JDate Goes Camel

Remember reading that great post about camels in Oman? No? We'll give you a moment to refresh your hump here. Nice, right?

You're not the only one impressed. Advertising folks came crawling across the Net and found a shot they liked. So much so, they made an offer James was happy to accept.

Camel, you're famous!

How famous? The shot is part of a larger campaign, playing up Jewish culture. The New York Times details the ads here.  That's right, James has been reviewed in The New York Times. Somebody has to fill that column.

The ads have rolled out online and in a few cities, using street placement areas.

Hello Chicago!

And the ads have already hit the biggest stage for advertising, Times Square.

Camel, you're really famous!

Nakhal Fort

About 30 kilometers west of Muscat is a famous scenic road, the Rustaq Loop. It's a beautiful drive, combining small towns, wadis, dramatic mountain backdrops and a few restored forts. One of the more impressive forts is the one in the town of Nakhal.

Rumor has it the origins of the fort are pre-Islam. It's been rebuilt, remodeled and restored many times, most recently in 1990. But there's no WiFi.

Two more views of the fort, blessed with a backdrop of mountains and a foreground of date palm groves.

More details of the fine fort.

Overlooking one of the date palm groves, spreading to infinity.

Interior rooms, a close imitation of a rustic B&B.

A final look at Nakhal's fort.

Rambling Along The Rustaq Loop In Oman

West of Muscat by about 60 kilometers is a fine desert drive, the Rustaq Loop. Yes, a circular, meandering group of roads that hit lots of hotspots, both natural and man-made. One of the more impressive features is the Nakhal castle. Otherwise, there are ruins to see, many palm plantations and unadulterated rocky desolation to appreciate.

An old home, crumbling among the palms.

A dry riverbed, palm plantation and uninhabitable hills in the distance. Desert doors.

A student, hanging out by the Ain a'Thawwarah spring.

As long as a falaj exists, so can palm plantations. The irrigation makes the oasis possible in the middle of the desert.

No water, no nothing, just undisturbed desolation (save for the modern road and our lovely air conditioned auto).

Tanuf, Oman

Sounds (and looks) just like a ruin out of Raiders of the Lost Ark, doesn't it? Right, that was Tanis. Close enough to feel the comparison. There's nothing like getting your history all wrong from B-Movie sources. This Tanuf is a small ruin about 12 kilometers north of Nizwa.

While old, the town in ruin is actually a fairly recent event, having been bombed by the RAF in the 1950's in a Sultan-Warlord dispute during the Jebel war. We know you remember all the details.

One of the ruined houses.

Two more details as the sun sets.

Nearby in the Wadi Qashah are a couple of graves.

Also in the wadi is an impressive elevated falaj, producing water so pure that it's one of the more popular bottled waters in Oman. It's the wall-looking thing on the left. An active town has been built right near the ruins. Location, location, location.

Tanuf is also the last resting place of wandering animals.

Falaj Daris, Nizwa, Oman

Oman might be a typical Mideast desert country at first glance, but besides oil buried beneath the ground, there's also plenty of water. To move the precious water around, the old Omanis built a complicated system of underground aqueducts called falaj. We're talking pre-iron age construction, just digging trenches, laying stones and letting gravity bring the water to your city and farm so you can sit back and be fed ripe dates day after day.

Outside of Nizwa, you can see one of the bigger falaj still doing its flowing thing.

Behold the mighty Falaj Daris.

Two more views of the falaj, bringing needed water to the masses.

There's a bathing/washing area.

Sarah, for scale, and one last look at the engineering triumph.

Nizwa Souk

If you're looking to make a movie featuring a classic old souk, look no further than the market in Nizwa. There's a reason the place looks so authentic - extensive renovations in the 1990's. Atmosphere and patina might be a bit lost in the grand plan, but there isn't a food court or valet parking. The souk is active and in use by locals today, doing the usual shopping for staples and gathering for conversation.

The gateway to Omani commerce.

Getting a vegetable stall just right and the hip way to transport a sack of onions.

Meat is available, both alive and dead.
Maybe fish fits your fancy?

A chatty regular and one more view of the souk.

Nizwa

Nizwa is Oman's best preserved historical city. There's a souk, mostly restored and the requisite fort and other shopping areas. The most interesting section of the city is the old residential area, Al Aqr. Paths wind between houses, some restored, most still the same when they were built centuries ago, stone walls covered in plaster. You feel like you're in ancient Arabia walking through.

Getting around means a bike or scooter, the paths are not wide enough for an auto.

Two of many unique doors.

Mini date palm groves dot the area. The minaret of the Nizwa mosque is in the background.

A front porch area of a house and a kitchen window, dishes set out to dry.

As usual, ancient and modern coexist. Toward the edges of the quarter, modern houses have been built and enough room is made for cars. Notice ruins are left to stand unless they're in the way.

Peeking through an arch or alley, a palm oasis is never far from view.

Two more doors, intriguing open or closed.