So, here you have it: photos from our March trip to the UAE and Oman…

What’s left to be said? I can’t say this was our ‘best’ trip ever (that place is still held by the 3+ weeks we spent in Europe in 2008). I can’t say that it was the ‘most relaxing’ vacation or the ‘most beautiful’ place we’ve ever visited. So, what can I say?

The trip–aside from the cruise itself, which was basically ‘just another (good) cruise’–greatly exceeded our expectations. Admittedly, we (intentionally) went without a lot of preconceptions or anticipations. We mostly went because we could… because it was different… because it was there. But, we found our experiences in the UAE and Oman to be delightful, from the small (so, this is how a car wash works here) to the sublime (I see why they call this a ‘Grand Mosque’).

We enjoyed getting mistaken for British or German(!) visitors (Americans were few and far in between). We loved our interactions with locals; it was both enlightening and satisfying. Indeed, of all of the trips we’ve taken, this was probably the purest ‘experience’ on a personal level… by that I mean to say, it was a real growth experience.

Let’s be totally honest: before this trip I would have never imagined that some guy walking through an airport in a dishdasha and turban might be a country music fan or hold the Ford Mustang to be his favorite car. It simply would have never occurred to me. Intellectually, I knew that all people were/are unique individuals and most are fundamentally decent. But, I understand that a lot more viscerally now…. that’s pretty awesome.

And, while there are customs and practices that I still find foreign, I think I have an enhanced understanding of those differences and have a greater ability to see ‘both sides’ of the proverbial coin. I’ll have to spend some more time pondering all that I’ve seen and learned. Most importantly, this experience underscores for me that there’s more to learn and that it’s a worthwhile topic of further exploration. My interest in the region and its people is clearly raised…

Finally, we’ve already agreed that we want to go back to the UAE and Oman in the future. In part, it’s just a cool place to visit and a logical stop on a global hop around the world. We’re also interested in reading firsthand the next chapters in these countries’ stories.

Having talked with Libby at length about this trip, I think she shares similar sentiments. It was surprisingly good. Enjoyable and enlightening.

After landing in Atlanta this morning, I checked my email to find a note from Yusef. That was a nice exclamation point to put on the end of this trip. I’m actually hopeful that we’ll meet again some day… either here in the USA or back in his homeland.

We’re now back home and returning to ‘normal’ life.

Until our next adventure…

So, I’ll turn a little more reflective on the experience to date, as Libby and I have conversed at length about it.

We always viewed this trip as a bit of an adventure. While it’s certainly not unheard of for Americans to travel to countries in the Gulf (especially Dubai in the UAE), it’s clearly not a popular or common tourist destination for those from the USA. In general, Americans (us included) are fairly ignorant about the countries and peoples that make up the Arabian Peninsula. There’s a tendency to view them one-dimensionally and as a group, often in less than flattering ways. I’m sure this has only become worse since September 11, 2001, because—let’s be honest—prior to that date few Americans even gave the Middle East a passing thought on a regular basis and those events certainly weren’t going to engender goodwill from the ‘average’ American. So, it’s little wonder that we consistently heard messages of “you’re going where on vacation?,” “why would you go there of all places?,” or “aren’t you worried about insert concern?” prior to our departure.

Interestingly, our British compatriots seem to view this destination as “just another holiday in the sun.” On the one hand, that’s refreshing to see. Clearly, they got the memo that Oman isn’t Yemen, and the UAE isn’t Saudi Arabia. The British generally strike me as more globally aware (look no further than what’s ‘news’ on the BBC vs. CNN). Perhaps, it’s a function of the Commonwealth and/or other vestiges of their colonial past. On the other hand, their blasé attitude (I’m, of course, generalizing here) about the cultural norms in these more liberal Gulf states has left me unimpressed. We’ve also noticed they’re as prone to whining about differences and expecting things to be like they are ‘at home’ as Americans (which is ironic, since RCI is predominately a North American cruise line). In general, while we love visiting Britain (especially London), I prefer being ashore with the Arabs on this trip. Needless to say, we won’t be sailing on P&O anytime soon.

But, I digress…

When we first started contemplating this travel project there were countries we assumed we’d ‘never’ visit, including whole regions that we presumed that we’d skip (the Middle East, along with other parts of central Asia and most of Africa, featured prominently). With more and wider travel experiences, we’ve learned to—as the cliché goes—‘never say never’ again. Iran, Somalia, North Korea? Certainly not now, but why not some day? One needn’t look further than Russia, countries in Eastern Europe, or Oman as places that wouldn’t have been practical (for real or imagined reasons) within our lifetime, which we’ve already visited.

Yet, going into this trip, our expectations were modest. It seemed like such a foreign destination. It reminded me our first visit behind the former “Iron Curtain” to Prague. Growing up at the end of the Cold War, I sort of half expected the Czech Republic to be in shades of gray, colorless like concrete. Of course, Prague is charming and beautiful (as well as rendered in vibrant hues).

Now that we’re here, Libby and I find the UAE and Oman one of the more comfortable places to travel. We’re not rule-breakers or hard-partiers. We feel utterly safe and welcomed. While our politics lean to the left, we’re basically conservative people in our lifestyle: a traditional, married couple. Nobody will confuse us with cast members of Jersey Shore. We try to demonstrate respect and goodwill, and we’ve had it returned to us ten-fold.

All in all, it’s one of the most enlightening trips we’ve ever taken…

Clearly, this handful of days won’t make us experts about this region. If anything, I’m more aware now of what I still don’t know. But, I suspect that knowing the magnitude of my ignorance is a step in the right direction.

We drove from Mutrah to the newer areas of Muscat where we visited the Grand Mosque, a gift from Sultan Qaboos to his people to mark the 30th anniversary of his reign. While the exterior is imposing yet restrained; the interior (especially the men’s prayer room) was richly appointed without tripping into the realm of ostentatious. Speaking aesthetically, I find mosques generally—this one in particular—to be some of the most visually pleasing houses of worship that I’ve visited, as their design and decoration tend to be cleaner and less overworked (as in more akin the sensibility of Arts and Crafts or Shaker style furniture). Yesterday, Yusef joked that he didn’t like to prayer at the Grand Mosque because its beauty was too distracting. I can understand why.

Grand Mosque

Grand Mosque, Men's Prayer Room

Next, we returned to the Mutrah Souq. Having scouted it out the day prior, we made a few purchases including a really attractive embroidered top for Libby (which she wore to dinner tonight) and a two-piece outfit for Emerson in purple and gold. We then moved on to Old Muscat (the historical city center) and visited the Bayt Al-Zubair—a small but enjoyable museum—with exhibits focused primarily on Omani heritage. We concluded our exploration of Old Muscat with a visit to the Sultan’s Palace.

Sultan's Palace, Muscat, Oman

Back aboard the ship, we went to dinner as Chops Grille this evening. It was excellent, markedly better than our visit aboard Navigator back in November. Particular stand-outs included the shrimp and crab cake, the cheese and onion soup, and the red velvet cake. I had a glass (and than another—2-for-1 special with my Platinum C&A coupon) of New Zealand “Meritage” (I’ll have to note the name when we return on Saturday night). After dinner, we put in an appearance at the Crown & Anchor event (and had yet more free drinks) and then moved on to tonight’s headliner show (“The East Coast Boys” – a Frankie Valie and the Four Seasons tribute show). The show was remarkably good. Indeed, both Libby and I thought that “Frankie” was West End or Broadway worthy. Yes. Really, that good! Of course, my opinion—from a guy who claps along like Steve Martin in the Jerk—isn’t really worth much (as Libby happily reminds me), but Libby does know what she’s talking about(as she also happily reminds me).

Tonight’s the ships 70’s party in the centrum. So, needless to say, our cabin is rocking!

Tomorrow is our one and only day at sea. But, we’ll actually be spending the morning anchored off the coast of Fujairah before heading on to Abu Dhabi. Why? Brilliance is getting her annual bottom cleaning, which makes sense since the distances between ports here isn’t great. So, instead of coasting along slowly, we’ll sail quickly, stop, and then sail quickly again.

One final housekeeping item: I mentioned that we’d requested a table for two in the MDR, but we didn’t get it upon sailing. The next day we did get notification that we’d been moved to our own table. For us, this was a bit too little too late, as we’d made other plans around formal nights (which we avoid like the plague on cruises from anywhere but Florida), specialty dining (which we always enjoy), and dining out in our overnight ports (a rare treat on any cruise). However, I’ll give RCI bonus points for coming though in the end. Well done.

Our new friend, Yusef...

I suspect that based upon his dress you may make certain assumptions about him. He’s Omani, speaks fluent Arabic, and practices Islam as his religion. However, there are many things you might not guess. Yusef is also very fluent in English. He’s a martial artist (4th degree black belt) and owns his own karate school / gym here. He’s also a UFC fighter (he’ll be in Las Vegas later this year). In addition, he likes American sports cars, all sorts of music (country-western, especially), and cowboy movies/shows. Oh, and he used to be a barista at Starbucks too. We exchanged e-mail addresses… he has a hotmail account.

How’d I meet him? He was on our afternoon dhow cruise (and drove our groups shuttle bus, actually… he does it for extra money and because he likes to drive). He started up a conversation with me. We must have chatted for an hour or more, coming notes about our similarities and differences. Yusef is a super nice guy; an ‘exquisite’ (one of his favorite English words) example of the friendliness and hospitality of Omani people. I actually hope we do keep in touch. One of my doctoral students lives in the UAE; so, why not have a friend in Oman too?

As for the country and city, Oman and Muscat are quite picturesque. The city (really cities) hugs the coastline, as it’s jammed between the sea and the mountains. Today, we primarily explored the Mutrah neighborhood with its delightful corniche and warren-like souq filled with all manner of goods. In the late afternoon, we went on the twilight dhow cruise, which gave us an excellent overview of the city and coast from the sea set against an attractive sunset. Here are a few photos…

Mutrah Corniche

Libby aboard the dhow...

It’s now getting late, and I’m getting tired. Will speak more of Muscat tomorrow…

What a great day! This is why we travel…

Today’s box score: +1 country (Oman)