Day 97. Muscat, Oman.

Another gloriously hot day was to greet us at Oman’s capital city, Muscat. Stony rugged hills the like of which I have not seen before, made an impressive backdrop from QM2’s port side. As with most places I visited for the first time, I opted for the shore excursion which would show me as much as possible of the city in the limited time available. This was entitled “Impressions of Muscat”. I don’t know what the temperature was today, but it felt hotter than at any time on this voyage. Cunard had warned that the coaches may not be of the usual high standard, and had made similar warnings throughout our time in Asia. In fact, I found little wrong with any of the transport provided throughout the entire cruise. Occasionally, seats could be bunched up allowing not much leg room for tall people like me. And for a second time, I enjoyed the front seat. Our first visit was to the Grand Mosque, I understand to be the third largest. Construction started in 1995 and was completed six years later. The photographs below illustrate the scale and opulence of this phenomenal place of worship. No shorts were allowed and women had to be covered appropriately. Shoes had also to be removed; there were pigeon holes in which to store them. The Lady’s Prayer Hall 9 9 Grounds of the Grand Mosque Inside the Main Prayer Hall where the centre chandelier has a drop of 45 feet! We were escorted round by our local guide who was able to explain all that we were looking at. We continued to the souk, a huge and impressive market with a wonderful mysterious atmosphere and a hive of vibrant activity. I parted with much of very limited amount of currency during the small amount of time available. We continued to the museum for a guided tour, and finally to the Royal Palace for a brief photo stop. That brought this tour to a close, and we returned to the ship. Needless to say, I didn’t board immediately. Tomorrow, we dock in Dubai at midday. This should afford my first view of the former Cunard liner R.M.S. Queen Elizabeth 2. It came out of service almost 10 years ago, being acquired by interests in Dubai for re-use as a hotel. There were huge and ambitious plans, but the sudden global financial crisis of 2008 put paid temporarily to its regeneration. With seemingly little fanfare, QE2 does indeed open its doors to the public on 19th April. My table is booked for lunch in the Lido on April 19th; I last dined in there in 2008! When eventually we leave Dubai later that evening, there will be 6 consecutive sea days. It will be during this time I shall be reflecting on this incredible journey….I won’t be doing this all the time, but I hope to fill in some of the details and other items which I may have ommited since starting this blog on January 9th. Best wishes, David.