Category Archives: Activities

Things we have done during our travels.

Hookahs, Souqs, Museums, and Ancient Al-Baleed

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We had an appointment to get fuel at 1000. A truck was coming out to the edge of the sea wall, and we would tie up to the sea wall to take on fuel. At 1100, we found out that the truck pump had a problem and that they would not be coming until around 1900 (7:00pm). We were happy that we had enough time to go into town and get some sightseeing in. Today there was no haze, and the mountains stood out clearly in the background. The mountains look a lot like Southern California and Baja California, almost looking more like a painting than real.

Our first stop was lunch, at a place called Jarash. We were seated in a large patio area in front. There were many men, but not a single woman in the restaurant, which made us wonder if it was OK for Christi to be there. None of the other patrons or waiters seemed Continue reading →

Driving and Diving at Mirabat

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We were a little nervous about going diving. Northern Oman is supposed to have great diving, but in Southern Oman it is hit or miss. Some days visibility is good, and other days it is terrible. And there is no predicting what you are going to get. We chose to go to a relatively remote site farther out of town. The dive master, Ana, said it was shallow, and even if visibility wasn’t good, we would still be able to see a lot of fish.

The dive site is located in Mirabat, over 70 kilometers east of Salalah town, and roughly 100 km from Port Salalah. On the drive out, we followed the main highway out of town. The highway parallels the ocean most of the way. It reminds us of Baja California, Mexico. There are endless miles of dry, brown hills that melt into a stunning blue ocean. We drove for miles and miles with no development, and the areas with development didn’t have much to them. The beaches are stunning, and completely empty. Wow. Finding a deserted beach is not easy anymore.

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We passed several herds of camels just roaming around. The largest of the herds was hanging out in the middle of the road, so we were stuck for several minutes until the camels decided to get out of the road. We also passed a few herds of goats. The largest herd decided Continue reading →

Traditional Omani Food

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Today was a busy day at the port. The Sheikh of Dubai’s private yacht arrived this morning. We have no idea if the Sheikh is actually on it or not. It is a flashy multi-million dollar vessel, but we were actually expecting something bigger and flashier. After all, the guy is a sheikh. A cruise ship arrived this morning, as well, and stayed only for the day, leaving before sunset. And in the afternoon, another US military warship arrived. This one was bigger, and had an incredible array of antennas atop of it.

We laid low on Kosmos until 1630 (4:30 pm), then headed into town. We knew nothing would be open until then since today is the Sabbath. On the way to town, we stopped for gas (petrol) for the car. Diesel is USD$0. 41 a liter (about $1.50 a gallon) and gasoline is almost the same. And it is a full service gas station! Too bad marine fuel prices aren’t as low.

We drove around in search of the museum, but never found it. We drove around some more looking for a suitable restaurant. We saw a sign that said “Bin Ateeq Traditional Omani Food”. That was the spot for us. We went in and were ushered into a small private room with a Persian rug and pillows on the ground.

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Our food arrived on a large serving tray. The waiter put Continue reading →

Welcome to Port Salalah, Dhofar Region, Sultanate of Oman

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This morning the seas smoothed out again and the ride became fabulous. At 0830 local time, Eric hailed Salalah Port Control on the radio. The protocol is to call an hour prior to arrival in port. He gave them all the pertinent details and was told to call back when he got to the breakwaters.

It was a hazy morning, and we couldn’t see land until 0845, and in the distance looked like just a small blob of white contrasted against the blue sea. By 0900, the new breakwater was clearly visible. It so new it is not on our charts. By 1030, land became much clearer. Directly in front of us was a cluster of densely packed white buildings that probably make up the main part of the city. To the left of the city, it looked more industrial, with an odd assortment of buildings grouped in small clusters, ranging from low buildings to high rises, scattered across a dry looking desert back ground. To the right, the shoreline is covered with green trees, with a few buildings cut into the trees along the shore and a few buildings popping out from behind them. It looks like there are large mountains behind the flat shore, but we could barely see the mountains in the haze.

We turned behind the breakwater wall. The water was extraordinarily calm. This is a container port, and the right side is lined with rows of huge cranes for lifting the containers on and off the ships.

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As we continued along, on the left, the breakwater Continue reading →

Male to Port Salalah Days 7-9

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On Sunday, we realized we can see AIS targets 50 miles out on the radar screen, when normally they only appear 8-12 miles out. VHF range around here is absolutely insane. The chatter on the radio is incessant, both legit and screwing around. The monkey boy was still coming in loud and clear, and he was getting progressively harder to take. While he is by far the worst, he was not the only one screwing around on the radio. Over the course of the entire day, we got 6 more distress calls, all from weird MMSI numbers such as 111111111 and with no coordinates. All presumed fake. It is really upsetting that these guys are abusing the radio waves. The wind died for a few hours and came back as only very light head winds. The seas also flattened out, which we are ecstatic about. It was smooth and wonderful. We hoped it would last.

Yesterday we had four more fake GMDSS emergency calls, and, in general, the radio chatter continued to drive us crazy. The winds have gotten even lighter and the seas smoother. It has been a fantastic ride today. There is no wind chop at all, just glassy seas with a small swell. It has gotten significantly cooler and drier as we head north. The weather is a nice change of pace, and certainly makes it more comfortable inside the boat.

Today, in the early hours of the morning, we heard Continue reading →