Thursday, December 14, 2023

Day 9: Forts and Wadis

We left Muscat heading north towards Sohar.  We rode a beautiful 8-lane highway north along the coast and next to the tallest mountains we have seen so far.  It is interesting to see this amazing infrastructure in the middle of nowhere ... build it and they will eventually come ... I guess.

We eventually got off the highway and headed West straight into the mountains to visit a few towns, forts, and canyons recommended by our friends in the Oman Bikers Club and our friend Brett in Dubai.

Our first stop was in Nakhal ... a great town nestled as the foot of the mountains on the site of a huge oasis and at the confluence of several rivers (now dry) that come our of the mountains whenever it rains.  

We visited the Nakhal Fort and then headed into the mountains alongside narrow canyons carved by Wadis (rivers).  Why so many forts around one wonders?

We eventually ended up going deep into the mountain canyons and into the Wadi Banu Awf ... a great narrow canyon, with a great road, tall walls ... a spectacular setting.  

Eventually the pavement ended and we continued on a dirt road for a few kilometers through the canyons, hills, drops, loose gravel, dust ... after a while we turned around to head back out of the canyon and onto the main road to continue our planned route for the day.

Our next stop was Rustaq to visit the largest and most impressive fort of the region ... the Rustaq Fort. We rode through the center of Rustaq on winding narrow alleys, in and around palm tree parks, old houses, old small bridges, until, in front of us, the imposing Rustaq Fort just materialized on top of a hill ...  a nice surprise and a very impressive structure.

Had lunch on a rooftop restaurant overlooking the fort and then headed to Sohar on the 8-lane highway again.  Sohar is a medium sized industrial town with a nice beach and a port.  It is in the Gulf of Oman as the gulf narrows into the Strait of Hormuz.  Interesting to realize that a large portion of the world's oil supply passes through this region ... and that Iran is just across the strait.

After checking in, a walk on the beach, and an impressive seafood dinner at the hotel, we went to bed.

Tomorrow, we head to north to Khasab which overlooks the narrowest part of the Strait of Hormuz.  It will be interesting because we will need to cross 2 borders as we go into the UAE briefly before going back into Oman.  This part of Oman is not attached to the rest of the country.

Our first glimpse of the Nakhal Fort

The main entrance to the Nakhal Fort

Chuck taking the views at the top of the fort

Wow ... this is one big oasis in the middle of Nakhal next to the mountains

Another view of Nakhal from the top or the fort

One the bedrooms inside the Nakhal Fort

Interesting sculpture made with car parts

Tall sharp mountains all around us

Inside the beast ... the famous Wadi Bani Awf canyons ... another world!

The biggest fort around these parts ... the Rustaq Fort

Lunch time ... the Fort Cafe in front of the Rustaq Fort

Derek enjoying the swing in the roof terrace overlooking the Rustaq Fort

On our way to Sohar with the mountains on our left

The pool at our hotel in Sohar ... slides?!

Our first taste of the Gulf of Oman waters

Our current location at the end of the day


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