Pixels For Four

It's been more than a year since my first visit to Oman. I was blessed to have been invited to the launch of Mina Al Sultan Qaboos Waterfront. I've told you what I did there here and where I went while I was there. But I remember I haven't told you how I got invited. For those who have been asking me about this invitation and for the sake of archiving this adventure, I will discuss it here.

Have you ever experienced being a tourist in a country so stunning and breathtaking and you're pressed for time but you don't want to let go of the chance to see a bit more of that place because you don't know if you'll ever set foot there again? That's what I experienced when I arrived in Oman. I didn't have much time! I wanted to explore more but I didn't have the luxury of time. These were taken on my first day there. Prior to the Mina Al Sultan Qaboos Waterfront launch, we were given a tour of the Corniche and Muttrah Souq. I was mesmerized and I wanted to linger but I focused on the event ahead because I knew that I would have time to visit the corniche the following day. This is how it looks like at dusk. It was low tide and sea gulls flew by to search for food. And this is the only corniche I know that's located along a busy road. How blessed these Omanis are -- to pass by this view everyday! On my second day, when the taxi...

On my second day in Oman – the first day was spent in the launch of Mina Al Sultan Qaboos Waterfront – I hired a taxi driver to bring me to tourist spots in Muscat. I deemed it safe to roam Muscat alone because I read from online travel sites that Oman is one of the safest Middle East countries for a solo traveler. He brought me first to Sultan Qaboos Mosque then to Muttrah Souq . By afternoon, I'm done with all the top tourist spots except for The Royal Opera House which I missed because it was only open for more or less a couple of hours on mornings.

Should I or shouldn't I? I admit I contemplated on visiting Sultan Qaboos Mosque, or any mosque on any travels to Arab countries. That's because I do not share the faith being practiced there. I even researched prior to arriving in Oman if it was alright and found this  article . You should know it was my first time to enter a mosque, and as always, what I wanted to post here is what happened to me there and more. The taxi driver who will bring me to the mosque from the hotel looked at me, talked to a fellow driver, and courteously asked me to wear an abaya (a full-length robe-like dress) and a tarha (head covering). So I went back to my room, got the dress code essentials he wanted, and hurried back to the taxi outside the hotel. When we arrived at the mosque, he promised that he will wait for me until I finish. "Uh, until I finish? About how many minutes do you mean by that?" "Just take your time, for sure, it will take a while for you to finish ta...

There are some things I learn when I travel. I learned that no matter how much you expected for things to happen, some things are just not meant to be. Just like when I looked forward to dining at a well-known restaurant in Muscat to experience authentic Omani cuisine, ambiance and all. But things didn't work out my way. When my hosts brought us to S&H Chocolate Lounge for lunch instead, I was a bit disappointed because it wasn't on our itinerary. I wanted authentic Omani food, even if it meant eating street food.

An expat friend once told me, if you want to explore a place deeply, go to its markets, or souq in Arabic. In markets, you will find the heartbeat of the community that lives there. And I was reminded of that when I went to Oman last November. On the landing page of my search for the list of top things to do in Muscat is a visit to Muttrah Souq suggestions. *Al Dhalam (Darkness in Arabic) Souq is the local name for the Muttrah Souq. It has been named after darkness because of the crowded stalls and lanes where the sunrays do not infiltrate during the day and the shoppers needed lamps to know their destinations. As one of the Arab nations' oldest souqs, Muttrah Souq plays an important role in the preservation and presentation of time-treasured customs and history. You will see khanjars (daggers), vases and jars, kuma  (Omani headgears), sandals, and even frankincense, myrrh, and gold. If you check out my Instagram posts, you will read bits of my experiences there. The time I...

It's 2017! Happy New Year to us all! More than a month has passed since I came back from Oman when I attended the momentous launch of  Mina Al Sultan Qaboos Waterfront . It was one of my most unforgettable moments as an expat here in the Middle East. It's one thing that doesn't happen every day. And until now, the experience hasn't left me. I still cannot believe I went there alone. Or that I was able to interact with strangers who turned out to be some of the friendliest people I know. I wanted to post the other places I've been to after the launch, but I decided it would be best to present my experience and the places chronologically — except for the Plaza Premium Lounge in Muscat International Airport — which I will tell you about on my last post about Oman.