Spring Break Part 2

Going from Dubai to Oman was quite the process. We found the bus in Dubai without any issues and we got to the UAE/Oman border about an hour after we left Dubai. First, we had to get the “Exit Dubai” stamp. Then we drove a couple more minutes to the checkpoint where we took all our baggage out so it could be checked. Then we re-boarded the bus and finally got to the “Enter Oman” part where we needed to fill out a visa form and get our passports stamped again. Luckily, since Amanda and I had arrived via Dubai, our visas for UAE carried over to Oman and we were not charged anything extra for an Omani visa.

As we drove through Oman to Musqat, I couldn’t help but notice how mountainous Oman is. We arrived in Musqat about 4.5 hours after entering Oman. Musqat was completely different from Dubai. Musqat spreads along the coast with several different sections. We stayed in Mutrah, Musqat. Mutrah has a couple souqs, or markets, as well as a lovely seaside view. And about 3km down the road along the ocean is Old Musqat, home to many forts and a couple museums. Unfortunately, nothing in Old Musqat was open when we visited, which was a real shame because it was in the high 80s-mid 90s when we walked there so we were quite tired and thirsty. Since the weather in Oman is so hot, most of the stores close from 1-4 every day for rest. Amanda and I decided to follow the same schedule because it was simply too hot. We would have fruit for breakfast in our hotel room, go out and see something, return for nap/reading, then go out again for a large meal, internet café, and to eat popcorn while looking over the ocean. Oman was very peaceful and relaxing. I dubbed it "ornate, rugged, and a quaint Islamic fishing town." It was a great way to end our spring break.

Mutrah, Musqat, Oman

Walking from Mutrah to Old Musqat

An old fort

The moon rising over a fort in Mutrah

Just kidding! We really finished our spring break with a 9-hour layover in Bahrain where I got to see my friend Kamal! He is from Bahrain but did his study abroad at AU which is how we met. It was great to see him. He first showed us the entire country in about 45 minutes, although he did explain that about the same amount of land is just for the royal family and military so technically we only saw half of Bahrain. But it was still cool. We saw the racetrack, which is Bahrain's pride and joy. We ended our tour at his home. His family was incredibly welcoming and served us a typical Bahraini breakfast, which is a mix of Arab and Indian food. Very tasty. Afterwards we hung out, met his cousin and then went to the beach just to dip our feet in because we had packed out swim suits and only had our backpacks with us. It was a fantastic way to end our break and I am so glad I was able to see him! 

Yummy breakfast

On the beach with Kamal!

Getting back into the swing of things was much easier than I thought. The first week after spring break passed by quite quickly and this week is already more than halfway done, which I can barely believe. I've gotten to see some of Paris Circle with Abdullah, former peer tutor of a student in my program, and  his cousin, Saif, who are really cool. I also got to meet Amanda's host sister and her friend Abdallah (emphasis on the first syllable). And, this past weekend I went on a community service trip to the outskirts of Amman to paint a boys school. The trip had students from all three CIEE programs and I liked being able to talk and meet some of the other students who we never see. 

In other news, my research class has successfully brought down our research paper page requirement from 20 to 10-15. I currently have almost 8 pages written and two weeks left before I need to hand it in so I shouldn't have too much of a problem. My topic is women and sports in Jordan and it’s really interesting. I’ll spare you the details until I’ve finished my research and can make a giant post about it.

Things I’m looking forward to in the next week:

1.     My trip to Aqaba this weekend. Aqaba is Jordan’s seaport located on the Red Sea.

AND

2.     My mom and sister are coming to visit next week! I’m really excited to see them.

P.S. Fatima, the Turkish soap opera we watch every night, is over. I came back from spring break and was told it ended. I think for good too, not just end of a season. Now, there’s a new show called “Life.” I haven’t seen any of it, but I assume it’s another Turkish soap opera.