MUSCAT, OMAN.

Next stop, MUSCAT.

One of the oldest cities in the Middle East and capital city of  Oman.

And only recently opened for tourism.

 Husb, Pingu and I  were up early and ready for the other HopOnHopOff type bus, the BIGBUS. 

It soon became apparent that no one was in fact getting off. They were on for the 2 hour tour. If you didn't like your seat  well tough because no one was moving. With this in mind (like, if we DID get off would we actually be able to get back on again?) we stayed on for an hour.

I enjoyed it, but Husb was right, the bus was too full, the people were too big (!) there were too many cars, which meant too much waiting at junctions, which meant too many diesel fumes and too much diesel smell, which meant we were all too hot... but I enjoyed it.

We passed the souk.

We went down a road full of car showrooms where  all the shiny new cars were sat in front of a backdrop of mountains... 

the local football ground...

and the Sultan's personal helipad,

and the Muscat Opera House.

It was so different to Dubai. Look how low the buildings are. No high rise buildings are allowed, the maximum is 8 stories and all buildings must be white or beige brick. 

It definitely felt like Real Arabia. 

Look-there's me upstairs on the bus :) haha

This was the new road up to the Hotel where some of our cruise passengers were going in order to strip off and loll all day on its private beach...It was a hefty price....just to sunbathe.

This was where WE got off...at the beautiful Sultan's Palace, Al Alam.

The palace was built over the site of the former British embassy where there used to be the stump of a flagpole in the grounds: the story goes that any slave (Oman was infamous for its slave trade from East Africa) who touched the flagpole was granted freedom. The palace today is largely used for ceremonial purposes as Sultan Qaboos favours a quieter, seaside residence near Seeb.

The gardens were colourful.

We were staying in port overnight which meant we could nip back for a cuppa and an hour on deck 

(my Annie moment-cossie and notebook)

before an evening stroll walking along the corniche

and around the souq

before returning to the ship for dinner and the Arabian Nights shindig.