Since the holidays were just a tad bit busy for us with all of our company, I did poorly with blogging about what we were up to. I did have some free time but usually that was after a busy day and I had chores to do or just wanted to veg with a show on the computer. Writing and focusing my brain wasn't number uno in my book.
So, here are a few recaps of our adventures.
1. The Grand Mosque- The Grand Mosque in Muscat is well, just that. GRAND. It is a sight to behold and place to-see if you ever are in Oman. And if you can visit any type of large Mosque in a Muslim country in your lifetime, I encourage you to do so, no matter your religion (P.S. Did you know that Muslims and Christians worship the same God of the Bible?). The mosques truly are beautiful, even the small ones can be. The design and architecture are phenomenal. The marble and wood work was amazing as well We explored the mosque with my family and Colin and Skip went again later. We regret not taking Nancy there when she visited and will make sure that is on the top of the list for when she visits here again. Visitors must wear appropriate clothing. Men in long pants and long sleeves and women the same, along with a head scarf. Aberly was allowed anywhere on the grounds except for the prayer rooms (no children under 10). Not that it was a big deal. The grandeur of the main prayer room would've been lost on her. It is breath taking. Not to mention the 2nd largest chandelier in the world hangs from the ornate ceiling dome in that room. Search images for Grand Mosque Oman in Google and you'll get to see way more of its beauty than I can post here.
2. Dubai- My brother Andrew was headed to Dubai after visiting us to see a friend from college. He initially thought about taking a plane right there, but desiring a view of the counties face-to-face, he asked us if we would drive him there. It's about 5 hours total, so we thought, hey, why not? Colin had yet to go and we figured it would be worth getting a hotel overnight for a mini-family getaway. We found a great deal on a apartment hotel nearby Andrew's friend's home and got things lined up. After a long trip with lots of potty stops (Aberly doesn't like going in her diaper anymore) and 5 border check points (you cross the border twice due to major curve in the country lines, we made it. Well, we almost made it. I didn't take the greatest notes on our route in Dubai to get to the hotel and after one early turn, we realized we were off course and being off course in Dubai is being like off course in a city like Eugene times 10, so we found a parking spot at a hotel on the Palm Jumeria and waited for Andrew's buddy to come get us. We spent the evening at a beach strip in the New Dubai area. It's pretty much a place where tourists and locals come to hang out and show off. Money and wealth and appearance run this country, sadly. It's not a place Colin nor I would ever want to live. The next day, we spent our time at the Dubai Mall next to the Burg (the tallest building in the world) and did some shopping at a few stores before making the long trek home with a lot more potty stops.
So, here are a few recaps of our adventures.
1. The Grand Mosque- The Grand Mosque in Muscat is well, just that. GRAND. It is a sight to behold and place to-see if you ever are in Oman. And if you can visit any type of large Mosque in a Muslim country in your lifetime, I encourage you to do so, no matter your religion (P.S. Did you know that Muslims and Christians worship the same God of the Bible?). The mosques truly are beautiful, even the small ones can be. The design and architecture are phenomenal. The marble and wood work was amazing as well We explored the mosque with my family and Colin and Skip went again later. We regret not taking Nancy there when she visited and will make sure that is on the top of the list for when she visits here again. Visitors must wear appropriate clothing. Men in long pants and long sleeves and women the same, along with a head scarf. Aberly was allowed anywhere on the grounds except for the prayer rooms (no children under 10). Not that it was a big deal. The grandeur of the main prayer room would've been lost on her. It is breath taking. Not to mention the 2nd largest chandelier in the world hangs from the ornate ceiling dome in that room. Search images for Grand Mosque Oman in Google and you'll get to see way more of its beauty than I can post here.
Example of wood working. Many of these doors are throughout the mosque grounds.
The chandelier
Wall engravings.
2. Dubai- My brother Andrew was headed to Dubai after visiting us to see a friend from college. He initially thought about taking a plane right there, but desiring a view of the counties face-to-face, he asked us if we would drive him there. It's about 5 hours total, so we thought, hey, why not? Colin had yet to go and we figured it would be worth getting a hotel overnight for a mini-family getaway. We found a great deal on a apartment hotel nearby Andrew's friend's home and got things lined up. After a long trip with lots of potty stops (Aberly doesn't like going in her diaper anymore) and 5 border check points (you cross the border twice due to major curve in the country lines, we made it. Well, we almost made it. I didn't take the greatest notes on our route in Dubai to get to the hotel and after one early turn, we realized we were off course and being off course in Dubai is being like off course in a city like Eugene times 10, so we found a parking spot at a hotel on the Palm Jumeria and waited for Andrew's buddy to come get us. We spent the evening at a beach strip in the New Dubai area. It's pretty much a place where tourists and locals come to hang out and show off. Money and wealth and appearance run this country, sadly. It's not a place Colin nor I would ever want to live. The next day, we spent our time at the Dubai Mall next to the Burg (the tallest building in the world) and did some shopping at a few stores before making the long trek home with a lot more potty stops.
Waiting for Kaled to arrive.
The beach by "The Walk" where we hung out and had dinner.
Family sunset shot
Aberly by the Burj. No way that thing was going to git into my lens view that close up!
Lunch at PF Chang's. So nice to have good Chinese! It's hard to get in Oman.
3. Nizwa- Nizwa is a couple hours towards the interior of the country and is one of the oldest cities in Oman. A refurbished large fort is there for tourists and locals to see and experience. It's really cool because you can pretty much go anywhere in the fort, except for a few rooms that are blocked off. Unlike American museums and historic sites, there are no ropes or barriers keeping you from going up staircases to a roof, or keeping you from touching decor in the rooms. They are trusting there. There is one section of the fort that is a mini museum and much of those displays are in glass as they are old and fragile. Within the museum, there is a large wall with a long timeline, comparing what was going on the middle east and Oman with the other developing countries in the world. There is also a traditional souk to explore that is no-pressure and much more enjoyable than the Muscat souk. The drive out to Nizwa is amazing too. The geology here is unbelievable.
Taking a break outside the souk.
Old ruins of nearby buildings.
Andrew hanging out in the shade on the coffee shop sitting area.
Roof top view of part of the fort.
The primary watchtower is behind us in this picture.
Aberly loved all the little windows inside the fort.
At the very top of the fort watchtower. Aberly wasn't so keen on the photo op.
Skip at the top of the watchtower on a separate trip during his visit.
Finally, since my photo uploader is working, here are the pictures from Nancy's and my parent's visit that I didn't get to show in the last posts.
Aberly is all smiles at her GeeGee!
Enjoying Aberly's 2nd birthday party!
Colin and Nancy at a park near the large frankincense burner in Old Muscat.
First morning with Nana and Papa who brought Aberly two new friends!
Playing the sand with Papa.
My parents in front of the palace.
Me and mom in our headscarves inside the Grand Mosque.
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