February 21, 2011 Jinawat to Ad Duqm

We were up and on the road back to Ash Shuwaymiyah by 7:30am. The restaurant by the gas station was open so we had the traditional breakfast of omelette with onion and tomatoes, and parotha along with tea. The local omelettes are not fat and fluffy but flat and thin usually as big as the plate. Where ever you have expatriate workers there are restaurants. With all the road works going on in the country and the fact that there are many expats from the Indian subcontinent in the fishing industry we are hoping to not have to eat our tinned food too often. After breakfast we found the illusive "route 41" heading east and south to the coast at Sawrqah. We took a side trip down to Sharbthat to see what the beach was like. Very disappointed in the beach as there were literally no shells.
As we were walking back to the car an old Toyota landcruiser goes whizzing by and the omani lady passenger waves so we wave back. Three minutes later the car is beside us we see the driver is another woman. They ask if we wanted to see their "Jrab" for sale. Always supporting local Handicrafts we followed them off to their home to see what they were talking about.

They brought out the beduin baskets with leather and we learned that a jrab is a basket for storage. There are other specific names for the baskets eg for dates it is qufer. We asked them how they were made and she demonstrated happily. Amazingly the younger one took out her cell phone and showed David pictures of her trip to Washington DC and then on to Santa Fe where she had sold her baskets. Leslie bought 2 larger bowl baskets for 7 omr each from the ladies that brought us to their home. While we were there 4 other ladies showed up with their baskets.

Further along the coast the town of Al Lakbi has a well protected marina with large dhows harbored in it. Not much shell life on the beach though. We found a gas station there and filled up. Also had lunch at the local restaurant which consisted of the local chicken. We had hoped to get fish but none was available. (Lunch cost was 1.8 omr).
We continued on checking various beaches but focusing mainly on the Rases (Ras means headland in Arabic). We walked on the beaches at Ras Khashayim, Ras Madrakah and Ras Markaz.
At Ras Markaz we walked out to talk to three Omani ladies that were collecting shells from the rocks. I approached well ahead of David to greet them so they would understand I was female. It was interesting to see that 2 of the ladies had tattoos on their faces around the corners of their mouths. I had also noted tatoos on a couple of the ladies wearing "burka" (face mask) who were selling their baskets. These ladies on the rocks were not collecting murex for incense as we thought but 3 other very common shells easy to collect at any reasonalbe tide. Leslie was shown how to collect the three specimens. One lady also used her metal harpoon to open an oyster shell. She invited us to eat but we refrained so she promptly ate it.
These last three Rases were all near the village of Madrakah which has 2 ice plants and many fishing boats. Other signs of the fishing industry were the Toyota's with big white freeze containers on the back to take the day's catch to other markets including the Emirates.
By 6:00 pm we were checking into the Ad Duqm Tourist Guest house which in its previous life had been a contractor camp, based on the rooms being in porta-cabins. Showers and rooms to be had for 35 omr including breakfast and a shower that puts water all over the bathroom floor- they have provided a squeeje so they are aware of the problem. Very expensive for what you are getting but the driver was begging not to camp. We had dinner at the restaurant to further upscale the experience and had grilled hamour and greek salad ( 15 omr) which was very good.