Oman: Wadis, Necropoli, and Museums, Oh My!

So the day started off with a gorgeous sunrise over the mountains, and then after a quick breakfast, we were off on dirt roads to our first stop, Jebel Shams, or Oman's Grand Canyon. It was a marvel to look at, and I just looked at it in amazement, knowing that I was looking at something that has taken over two million years to make!

After that, we were off to a place call Al Ayn, which had 18 necropoli dating back to over 3000 BCE!!! That's over 5000 years old!!! They were these kind of beehive-shaped rock structures that were said to guard the remains of up to 200 people each. There were several other, but these are the best example of what remains. It was really amazing to get to walk up to them and touch them. They are developing the site as an archeological site, so I'm sure that wont be allowed for too much longer.

We got back in the car and drove over some more rough terrain to another wadi, where we got out and stretched our legs with a nice hike. A wadi is basically a canyon or valley that was created by running water. Some may still have water in them, fed by springs, but most are dry and only have water in them when it rains (which isn't often here). We climbed over some pretty massive rocks and saw an old cave, and then hiked out way back to the vehicle.

We went for lunch at a local restaurant and then visited a museum which was located in a mud-wall house that was over 400 years old in another old town. It showed the way of life of the people here before modern conveniences. Women made bread by hand (after milling the flour themselves), pressed pistachio oil, etc. I was shown around by a young man who didn't speak the best English (although his was much better thang Arabic!), but we got by using many hand gestures and mixing phrases. I was shown what women and men used to (and still do) wear. Then I was treated to homemade ginger tea, cardamom coffee, dates, a sugary treat and a bread ball thing that was delicious. It was a highlight, even though at first I was wondering what in the world this place was doing on the itinerary: although there wasn't much to see, the cultural experience and exchange was definitely worth the visit. The old women working there were a riot!

We then headed back to our camp for another sunset and dinner! Tomorrow we will be heading back to Muscat, stopping a few places along the way, a d I must admit, I will be glad to get back to the internet and a decent supply of hot water!