Perfect timing, just as we packed the last bits away

Our camping spot in the oasis remained lovely until we left. For once, we didn’t sweat packing the tent as the sun only peeked over the rocky outcrops when we were ready to leave. It was a hungry morning: We didn’t have enough water left last night to cook our pasta (I was against using the lake water) and we were also out of breakfast cereals. Thus, we really needed to get to Hasik which was about 40km away.

The road there was beautiful again so we just had to have a couple of photo stops. The cliffs continued to one side while the sea joined us on the other. All bathed in the early morning light.

Hasik was a bit of a divided town with a large block of newly built residences with wide streets but no shops and the old center of the village with tiny unpaved alleys but sporting coffee shops.

These two kind fellas shouted us our breakfast after a lively chat during said breakfast

One of them was definitely open as a group of men sat outside so we sat down, ordered breakfast and enjoyed it. While eating, we also talked to the local men who showed an interest in our “around the world” travels. A lovely conversation ensued and when it was time to leave, two of them shouted us the breakfast. Such a hospitable country!

From Hasik, we followed the coast further down to Mirbat. On the way, we spotted a herd of camels in a picturesque spot so I had to take more pictures of these fascinating creatures. I just really enjoy seeing them at the side of the road or dotted throughout the landscape. It really is their country, too.

Soon, the sheer wall of Jebel Samhan came into view as well. Again, the photos don’t do it full justice…it just appears in front of you and gets taller the closer you get to it.

Not much to it, nowadays

Mirbat is a town of historical importance, however, the only fort we found was in serious disrepair and probably not open to the public. So we just had lunch in town and continued on our way. But not in a straight fashion: Salalah was our goal for the day…about 50km away from Mirbat. With the whole afternoon still to go, we decided to do as much sightseeing east of Salalah as we could so we wouldn’t have to come back this way.

First on our list was Jebel Samhan. The Lonely Planet states that the view from the top is one of those vistas in Oman that you just need to see. So we headed into the mountain. The view from the side we rode up was quite nice already but the Lonely Planet was determined that you needed to get to the other side. There are a couple of tourist attractions along the way. We stopped at the “well of birds” which is a sink hole so deep that we were unable to see the bottom from the platform. No obvious path led down so we didn’t try our luck any further. The echo of the hole was impressive and we did hear lots of bird calls.

On top of Jebel Samhan. The ground drops 1300m almost vertical

Not feeling up for a hike, we skipped the limestone caves and went straight to the viewing platform of Jebel Samhan. It is eerie up there. Like you found the edge of the world somehow. Right in front of you the ground drops about 1000 meters and you can see the plain below right to the sea. My vertigo set in straight away but even Flo felt slightly insecure and didn’t put his feet over the edge.

Back down on the plain, we stopped at Khor Rouri next. It’s an archaeological site where you can visit the actual site (the city of Samharam) and see some of the findings in a gallery. It was about 1pm now which is exactly the time when the sun gets unbearably hot. We still managed to walk around the ruins which have been reconstructed. The most impressive thing though is the khor; an inlet that is separated from the sea by a sandbank at low tide. On the left, camels were standing in the water, drinking and cooling down while on the right, flamingos stood in the shallow water. For better spotting, stationary binoculars were available and Flo managed to take a photo through it.

Camels on the sandbank. It was sooo beautiful.

When we turned to leave, the camels decided to walk across the sand bank which is just a picture-perfect scene. Unfortunately, they were a bit far away for my camera but still, it was amazing.

Riding into Salalah, the second biggest city of Oman, we were shocked at how green the city is. After all the desert we rode through, this seemed so decadent. Here, we were lucky that rooms are affordable for poor tourists like us. In the end, Flo convinced the hotel owner’s to let us stay in the suite for 14 rial a night. We had so much space! And two showers! The transition from deprivation to abundance is too abrupt sometimes.