Of Goats, Souqs, Shoes & Silver

Maude: Simone, they've gone into the mosque and left their shoes outside. They're not like our shoes. They're all the same. How will they find their own shoes?

Buggered if I know, but since we seem to be in a place where behaviours, clothes and customs are still - authentically rather than touristically - the same as they were some decades or hundreds of years ago, one assumes they have found a solution.

The pavements are filling up around us. The mosque is now full, so every street around it is now paved with men, on prayer mats big, small and toddler-sized to fit the male. Line after line after line of them.

At least these won't have problem finding their shoes. These are neatly to one side as row after row of men line up, bend down and begin to pray.

Prayer calls are different here in Nizwa, Oman. Moaning. As if in pain.

And the men are in the Omani kimah looking neat, elegant and totally gorgeous: old, young, and tiny.

Maude: Arab men are so beautiful!

No Maude darling, that would be Omani men. But, yes, they so are.

Little boys in Omani dress and kimah (caps). Gorgeous and elegant at any age.

Already the day has been overwhelming. We'd got up early that morning in order to see the famed pre-Ramadan goat market, in which goats are bought and sold in order to fatten them up for the sacrifice required in Eid Al Adha (the second holiday 35? 40? days after the end of Ramadan).

If that's sounding familiar, your biblical knowledge is obviously better than mine.

Wikipedia: Eid al-Adha (Arabic: عيد الأضحى‎ ‘Īdu l-’Aḍḥā) "Festival of Sacrifice" ... is a religious festival celebrated by Muslims (including the Druze) worldwide to commemorate the willingness of Ibrahim to sacrifice his son Ismael as an act of obedience to God. However, God provided a ram in place once Ibrahim demonstrated his willingness to follow God's commands.

Lucky Ibrahim. Good on god!

Not so good for the goats however, as hundreds of Omanis, townspeople and bedouin - authentic rather than touristic - gather to buy and sell the animals.

Maude: Look at that beautiful man! Look at that beautiful goat!

Cows as well as rams and goats are ready for the slaughter.

Maude: Simone, isn't it amazing? That man has been to Sydney three times and is into shooting like John!

[Chill people. We're talking clay pidgeons here.]

Camels from Salalah wait patiently while goats are flogged off. Their turn will come.

When it's all over. Goats, camels and Omanis go home. One little kitchen-ware stall remains unattended.

And get this: Even the young bedouin women (authentic not tourist versions) are wearing buttoola - masks that cover the face - over their abayat and shayla.

And get this: The abayat and shayla of this women are RED!!!

Ok. I'm calm.

Although it was pretty hard not to get excited in this extraordinary landscape.

The day before we went to Bahla 40km past Nizwa where there is a pres-Islamic fort and walls.

Twelve kilometres of walls in fact.

Into which 36 villages are set.

Brand new houses. 1000+ year old mud-brick walls. The contrast is mind-bloggling.

Bahla Fort: UNESCO heritage listed, restoration has begun.

The temptation to 'just drive down here a little bit' is overwhelming and I am overwhelmed.

Egged on by Maude who is a brilliant person to travel with. Excited by each small new sight and experience.

And she's calm!

Maude (calmly): Just reverse your way an inch. There's a ditch this side.

Maude (calmly): Oh. They've put a telegraph pole in the middle of the street. No. It's ok. You've got 3 inches this side.

So I manage to navigate my way through - my police & car karma apparently left behind me in Qatar, Yeehah! - directed by a series of Omanis bewildered that I happen to be driving past their mosque, house, garage, telephone pole...







And so back to Muscat where I go ballistic buying beautiful silver jewellery. And yes, I know the Nizwa Silver Souq is supposed to be better, but the place is too extraordinary to spend time shopping - unless you happen to be in the market for a goat...

Sun setting over Muscat Harbour. The bad news is that a resort will be built where the Incense Burner (tower-like thing) now stands. The good news? My mate Carolyn is the architect, so at least it won't end up looking like Dubai.

Maude, the Queen of the [17th Century Jebrin] Castle

Simone, the King [or Joker?] of the... Fort

Go see Oman. Like me, you can choose not to work there.

Simone the Silver Bedecked.