Muscat, Oman

March 27, 2017 Paul Groves



Day 77 of 111. Muscat, Oman

Today we visited Muscat, Oman. The Sultan was in town, but not at the palace. The blue and gold palace is like our White House where State functions occur but it is not a residence. The Sultan lives elsewhere in town. The Sultan’s Coat of Arms are crossed swords with a dagger. We thought that he might invite us to tea or least a ride on the yacht, but no such luck.

The main tourist item being sold at the ‘Souk’ (marketplace) is Frankincense for which Oman is famous. It is collected in the local mountains. The town is proud of this as evidenced by the giant white incense burner in the hills coming into town.

After we leave Oman, we’re headed to Aqabah, Jordan. To get there we need to pass through pirate-infested waters. The Captain is ready as evidenced by the razor wire installed on the promenade deck. We also have high pressure water hoses and four LRADs (Long Range Acoustic Devices) rigged, manned, and ready for immediate use. Cross your fingers!

We also had a ‘Sari’ night on the ship so the ladies could show off the Saris that they bought while we were in India. The staff in the dining room was dressed in appropriate attire to complete the evening.

As with every other place we visited, we saw McDonalds and even KFC. I didn’t see any Starbucks here. Oman is known for its coffee that is made from roasted date seeds. I don’t think Starbucks carries this yet.