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Oman - Day 9 Nizwa
Don left us and we checked out of the hotel and a bus with driver and guide picked us to take us into the interior to the city of Nizwa. We drove out of the city past the huge mountains. I had a friend that worked at a gas station in a little village on the way and I had hoped to stop and ask if the people currently working there knew her. I thought the station was after the village but it was before so we past it :( sad sinking feeling...and it is too hard to turn around on these roads and we were in a hurry to get to the animal market. We did stop at another one and people enjoyed the squatty potties-they don't bother me and at a gas station I prefer them as there is nothing to touch, but others had a squealing time every time. We made it to Nizwa in time for the Animal Market which is a weekly occurrence where people from villages all over bring in their camels, goats, cows, etc to sell. It was crowded with men, a few village women and a good number of tourists all dressed horribly for such a conservative city and on their holy day too. 
And it was Friday everything closed at 11, so after we stood and watched the animals parading by and doing animal like things, our guide directed us to the souq where the shopping wasn't fun because with so many tourists prices had gone up and they were interested in bargaining, I did buy three Omani themed Christmas ornaments for myself. I have about 10 pictures of me with friends or family members in front of these pots in the Nizwa souq!
Then we had to quickly go to the fort before it closed. There was a short video, then we went in the turret (past 'murder holes' as the sign called the holes where they would drop boiling honey on advancing tribes) to enjoy the view over the city which is an oasis of date palms in the middle of the mountains. Then we went into the new museum part of the fort with a timeline, Omani clothes and handicrafts, a part was even air conditioned! 
We enjoyed their nice bathrooms with choices of squatty or western, I think I was the only one who chose squatty before going to lunch. Above is the ladies sign.
Don left us and we checked out of the hotel and a bus with driver and guide picked us to take us into the interior to the city of Nizwa. We drove out of the city past the huge mountains. I had a friend that worked at a gas station in a little village on the way and I had hoped to stop and ask if the people currently working there knew her. I thought the station was after the village but it was before so we past it :( sad sinking feeling...and it is too hard to turn around on these roads and we were in a hurry to get to the animal market. We did stop at another one and people enjoyed the squatty potties-they don't bother me and at a gas station I prefer them as there is nothing to touch, but others had a squealing time every time. We made it to Nizwa in time for the Animal Market which is a weekly occurrence where people from villages all over bring in their camels, goats, cows, etc to sell. It was crowded with men, a few village women and a good number of tourists all dressed horribly for such a conservative city and on their holy day too. 
And it was Friday everything closed at 11, so after we stood and watched the animals parading by and doing animal like things, our guide directed us to the souq where the shopping wasn't fun because with so many tourists prices had gone up and they were interested in bargaining, I did buy three Omani themed Christmas ornaments for myself. I have about 10 pictures of me with friends or family members in front of these pots in the Nizwa souq!
Then we had to quickly go to the fort before it closed. There was a short video, then we went in the turret (past 'murder holes' as the sign called the holes where they would drop boiling honey on advancing tribes) to enjoy the view over the city which is an oasis of date palms in the middle of the mountains. Then we went into the new museum part of the fort with a timeline, Omani clothes and handicrafts, a part was even air conditioned! 
We enjoyed their nice bathrooms with choices of squatty or western, I think I was the only one who chose squatty before going to lunch. Above is the ladies sign.
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