Day 7 - Oman, Land of the Frankincense

Today we arrived in Salalah to a hazy, sandy landscape. There's a huge sand storm affecting most of the region and, contrary to the usual clear and sunny days, we're having a hard time seeing the mountains surrounding the city and beyond which there is only the emptiness of the desert.

Salalah is not what we expected (although I don't know exactly what we expected); While the capital of Oman is Muscat, Salalah is the birth city of the current king who decided to spend a few bucks in his home town and so has built a few palaces which provide employment to many as well as some respite from the architectural blandness. There are five five-star hotels along the coastline and a sixth one in construction but this is no indication of a vibrant resort community, more of the thriving -but modest- oil industry. More importantly, the king has built the infrastructure needed for a prosperous future; schools (there were three when he assumed power and now there are over 1,000 in the country); hospitals, desalination plants which have now replaced well water for the drinking water needs of the country. Tourism in Oman is but a cautious, budding industry and large camel herds can still be seen during a drive along the coast (along with some camel meat vendors).

During the summer months the monsoons secure a riot of new growth and the hillsides and fields are carpeted in lush greenery, in sharp contrast with the dry sandy desert most visitors expect. The region is very fertile and the cultivated fields of coconut, papaya, bananas and other fruits seem to go on forever with roadside fruit stands along the way.

Oman has a rich historical past dating back to the 3rd millenium BC. The Omanis were sailors and traders and the area produces some of the best quality frankincense, a substance much in demand throughout the entire middle east fueled by religious and medicinal uses among others. There are historical ruins of forts and other early trading posts, and then there seems to be a void of architectural expression until oil is found in the 20th century which brings about the development of the modern Salalah; from millenium old ruins to new palaces and factories of various kinds. We visited the ruins of the ancient trading port of Sumhuram (where the precious frankincense was loaded on ships for export to the east and to Yemen, Damascus, Egypt and Jerusalem. We also visited the fortified house of the Wali (local chief) in Taqa.

Frankincense is harvested as chewy sap from the frankincense tree. It is dried for a few days during which it crystalizes. The crystals are burned as incense. It can also be distilled into oil, which is used in many applications, including perfumes and as medicine for ailments varying from relief from osteoarthritis to prevention of various cancers. It smells nice and it is said to be very conducive to achieving high states of meditation.

We visited the souk where we bought some frankincense (this is a small market area comprised mainly of stores selling frankincense, textiles and some souvenirs, not the Grand Bazaar as I had somehow pictured it would be). A lot of demolition work is taking place in area near the beach, where old houses are being torn down (prior relocation and compensation of the inhabitants), to make way for a new seaside promenade and park; again, tourism is a new industry in Oman and this is just an example of the efforts being made to build it up.

Finally, we went to the museum inside which no photography whatsoever is allowed. The reason for the prohibition escapes me as there is nothing inside that could suffer from flash lights. Anyhow, it is divided into two sections: the maritime museum exhibiting a large collection of models depicting the varied types of ships used throughout its long and succesful seafairing history; and the history section where one can see small artifacts and reproductions of the country's past and into the present.

Oman is a peaceful country of 3 million people who has sat on the sidelines of regional conflict and continues to do so in the current attack on Yemen being carried out by a syndicate of nations. As our guide put it, Oman limits its involvement to providing medical aid to wounded Yemenis (the border with Yemen is a mere 200 ks from Salalah).

A few more days at sea and then Jordan.

 

 

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