OMAN Lying on the eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, the Sultanate of Oman remains fairly secluded and oblivious to most Westerners. Ironically however, it is perhaps one of the most unique and culturally rich of the Arabian Peninsula Nations. A revolutionary liberal stance towards western culture, an enormous melting pot of foreign labor, breathtaking beaches, a host of various outdoor activities and a history, culture and people all of it's own made growing up in Oman a truly wonderful and fulfilling experience. Worldsapart.org claims, "Oman overflows with riches to tantalize the international traveler complete with rugged mountains, unspoiled beaches, exotic castles, vast deserts, and the friendliest people in the Middle East." Like other countries in the Middle East, Islam is at the center of the life-style and politics of the people of the nation. Oman developed its own particular form of Islam called Ibadhism. Ibad's follow a spiritual leader called the Imam and women tend to enjoy a much greater amount of freedom than is seen in other forms of Islam. Despite the obvious Islamic customs of the locals; foreigners residing in the country are not forced to follow the same guidelines as the Omani's as long as they take care not to offend or challenge their beliefs. In other words; alcohol is not forbidden but must be kept out of the public's eyes while women must be sure not to dress in a way not to provoke or offend the hosts. Covering up from head to feet is not necessary however walking the streets in a Brazilian G-string Bikini wouldn't go down too well. Oman was considered one of the wealthiest nations in the World around 300 AD due to it's strategic geographical location. It had always been a trader of copper, stone and timber the Mesopotamian States when a surfeit of Frankincense, then the World's most valuable substance made it a superpower. The legendary Sinbad the Sailor is Oman's claim to fame and the tales of his sea journeys are celebrated and the boat sailed by Tim Severen, a Brit who replicated his journey sits right outside the Al Bhustan Palace Hotel. Left: Omani Sword Dancing  In 1932 Sultan Bin Taimur seized power of Oman. During the First World War however, Oman's economy and trade was left in relative isolation as Taimur's radical and primitive ideas on how to run the country plunged it into the depths that some nations such as Afghanistan are in today. In 1970, his son, Qaboos, overthrew him to take the thrown. Sultan Qaboos Bin Said has since then built one of the best health services in the region, freeway networks and boosted the countries education through the opening of it's first University in 1986. And this is where we came along. It was the opening of the Sultan Qaboos University that brought my family to Oman from Hawaii. After spending 5 years teaching English as a Second Language in Saudi Arabia, my father was appointed as one of the founding ESL Professors at the University. We lived in Oman for a good 10 years so it is virtually my home. I was 17 when returning to the US. While living there, both my brother and I attended first the British School Of Muscat before transferring to the American British Academy. We enjoyed activities there such as scuba diving, caving, camping, driving through the deserts, softball & soccer, etc. In many ways Oman is the most non-Middle Eastern of all the countries on the Arabian Peninsula. Its citizens are a mix of Native Omanis, 2nd generation Zanzibar refugees and Baluchis. Oman has three natural wonders that make its landscape unique too. It's beautiful and incredibly uninhabited beaches, making it homage to many various water sports, it's gravel mountains, good for exploring and climbing and the Wahiba Sands - a huge desert that covers the heart of the country (also, an excellent camping spot). Right: Al-Bhustan palace hotel On top of all of the wonderful activities offered to suit the Westerners, there was always opportunities to mingle with the locals as well as a huge Indian / Pakistani expat contingent that added to the "melting pot" of cultures flavor. Camel racing, sword dances, trips to the Souq's (Arabian Market) as well as hundreds of delicious Indian / Arabian restaurants were always a welcoming experience for a more authentic taste of culture. Coming back to America in 1996 was never going to be easy. However, if I had my choice I would never have any regrets about any of the time spent in Oman. It really is a unique and overlooked place. Obviously this page is a very brief and short summary of my time spent in Oman. For more information on the country, check out www.omanet.com. Just be sure to come back to glennaldo.com ASAP!!!! ...... just kidding. Left: Camels in the Wahiba Sands Go To Abu Dhabi (UAE) to go back to travels page to go back to main page;