For me the excitement of travelling kicks in at the airport where everyday life can ( largely) be left behind. In this instance, next stop Oman!
I was fortunate to have timed my landing to the country to coincide with lunch, a perfect opportunity to tuck straight into the delectable Omani delights. The very fresh Omani fish and seafood are always recommended, and this was my first chance to try their lobster. All you need to accompany such a treat is a squeeze of lemon, a glass of wine and a friend.
For those interested yes, I did eat the whole lobster, but only out of professional curiosity to make sure it tasted as good at the end as the beginning…
Exploring Nizwa, we paid a visit to the Friday cattle market and daily souq. The cattle market is a crazy place full of colour, noise – and a multitude of smells.
Prospective purchasers gather in the centre of a circle and the animals are generally led ( or in some cases lead their irate owners) around, with an outer circle surrounding the proceedings and acting as a vague kind of fence.
Bids are noisily called and accepted or rejected and the circle continues until the animals are sold, and are then replaced by more livestock.
Farmers wanting to sell or buy, local people meeting friends and enjoying the spectacle and tourists all jostle for the best positions for their needs. You need to be up early to catch and enjoy this wonderful theatre.
By contrast, the souq is possibly more restrained as prices are fixed and therefore no haggling takes place. However certain areas such as the fish market are hard to miss!
