Go with Henry: shopping

Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts

Monday, 18 June 2012

Shopping in rural Al Musannah

English Teacher in Oman

Exploring Al Musannah

Oman

December 2011 – July 2012

Background

After 3 months of living in Rustaq, we could bear it no longer. About 40 km from Rustaq, near Al Musannah, a five-star hotel, called the Millennium Beach Resort stood ready for our patronage. Built for the 2010 Asia Beach games, it was and still is a gem in rural Oman. It had apartments to rent for 400 OMR per month, and we decided to do so with or without our employer's assistance.

In order to sustainably continue our employment, we were willing to pay out of pocket. Initially, we got a studio apartment, but later due to the internet not working in our room, we were upgraded to a spacious one bedroom at no extra cost. We stayed in the hotel for 7 months until we finished our contract.

During this time we went through many ups and downs; my wife broke her ankle and I had to assist her with everything whilst at the same time preparing for my final exam for a research component for a BA (Hons) degree in Development Studies I was in the process of doing, but it made me stronger....I survived.....my wife survived.....and I passed the exam.

After my exam, I spent many hours on the beach picking up seashells or just relaxing at the infinity pool. We also explored Al Musannah with our rented Toyota Yaris and took many incredible pics of rural Omani culture, such as fishing villages, date plantation communities, camels, goats, etc.

Oman is not the most advanced place in the world, but it has a rustic authenticity unparalleled. It has fresh air, lots of sun and wide open spaces, and it's not uncommon to be noticed by locals and to be invited into their homes. The Omani's are kind, gentle people with lots of hospitality on offer.

It is, in my opinion, the best country in the Gulf to settle down and build a life, as the Omani's are very accepting and inclusive. The pace here (excluding driving) is also much slower than in the neighboring UAE.

The entrance to Makkah supermarket with ceiling painting

About Oman

Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is an Arab country on the south-eastern 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.

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 neighbours’ solely oil-dependent economies. Oman is categorized as a high-income economy (Wikipedia).

Highway - Direction Muscat

About the Millennium Resort hotel

Enjoy the best of lifestyle resort and leisure by crystal-blue waters at Millennium Resort Mussanah. Experience perfect relaxation, with panoramic views over the Hajar Mountains and the Gulf of Oman.

Marina Bay beach of the Millennium Beach Resort in Al Musannah where we lived 7 months

About Al-Musannah

Al-Musannah or Al-Musannah (Arabic: المصنعة‎) is a town in the Al Batinah Region of northern Oman. As of 2010, it had a population of 6,291 [Wikipedia].

What does the Lonely planet say about Al Musannah?

"Musannah is the home of Oman's navy, docked at Wudum naval base. Quite fittingly, then, the town has also earned itself a name as the destination of choice for nautical adventures.

Indeed, the Millennium Resort that punctuates the flat shoreline of Musannah, at the edge of the shrubby Batinah Plain was initially established to accommodate athletes during the second Asian Beach Games of 2010 and that event left behind a legacy of sailing, kayaking, and swimming that has since been supplemented with a range of other water sports, including a water park".

Omani farmer walking his camels towards the Muladdah roundabout in Al Musannah

Where is Al-Mussanah?

Map of Oman with Al Mussanah's location indicated

Shopping & eating in Al Musannah

This is the area we frequented most to shop at and eat out. This section is near Tharmad roundabout next to the main highway that runs from Muscat to Sohar.

It is about 5 km from the Millennium hotel and there are supermarkets, coffee shops, restaurants, even a KFC and Pizza Hut, if you need a break from the local cuisine.

Makkah supermarket

Entrance to Makkah supermarket

The entrance to Makkah supermarket with ceiling painting

Ansu at the cashier section of Makkah supermarket

Sweetcorn popcorn machines adorn the entrances of most Omani supermarkets

Our bottled fresh water purchases... good for a couple of weeks

Optician in the Makkah centre

Makkah shopping aisle

One of our favorite shelves

Ansu buying yoghurt

Frozen veggie section

Fruit and veg section

Shops lining the Sohar to Muscat highway - Al Musannah

A truck parked next to the highway

The side road adjacent to the highway where all the shops and restaurants are situated

Ansu with the Discount Centre across the highway

Makkah supermarket across the highway

Bus stop along the highway

Broken down trucks

Tharmad roundabout

Our rental car parked next to the highway

Omani shopfront - Al Musannah

Omani gate

Omani shopfronts - Al Musannah

Retail therapy - Discount centre for cheap bits and bobs

Tharmad roundabout during the late afternoon

Al Musannah shopfronts - November 2011

On one of our first explorations after arriving in Rustaq, we borrowed one of the teacher's car and explored Al Musannah a bit.

Omani shopfronts - Al Musannah

Omani gate - Al Musannah

Omani shopfronts - Al Musannah

To view the Millennium hotel’s rural surroundings, click here!

To view the Date plantations and fishing villages in rural Al Musannah, click here!

To view Al Musannah castles, fishing villages and shops, click here!

To view Date plantations and camels near the Muladdah roundabout in Al Musannah, click here!

To view Al Musannah coffee shops and restaurants, click here!

Sunday, 17 June 2012

Desert Roads and shopping malls - Fujairah to Dubai

English Teacher in Oman

Exploring Fujairah

16 June 2012

Background

We visited one of Eva's friends in Fujairah, one of the Emirates, just across the border from where we worked in Oman as English teachers during the 2011/2012 academic season.

We drove with Eva's car from the Millennium hotel in A'Musannah, where we lived, to Sohar about one hour away, and then onto the UAE-Oman border.

We stayed for three days at her friend's place, exploring Fujairah and visiting Dubai on our last day.

Desert highway - Fujairah to Dubai

Road trip to Dubai - Stuck in the desert

Five adults and two children squashed into an SUV and began the two-hour drive to Dubai. We wound through the mountainous region of Fujairah until we reached the straight flat road through the desert.

At one point, I as the front seat passenger saw that the radiator meter showed that the car was overheating. It was very hot outside and we were still some distance away from Dubai. We had to stop the car.

Upon inspection, we found that the radiator was empty. I had to run alongside the road begging truck drivers to stop and give us water to refill until we could reach a service station.

I had to repeat the exercise a couple of times in the blazing desert heat. Eventually, a Pakistani truck driver stopped and gave me some water. In the end, we had to leave the car at a service station and take a taxi to Dubai.

Later, after we spent the afternoon in Dubai, we had to take a taxi back to Fujairah.

Desert highway - Fujairah to Dubai

Leaving Fujeirah - Desert highway to Dubai

Desert highway - Fujairah to Dubai

Worker picking up rubbish - Desert highway, Fujairah to Dubai

Desert highway - Fujairah to Dubai

Lonesome tree

Desert lining the highway - Fujairah to Dubai

Stuck on the desert highway - Broken radiator

Stuck with a broken radiator

Desert highway - Fujairah to Dubai

Stuck with a broken radiator

We stopped here to buy water ....for us and the car.
We left the car here and ordered a taxi to take us into Dubai

Dubai

About Dubai

Dubai is the largest and most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and it is located on the south-east coast of the Persian Gulf. It is the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, one of the seven emirates that make up the country.

Abu Dhabi and Dubai are the only two emirates to have veto power over critical matters of national importance in the country's legislature.

The city of Dubai is located on the emirate's northern coastline and heads the Dubai-Sharjah-Ajman metropolitan area. It emerged as a global city and business hub of the Middle East, and is also a major transport hub for passengers and cargo.

By the 1960’s, Dubai's economy was based on revenues from trade and, to a smaller extent, oil exploration concessions, but oil was not discovered until 1966.

Oil revenue first started to flow in 1969. Dubai's oil revenue helped accelerate the early development of the city, but its reserves are limited and production levels are low: today, less than 5% of the emirate's revenue comes from oil (Wikipedia).