Ignore this if you like, but I just thought I would post the pics of my latest journey. We headed across Oman to Salalah for three days, because though nearly 100% percent of Oman is dust and sand and cloudless sky, there is one place on the very western edge of the country where it actually rains! I know that sounds a bit weird to you guys in Europe, America, etc. but I've been here 4 years, and every time I leave Oman and see grass, I get extreme culture shock!

woah, you'd show me that without mentioning where it was and i'd say anything but the arabian peninsula. it's actually quite amazing drac

Its beautiful, what boggles my mind is why no one is living here. Seems a bit strange to live where in a dessert when there's an oasis nearby.

We not only went through a wadi (kind of a riverbed/oasis, which is what you see up there /), but we also did some historic sightseeing as well. This is (reputedly) the tomb of Job. It's a big grave, but according to the Islamic priest he was about 30 ft tall. O_O Not too sure about that, myself...

Message edited on: 08/27/2004 10:46

Adjacent to the tomb is an ancient mosque..... pointing towards both Mecca and Jerusalem. *makes confused face* I don't think I need to tell you of the attitude Muslims have towards Jews (never mind the enourmous similarities), but Job _was_ a very important prophet to both religions.... so.... *shrugs* Maybe they gave him a place in their mosque to pray.... Who knows?

Sorry.. still going...

We then went to have lunch in a rather dilapidated old village.... the food and location almost made me homesick. It's exactly what Yemen looks like. Born in USA, raised in Yemen (which is where I call home), and live in Oman. Now THAT is confusing!

Wow! These are some beautiful images. And you know that second image can be used as a shadow map right...? :)

On the way back.. we hit camels. Now, I've seen a great many camels in my time (I do live in the Middle East, after all), but such big herds are very rare.

Whoops... I nearly forgot to show you this. This will give you some idea of the local cuisine. We also had some Kebab Jamals (camel meat on a stick). Camel meat tastes very good, but the key is meat tenderizer. Lots of it. Very chewy. No Han Solo. Just Chewy. :P

Never did finish what was on my plate. Half a chicken and that much rice is far too much for my tiny stomach. My dad tends to inhale his food, so not much of it was wasted. :D

Ok, these are the camels. This is one of about 6 herds we saw, and it was the smallest. We must have seen hundreds. I kid you not.

One of them even posed for a close-up. :D

yummy :)

Great pics!Thanks for posting your images of the middle east and your experiences.

Wow, excellent images. What kind of camera are you using? By the way that fish doesn't look like a great bite to eat.. I think a new camera is going to be my next investment.. But any digital camera that offers manual control is very expensive.. And I need manual control.

When we went to Tunisia we took a trip to the edge of the Sahara. It rained! All the way from England to stand in the rain on sand. We could have gone to Blackpool. And there were no donkeys. I can`t help thinking what odds my bookie would have given me... LOL

What a great bunch of pictures! And the lush, green landscape sure is surprising. I wouldn't have guessed that that is there. Thank you for posting them!

Terrific photos, thank you for allowing us to accompany you on your trip, it's interesting to see other countries through the eyes of a resident...:)

Wow, what a nostalgia trip. Thanks for posting these. I visited the Sultanate many years ago, and stayed in Salalah most of the time. I sure wish my slide scanner was in operation. The above is all I have to hand now. I bet the town has changed, big time. In answer to Ang25's question, there are quite a lot of people living there. But it only looks like Wales for a few months of the year, when the Khareef (monsoon) blows through. The rest of the time it is very hot and parched, with only the hardy trees giving a hint that it's ever wet. I visited during the long hot period, and the landscape looked nothing like this. There is little depth of soil, and agriculture is fairly limited as a result. Go up over the jebel (mountains) and into the Empty Quarter (not very far away), and you are into true arid, moonscape desert. Our helicopter set down and shut down in the middle of nowhere, and for the first (and probably last) time in my life I experienced absolute natural silence. Nothing. No wind; no animals; no technology; nada. Quite eerie, but recommended. In the unlikely event I ever get rich, I'm going back for sure.

In the initial days of Islam, Mohammed at first asked people to pray towards Jerusalem. He asked the Jews to convert, which as any religion knows, is usually futile..;) This is the start of the animosity..but that would explain why the mosque points the way it does..it's very old..

What a bunch of wonderful pictures. Thanks for sharing them. 8)

Lovely photos, and quite eye-opening!