… to Muscat, in the Sultanate of Oman …

… a prosperous, modern Muslim country with an average income of $44,000. The rate of exchange was US$.38 to 1 Omani rial, the first time on this trip the conversion went the other way, with prices nearly tripled in US dollars. Muscat was mostly built after 1970, so almost everything is new. Unlike other cities, there are no skyscrapers – by design. New building is strictly regulated; no buildings can be more than eight stories high, and the only colors permitted are white and cream! The current Sultan, who deposed his father after getting a college education, is revered by the country because he brought prosperity and modernization to the population of 2.5 million. The country is home to about 600,000 foreign workers, and English was widely spoken, at least in Muscat by the mostly-Indian vendors.

Because of the delays and difficulties of our berth in Mumbai, the Captain arranged for us to arrive in Muscat the evening before we were due to dock, giving us an extra evening to spend at the local souq or bazaar. The ship ran a shuttle to Mutrah Souq, and the head start put everyone in a good mood. Here, with Frank’s friend Andy, cozy on the jumpseat in the bus. Visitors to Muscat are greeted by the incense burner, surrounded by old forts, next to an amusement park. 

  

Oman is known for frankincense and myrrh, and the souq was filled with stalls selling incense and burners. Silk scarves, hanging glass lamps, old silver, and the Omani symbol, a short, curved dagger, were everywhere. Mutrah Souq, unlike the bazaar in Istanbul, is very walkable, clean and well laid out, while still feeling like an authentic market, with winding paths and tiny alleys.

 

  

   

We had a blast until promptly at 9 PM, the vendors began a mad rush to close up. As we left the souq for the short ride to the ship, the skies opened and it began to pour, raining steadily for the next few hours – in dry Oman!

The next day we took a hop-on, hop-off bus tour of Muscat. Oman’s coastal area is filled with rocky hills, and the countries who ruled at various times built forts seemingly on every hill. The two large ships in the harbor belong to the Sultan; the smaller ship is just a supply ship for the larger one!  We stopped in front of the Sultan’s palace for photos, and drove around one of the large forts; neither were open to tourists. Along the way, we passed many beautiful mosques.

 

   

 

We ended the day back at the souq, and this time explored some of the back alleys. We happened on the street supplying Muslim dresses, many of which were elegant and beautiful.

Oman provided a glimpse into an interesting and unfamiliar world!

… to Mumbai, part deux …

… to explore the lesser known sights. After seeing the Gateway to India again, we got the chance to explore the sumptuous Taj Mahal Hotel. After some quick pics of the towering lobby flower arrangements, and the lobby waterfall, we wandered down the corridor to the shops, just opening up for the day. The gleam of the jewelry in the shop windows was blinding!

     

    

We had free time to shop in the “CIE” stores, government-run shops selling high-priced artisanal products. We set our sights instead on finding a tiffin (lunch box). The guide steered us to a grocer in the Majestic Hotel. Off we went, with no idea of how far the hotel was. Block after block - still no hotel. Thinking we missed it, we asked directions; it was in the next block. The hotel was no longer majestic, and the grocery store nowhere in sight. A street vendor kindly pointed out the entrance, through the arch, hidden under a tarp.

     

The tiffin selection was overwhelming – what to choose when there were so many sizes and shapes? We took the two smallest sizes, admiring the exotic groceries – and Gandhi presiding over the snacks!

 

On the walk back, we snapped some quick pics. Imagine being the manager of a McDonald’s in India where it is illegal to kill a cow … what are your alternatives? Cheese and corn, anyone? … The friendly pan vendor offered us a taste. Or how about some Happy Corn?

     

And one final note for future visitors …

What a city!

… exotic and mystical Mumbai …

… for an overnight stay in this city of 25 million souls, 55% of whom live in the slums. We had a bad container port berth, delaying the immigration process for several hours, with everyone still on board until almost noon. We started at the Gateway to India, a large arch to welcome visitors to the city. Across the street is the fabled Taj Mahal Hotel. We were swarmed at the Gateway by young men wanting to take our photo and print it out on the spot – on battery operated printers they carried with them. We had to see it in action! Driving through Mumbai is a mix of new and old, rich and poor. Grand old British buildings shine, still a big part of Mumbai’s appeal.

 

     

We stopped for photos at the majestic Victoria Station, and saw one street corner with mounds of used textbooks, provided for poor students to use.

  

We got off the bus at the Churchill Train Station. Here we were lucky to see two dabba-wallas, the intrepid men who carry lunches from homes to offices for 200,000 people a day, returning with the empty tiffins, or lunch pails, each marked with an inscrutable code that ensures it’s delivered to the proper owner.

 

We boarded a local train (not rush hour!), riding it to the Mahalakshmi Station for a view of the Dhobi Ghat – the place where laundry has been done for a hundred+ years in Mumbai. Seeing clean laundry flapping on hundreds of twisted lines was an amazing experience.

 

 

 

Our tour ended with a visit to Gandhi’s Mumbai house, now a museum, home to a large set of dioramas chronicling Gandhi’s life. It was very touching to see first-hand his simple room.

   

It was a very good day!

… Colombo, Sri Lanka …

… for one of our most unusual adventures: a brisk walking tour through the old part of Colombo on a meltingly hot 95 degree day. Our guide was Mark Forbes, a Sri Lankan photographer and author who loves his city. The bus dropped us at Pettah Market, an incredible mix of sights, sounds, and smells. Mark warned us before leaving the bus that if we heard “side, side, side!” we should immediately head out of the way because it meant a heavily laden porter was coming through with limited sightlines and no brakes! Far from an occasional occurrence, it happened constantly, so we dodged potholes, rubble, and curbstones to dive toward self-preservation. A single porter can move nearly a ton!

 

Pettah Market has four cross streets, each selling something different: vegetables, spices, textiles, and artificial flowers. The vegetable market’s greens, purples and oranges gave way to tiny spice stalls, and then a profusion of silks, cottons, and lace. 

  

 

   

We walked past Colombo’s striking red and white mosque with its fanciful turrets, then stopped at a Hindu temple.

   

Sensing that we were fading, Mark bought us fresh coconuts – warm but refreshing. Mark explained that Colombo was caught in the country’s civil war, which ended only in 2009; the city was targeted by terrorist attacks for several years after that. Only in the last few years has it begun rebuilding, restoring the historic buildings which remain. We stopped at the Grand Oriental Hotel, where once resumes and bank balances were required to get a room; they fed us cookies and tea, no references needed. The balcony provided a great view of the Amsterdam in the port!

 

The tour continued with the historic Cargill’s Department Store, which may become a new Raffles Hotel; the Colombo clock tower and original lighthouse; and the Old Dutch Hospital, now a collection of upscale restaurants, shops and a spa.

 

We hope for a bright future for Colombo and Sri Lanka!