The port is small with one pier at which five or six dhows and some fishing boats tie. However, all morning and into the afternoon, small open boats with powerful outboards roar into the harbour and line up along the adjacent beach. They come in large numbers from Iran, bearing sheep and goats to sell in Khasab. After offloading their cargos, the operators sit around chatting and smoking; they're quite oblivious to curious tourists taking photos, because everything they do in Oman is legal.

In the afternoon, trucks loaded with grey-wrapped packages emerge from the souq area and various warehouses along the coast road and drive into the port. They off-load their contents onto the boats on the beach, turn around, and go back for more. As the boats on the beach are, they head into the bay and moor there, and those which were moored in the bay take their places on the beach.

This goes on until all the boats are loaded. Then everyone waits for dark.

When it's dark, the boats (without lights) leave and cross the 45 km Hormuz Strait, dodging oil tankers, aircraft carriers, and Iranian patrols, to unload and be paid at the other side. Some, no doubt, are caught and perhaps dealt with harshly (or perhaps a bribe smooths the way). Most will return the next day. And so the economic cycle continues.

What is smuggled? Cigarettes and electrical goods mainly, or so it is said. It's hard to be sure, because of the packaging. We also saw some unwrapped boxes with more mundane contents - light bulbs.

There is a sign on the beach detailing the regulations, in Arabic, Farsi (I presume), and English (perhaps for the tourists).

We went to the port, not for the smuggling, but for a dhow cruise in the Khor Ash Shamm. The port was a hive of commercial activity, but the only tourists seemed to be us and one other couple. The other couple were with another company, so we had a dhow to ourselves with Hassan, our Omani pilot.

Our dhow was about twenty-five feet long, with a shaded stern half, a diesel engine below and the tiller at the back. There were pillows to rest against in the shaded area, a chest for food (fruit) and drink (water and pop). Very basic accommodation. No life jackets. No life buoy. No other safety (or navigational) aids, but Hassan knows the waters well and there were no signs of imminent storms or other dangers. So, we went (and made it back safely).

We cast off at about 9 a.m., and headed out across the bay, past some fishing boats and the odd power boat racing into the port, and headed up the Khor Ash Shamm, the deep bay between the main Musandam and a northern extension.

The scenery is breathtaking. Deep fjords surrounded by mountains, which plunge directly into the sea.

(To be continued - we'll wrap this report up Tuesday.)

Best,

Jerry & Linda
Al Ain, United Arab Emirates