I have really enjoyed my time off from school because I have had the chance to experience the cultural side of Oman more and to travel around the country to see other parts of Oman rather than just staying in Muscat where I am living.
My classes ended last Wednesday and Eid officially started on Saturday. The timing of Eid is determined by the lunar calendar that Islam follows. Oman is a more traditional country and the crescent moon has to be sighted before Eid can start. Many countries started Eid on Friday, but because it was too cloudy to see the moon in Oman until Friday night, Eid started for Oman on Saturday. Because family is so important in Oman, Eid is a time for a lot of celebration within families.
On Saturday morning, Meredith and I got up to get ready for Eid and put on traditional Omani dresses. We then went over to the house of a family friend with a lot of our host father's family also. While we were there, the girls dressed up as "princesses" and giggled a lot as they told us that we were now "true Omanis". We also had iftar (the Arabic word for breakfast, however it is used during Ramadan as the meal when the sun goes down that literally breaks the fast) with them, which included a lot of meat, fruit, and other traditional Omani dishes. The group of people that we were with was really nice and asked us a lot about how we liked Oman and other general questions about America. Many people there were international and expatriates and did not speak Arabic so it was hard to practice our Arabic but many of them knew English so there was no communication barrier.
After a few hours at that house, we went back to my house to prepare for the host father's family to all come over. Meredith and I watched the meat and rice were prepared and then distributed as charity to neighbors. Goat is the most commonly consumed meat during Eid and so the dinner was rice and goat meat. All of my host father's family came to our house and it was a nice afternoon spent talking with family and observing what happens during Eid.
 |
| After the relatives dressed me up |
Another Eid tradition is the adults giving money to the young children. This is a lot like Christmas, but the gift is money. All the little kids got really excited to get their money just like how little kids get really excited before they open their Christmas presents.
The father's family left a little while after dinner because everyone was very tired after a long day of visiting. The rest of our host family went out during the evening but left us home to rest and have some peace and quiet.
The next day, our host family took us to Nizwa where they used to live. We stayed in a barrack at the place where our host father used to work and seeing more of their life in Nizwa was interesting. While we were in Nizwa on Sunday and Monday we went to the Jabreen Castle which was constructed during the late 17th century and has been preserved very well. I really enjoy seeing more of the history of Oman so going to old forts and castles is really interesting to me.
 |
| Jabreen Castle |
 |
| Jabreen Castle |
We came back to Muscat on Monday night. On Tuesday morning, the NSLI-Y girls left on a spontaneous road trip/expedition with our program directors. This road trip has been probably my favorite part of the trip so far.
On Tuesday morning, we went to Wadi Shab, which is an oasis area close to the Indian Ocean. There is a hike through the wadi to a cave. The hike involves a lot of time walking through palm groves and rocky areas and swimming/wading through the wadi. The hike, although hard and very very hot, was incredibly worth it. The peacefulness before the entrance to the cave was immensely enjoyable. The views were also gorgeous.
 |
| Inside Wadi Shab |
After the hike, we headed to a resort on the Indian Ocean. The resort had a beach area so we spent a lot of time swimming, playing in the sand, and enjoying the sun. I can now say that I have been in three of the four oceans!
 |
| Relaxing on the beach |
It is so nice to have the time to relax while we are here in Oman and have time to be with the whole group, because all too soon we are going to be split up.
That night, we went to the "turtle beach" in Oman. Photos are not allowed to be taken at night, so I don't have any pictures, but we got to see four Green Turtles, including one laying her eggs. All of us were excited to see the turtles, so that was a lot of fun!
The next morning (Wednesday), we got up and got on a traditional Omani wooden boat (a dhou) and spent a few hours boating around the Indian Ocean and we saw some sea turtles swimming around in the water. Being out on the water was so relaxing
 |
| Indian Ocean |
After the boat ride, we went back and played on the beach and swam again until lunch. We thought that we would be going home that night, but our wonderful program directors surprised us with an extension of the trip!
After lunch, we took a three hour drive down to the desert, which was magnificent and incredibly vast and endless. On our way, we stopped to take pictures of some camels, because they were the first camels that we had seen in the wild in Oman. Once we got to where we were staying, we went dune bashing. This would be something that I would never have tried on my own, but it turned out to be really fun and I'm glad that I did it.
 |
| Camels in the wild |
We spent the night talking, playing with the sand, and camping out under the stars. It's moments like these that are my favorite moments of the trip, the ones when the whole group is together and it's so peaceful and calm around us.
 |
| The desert is endless |
The next morning we got up early and went camel riding! Before I left the United States, I always told people that one of my main goals for the trip was to ride a camel and I'm super happy that I actually accomplished it. While it wasn't the most comfortable experience in the world, it was a lot of fun.
 |
| I rode a camel and fulfilled one of my Middle Eastern dreams |
After camel riding, we were invited to go to a Bedouin woman's house to have traditional coffee. It is experiences like this that truly show us the people and lifestyle in the Middle East. The woman was incredibly generous and even though she didn't speak any English we still had a good time and enjoyed the experience.
After that, we returned to Muscat and went back home. The road trip around Oman was a really good experience and I am really glad that I got to see more of the country and many different aspects of the natural beauty that is found in Oman.
I still have the rest of today and tomorrow off before I go back to school. I should probably start my final presentation and work on some studying because I only have a week left of classes. I am not ready to be facing my final days in Oman, but I know that I have grown a lot as a person during my time here and I am excited to see how these changes are reflected when I return back to the United States.
No comments:
Post a Comment