Doors!
I don’t know quite when it happened but somewhere along the way my imagination has been captured by the beautiful, the striking or even just the plain and simple Middle Eastern door. Yes, the gate way to someone’s home, the entry way to a new friend or threshold of the place you will rest your head for a night.
The Door to Failaka Island Heritage Village Hotel
Many works within the architecture of Islam are designed to lead a person from the distractions of the outside world to the peace of an internal space. It is an architecture which establishes a hierarchy of spaces, and which distinguishes each one from the others with a series of transitional zones. In Islamic architecture, the door of a house marks the transition from community space—city, town or village—to family space, the home. It is one of the most important thresholds in the daily life of the Muslim. Doors are often the only form of artistic expression that the private life of the family projects to the outside world.
-Doors of the Kingdom-
The Door to the Grand Mosque in Muscat, Oman
There are countless inspirational quotes about doors. From quotes about the power of closing doors, “When you say a situation or person is hopeless, you are slamming the door in the face of God.” to the power of opening doors, ” The doors we open and close each day decide the lives we live.” However the feeling you get standing in front of a door is challenging to put into words. Just holding onto a door handle, taking a deep breath before you open the door and just not knowing what is on the other side can be a rush.
An inatemiate object that symbolizes and holds such emotions. The happiness of a open door for friendship and tea. The action of closing doors for endings or simple to escape can bring sadness. Siting on the other side of a door you have just closed for the last time brings a series of bitter sweet emotions. Sometimes a sense of freedom and sometimes just the feeling of loss or failure. Some doors lead to good friends and good times. Other doors you open knowing that you are there to say goodbye to what is behind the door. There are doors I didn’t want to open, doors I didn’t want to close and doors that remind me I am home.
Regardless of why I stand at a door or how I got to the side of the door I now look at them with a new sense of appreciation and wonder.
Ordinary Miracles
Sarah McLachlan sings a beautiful song about the power of ordinary miracles. The idea that, “you don’t need to teach a seed to grow and the sky knows when it is time to snow.” As I watched the baby turtles on the beach at Ras Al Jinz this song kept echoing in my heart.
Here are these amazing little creatures, crawling along, to what to them must seem like giant mountains of beach. The level of perseverance and determination that these animals show is inspiring. They know what is important and their natural instincts take them to the water. Unaware or undaunted by the task the baby turtles push forward until they reach their goal. A simple and beautiful ordinary miracle.
The sun comes up and shines so bright
It disappears again at night
It’s just another ordinary miracle today.-Sarah McLachlan-
Traveling with the Turtles!
“Behold the turtle. He makes progress only
when he sticks his neck out.”
-James Bryant Conant-
We woke-up at 3:30 a.m. to drive the dark and winding road from Sur, Oman to Ras Al Jinz, Oman to see green turtles. At 3:30 a.m. I had no idea why I was awake much less up and going to look for turtles but sometimes you just got to have faith that what you don’t want to do will lead to an experience you will never forget.
We arrived at the Ras al-Jinz Scientific & Visitor Center parked the car, paid our 3 Rial and tried to wake-up. The turtle guides quickly explained the guidelines of our turtle visit and we all headed to the beach. The stars twinkled in the sky and within minutes we were standing in the darkness beside a huge green turtle. The turtle was laying eggs and then using her arms to move almost 2 meters of sand over the eggs. We sat quietly in the darkness and watched nature un-fold.
As the sun rose the turtle felt that her eggs were safely buried underground and it was time for her to return to sea. She stuck her neck out, and used her legs and arms to pull herself back to her ocean home.
“Try to be like the turtle -at ease in your own shell.”
-Bill Copeland-
The Wonderful World of the Wadi!
Wadi Qurai, Oman
Sometimes you need words and sometimes the pictures say it all.
Wadi Bani Khalid, Oman
Better then a day at the beach. A day at Wadi Bani Khalid!
A photogenic country!
From the walk along the the Muscat Corniche or the stop at the top of the giant statue of a frankincense , the country of Oman fills your camera lens with pretty pictures. Be it the Grand Mosque at night, the mountains of Nizwa, the marvelous Wadis or a classic Oman door, each part of this country seems to be more graceful. It is a country waiting to take your breath away with its beauty. Just waiting to pose, waiting to give you another perfect picture.
Only so far…
You can follow a guide book only so far. To get the rest of the way the spirit of the road takes over or as was the case today you have to listen for the sounds of adventure. Today on the way to Nizwa we had been mesmorized by the huge mountains. Living in the flat country of Kuwait is was a nice change of scenery to see mountains again. As we drove pasted the sign for Wadi Qurai the spirit of the road was calling for us to stop. We drove through a small town, saw the riverbed that had a little rain water but the sound of childern’s laughter inspired us to walk further down the Wadi.
As we turned the mountain path we saw a giant watering hole and 20 kids sliding down rocks and laughing. As we said hello the boys laughed and all waved back. Our vacation meshed with their everyday life.
(Note: A Wadi is a is the Arabic term traditionally referring to a valley; in some cases it may refer to a dry riverbed that contains water only during times of heavy rain.)
The Great Oman Road Trip!
We are in Muscat, Oman! Have rental car and hotel. The sun is shining the shopping is grand and all is well. Following the map and our detailed travel plan. I love spring break!
Me on the Map!
Me on the Map!
1. Find a map
2. Find Oman.
3. Find Muscat.
4. Find me.
-Inspired by the writing of one Mr. James-
Spring break is here! Time to catch a plan to Oman! Travel arranged by the Wise and Fearless! My evil Twin From Texas and I are off for 7 days! I am truly blessed.
Spring Break in Oman!
I’ve spent spring break in Florida, Mexico and now I am happy to say I will be spending seven wonderful days in Oman! After a great internet search we booked cheap plane tickets for spring break. For thirty-seven and a half KD you too can fly round trip from Kuwait to Oman.
Don’t know much about Oman? At this point neither do I, however the beauty of living in a fishbowl of well traveled fish is that you are surrounded by fish or people that have been to or even lived in Oman. After listening to the fantastic travel stories of those swimming around me, hearing the love and joy in their voice as they spoke about Oman, I am looking forward to the adventure to Oman!
I like the journey from facts and images to actually feeling, seeing and tasting what a country is all about. I look forward to seven days of life in Oman!
FAST FACTS ABOUT OMAN
- Official name Sultanate of Oman
- Capital Muscat
- Area 309,500 sq km
- Population 3.1 million
- Country code 968
- Head of State Sultan Qaboos bin Said
- Annual number of tourists 1.2 million
- Stereotype A country that has only relatively recently emerged from isolation
- Surprise An infrastructure that any country would be proud of.
Kuwait City, KUWAIT
Christine Oastler is a freelance travel writer, teacher and artist, currently living in Mahboula, Kuwait. Born and raised in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, Christine obtained her Bachelor of Arts at Trent University and her Bachelor of Education from Queen’s University. Currently traveling around the Middle East she finds herself riding the odd camel and embracing a new culture!