Nizwa

Nizwa 4 September 2009

It was an awesome feeling, seeing the bare rocky mountains, almost unbelieving that we are actually in this part of the world.. the desert!! It was a different type of beautiful scenery that I certainly have enjoyed looking and admiring. Nizwa is about 140 km from Muscat. It used to be the capital of Oman and the centre of trade between the coastal and the interior regions.

We visited Nizwa on the first week we arrived in Oman, certainly not a good time to visit during the Ramadan month as all the shops were closed during the afternoon and the whole town was really quiet when we arrived there.

Our first destination was the souq (market) and the fort. It was really hot, Eewen and Esheng certainly did not enjoy the trip due to the heat ........ We had a quick walk around the shops but not many shops were opened.

The souq is renowned for its Friday cattle auction.

Fascinating water pots that were used traditionally by the Omanis to keep water.

Grumpy faces..............!!! Behind them is the Round Tower Fort, built in the 17th century. It is the oldest fort in Oman.

At last, taking refuge with dad....from the sun under this lonely tree...

Nizwa is a fertile sea of green with an oasis of date plantations. Many ancient ruins and mud brick villages can be seen among the date palm plantations and the wadis

Fresh dates in the souq

For the first time, we are seeing date palms.

Mud brick houses

 

  

 

Al Hoota Caves is over five kilometres long and was previously reserved for experienced cavers only. The Ministry of Tourism converted the lower part of the cave into a tourist attraction. The cave is treasure trove of stalactites, stalagmites and crystals and parts of the cave has pathways and lighting system to appreciate the amazing rock formation.

Parts of the Al Hoota Cave are accessible by electrical train but unfortunately, it was not running on that day we arrived, though not a long walk to the entrance of the cave, we were not very happy because of the heat, however we had a good guided tour with lots informative explanations.

Interestingly, the main cave contains an underground lake which is inhabited by a unique species of fish-they are blind and transparent and they feed on organic matter that is transported into the cave during the floods.

We ended the tour with a warning of an incoming possible flood due to some rain on the other side of the cave. We sped to the exit as soon as possible and came out from the cave experiencing a drizzle for the first time in Oman.