by Amanda Dcosta

Created on: July 30, 2011

"Are we there yet?  Are we there yet?"  

The excited voices of my kids could be heard from the seats behind me. They had been looking forward to visiting Salalah in quite a few weeks and couldn't contain their excitement as we neared this tourist destination.  The flight took us an hour and forty minutes to reach, taking us over the 'real' deserts of Oman; unlike what I have ever seen.  

Dry, vast and sandy, it is said that not a soul inhabits these regions for miles and miles around, except for the 'oil zones'. People drive through these deserts for 12- 14 hours, despite the summer heat, all the way from the North of Oman, to the South (and back), covering the great extent of this ghastly dryness and its blinding sandstorms. Imagine, there are signals and signs for 'Camel crossing' at specific locations along the roadway. Should you want to see a multitude of camels, slow down in these areas. 

There are select areas in the desert where oil is drilled.  Here, the temperature rises to as high as 60, 65C ((140 -150F).  People who work here are given shifts for 15 days at a time, as beyond that, one could never manage the extreme conditions. I don't want to think of situations that arise should the air-conditioning give way. That would definitely not be worth all the wampum in the world they offer you to work in such temperatures. 

Muscat was very hot when we started out.  Imagine our surprise and excitement when we landed at Salalah.  Cool, drizzly and yes, I said it... a very chill day.   I couldn't believe I was still in Oman and this was summer where the heat I generally experience is around 120F for this time of the year. I actually wore on my jacket to keep me 'warm'.  

Once in Salalah, I was taken back to the villages and developing towns of India.  I guess I am now so pampered with the technologies and advancements of modern science, but here, the minor roads of the 'town' areas are not well tarred and are more like dirt roads.  To add to this, the roads are pretty narrow.  It was like the travel zeitgeist was taking me to another era.  The buildings too were very old and hardly any trace of modernization from a 'first look' could be seen.  

Our visit to Salalah was during the tourism month, when this Southern-most part of Oman experiences rain and a cooler climate. There was not a single car that could be hired on rental, nor were there any rooms vacant in the city. Even the homes of the native Omanis were being rented out, while they themselves camped in the open fields.  It was a wonderful experience to see so many tents set up; so many, that I could not make out where it ended in the distance. 

Everywhere I turned, I could see the shabby yellow of a tourist vehicle. You see, when one drives across the desert for hours on end, the fine dust and sand eats its way through the paint when the vehicle travels at very high and unchecked speeds. In order to protect their vehicles from the wear and tear of desert driving, long-distance travelers cover their car with a 'washable paint'. 

Visiting Salalah was a totally different experience from what I expected.  I was told of the various sights and sounds of the famous, green locations of this Oasis.  But getting to know about various other aspects of this city (more like 'dusty town' in a lot of areas) was something I had to experience for myself. No amount of description could equal the enriching experience this trip has given me.  Especially when it came to seeing camels walking in line on one side of the road in the deserted areas of the outskirts. 

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