From the old fashioned Souk, an open market with stalls and stalls and stalls of things to bargain for--as you can see below, Diane and Jenny were masters at this....
to Ju Ju's which Diane dubbed "The Target of Oman", we got our fill of retail.
The first floor was an enormous grocery store, a cross between Costco and a Super Stop & Shop, the second floor Target all the way. And it was CROWDED! While not high culture by any means, it sure was good people watching.
We also availed ourselves of walking on the beach and the hotel pool. In all these two days were a much needed respite, though having a "weekend" when everyone is on e-mail back in the office isn't a total rest.
Last night I had dinner with two Smith alumnae, from the classes of '79 and 83. It was an experience. We went to a local restaurant that featured Syrian cuisine - sat outside, on mats (the stray cats wandering around reminded me of Greece). The place was full of sheehas, the long water filled pipes from which people smoke flavored tobacco, and great local music. In addition to the outdoor area where we ate were tents, which were filled with men. Men in Oman don't spend much time with their families, but lots of time socializing with other men. It was completely evident here. Our meal and conversation were delightful--and we stayed until after 1:00 a.m. (the photo below taken well past my bedtime).
Arleen, from the class of '83 (on the right, above) had a great hobby--sand dune race driving. She was a proud member of the Wahiba Divas the only female sand dune racing team in Oman. They've entered the race across the desert 5 times, successfully completing on three occasions--it's a two day trek with a team of 9 members and 4 cars. This was only one of her hobbies, but the one with by far the best logo:
We were guests of The American International School of Muscat tonight for their festival of choirs, and have a day of visits tomorrow before heading to the U.A.E. The collection of international school choirs from 5 countries was delightful (and the wine not in the photo below was not served at the school, we took this picture at dinner following the concert).
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