Picnic in Yemen

After a very nice drive through the Dhofar mountains we arrived in Yemen – where if anything the scenery is more dramatic than in Dhofar.

Enjoying the Yemeni sun

on small beach we had a simple Picnic before turning around, for the drive back to Salalah.

Fortunately we managed to arrive in time for a nice dinner in town.

Colin and Graham’s Excellent Adventures – in Oman

Oman newspaper – gives coverage to Colin and Graham’s involvement in a race (bottom left

Making the Oman national newspaper – Colin Carroll & Graham Little created a stir as they did a unique double – a regional Camel Race and a local Camel Race in Oman.

Thrills and Spills in Camel Racing

On two consecutive days they joined in the quintessentially Omani pastime of Camel Racing – not as spectators as I often do – but as participants for their program ‘Colin and Graham’s Excellent Adventures’

Thrills and spills was the order of the day – but as we are sworn to secrecy you will have to watch the program on RTE and BBC – to see how they survived the gruelling desert events.

The Camel Team in Oman

Camel Racing in Oman

As a child I enjoyed Horse Riding – and occasional jumping. Though of course not as skilled as the 9 year old children who enter the show jumping events at the UK’s Pony Club I cannot recollect a serious fall.

Perhaps it was this enjoyment of riding that attracted me to Camel Racing in Oman . Though Camels don’t jump they manage most other things , including beauty competitions.

Robot Camel Jockeys

The start of this years Camel Racing Season in Oman marks a departure from previous years. The jockeys – young Bedu boys from the local communities close to the race, with all their swagger and bravado – have disappeared, to be replaced by Robots.

Authentically Omani Bedu Jockeys

I will certainly miss the cultural interest in future Camel races – and hope that the Pony Club in England doesn’t eject the English youngsters from their saddles in favour of robots.

Masirah has won the iShares Cup Champions 2009 for Oman

In an extraordinarily close finish in the last leg of the last race on the last day (just as they won the Gulf Cup in Football – nail biting) Oman Sail’s Masirah has won the “iShares Cup Champions 2009” in Almeria, Spain.

Whats even more extraordinary is that this was their first season – hopefully more to come.

What a shame the America’s Cup isnt in Oman’s waters.

Jewel of Muscat

Just before it launches I took a look at the Jewel of Muscat, the replica of a 9^th Century West Indian Ocean (Arabian Sea) boat. This is being constructed in Muscat and will sail to Singapore where it will be the focus of a Museum about the Belitung, a wreck full of Chinese merchandise .

The boat is sewn, rather than nailed together, a technique used in Oman until the mid 20^th c .

Jewel of Muscat

The Jewel uses extreme sewing – which in most boats I’ve seen was used for structurally critical parts of a boat. Probably for a long ocean voyage, between Oman and China, every part of the boat would be considered critical.