Salalah, Oman

I am falling down on the job. I can't get excited about writing about Salalah.  Since we have previously been to Salalah, I would just be repeating what I wrote about last year.  Here is that link. 

http://worldquest2013.blogspot.com/2013/04/oman.html

Michael insists that I write more about Salalah because we went to a couple of new places that we have not been to before.  Both of us were escorts on the same of excursion and we went to the Al Husn Palace, where the sultan currently lives.  

Then we went to the frankincense museum, which had nothing to do with frankincense.  There were frankincense bushes outside the museum that is part of the landscaping, but inside it was a history museum. Again, you know how much I love museums, but at least this one was air-conditioned.  Michael says the replica of a dhow was incredible, including anchor chain made out of teak.  

    Berries on the frankincense tree

    The frankincense tree

We went to Al Balid, a UNESCO world heritage site and a once prosperous medieval era port.  The harbor was important for the export of frankincense.  It was very hot and since I had been here before, I elected to stay on the air-conditioned bus.  We stopped here and there and a few other places that really were not much to look at, and I spent a great deal of time on the bus just staying cool and not overdoing the steps because of my knees.  

Again, I stayed on the bus when we stopped at the worst souk I have ever been too. They mostly sold frankincense and Muslim clothes for men. There were some jewelry stores and perfume, most of which are probably knockoffs.  There was some other stuff, but it look like a bunch of junk to me.  The odor of frankincense was everywhere and it was pungent and very powerful.  

This was one of the worst escorting assignments I ever had in more ways than one.