Well, I am finally here. After procrastinating over when to come and what to bring I am here..and yes I packed nothing of use.
Oman Air....my flight from London to Muscat proved the most uncomfortable of my life. An experience I will not repeat (long haul). After being pushed, nudged and perhaps prodded (it may just have been his briefcase), then given the 'Jain' meal I ordered (which I hadn't...I am a carnivore) and finally being served a part frozen, part soggy cheese salad roll I was about fit to scream. However, by comparison the flight from Muscat to Salalah was a breeze.
Anyhow, I am here and wow..what a beautiful place. The climate is perfect, the tree lined boulevards a nice surprise and the call to prayer soothing. Since arriving, Mr LondonCallingSalalah (to be known henceforth as Mr LCS) has shown me the Sultan's Palace, Mughsayl Beach, Camels, The Crowne Plaza and The Hilton along with the rudimentary trips to Lulu's. I am still a little nervous of his driving here but I guess back-seat driving is my speciality.
Now, I am a London girl and am familiar with fly-tipping and people throwing gum on the pavements but I have been disturbed to see many a local proudly throw their rubbish out of a moving car...Mr LCS assures me that this is a common occurrence. Are there no fines in place here? Where are all the dustbins (garbage)? I feel like saying loudly 'Your country is beautiful! Look after it!!'. What about re-cycling? What does one do?
I am uncomfortable with the number of plastic bags I am given at Lulu's...is it O.K to take my own every time I shop there?
Someone tell me.....where should we visit and what is a good way to spend the weekend? Oh.....and where does a girl go to get her hair done? ;)
Oman Air....my flight from London to Muscat proved the most uncomfortable of my life. An experience I will not repeat (long haul). After being pushed, nudged and perhaps prodded (it may just have been his briefcase), then given the 'Jain' meal I ordered (which I hadn't...I am a carnivore) and finally being served a part frozen, part soggy cheese salad roll I was about fit to scream. However, by comparison the flight from Muscat to Salalah was a breeze.
Anyhow, I am here and wow..what a beautiful place. The climate is perfect, the tree lined boulevards a nice surprise and the call to prayer soothing. Since arriving, Mr LondonCallingSalalah (to be known henceforth as Mr LCS) has shown me the Sultan's Palace, Mughsayl Beach, Camels, The Crowne Plaza and The Hilton along with the rudimentary trips to Lulu's. I am still a little nervous of his driving here but I guess back-seat driving is my speciality.
Now, I am a London girl and am familiar with fly-tipping and people throwing gum on the pavements but I have been disturbed to see many a local proudly throw their rubbish out of a moving car...Mr LCS assures me that this is a common occurrence. Are there no fines in place here? Where are all the dustbins (garbage)? I feel like saying loudly 'Your country is beautiful! Look after it!!'. What about re-cycling? What does one do?
I am uncomfortable with the number of plastic bags I am given at Lulu's...is it O.K to take my own every time I shop there?
Someone tell me.....where should we visit and what is a good way to spend the weekend? Oh.....and where does a girl go to get her hair done? ;)
Wow - you're here! Welcome! Yes, the littering, lack of recycling and problems with plastic are what inspired my blog!! Please do take your own bags to Lulu. I do! They don't really get it and treat me like a crazy fool, but the more people do it the more it will become accepted and perhaps one day encouraged!
ReplyDeleteP.S. A girl leaves Salalah to get her hair done!! ;-)
Dhofar Eco Bug ...'I pity the fool' usually, however I am willing to live life on the edge and take my own bags to Lulu tomorrow ;)
ReplyDeleteI am already used to the staring from alot of the staff there anyway...but that's a whole other story. Guess inter-racial marriages are not that common here. I like the stares, it means I am alive!
Re. the hair debacle..should I trust the lady at the Crowne Plaza or shouldn't I? Hmmmm ...
I think a trip to the bright lights of Muscat are calling..either that or it's hat-time. NOT a good look on me.
There's a hairdresser at the Crowne Plaza?! That's news to me! Maybe they've brought someone in for the tourist season. Do let us know how you get on if you go.
ReplyDeleteAlso, news has it that 2 professional hairdressers from the salon in the Intercontinental Hotel, Muscat are coming to Salalah for a few days this week. Call Gassan on 99346212 to make an appointment!
Hey. Yep, 'hairdresser' at the Crowne Plaza. The room she works from looks less than promising and the colour she appears to use is from boxes which I can buy from Lulu's and do myself ;) Just text Gassan. Hope they can fit me in!
ReplyDeleteHey - so how are you finding things... been a long time since you last blogged!
ReplyDeleteHey Sythe. I have been having so much fun here in Salalah that I have been neglecting many things including the blog!
DeleteSo what have I been up to?
Well, I have been here in Salalah for 5 months now and can say with my hand on my heart (or thereabouts) that I am well and truly here. In mind and body... sometimes the two together.
My husband arrived in October of 2011 and had rented us an apartment in the centre of Salalah. Beautiful building, fully functional bathrooms, modern kitchens.....and an atrium (not in our apartment).... So I spent a couple of months rocking back and forth in my un-rockable chair listening to the not so dulcet tones of the lesser spotted toddlers that frequented the common areas of the building. If I leant half my body over the balcony and strained my neck, I could see proof of life outside of the four walls. It was like living in a bad dream...a recurring bad dream.
After a little gentle persuasion (and a threat to remove any protruding body parts) my husband conceded and we left the modernities of the apartment and headed for the hills, where we found a ridiculously large villa with outdoor space. We now have 8 bedrooms, 1 kitchen and 6 malfunctioning bathrooms. We have camels and donkeys frequenting the area outside the villa and kindly making regular deposits. We have had a scorpion and a millipede visit albeit uninvited.....ahhhhhh how we miss the atrium and the gentle (o.k not gentle) hum of the traffic outside and the birdy numnum on the balcony of our old apartment.
That said, we have an amazing view of the hills and the sunrise. After a lifetime of living in London, the peace and quiet here is welcome.
Salalah is a complex place which evokes complex reactions and emotions. I had luckily done a fair bit of research before arriving here and so my eyes were wide open. I have long since stopped longing for things like non-slip hangers and effective plumbing. I have resigned myself to the fact that I will not be able to find everything I need when I need it and that if I want two of something, I will make do with just one... I have learnt that customer service is a rumour and that reliability is over-rated.
On the other hand, I have found that:
* The beaches are stunning (and only ever 10 minutes drive away)
* The current weather is delightful,
* You sometimes get an unwelcome grope when all you wanted was a pedicure
* the internet is my friend and that the Omani's are generally incredibly friendly and hospitable.
I have been to Muscat twice since arriving in Oman and I haveto say that apart from the bright lights, shops, restaurants and decent plumbing I have always been relieved to come back home...to Salalah ;)
I simply want to tell you that I am new to blogging and absolutely loved you're blog. Almost certainly I’m want to bookmark your blog. You surely come with exceptional articles. Thanks a lot for revealing your blog.
ReplyDeleteفيلا في تركياx