English Teacher in Oman
Exploring Jebel Shams & Wadi Ghul
Oman 2008-2009
Background
Upon our arrival in Ibri as teachers of the Ibri COAS, my colleagues and I made an effort to explore the area as quick as possible. Oman is the most underestimated jewel in the world, from a tourism perspective. I remember when I told people that I'm going to Oman, they did not even know there was a country named Oman.
We rented cars and that gave us a lot of freedom and mobility to explore. Some of the most scenic spots relatively close to us were Jebel (Which is Arabic for mountain) Shams (sunshine) and Wadi (dry riverbed) Ghul. We visited Jebel Shams by car and took some lovely pics of the views. A bunch of the male teachers decided later on in 2009 to do the Wadi Ghul hike. It turned out to be an extremely tough hike climbing the mountains and the extreme heat made this a climb of endurance.
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Ruins on the Wadi Ghul hike
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About Oman
Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is an Arab country on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula. Holding a strategically important position at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, the country shares land borders with the United Arab Emirates to the northwest, Saudi Arabia to the west, and Yemen to the southwest, and shares marine borders with Iran and Pakistan. The coast is formed by the Arabian Sea on the southeast and the Gulf of Oman on the northeast. The Madha and Musandam exclaves are surrounded by the UAE on their land borders, with the Strait of Hormuz (which it shares with Iran) and the Gulf of Oman forming Musandam's coastal boundaries.
From the late 17th century, the Omani Sultanate was a powerful empire, vying with Portugal and Britain for influence in the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean. At its peak in the 19th century, Omani influence or control extended across the Strait of Hormuz to modern-day Iran and Pakistan, and as far south as Zanzibar (today part of Tanzania, also former capital). As its power declined in the 20th century, the sultanate came under the influence of the United Kingdom.
Historically, Muscat was the principal trading port of the Persian Gulf region. Muscat was also among the most important trading ports of the Indian Ocean. Oman is an absolute monarchy. The Sultan Qaboos bin Said al Said has been the hereditary leader of the country since 1970. Sultan Qaboos is the longest-serving current ruler in the Middle East, and sixth-longest current reigning monarch in the world.
Oman has modest oil reserves, ranking 25th globally. Nevertheless, in 2010 the UNDP ranked Oman as the most improved nation in the world in terms of development during the preceding 40 years. A significant portion of its economy is tourism and trade of fish, dates, and certain agricultural produce. This sets it apart from its neighbors’ solely oil-dependent economies. Oman is categorized as a high-income economy (Wikipedia).
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| Ansu and I near Jebel Shems, October 2008 (Our first photo as a couple) |
Visiting Jebel Shams - 2008
Jebel Shams (mountain of the sun) is a mountain located in north-eastern Oman north of Al Hamra town. It’s the highest mountain in the country and part of the Al Hajar Mountains range. It is a popular sightseeing area located 240 km from Muscat. In the summer, the temperature is around 20 °C and in the winter it drops to less than 0 °C (Wikipedia).
Drive towards Jebel Shams - Vantage point stop
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| Village & agriculture in wadi - Scenery on our drive towards Jebel Shams |
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| Village & agriculture in wadi - Scenery on our drive towards Jebel Shams |
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| Village & agriculture in wadi - Scenery on our drive towards Jebel Shams |
Up a mountain pass towards Jebel Shams
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| Up against this hill with 2 Nissan Tiida, filled with teachers |
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| Dirt road mountain pass |
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| Then the rain came |
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| Stopping to admire the view |
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| Stopping to admire the view |
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| Ansu posing in the rain |
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| Posing in the rain |
Jebel Shams
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| Jebel Shams - Jonathon Fowler at a vantage point |
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| Bedouin Curios for sale - Ansu looking checking out the merchandise |
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| Bedouin Curios for sale |
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| Steve at another vantage point |
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| Ansu at a vantage point overlooking the gorge |
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| The gorge below |
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| The gorge below |
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| Bedouin tent - Jebel Shams mountain resort |
Hiking at Wadi Ghul - 2009
Ghul or Wadi Ghul is an abandoned village, located to the northwest of Al Hamra in Oman. The area is referred to as the "Omani Grand Canyon" or "The Grand Canyon of Arabia". It is near Jebel Shams, the highest mountain peak in Oman (Wikipedia).
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| At Wadi Ghul |
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| Bedouin kid selling trinkets to tourists |
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| Bedouin kid selling trinkets to tourists |
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| Bedouin kid selling trinkets to tourists |
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| Start of the hike into the mountain - Ruins with Omani flag |
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| Ruins along the hike |
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| View of the wadi where we started |
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| View of the wadi where we started |
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| View of the wadi where we started |
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| Posing - higher up the mountain |
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| The terrain we had to walk on - higher up the mountain |
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| Rocky outcrop |
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| Farook, a colleague and fellow South African, during the climb |
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| When we came down, these village kids greeted us |
To view my experiences as an English Teacher in Ibri, click here!
