Trip to India and Surrounding Areas - Two Days at Sea - April 13 and 14; Oman - April 15, 2017

Today I woke up at 5:30 a.m., but with the time change, it was really 4:00 a.m.  Stayed awake until 7:00 doing editing of my pics, then fell back asleep until about 8:30 a.m.  when we went up to breakfast.  I was finally not smelling the smell of the slums.  I was still thinking about all we had experienced in India yesterday.  I kept thinking, "How can this be helped?  What is the answer when 6 1/2 million people live in that slum alone?"  It really caused you to think how one person could make a difference--I decided that I could try harder to help those in need around me.  Service is definitely how we can give back for all the blessings we have received.


Today we listened to Ranger Bob talk about birds in the area and Mickey Live talk about Dubai.  After lunch, we played cards on Deck 5 again.  Bill and Janet came by and played with us for awhile.  Tonight was another formal night, so we got ready for that.  We had a wonderful lobster and Baked Alaska for dinner.  The headline show that night was a wonderful male singer who, also, impersonated other singers.  We loved him--especially when he sang George and my song, "Unchained Melody."

The next day was, also, a sea day.  Today, we took a tour of the galley.  

On our ship, the Constellation, there were 130 chefs who work 24/7 preparing the meals.  On an average day at sea, they prepare and serve over 13,000 dishes for the guests and crew.  

 That's a lot of meals and with so many different people with so many different tastes, it is amazing how they can please most everyone.  The food was exceptional, I felt!

 And everywhere we went in the galley, it was so precisely clean!  That means so much to all of us aboard!

After the galley tour, we played cards again today, and this time Pam joined us, and it was great fun!  Tonight the show was a Stevie Wonder impersonator who looked just like him and sounded just like him, too.

 

The next morning, we went up to the top deck to watch us pull into the harbor at Muscat, Oman.

 From the first moment we saw the shores, we knew this was going to be a special place!  

In the center can be seen a 16th-century hilltop fort  with another on the other end of the hilltop road.  This reminds us of the time when the Portuguese occupied Oman and were protecting their trade routes to the east.

 

 Oman also plays an important role in overseeing the passage of international shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, through which some 30% of globally bound oil passes every day, so definitely a military presence is felt in the port.

This is an Italian ship that was visiting that day.

At 7:30 a.m., we met on Deck 3 and then disembarked.   A small shuttle bus took us over to our big bus.  It was exciting to see all the long white robes and hats worn by the Omani men.  

So fascinating to see all the guides who would be showing all of us Oman today.

 This national dress is an ankle-length, collarless gown with long sleeves, called a "dishdasha."   There are two things that make the Omani dishdasha different from those of the other gulf countries; its round collar (instead of standing collar) that buttons at the neck and the tassel hanging down the side, which traditionally would be dipped in perfume.  

 Here our young guide let George smell the perfumed tassel he wore.  He is 26 years old and unmarried.  He said his parents would arrange his marriage once he decided on a girl he would like to marry.  Then she would have to agree, also.  A man can have up to four wives in Oman.  He puts them in different homes and must take care of them all equally. 

Later on in the day, we actually saw what we thought might be a man and his four wives (one is directly behind the woman on the far right.)

Notice how the women mostly wear a long black garment called an abaya over their clothes.  According to their background, they can cover just their head with a hijab (headscarf), 

or cover their face from the nose down with niqab, which is a veil for the face that leaves the area around the eyes clear. 

(These women were in India.)

 It is worn with an accompanying headscarf. The women could have just their eyes showing through the black cloth,

 

 or can be completely covered under what is called a burka.  It is the most concealing of all Islamic veils. It is a one-piece veil that covers the face and body, often leaving just a mesh screen to see through.  As we traveled in these Arab countries, we didn't see the mesh screen very often.  Our guide told us generally those from the Bedouin background cover their faces more than other women.

As we traveled into the city, we noticed the cleanliness everywhere we went.  Absolutely never saw a piece of paper or garbage anywhere!  In addition, every building looked very close to being white in color.  We learned that the Sultan of Oman has decreed that owners have a choice of five colors ranging from to beige to white to paint their buildings and houses.  He has, also, ordered that no building can have more than 17 stories.  It gives the entire city such a clean look against the blue sky!

Muscat has a population of about 800,000 or more than one million when the foreign workers are added.

We first visited the largest mosque in Oman--Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque.  This enormous and beautiful building was started in 1995 and finished 6 years later.

 

As women, we had to cover our heads with scarves, have long sleeve shirts on, and long pants to cover our ankles.   Actually, my sleeves were supposed to be to my wrists.  I had to keep pulling them down lower to meet the requirements.

 George and I with our Omani-an guide.  He was fantastic!

A couple of people in our group didn't fit those requirements, so for $8, they could rent a full-length, head to toe robe.  It looked so hot!

Here is Pam wearing her rented appropriate dress to enter the mosque.  I love how she still kept her visor on with it!

Thank goodness, I was dressed appropriately.  The men could wear anything as long as they had on long pants and no printed items on their shirt.  We, also, had to take our shoes off and put them in little cubby holes.  

 Before we went into the mosque, we learned a great deal about Islam from the sign outside.  The details listed were:

"Islam means total submission to the will of God.  It is not a new religion, rather it is the same religion with the same creed which was revealed to the earlier prophets, including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Jesus and others, peace be upon them all.

"Islam is a monotheistic religion which proclaims that there is no other object worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammad is His last messenger.  (Allah is the proper name of the Creator, the One and Only God.)

"Muslims believe in (a) all the earlier prophets of Allah, including Adam, Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses and Jesus, peace be upon them all, (b) all the scriptures which were revealed to the earlier messengers, (c) all the angels who are the spiritual beings of Allah, and (d) the day of resurrection and judgment.

The principle teachings of Islam are contained in:

1.  The Holy Qur'an which is the final revelation from Allah to mankind.  The Holy Quar'an came to correct the corruption which has distorted the earlier scriptures, to confirm the revelations which were sent to the earlier messengers and as a guidance and mercy to the entire mankind without exception till the end of the world.

2.  Traditions of Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him.  These are his teachings and life examples practiced by him which have been collected in several volumes."

The landscaping at the mosque was so beautiful and green--so clean, just like the entire city.  Absolutely no litter anywhere!

 

The women's side of the mosque was divided into rectangles on the floor where the women kneel in prayer.  Our guide said the women's side wasn't very large because many women prayed at home.  It was a very plain room, but very clean.  No prayer rugs are needed in a mosque where it is so clean.

We then walked over to the other side, which was the men's prayer side.

Even outside the mosque are these rectangles where the men can kneel in prayer--8,000 total worshipers can kneel outside the mosque.

Then we went into the interior of the mosque where the men prayed.  Oh, my gosh!  It was huge, very ornately decorated, and unbelievably beautiful!  A Swarovski crystal chandalier hangs in here that 8 people can walk in (!) It's that huge!

The main prayer hall (for men only) can hold 6000 who stand in rows on a handmade 4200 sq m Persian carpet that weighs 21 tons.
They know this because it was woven by 600 Iranian women over 4 years and brought here in 85 pieces to be stitched together. 

The entire mosque can hold 20,000 worshipers.

A gold painted mihrab (niche) that faces Mecca is the focus of the hall.

We next visited the Muttrah Souq or as the locals call it "Al Dhalam" (Darkness in Arabic) Souq (Market).  - This is one of the oldest markets in Oman, dating back about two hundred years.  Mutrah is typical of traditional Eastern markets, with narrow winding alleys roofed with wood and lined by shops selling everything from jewelry and perfumes to kitchenware and luggage.  It reminded me of the Old City in Jerusalem.  

This market was formerly very dark since you can't see the sky, but it has been renovated and decorated to maintain the popular style but has also introduced modern amenities and redecorated the market heavily to attract tourists and make the shopping experience comfortable for tourists as well as other ordinary shoppers.

After enjoying a little shopping, we next headed for the Bait Al Zubair Museum.  Bait Al Zubair is a heritage and cultural center that opened its carved wooden doors to the public in 1998. It is funded by its founders, the Zubair family. 

 

 Outside the entrance of the Al Zubair Museum.

The center displays the family’s collection of Omani artifacts, which is considered to be the finest that is privately owned.

  Here we saw many interesting displays of dress, guns, leaders, etc. of Oman.  The picture on the outside is the Sultan of Oman who is very well liked.  He has served for 47 years.  The sultans of Oman are members of the Al Said dynasty, which is the ruling family of Oman since the mid-18th century. The current Sultan Qaboos of Oman has no children and has indicated that once he is dead, it will be up to the Royal family to meet and agree on a candidate.  However, if the royal family cannot agree on a candidate, then the Defense Council will decide, based on the two names Sultan Qaboos has placed in sealed envelopes prior to his death.

 

Afterwards, we visited the Presidential Palace.  There are five.  The Sultan, also, has two yachts.  The Palace we visited (outside only, obviously), is not where he actually lives, but where he houses special foreign guests.  

Dan, our cruise director's husband, bought an Omani robe and hat at the Muttrah Souq and put it on for our visit to the Presidential Palace.  Here he is with our guide.  He looks pretty official, doesn't he?!  

 

 

The entire Presidential Compound was pristine and so beautiful!

Even the sidewalks were made of marble.  And to think that the Sultan has five such compounds!

On our way back to the cruise ship.

This looks like our cruise ship, but it is actually one of the two yachts the Sultan owns.

We were really impressed with this tiny country which doesn't depend on oil for its economy, but more on tourism.  It has a good ruler.  They don't like to get involved in other country's political lives.  They are on good terms with Iran, but not necessarily with Saudi Arabia.  

We went back to the ship.  We thought we could get Wifi at the Port Shop because it advertised it, but too many people were on it, so we didn't get to use it.  We were disappointed.

At 3:30, our group, plus a few other people got to go out on the heli-port and have orange juice--since we didn't drink champagne--and watch us leave Oman.  

It was so fun feeling like Kate Winslet on Titanic at the front of the ship.   This area is closed off for the public because it was becoming so dangerous for people to be re-enacting this.  We were just fortunate to have this opportunity to our group!  Thanks, Pam, for making this happen!

Afterwards, we went to dinner.  The night show was I-Hollywood with all the singers and dancers.  Plus, there were aerialists who were unbelievable!  Great day!