The Week

Im Back with The Week. This shot was taken in Baleed Archeological Site

THE WEEK

Another shot published. Taken during my visit in Salalah.

THE WEEK

One of my shots has been featured in The Week Oman and happens to be the header image here in my Blog.

Come! join me as I sway my eyes to Salalah.

Salalah is approximately 1000km from the Capital City of Oman Muscat. More or less 10hours drive and 60 minutes by air. But I wish to get there by Ferry...(that's quite interesting though)
I first encountered the word Salalah when I was working in Bahrain wayback 2008,when our office were doing a Development Tourism Project along the coast of Salalah. I came to know about the climate that emulates a tropical weather. I was not ecstatic about it since I can easily find those kind of stretched-scenery in my home country Philippines. It wasn't really a new to me but living in a Gulf Region is extremely strange and difficult to find a nice pocket of natural greens, caves and wadis(rivers). It is some kind of adventure in the eyes and soul~ indeed its everything ...I can't really remember how many times I uttered "WOW".

Note: I'm doing some editing of scripts later :-j enjoy!!!

Almost there

For almost 11 hours on the surrealistic 200km/hr road the sun has to set and 30 minutes before reaching the City of Salalah was a dramatic with a very delicate sundown in between hills.
Farmlands on the otherhand engulfed by an eloquent farm-fences-silhouettes on my right and sideroad bushes in my left that gives me thrill of how majestic my foot will be stepping on.

Welcoming with a mist and a luscious green hills

When approaching the city in an uphill road, I was really struck with the beauty of the hills wrapped with a thin layer of mist and as we go along it became thicker and thicker with more or less 10% visibility... and it came to my thought of Baguio City or Tagaytay City in the Philippines . But I embarrased myself and disappointed

because I was not expecting a natural beauty beyond what I expected. The goosebumps made my vacation special and worthwhile.

A view from uphill before reaching the City of Salalah

When we finally reached the apex, you can see the City. Its undeniably a breathtaking scene. A well lit Roads of cross line of lights are just floating like an unending gateway...is simply awesome. I mean "AWESOME".

Dhofar Hotel (and some angles from my room)

I checked-in in Dhofar Hotel in the heart of the city its a 3-star hotel in a single bed. Quite nice for the price. The room is carpeted with basic amenities like cupboard, a TV set, a fridge and a dresser. Staffs are accomodating as well, the food they serve is tasty, though they got my order twice wrong. I just can't justify why they charge too much for a regular (small) cup of coffee. Anyway, my stay there was nice.

The last image was taken before I left the hotel...it was raining then...it was the last thing I wished before I leave at least... it came true.

Camel Spotting

Around 8:00am when we left our hotel after breakfast (left over from my dinner) It was the first hour of site seeing seems to be a reminder that you're still in the Gulf region...courtesy of the Camels roaming around...otherwise you'll think of a tropical country. Wading the clean streets...and ohhh...there are lots of round-abouts which are properly landscaped... is a plus...but those alone you'll not be bored indeed.
(A camel is an even-toed ungulate within the genus Camelus, bearing distinctive fatty deposits known as humps on its back. There are two species of camels: the dromedary or Arabian camel has a single hump, and the Bactrian camel has two humps. They are native to the dry desert areas of West Asia, and Central and East Asia, respectively. Both species are domesticated to provide milk and meat, and as beasts of burden.)

Wadi Darbat

Wadi Darbat seems to be the most see-tourist destination. The road heading there is uphill-downwhill so theres no reason not to enjoy the scenery of the green mountains that surrounds the area. It is like a fantasy land with the absence of Fairies and Dwarfs to that effect...but you need to bring a fly repellent lotion because you might end up with insect bites (i had bites, lots of bites). The stretch of the road is properly fenced like a ranch (steel)...but it would have been better if they used wood or a wooden effect that would be more country side setting but nonetheless its perfect in any angle. By the way there are fragments of happy family/group of friends that invades some of the areas because of the KITES hanging and making swoosh in the trees.

Sinkhole at Tawi Atayr

This Sinkhole is somelike 100 meters deep and 500m in diameter. And we were told that there are water features on its bed which I'd love to see but unfortunately we were not able to make to its deep (lot of people shouting and enjoying echoes) because it was too steep to get down and tiring to get up...we just gave an eye to it.
(Sinkholes are erosional landforms, a closed depression that arises in the events ground water dissolves limestone, then an overburden falls into a gap, They are typical of karst.)

Cow Spotting on our way to Jabal Samhan

Along our way to Jebel Samhan we spotted a group of Cow which makes a mark in my mind about the great scenery of New Zealand and Batanes in Philippines (not to compare though). Theres a lot of things that eyes can't tell in many ways.

Ayn Tabraq Springs

Embraced and gripped with a forest, plants of different variety, a very calm clean spring, and a beautiful cave engraved with stalactite and stalagmite formation. What i really like is the stones covered with fungi and mosses...you can just feel the natural setting it offers.

Jabal Samham

Jebel Samhan is the Highest Peak in the Dhofar Region...the almost 360 degrees scenery overlooking the Indian Ocean and a vast plains of greeneries is a force to reckon how such a heaven has been made. Threre are some bushes and plants living, but just be careful of some of it- are poisonous...I was pinned with a thorn while doing my shoot and I ended up with a swollen finger. We stayed there for about 20 minutes. Just be very careful and watch your steps ...it is really tempting to stand on the edge -90 degrees and about 2000m hight cliff (maybe some people do, and you can't even look at them) that a strong wade of wind might just push you to fall. (bungee jumping?)

Ayn Athoon

Ayn Athoon has a nice almost dry springs. Actually we went there without knowing that there are hidden springs. There is also a free standing (i call it) spring surrounded with a manmade fence with a large tree shading on it. It is not an eye catching for me because I prefer natural wonder than of manmade (kids/adults loves to play on it though.)

Ayn Sahalnoot

This is one of my favourite place but i hate the flies. Nice formation of stalactites and stalagmites, of course natural stone formations is present . Unfortunately no waterfalls which probably bends on the spring where kids swims. Do not be fooled with the bluish-greenish color...its not that deep...kids love it.