[Oman] Abandoned old villages

Each year, we are trying to take a trip to discover new landscapes and peoples, new stories and cultures, new scents and flavours. The destination depends largely on the budget, then cravings of the moment ! In 2018, we had gone to Central America, Costa Rica, to refuel nature. This year, we chose Oman, the easternmost country on the Arabian Peninsula, as much for Middle Eastern culture as its glowing deserts and arid mountains.

We don't think we can make #8217 exhibitions as usual, but eventually we found the Omanis so tolerant that we didn't feel constrained. We only made sure we never offended them. : we didn'#8217 make any public flashing. Level of dress, I #8217 wanted to remain as respectful as possible of their manners. I'#8217 opted for T-shirts, mid-length trousers or skirts throughout the stay. However, many tourists have asked far fewer questions than I have and have visited in shorts, miniskirt or tank top without any problem. It #8217 is one of the safest countries in the world, #8217 insecurity is totally non-existent. To give you an idea : leave his car windows wide open and leave for a long time (seen in Muscat, The capital) or leave his cell phone loaded unattended in a museum (seen in Nizwa, second largest city in the country) #8217 will cause no consequences : nor theft, nor degradation.

After almost 9 hours of flying (2h to Francfurt, then 7am to Muscat) and #8217 having risen at 4:50 a.m. the day before, I #8217 like to tell you that I'm not very fresh at the #8217 arrival ! However, two things change me immediately. First : there is no toilet paper #8217 in the toilet, there's the shower. To tell the truth you, I walked around with handkerchiefs throughout the stay and I didn't #8217 use the shower once after my man tested and #8217 told me that the jet was super powerful and the #8217 cold water ! Second : the streets are #8217 remarkable cleanliness and the roads are immaculate, Wide, new and all lit with streetlights even in the middle of nowhere. On the video, the traces on my pubis are those left by the leggings, it's right at the exit of the plane and we couldn't take a shower and change.

We started the journey through the mountains, which peak at more than 3 000 metres of altitude #8217. These are the Hajar Mountains. The morning, it's cool, 13 degrees. Late morning, it's in the 24th and by mid-afternoon, we're going back to 13 degrees, then it goes down to 3/4 degrees at night. The climate is quite special and the little wool is really not a luxury. At the end of the day, we even pull out the down jacket !

Being in jeans and big walking buckets, I more easily showed off my breasts than my kitty. We have punctuated our mountain days with a few shows as we hike in the mountains themselves or in the ancient villages. If you find out about the country, you'll read that the villages are abandoned. It's not true. People live there and we met all smiles and not hesitating to greet us or start the conversation. We were very vigilant during the exhibitions for the shot.

Before we understand that the villages that are supposedly abandoned are in fact occupied, I started to browse everywhere with an adventurer's soul full of curiosity. Only, I was soon limited in our explorations because I quickly found myself in front of private properties. It has also been discovered that people put fresh water, cardamom coffee and dates available to visiting visitors. We didn't take advantage of it, but we found it very hospitable and generous.

By snooping, MrSirban and I have found an abandoned house in rags where some traces of a past life remain : a forgotten wooden cradle, a bucket, pan lids… There is always something touching about imagining the story of a past life. I had this same emotion when we saw in Namibia rock paintings of Bushmen dating back to prehistory. I'm a little sensitive heart what do you want, Human touches me and see nothing naughty… Although ! Men also touch me but in a very different way !

Villages are neglected due to lack of amenities. There is no running water, irrigation system is ancestral (them aflajs) and goes back more than four thousand years. Everything is done on foot and hello hiking. She is not restful and asks to crapahuter. The crops are terraced and there are no roads. It's on the mountainside, hard to access, but people continue to live there and grow fodder for goats, especially, from what we explained an Omanis with whom we chatted.

Just before you go, The Wyylde sent us Hervé the Chicken with whom we had delirious during 24 hours this summer in Cap d'Agde (read the article). We made him take a little photo outing so he too could admire the landscape ! After a good hike that took us several hours, we got back to the hotel well tired and a little bent.

I hope you enjoyed this first trip to the land of Happy Arabia. MrSirban and I found the beautiful places with a real “mountain air” but quasi-Mediterranean landscapes. Unfortunately, it's also winter in Oman and we couldn't see the rose gardens spreading as far as the eye can see on the hillsides. They are visible in April. However, we've discovered that wherever we go, three odours clearly dominate : incense, near homes and shops ; flowers just about everywhere ; the biquette, when there have been some in the area you can feel it, they leave a powerful wake behind them, and sometimes it smells like the biquette even if none has gone through it… like in hotels, for example ! What's next : Rock in the casbah !

All our articles on our trip to Happy Arabia by clicking below