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  • Roland Routier

Renault Roaming

Italy -- Croatia - ?
All in my little Red Renault Trafic Read more
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    Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    Involuntary ending

    March 25, 2020 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    Now countries may reassess the value of expensively designed airports as nobody gets to see them.
    I think the staff at Abu Dhabi airport, (all imports,) became a little confused about their viruses as Corona can be bought in the sports cafe, but all racks and piles in the retail outlets are completely smothered in Sarin wrap before the shop is closed.
    A Boeing Dreamliner will carry me back to Brisbane in one 13 hour hop. Its about one passenger for 3 seats so we are all socially distanced and can curl up to sleep. We take off at 9 p.m. so soon ready to sleep. Should have tried to wake up for the last 5 or 6 hours to synchronize with Aussie time; but everyone was so comfortable they slept most of the journey.
    Had to fill out extra forms about where one would self-isolate, and signing for ones understanding of the quarantine terms. I had my temperature taken and that was about it.
    Thanks to N, a friend of hers lent me a Saab to drive down to surfers paradise where she had found me studio apartment to lock myself up in.
    Retrieving it from the airport car park set me back $57 which reminded me that I was back in Macquarie Bank land.
    Now I am ensconced in a Paradise Island Resort studio enjoying another treat organized by N: bottle of organic Nature's Harvest Shiraz.    Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    Mainly air plane

    March 23, 2020 in the United Arab Emirates ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    1 Airbus 320, 3 flight crew, 4 cabin staff and 6 passengers.

    I think Etihad got the ratios about right for my comfort. Pity it was only an hour flight.

    The staff all came from places like Lithuania and Romania Even the captain who was a 5 ft 6 lady with a large pony tail and attitude to match. Great people but worried as Abu Dhabi will close on Wednesday and they will not have a job and won't be able to travel back to their own country so have no idea what will happen. One attendant told me her "friend" was on the flight to Brisbane and nobody knew if the crew would be allowed to return through a closed airport.
    I suspect they will because nobody wants to stockpile empty aircraft.    Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    Land that time forgot

    March 23, 2020 in Oman ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    Ordered from my safe haven in the Omani desert by hysterical governments unprepared - again - for large scale virus attack (but we have airports full of mothballed military equipment in case of human attack) I have bought a ticket home via Abu Dhabi.
    At the airport, the palm trees are waving but nobody else is.
    Ever half hour a expressway plays: "We would like to remind you that snogging is allowed only in the designated areas. Taking things a bit too far I thought; but then realised that the Arabicc announcer had actually said 'smoking'.
    Some one forgot to tell the Bangladesh sweepers that washing virtually unused marble halls was not really required, so they constitute 90% of the airport movements. Most of them have family back home and are especially concerned about them as information from the sub-continent is scarce and unreliable.    Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler
    1

    Farm workers

    March 19, 2020 in Oman ⋅ ⛅ 30 °C

    Bernadette Bhacker stands proudly in front of the Bangladeshi workers.

    Redah Bhacker patrols his domain.

    The workaway stands inside his compost bin and beside the chicken swing he built. He is seen having a tet-a-tete with one of the newly arrived goats. ( I said it as pretty isolated up here.)Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    Reality check

    March 19, 2020 in Oman ⋅ ☁️ 31 °C

    Over 150 million years ago the "Tethys Ocean" covered a huge part of the planet. Over time, the Atlantic separated and grew, while Tethys shrank ultimately becoming the Persian Gulf. During the process the heavy, basalt sea floor collides with continents and forces up mountains and plateaus. Unusually, in Oman it was by obduction rater than subduction, meaning that the Omani lands were actually the sea floor and limestone islands at one time. This excites Australian geologists as this type of land formation is only found in these 2 countries.
    There is some evidence that Homo Erectus settled in the Al-Wustu and Dhofar regions a million years ago, and Homo Sapiens settlements can also be found going back only 100,00 years. People have therefore been witness to the gradual erosion of the higher land into the flat, pebbly desert on which this farm is to be found, near Lisq.
    Luckily, there is a large artesian basin underneath which allows irrigation of what passes for soil. Nevertheless, many types of plant are successfully grown without the aid of worms: date and coconut palms, citrus and even frankincense. They just tke several years to grow to maturity and what you can see is the fruit of 7 years labour.    Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    The Holiday Camp

    March 19, 2020 in Oman ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    A peaceful getaway for relaxation on a working farm in the Omani desert, 2 hours inland from Muscat, 4 comfortably appointed cabins await you. Each one is tastefully insulated with palm fronds and fully equipped with twin beds, bathroom and kitchenette. A large communal area is available for BBQs and outdoor cooking. All your needs are catered for from complementary yoga mats to boules.
    A cool infinity pool provides those refreshing dips welcomed after a hard day relaxing on the loungers.
    Fresh food from the gardens help make those delicious meals eaten al fresco or in private in your cabin.
    Really there is absolutely nothing to do here but relax.    Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    Courtyards

    March 17, 2020 in Oman ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Evading the temple guards who were shooing us out before midday prayers, I managed to find empty spaces to capture the courtyards surrounding the main halls.

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    Grand mosque

    March 17, 2020 in Oman ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    The women’s prayer room (musalla) is a 'small' hall which can hold 750 worshippers at a time. It is smaller because most women pray at home. The decor includes handcarved wooden doors and a wooden roof. The chandeliers are much simpler than those of the main prayer hall which accommodates 6500. All in all, by using the courtyards around the hall, 20,000 people can attend services.

    The mosque used to have the world’s largest carpet and chandelier, but Emiratis and Qataris came, measured the interior and made bigger versions in new mosques to steal the title.
    The Persian carpet in the main hall measures 70m by 60m, weighs 21 tons and was woven over 4 years by 600 Iranian women. They made it in 85 pieces which were knotted together in situ, a total of 1,700 million knots.
    Of course, visitors mainly come to see the German lights. The 2nd largest chandelier in the world hangs from the centre point:
    * 14m tall, 8m diameter
    * 8.5 tons
    * 1122 halogen bulbs
    * 600,000 glass beads (sorry, Swarovski "crystal')
    * gold plated metalwork
    The inside of the chandelier has complex electrical circuitry which requires access for maintenance purposes which is made possible by
    Staircases and platforms inside the middle of the chandelier allow access for maintenance of the 36, complex switching circuits.
    The chandelier is designed with a large central minaret and twenty four smaller minarets circled around it to produce its characteristic shape. There are thirty four other chandeliers of the same design but of smaller proportion hung at other locations within the mosque.

    The mosaic niche is called 'The Qiblah', referring to the direction that Muslims face when engaged in ritual prayer    Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    Not a Mosquito a mas grande.

    March 17, 2020 in Oman ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    After 30 years on the throne, Sultan Q presented this huge mosque to the people of Muscat.
    Nobody is so vulgar as to ask the price, but it was built over 6 years by important professional mosque builders from Iran.
    They turned out a grand building in a mix of Omani, Islamic and modern architecture.
    The square shape of the mosque surround the central dome which reaches the height of 50 meters. The 5 minarets define the limits of the site representing the 5 pillars of Islam. The main one is 91.5 meters tall and the other reaches 45 meters.    Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    Home again

    March 15, 2020 in Oman ⋅ ☁️ 26 °C

    The interior of an original Omani home has been preserved in a museum.
    I like the date press whose function had me a bit concerned at first.

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    ROHM ing around

    March 13, 2020 in Oman ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    The Royal Opera House was built in 2011 by the same chaps who built the mosque. Since I stopped here after visiting the mosque, I find it hard to get enthusiastic about a similar, well designed building. And there are no concerts at the moment.
    https://www.zigzagonearth.com/muscat-oman-royal…
    For interior shots.    Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    Sindbad

    March 12, 2020 in Oman ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    In the mid-8th C Abdullah bin Gasm sailed across to Guangzhou in China, without encountering any quarantine problems.
    In 1980 Tim Severin and an Omani crew relived the 6000 Nm / 8 month journey in this boat, the Sohar; named after the home port of another famous local navigator, Ahmed bin Majid.
    Sohar also claims Sindbad the Sailor so maybe Tim was just playing Douglas Fairbanks Jr role ,as a young, swashbuckling adventurer, more physical than intellectual.
    Arab ships—loosely referred to as dhows—were stitched: the planks of their narrow, long hulls woven together by a kind of coconut husk coir. Severin’s search for good coir rope eventually led him to the Lakshadweep islands, along the Indian Ocean route, advanced during the early centuries of Islam by Arab merchants. Ali Manikfan was given the responsibility of making the ancient Arab trading ship a reality. Ali Manikfan took this mission as a challenge and went to Oman to direct the team of carpenters. The replica was built over the course of a year in the dhow shipyards at Sur from the bark of over 75,000 palm trees and 4 tonnes of rope. No nails.
    Now the vessel sits a little forlornly on the roundabout in front of the Parliament buildings and the Ritz Carlton. There is almost no tourist information about it but I tracked it down!
    On the way down I caught a glimpse of the rear end of Parliament (could it have been a rump parliament?) viewed from a roadside cafe which was closed. Generous helpings in the coffee cups - perhaps that's why they went out of business.    Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    Muscat Metropolitan

    March 12, 2020 in Oman ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    Old Muscat was nicely protected and easy to walk about but a little too provincial for some, or maybe the lack of building space dictated the location for modern Muscat a few kilometres Westwards between Ruwi and the airport.

    Of course, this has made attack easy and the invasive species can be seen propogating themselves all along the coast: KFC, Burger King, Macdonalds, Starbucks, Pizza Hut and so on.

    I walked along Qurm beach which is supposed to be the in-place for ex-pat bathing, at least during the Summer, but was not particularly impressive. I've seen better even in Spain! A couple were watching their fully clothed girls splashing in the water.
    The pictures of the new town are taken across the one remaining natural mangrove park.    Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    Towering delights

    March 11, 2020 in Oman ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    The prophet Mohamed himself wrote a letter to the Omani people inviting them to follow Islam. They accepted, choosing to follow Abd Allah ibn Ibad; the Ibadi Muslim faith is one of the oldest, purest forms of Islam. About three-quarters of Omanis are Ibadi, though there are some Shia and Sunni Muslims, not counting those from Bangladesh and the sub-continent.
    Ibadism is an offshoot of the Kharijite movement that began after the death of the Prophet in 632 A.D., predating both the Sunni and Shia denominations. They believe that the Imam is the spiritual and political leader of the community and is elected by the community: therefore leadership of Islam should not be hereditary.
    Obviously one sees mosques at every turn and invariably they are elegant and minimalistic. One notable feature is the "call to prayer" which is very clean sounding: the loudspeakers are not over-driven for maximum volume as in many other countries    Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    Guns and Goats

    March 11, 2020 in Oman ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    The hound is actually decorating the butt of an old, Omani matchlock musket, (called Abufathila / Fatiyalah or "Father of the Match). The teeth are real: perhaps Master wanted Fido to hunt with him forever after he past away and certainly he forgot about recoil. In Islam males are not allowed to wear jewelry but are allowed weapons, which consequently have become "jewels". Perhaps that is one reason that the male version of the kohlpot, (used to blacken the eyes, is shaped like a gun cartridge.

    The incense burner and old wooden door need to explanation and won't get one: the funny goats in front of the dhow beside the art gallery also won't get one. I have no idea except to note that there were many goats scattered around, each one differently coloured and signed by a different person.    Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    Foot Pawn

    March 11, 2020 in Oman ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    Platform shoes never really went out of fashion did they. From the 13C to the 1970's people wobbled around avoiding the ordure swirling around beneath them. So these are Qrhaf or Qubqab, Japanese stile clogs made in Oman for going to the bathroom. Why a pawn I could not determine, though clearly supposed to fit between one's toes.

    The Bait Al Zubair Museum, (and guess what ... ... it was converted from a restored 1930's trad house,) in Old Muscat is a very fine one and full of stuff. It houses the largest, private collection of Omani artifacts in the country. Founded in 1914 as a private family residence by His Excellency Mohammad Al Zubair’s father, Sheikh Al Zubair bin Ali, Bait Al Zubair was turned into a museum in 1998.

    Two sections described how men and women tied and wore their garments, One room had models of the main forts in Oman and another the artisanal techniques used, (for example the Akhdar method of making Rose-water.)

    While the main building was pretty full of visitors, I discovered another building housing a mini-theatre / cinema that was completely empty of people. There were 4 levels of artworks on show, and I was impressed by the quality of the work by well known Omani painters. Why they languished in isolation I could not explain but took full advantage of the peace. I was surprised by the works only because I expected a gallery full of paint chucked on walls and other 'iconic' masterpieces with names like "oiled pigments gliding organically down weaved cotton" (cf Museum of Modern Art in Sydney and many other cities.) Instead I could appreciate good technique in various styles even if some of the artistic vision was beyond my myopic reach (even with my specs on).

    Omani music is big on rhythm, combining Arab beats with African. Owing to its location on the Arabian Peninsula, it has been influenced by Indian, Portuguese, Yemeni, Iranian and even Tanzanian traditions. There are more than 130 traditional forms from different local regions. One of the instruments used is the tambura, also called fann at-tanbura or nuban; a six-string device that looks like it should be played with the drum at the top. Drawing its influence from Africa, the strings called 'khiyut' are beaten with a horn.    Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    House by the Irrigation Ditch

    March 10, 2020 in Oman ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    40 years ago there was nothing here except the Bait al-Falaj fort, built by Sayyid Said bin Sultan in 1845 as a summer home and named for the pure waters of the falaj running nearby. (In English it translates as "House by the Irrigation Ditch" which somehow seems to lose a little of the magic.) Rough, tough and narrow roads lead from Old Muscat to the plateau, heading South and South-East. A passage West leads to the Al Battinah and Al Dakhiliah regions. Its strategic location soon drew the attention of the military and an airport- the first airport in Oman - was constructed in 1929 to serve as a civilian airport. It had a a dirt track landing strip and asphalt aircraft parking as well as a communication Centre, Customs Office and a maintenance shed. It seems to have been used principally by the Petroleum Development Oman Company, flying between Muscat and oil exploration fields in Fahud, Qarn Al Alam and other locations.
    In 1988 His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said, "reviver of the glories of Oman and the leader of its blessed renaissance", graciously inaugurated the Sultan's Armed Forces Museum in this fort. Only 15 mins walk from my hotel, I popped over for a squiz being assured that it was not all weaponry. And it wasn't, there was a well laid out series of rooms describing Oman's past and of course, the triumphant glories of the Omani Military.

    Nostalgia! Land Rovers, Saracens, Ferrets and assorted vehicles brought back my time in the TAVR at uni. They also had a power dhow for surreptitious patrols of the Persian Gulf.    Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    Not Ruwing the day

    March 10, 2020 in Oman ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    I found a cheap hotel-apartment on booking .com which was very good value. Large double bed, bathroom with a bath + hot running water, and a kitchenette. Enough to make me forget Africa.

    Another plus that I had not realised before: its in Ruwi, Ruwi is known as "Little India" and is the commercial and Mwasalat bus hub for Greater Muscat. The buses leave from here pretty regularly and one can get off at any of the bus stops. Getting back is a not so obvious though, as the drivers are hell bent on getting home and often do not stop where they should. Thanks to some Pakistani labourers who showed me the ropes, minibuses run the same route and can be hailed for the same price.

    The place is full of cheap Indian and Pakistani restaurants run by and for the impported labour force, which is 35% of the population. Most of the ones I have come across are from Bangladesh.    Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler
    1

    Quick draw - or not?

    March 9, 2020 in Oman ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    A prize for the first person who can figure out how to draw the knife from the J shaped sheath. Its worn stuffed down the front of the dishdash so I can imagine why the curve leads away from the vital parts but ...

    I found this ceremonial dagger - Khanjar - in Bait Fransa; another old refurbished traditional house, this time recording the exploits of the French in Oman. Mostly manuscripts and a few items of general interest.

    The old wedding chest served as a model for many found in the souq and the costumes are remarkably varied given that nowadays only black is to be seen.    Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    Souqued in

    March 8, 2020 in Oman ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Wanting a drink, I asked an old local fella where I could find a supermarket. He directed me thinking I had asked him where to find the "souq or market."

    Plonked down at the opposite end of the bay, blocking access to the tangle of historic Shiite residential houses in Al-Lawataya, this is themed shopping mainly for the cruise boat tourists who take a taxi the 1.5 km from their ship to an "original Arab souq" pleasantly updated with a timber roof and aircon.

    The shops sell perfume (the original Oud Spice if I am not mistaken,) and wooden Omani boxes, daggers and clothing, though I only saw Westerners in the shops. Indian spices and textiles, Iranian handicrafts, Egyptian plastic and Chinese toys can also be found in abundance though I saw none being sold. A large area is devoted to selling gold and golden artifacts of dubious quality: dubious because many Indians and Pakistani's like to invest in gold so they buy by weight; any excessive workmanship would be completely wasted.

    Fortunately, I am travelling light and have no space for trinkets. Otherwise I was quite taken by the camel with an illuminated hump. Some of the wooden artifacts, (like the recently fabricated antique "mandoos" or wedding chests from the Hajar mountains,) were quaint, or as an interior designer might say, eclectic; have to pass on them though as Australian customs won't let them into the country.    Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    The real port, I hear you muttrah.

    March 8, 2020 in Oman ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    This is the home port of the Royal Yacht, al Said or something like that, that came in to berth after I took this picture. But it was a bit disappointing, smaller than the yacht of the Dubai Sultan's sister it would have only grudgingly been admitted to Monaco.
    The fort was another Portuguese folly, built in 1580 and never used in anger. It provides a good vantage point to survey Muttrah and its harbour.
    Despite the elevated prices, I could not resist dining at one of the waterfront cafes when I saw Peanut Crusted Hamour Fish on their menu. "A chef special seafood dish freshly collected Hamour fillets baked to flaky perfection and coated with a delicious combination of citrus flavours, peanuts, parsley and garlic." Nothing flaky about it: it was delicious and the fish was fresh and not over-cooked. I copied this down as a reminder that life is not only beans / corn, beans / ugali and beans / rice every day, morning midday and evening.    Read more

  • Roland RoutierRenault RoamingTraveler

    Something corny?

    March 8, 2020 in Oman ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    From Muscat to Muttrah, where the Cruise Ships used to dock until Corona stopped being a beer, is a pleasant 3 km walk along the Corniche.
    Nothing is open but then, there is very little that attracts closer inspection other than mushroom-like Riyam Park Watchtower (inspired by an incense burner,) that looks like it ought to have a good view and a coffee.
    3 dolphins evaded the fish market shining white behind them but still were frozen - in a show of delight.    Read more

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