Day 10: Two Border Crossings

We left Sohar after a great buffet breakfast at our hotel with a nice view of the ocean. Our plan was to take the coastal road all the way north to the tip of Oman which is also the narrowest point of the Strait of Hormuz.

A beautiful leisurely ride just enjoying the scenery, the culture. and the ocean on the right ... we saw cell towers disguised as palm trees, a 10-story wall with a waterfall coming down from its side, lots of roundabouts (they are so efficient, I wonder why we don't use them more at home).

Today, we had to cross two borders because the tip of the Oman peninsula belongs to Oman but it is not attached to the rest of the country ... just like Dubrovnik in Croatia ... so we had to cross into the UAE and then back into Oman as we made our way North ... the process was uneventful and relatively easy ... both borders where only about 100 miles apart. 

Once back on the Oman side ... it felt like we were home again ... I guess 10 days in a country makes you feel like you get it and that you understand it ... a nice feeling.  The UAE felt a bit strange ... definitely wealthier and a little more uptight ... and a little more franchise-crazy.

The final stretch of road on the Oman side was absolutely magnificent with spectacular views of steep cliffs dropping straight down into the ocean with the road just skirting and clinging to the sides somehow.  Wow!

Khasab, our destination for today, is a small town at the very tip of Oman that finds itself also at the very narrowest point of the Strait of Hormuz ... unimaginable amounts of oil go through here to the fastest corners of the world ... Iran is only 40 miles across from where we are.

Our hotel as at the top of a hill overlooking the strait, the cliffs, and the ocean below.  Great views.  After some juices and some snacks on the balcony, we headed down the hill to the center of Khasab to go for a walk and see a few things ... the souq, the big mosque, the people.

Tomorrow is a rest day in Khasab ... maybe we will do a boat ride to the fjords around here, maybe a ride on the longest over-water zip line in the world, maybe just chill and recover before our final ride to Dubai the day after.

Our bikes parked at the entrance of our hotel in Sohar

Took the coastal road all the way north ... the city gates right before Kalba

Our first border crossing of the day ... from Oman to UAE

That sign is supposed to say that this lane is special?

Made it through the first always-interesting border crossing

The UAE definitely feels different ... wealthier and more developed

Stopped as this coffee shop in Umbrella Beach in Fujairah, UAE

Our host and friend Nasir from Pakistan ... great coffee and juices 

Our first break of the day ... in the UAE

Found this whole in the wall Pakistani restaurant for lunch ... amazing

A good spicy Pakistani lunch

Getting back into Oman ... border gate

Wow ... this final part of today's ride was incredible ... cliffs on the right, blue ocean on the left, and up and down turns and switchbacks on perfect pavement

Our first glimpse of the Khasab area at the very tip of Oman right on the Strait of Hormuz

We just went through nice steep switchbacks to get through that mountain

We made it!!

The longest zip line over water in the world ... departs right from our hotel in Khasab

The terrace from our hotel in Khasab

Fishing boats here and there

A praying group next to our hotel on a hill

The "intrepid 4" : )

A view of one of the roads from our hotel balcony

Came down from our hotel's hilltop to check out the Sultan Qaboos Mosque in the center of Khasab

The shopping area in the center of Khasab