunes. There are three main languages used in Oman – two that are oral only and Arabic. English signs are used as well, partially for Indian and Pakistani guest workers.
The town of Salalah is strung out along the shore and we passed banana, mango plantations and coconut trees as well as the royal palace, a jail and single or two story shops and houses with Arabic and English signs. Our driver bought us some bananas which were beautifully ripe.
We saw Marmura Castle and some old Yemeni style houses that needed preservation work and the ruins of Sumhurum (Khor Rori), the main port of Dhofr for exporting frankincense to India, China, the Mediterranean via Petra. It was a rich city that flourished from 300 BC to 500 AD (approx!). It has a commanding view over the water which now has a sandbar across the entrance to the bay. It was amazing because there weren’t any other tourists there although a bus from our ship arrived as we were leaving. We also visited the small onsite museum, a modern building with a few interesting exhibits, including a large stone with an inscription in ancient Arabic.
We went on to Mirbat to see the ruins of colonial merchant houses and one that had been renovated. It was interesting to see the women’s sitting room and the visitors’ room. Richard enquired about some old baby carriers – a wooden frame with a tripod base so that they could be put on the ground. They were normally carried by the women.
We also saw a cemetery that has been in use for 300 years or so and tomb markers showed the gender by the number of stones – three for women and two for men.
At the end of our drive, we stopped at a roadside market stand to look at the frankincense.
All along the road we could see glorious beaches with green water and white sand. And active waves. Evidently swimming can be dangerous, especially during monsoon season.
Muscat, Oman
Our first stop was the huge modern Sultan Quaboos Grand mosque. The mosque closes to non-Muslim tourists at 11 am. We women had dressed appropriately, covering our legs, arms and hair. The men’s hall is huge and can hold about 6500 people and it is richly decorated with marble pillars, beautiful ceramics and the world’s largest handwoven carpet.
The mosque Is surrounded by beautiful gardens with water troughs like in the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. Evidently the Muslims think that Heaven or paradise is a garden. Afterwards we went into the info centre for a complimentary snack of black Omani coffee with cardamom and dates and pamphlets about Islam.
We drove through the grounds of the Ritz Carlton hotel, past government buildings and several forts perched high on rocky hills. We also took a look at the outside of the very grand palace.
Another highlight was the Bait Al Zabir museum which displayed Omani culture – clothing and fabrics, jewelry, their ceremonial swords. Men’s simple white robes have a dangling tassel which is traditionally steeped in perfume. Every area of Oman has slightly different style of dress. Women’s clothing is much more colourful. In only two areas of the county did women traditionally wear face coverings, and the most extreme was worn by desert dwellers.
We ended our brief foray into the city with a quick shop in the souk for some bargain hunting!
Abu Dhabi, UAE
Abu Dhabi is strung out along the shore and since it has several several inlets, several bridges. We passed a large number of high rises, many architecturally interesting, and then along a park (called the corniche). There are beaches and strolling gardens, and rental ride-on toys for kids.
We were there for a day and a half and we took the free port shuttle from the ship to Marina Mall, a large mall with activities, a range of stores (H&M, Body Shop, Woolworths! and Chanel, Coach, etc.) From there we took a taxi to nearby Heritage Village which seems popular with local families. There was a mock fishing village and a desert camp with a variety of styles of tents. The small museum had interesting exhibits – pearl diving equipment, for example.
The next morning we took a taxi to Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. It features beautiful finishes and decoration, some unusual like fibre optic flowers in the main prayer hall. It is the height of luxury and size, with room for 40 thousand worshippers at once (just 10 thousand inside though!) Even though it is spectacular, we thought that the Muscat one more beautiful.
A highlight was the complimentary dinner at the “7 star” Emirates Palace Hotel. It was fun to get dolled up and enjoy lobster salad, tournedos rossini and a chocolate dessert and in such a luxurious space.
Dubai. UAE
People say that it is like Las Vegas! By taxi, we saw Burj al Arab, that sail shaped building sitting in the water and Palm Island and the Atlantis Hotel. (The roads off the trunk sections are called “fronds” instead of street or avenue).
The most amazing thing to see was at the Mall of the Emirates which has an indoor ski hill with sledding, kids on sleds being pulled by dads, a ski lift, etc. We went up a floor for a good freebie look at all the fun. Crazy to see people wandering in ski gear and snowsuits when it is 42c outside! We took a cab from there to see the world’s tallest building – Burj Khalifa – and then to the Dubai Museum. This is an excellent small museum with dioramas of life in previous times.
Fujairah, UAE
Fujairah is similar to Muscat – dry and grey with high hills and the city is built on the coastal plain. There are modern buildings but only a few high rises, not like Abu Dhabi or Dubai.
We took a taxi from the mall shuttle stop to see a fort in the city – very interesting with mud daubed walls (like adobe) and the local museum. Each museum we see is relatively modest but has something we hadn’t seen before. For example we saw a hanging baby crib used in traditional homes. They had a couple of rooms set up like a traditional and a modern visitor’s room (our living room).
Our driver suggested the fish market. He said he didn’t really understand it but tourists took a lot of pictures and seemed to enjoy it. It was our first on this trip and the fish market was a busy place with very fresh ocean fish. It is always unexpected – you look at the barren landscape and think you must be far inland, whereas in fact you are right by the sea. There seemed to be an auctioneer or someone calling prices.
We drove by their new “grand mosque” – the second biggest in the UAE after Abu Dhabi. They are very competitive people! We decided to drive out of town to see the “Friday market”. It is open everyday, not just Friday. However perhaps at first they were renegade traders since Friday is their holy day. Mei managed to buy her little bronze camel her daughter-in-law wanted. The merchant had wanted 300 dirhams for 2. Mei finally got one for 40 dirhams!