The love of colour

It's clear that the human animal loves colour. This family of young Omani girls (all sisters) shows how women all over the world love to dress up and decorate themselves. 

The cleaner at the royal palace # 7/2012

Another shot taken in Muscat at the white marble colonnade in the ceremonial palace.

Musandam Blues # 6/2012

I am not making many postings at the moment (good reasons, so nothing to worry about) but nevertheless I have, during this "quiet time", picked up yet another watcher. Amazing!).


Here, again is a photo from Oman, not Richmond. Sorry.  It's not tweaked. (Well only a tiny bit).  This is more or less exactly as I saw it and how the camera captured it. Wonderful.


Musandam is the rocky, mountainous, area at the very northern tip of Oman which, though tiny, resembles "Norway in the sunshine", by virtue of the deep sea fiords that cut into the steeply rising mountains. Musandam forms one side of the Straights of Hormuz and Iran is only 30 miles (a 45 minute trip in a smuggler's speed boat) away across the water.


The straights are the main waterway for the giant tankers exiting from the Gulf oil fields and are the prowling ground for powerful warships of opposing navies of nervous antagonistic world powers.


For tourists, Musandam is a place to see the remnants of very ancient lost civilisations where early man lived his primitive life in a totally different and somewhat damp climate!  Today it is a dry desert. It is also a place to see Dolphins, dive to see wonderful fish, and to meet pleasant, amusing Omanis, full of fun and courtesy: a place where the men rub noses when they meet. For Westerners this is an hilarious thing to see!!


This photo catches the dawn as it rises out of the East and climbs above the rocky peaks of the Musandam mountains that are so typical of Oman.

The whole model # 5/2012

Some of you expressed admiration - rightly so. Here is a snap of the whole model.

The model maker - the Omani sailing dhow # 4/2012

The legendary sailor, Sindhbad, was an reputedly an Omani, who voyaged far and wide to exotic places and had astounding adventures.


The legendary voyages of the real sailors of Oman were no less exotic, and the traditional dhows are still built. The only difference is a diesel engine inside a fine, seaworthy, traditionally styled wooden hull.


The dhow yard at Sur still builds these beautiful ships.  They also make wonderful models worth thousands of pounds. Here's a snap showing a builder completing a magnificent model; no doubt being built to order.

Another hummingbird # 3/2012

This time another tiny little hummingbird of a different colour. They flit and twitter through the leaves, so small and hard to spot.

The desert sands

International air travel gives more and more the opportunity to see these scenes for themselves, and magazines frequently show such pictures. Nevertheless I longed to capture such a photo for myself. Here is one, taken in the sandy desert area of Oman known as Wahaiba sands.

The Hummingbird # 1/2012

"It's been a long time" as the Frenchman says in the old Cointreau advert.

I've been away in Oman (again, as last year) and brought this back.  There were hummingbirds in the garden and I had to be smart and get the timing right. They (there was this one and an irrridescent blue one) appeared at around 09.30 in the morning. The snap succeded.  It was worth waiting and watching.

Muscat Moments 27 - # 23/2011

.......and goodbye to Muscat.

Muscat Moments 26 - # 22/2011

We're close to the end of Muscat Moments. There are only a few more days to run.

This pleasant tray of traditional coffee pot, bowl and wicker fly cover for plates of food is on display at the castle of Nakhal. Doesn't it look pretty?

Muscat Moments 24 - # 20/2011

The last quick snap from the "jaunt in the jebel":  a village lady in colourful traditional clothes carries a bundle of crops on her head towards the aged 4.0 litrewhite Toyata pick-up. In the foreground is a white plastic water tank looking like a a typical Omani watch tower with its crenelations around the top.

Muscat Moments 23 - # 19/2011

"A jaunt in the jebel - 2"...................a close up view of the terraces showing the thick, green crop. On the right the water distribution channels and in the background the harsh rocky crags and precipices of the mountain range.

Muscat Moments 22 - # 18/2011

"A jaunt in the jebel"...........a village at around 2,200 meters high in the Jebel Akhdar (the Akhdar Mountain chain): over the years the villagers have laboriously constructed a huge series of terraces on which they grow their crops.  There is plentiful moisture and running water is distributed via an ingenious system of water channels that serve the terraces. Today, main sewerage and mains water pumping systems are being installed under the narrow alleys between the houses. Electricity comes via a chain of pylons built across the ridges and gulleys of the mountains. Mobile phone reception is perfect.

Muscat Moments 5 - # 1/2011

Landing the catch...............an Indian trader discusses the catch with the fisherman who is wearing a typical Omani turban.  The fish will be walked up the beach to the market. The blue Arabian Sea forms the background.


Wishing you all a very good 2011.........

Muscat Moments 4 - # 118/10

"Trading Off-Souk"............a tricky shot with extremes of light to cope with.  Looking out from the main covered Souk (naturally cool and shaded from the sun) we glimpse little alleys leading away, absolutely drenched in brilliant sunshine. I tried several shots and this seemed to work best for the blog.  Photography is often a bargaining trade-off, just like haggling with a long-experienced market trader. I was won over by an expert who knew his cricket and told me the latest news about England absolutely thrashing the s*** out of Australia to secure the Ashes. Having hooked me he gracefully let me beat him down on his price, but I most likely still paid way too much...."stoopid white-man",


We are in the Souk in the old, original harbour area of the original trading port of Muscat, home of the legendary Sindbad the Sailor who was, according to tradition and legend, an Omani seafaring man.   


Right now I say......."If you can manage to travel to Muscat, then DO. You won't regret it, and the Sultanate of Oman will welcome you warmly".

Muscat Moments 3 - # 117/10

I get the feeling that Oman might be a bird watcher's delight.  I don't know the name of this bird, but there are lots around.  They have an attractive song and flocks congregate where cafe terraces and hotel buffets provide plenty of scraps from the tables. This is a lively, good looking, attractive bird. Its feathers subtley change colour as they move across the body and this makes them very pleasant, welcome neighbours that please the eye, and a good subject for the wild life photographer - which I am not.

Muscat Moments 2 - # 116/10

The Omani camel.  This is definitely the preferred way to travel. Don't you just love their little "teddy bear style" ears and curly coats?  Giant 4x4 cars might get agressive with a Nissan Sunny from Thrifty rentals, but they won't mess with a camel.


It's now noon and hot, so having been out since 08.30 I'm back indoors and going to sleep till 15.30. The Indian workmen laying paving stones and building things will toil on regardless.