Day 24,25 and 26 Sea and Salalah

Souk

Newly built Mosque

Katie outside one of the meat huts

Me and our mini van. Had to be covered below knees and elbows.

View over port from our balcony on ship

2 days at sea that couldn't be more different weather
wise......yesterday was just so hot and humid and uncomfortable, it got
to 43 on the open deck yesterday and when Katie was playing volleyball
in the pool they could only last 30 mins because the water was hotter
than a spa! Needless to say we spent most of it in our room reading and
trying to keep cool. Can't even shower to cool down as the water from
the tap is hot, ever since we have on the cruise the water to clean our
teeth is warm. Which isn't that big a deal except when the days are
really icky. Today on the other hand has 4 metre swells and a 48 knot
head wind, which means we get to Salalah tomorrow 3 hours late. The poor
folks on the tour desk are having a nightmare of a time on this trip.
After dinner last night I went with Katie to Jammers to watch the folks
play Mario Kart before the music started, I didn't play but ended up
staying up til 2.30am ( where do those hours after midnight disappear
to?) Katie got back around 3.30am and because the seas are rough today
she is feeling a little off. I being the good mother that I am had 4
hours sleep and then got up, I have to set a good example! In about an
hour I have my first hair cut since getting on board, so that should be
nice and relaxing......will report back after I get that done.
Well that was yesterday and we are now back from Salalah in Oman. Hair
cut was fine, had a colour as well, so am feeling better! Rest of that
day was spent not doing much, sea still rough so Katie didn't make it to
the quiz in the afternoon. We had dinner in the Horizon Court and then
had a early night.
Today in Salalah we got a shuttle bus from the ship to outside the port
area as it is a working port not a cruise ship port and we obviously
aren't allowed to walk around the port. Once outside the port area we
were dropped off in an area where it felt like hundreds of taxi drivers
were waiting and asking if you needed a taxi as soon as you stepped off
the bus. As we were the 2nd shuttle of the day there were lots and lots
of drivers and choices, it may have been less chaotic after about the
15th shuttle! So 7 of us, Katie, me and 5 of Katie's volleyball/Jammers
friends got a minibus and a lovely driver for $100 for the day. He took
us to a couple of stops for photos, ( Sultan's palace, a new Mosque and
an outdoor barbeque kind of place), he also took us to 2 souks and a
lovely restaurant for lunch and finally a new Supermarket complex for
some last minute supplies. We only had about 5 hours, but it was lovely.
It is their monsoon season and again we were blessed with no rain, it
was humid and hottish but not too bad......much cooler than Dubai. The
supermarket and the souks we went to and I imagine most other places
took $US. We bought some perfume and body lotion at the souk, in fact
most merchants wanted to dab perfume on you, I still smell like a
mixture of things (very nice). Normally the shops are closed from 1pm to
4pm but I think most of them opened up for the cruise ship. I heard that
only about 3 cruise ships stop there a year which is a shame as everyone
was friendly. But in the coming weeks they get lots of visitors from
Muscat and also Dubai and the other Emirate states as Salalah is much
cooler this time of year.
To top off our enormous lunch we went to the MDR for dinner, and you
can't leave there without eating dessert, so I am now really stuffed.
Katie has gone to play cards so I don't expect her back any time
soon..........Next up we have 4 sea days and then are in Aqaba, Jordan
and the Lost City of Petra. After that things start to get hectic with
port day after port day, oh well some-one has to do it :)
As usual thanks for the comments, much appreciated.