The souq was exactly as it is in the photo.
So on Monday I rang the British Council and an educational agent, and got appointments, and then did some more strolling about, having a mixed fruit cocktail of huge proportions at the self-promoting Fast Food Restaurant (maybe the food was fast but the service was leisurely in the extreme). The town is really a series of villages squeezed into the relatively flat bits of coast in between rocky little mountains, and a lengthy walk inland always ends in a backyard with a sheer rockface behind it. And there are forts on some of the rocky eminences too.
After a siesta I went to the walled city of Muscat itself, now just a forgotten corner, which had gates that were shut at night, until 1970. There is a nice, restful museum there called Bait al Zubair which is an ex-royal mansion, with pleasant exhibits of locally differing dress, jewellery etc and quite a few royal portraits. And there was an art gallery over the road where I bought some cheap prints. I preferred the house to the art collection, there was a lush inner courtyard with a fountain and greenery -a very beguiling style.
That was it. Another fish was on the menu, fresh tuna, delicious. Dining on one's own is easier in a small hotel, people chatted; a French-speaking Caribbean man from Germany (really) spoke to me for some time, but since the conversation le,was all about him, I left after three quarters of an hour, though he gave me his room number quite often in case I should feel lonely. Huh! Still he was 45 so in the nature of a toyboy, perhaps I should be flattered.
The next morning I went to the British Council in the attractively named suburb of Qurm. Isn't Terry Pratchett's discworld Arab nation called Quirm? He must have got it from there. I gave them brochures, they have a nice little library and a quiet space for study.
Then, because the other agent couldn't see me that day, I drove to Nizwa, said to be the second most interesting city. It was a long drive, and I wasn't terribly impressed. Fort, yes, but forts are all the same really. A modern souq done in the same style and very touristy. But a chance find of a VERY nice hotel, the Falaj Daris, called 3 star - it attracted me because it had a pool and I felt the need. Huge cool marble rooms, two nice pools, a very pretty outside restaurant area, and friendly staff. An indulgent afternoon. I just had hummous and Arabic bread for lunch, it is so delicious here, and for dinner a fish curry, very well cooked, tasty, and with that lightly spiced rice they have all over the place here. No dessert. Full enough!
And then I had to go all the way back to Qurm to meet the agent at 9 30 so left the hotel without breakfast at 6 30. She, the agent, is a feisty Irishwoman who's been married to an Omani for 20 years and has latterly built up a strong agency for universities and language schools in Britain. Although admitting to a 'prejudice against anything west of Bournemouth', she graciously agreed that our school looked very good and she would be happy to send us students. So I have earned my keep here!
To Sohar for the night, a good beachy place BUT with terrible hotels. Lunch in the Beach Club Hotel was not bad, but overpriced and the service was terrible. And then the place I stayed!! Rustom had booked it for me, knowing I like the bizarre, but this took bizarre biscuits! My SatNav tried its damnedest to get me there, but they were dualling the carriageway outside and every time I got onto a road that might go there, I was going the wrong way. Eventually I drove over some desert probably going up the down staircase or equivalent and found this cakelike monstrosity in the middle of nowhere.
http://www.geocities.com/soharhotel/english.html is its website but you don't want to believe all it says; it now costs 3 times that, and has hardly any of the facilities it boasts. My room overlooked a well designed pool that you couldn't get to because the paths weren't finished; a half built concrete building (?maybe going to be a restaurant) and flat scrubby desert. No liquor licence. No restaurant operating but room service, apparently. One languid Omani on the desk. A deathly hush. Did anyone ever come here, miles from the sea or from anything remotely interesting? Apparently they have deals with development companies whose expat workers need to be accommodated.
Amazing how riveting CNN can be when there is literally nothing of any interest anywhere else!
I left even earlier, as I had to get my hired car back to Dubai by 11 o'clock and the border would take some negotiating. On the way, dashing along at 130 kph, I let the car wander to the side a bit, not really having taken in that there is no hard shoulder on these roads. In fact there was a 6 inch drop from the carriageway onto stony desert, and my righthand wheel went over it, spinning the car round I overcompensated as one does and it spun round again - and I ended up 10 yards down into the scrub with a stalled car, moaning 'this can't be happening'. I'm not used to an automatic, and so when I turned the key and nothing happened, I assumed I was well and truly f***ed. I got out, and to my relief two cars pulled off the road, and a motorbike, and I was surrounded by charming friendly, helpful and English-speaking people, who took charge, made sure I was unhurt, told me not to panic, everything was fine, showed me that the car started again when in Park, and advised me to sit calmly for 10 minutes before driving off again. Kindly Omanis!
I drove more carefully after that, and reached the smart Emirates Towers hotel where I was returning the car on the stroke of 11. I was extremely thankful to be able to swap the car for a taxi. Driving here is just too alarming.
