| Log Cabin Chronicles Letter From the Oasis #8 |
 Jerry Buzzell  Jerry's previous columns are archived HERE
| Posted 01.09.02 |
Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Dear People,
In the Musandam - "The Norway of Arabia."
The Musandam is the part of Arabia that points toward the Strait of Hormuz and Iran, separating the Arabian Gulf to the west from the Gulf of Oman to the east. Most of it is a part of Oman, which is separated from the main part of the country (much as Alaska is separate from the lower 48).
Driving to the Musandam is a rite of passage in the UAE that we had put off for far too long. We from Al Ain to Dibba (on the east coast at the southern end of the peninsula). Then we went west to Ras al Khaimah, and along the coast road to Khasab in the north. The next day, we drove into the mountains of the central Musandam, and on the third day, we had a dhow cruise from Khasab along the fjords at the northern end of the Musandam. On day four, we returned home.
Dibba is noteworthy as the place where the last battle was fought during the Muslim reconquest of Arabia after the death of the Prophet.
 Not much has happened there in the ensuing 1368 years. We waded in the Gulf of Oman (and scraped tar from the bottoms of our feet), and then headed west into Wadi Khab Ash Shamis. The road passes initially at the floor of the wadi, with the mountains rising nearly vertically on both sides. A few straggly trees line the road. The land is harsh and dry, the main signs of life numerous goats and a few small villages built on the sides of the wadi.
These mountains are spectacular. Stratifications - horizontal, vertical, oblique, circular. Incredible limestone formations. Gigantic boulders. Some of the cliff faces appear pock-marked from erosion (like a teenager with a bad case of acne). Deep canyons. Even in the steepest most inhospitable places, we'd come upon small villages.
 And there were huts built into the mountain sides, some of them obviously walled up caves.
 There were a few places with terraced fields, though we didn't see many crops being grown there. We also didn't see many people. That may indicate that the inhabitants were away, celebrating Eid al Fitr, which is a very important holiday in the Gulf. In the southwestern Musandam (which is UAE), many people from the mountain tribes live and work in Ras al Khaimah and visit their mountain homes on weekends. I don't know if the same thing happens in the Omani part of the mountains; if so, they would probably have to work in Dibba or Sohar or Muscat or some other place in the main part of Oman. Returning to their mountain homes in the isolated Musandam would be that much more difficult.
 The last few kilometres of Wadi Khab Ash Shamis has a lookout over steep canyons and a steep descent into the valley floor and the start (or end, depending on your orientation) of Wadi Bih. Here there is an Omani military checkpoint; the direct route to Khasab is through that checkpoint. However, the guide books are pessimistic about being able to talk your way through. Frank and Carol Miles weren't able to do so a couple of weeks ago and we'd planned our trip on the assumption that we wouldn't be able to either. So we just bypassed the checkpoint and drove to RAK via Wadi Bih. Since we wanted to reach Khasab before dark, we barreled along, seldom stopping, even for photos. The road from RAK to the border post is mostly inland, along commercial strips and construction, and is quite ugly and boring. Then you reach the border post. First you fill out forms (and pay money) to leave the UAE, then fill out forms (and pay more money) to enter Oman. Then you're on your way. Beyond the border post, the road to Khasab runs along the coast for about 60 km. As Frank Miles put it, "This may take over an hour because the road curves a lot and the scenery is so amazing it will set your hair on fire." It was, and, with singed hair, we drove into Khasab, past the port, and eventually to the Khasab Hotel. Best,
Jerry & Linda |
There are many stone ruins at the sides of the road as if villages have been abandoned, which may have been the case if rain in the mountains has led to flash floods sweeping through the wadi. The main road winds through this country, and side roads can be seen winding up the steep slopes into the surrounding mountains.
We stopped for lunch about at a gravel turnoff by a well, with vertical cliffs on all sides. Soon after that, the road starts to climb, and it continues to climb to about 1200 m by the GPS, then follows more-or-less the ridge line, before descending steeply and abruptly into Wadi Bih (pronounced 'bee'). The vistas are incredible. The road is actually quite good, very steep in places, with frequent windings and switchbacks.
Goats and donkeys are the main domesticated animals. At one stage, we came upon three donkeys walking down the middle of the road. Two of them were fine; the third had his front legs tied together. He was hopping along as best he could and got off the road and into the adjacent stony wadi with his companions and that was where we left them and continued up into the hills. I presume that someone was around watching them but we didn't see anyone and it's not inconceivable that they had escaped from their owners and that the hobbled one is dead by now.