An Oman Holiday - 13 May 2022 - Day 3 in Muscat

Being a Friday Binu and Meena had weekend holidays. They said that they would take me to places I had planned to visit outside Muscat on the day. After breakfast of homemade 'thattu' dosa with the most delectable red coconut chutney and fruits we left for the day with the first destination being the Bimmah Sinkhole. The road infrastructure in Oman is top class and it was evident today, once again. The steep and winding roads cut through the Al Hajar mountain range, mostly four lane, is formidable yet scenic. We covered the 130 km in less than an hour and a half.

The Bimmah Sinkhole, locally known as Hawiyyat Najm, is a water filled depression formed by the collapse of surface layer due to dissolution of the underlying layers of limestone. The sinkhole has a lake of turquoise colour water about 20 meters deep occupying an area of 50 meters by 70 meters approximately. The replenishment of the sinkhole water must be due to percolation from the sea which is just 600 meters away. Locals believe that a meteorite caused the depression in the earth and hence, it is referred to as Hawiyyat Najm, which means "deep well of the falling star". The sinkhole is reached via handrail protected stairs. Many people were already there bathing and diving from limestone ledges. We sat in one of the secluded spots were fish nibbled away furiously at the dead skin underneath our feet. It is indeed surprising that the government has not commercially exploited this natural formation. There is neither a ticket fee nor do they charge for the cold water from the dispenser.

70 km away from the Bimmah Sinkhole is the ancient port city of Sur. Historically the city is known for being an important destination point for sailors. It had played a pivotal role in Oman’s maritime past. The shipyards of Sur still produce traditional wooden vessels.  The four defensive towers of the Sunaysilah Fort can be prominently seen from the shipyards. The Al Ayjah lighthouse is another attraction in the city of Sur. The lighthouse at its strategic location has guided many ships into and out of the Gulf of Oman trading with East Africa. When the British outlawed slave trade in the 19th century, the city went into decline, which was further affected by the opening of the Suez Canal.

Wadi Bani Khalid is about 120 km south of Sur and is one of the best-known wadis (Wadi means valley, ravine or channel which is generally dry except during the monsoon season) in the Sultanate of Oman. The earliest inhabitants of the area were Bedouin tribes. Large pools of water and boulders are scattered along the course of the wadi. Its stream maintains a constant flow of water throughout the year. We parked at the designated parking and walked a bit over rounded stones and a beaten path to reach huge boulders on which a few gazebo like structures are built.

People were seen carting cooking equipment, food and drinks to make the wadi their own for a few hours, it looked like. Young boys were reveling in diving from the handrails of a small bridge. Front flips and back flips and screwdriver jumps were all on display. We had thought of having lunch in one of the restaurants there, but were dismayed to find that there were none. The smell of delicious biriyani being served by a picknicking group further aggravated growls in the stomach.

On the way back Google Maps opened up a new route that must have been recently opened, which was only about 240 km to Al Azaiba through Romail, Ibra, Al Hayema and Bidbid. Traffic was sparse on the superbly four laned road. We were pleasantly surprised to come across a Lulu hypermarket in a relatively quiet area close to Ibra. The hypermarket was well stocked too despite the low footfalls. We were able to pick up a few things to quieten the embarrassing growls from the stomach. We polished them off in the car. We reached Binu's home much earlier than we had anticipated.

The bus to Salalah was to depart at 6 pm from the Mwasalat Bus Station in Al Azaiba. I had purchased the ticket the previous evening for OMR 8. The return fare was only OMR 12. I was tempted to book the return. I didn't finally because I did not want that to come in the way of any revisions I may have from Salalah. Meena and Binu dropped me at the bus station with about 20 minutes to go for the departure. When I was about to board the bus I realised that I had not taken my bag from Binu's car. Fortunately they had not gone far and they too had realised that I had left the bag in the car. All is well that ends well. As soon as I had deposited the bag in the bus the driver announced that it was time to leave. The seats were comfortable even though there was not enough leg room between seats. I was asked to occupy one of the rear seats. I feared that I would be thrown around, as in buses in India. However, the excellent suspension of the bus, good driving and superb roads meant that the travel was comfortable.