DESTINATION FOCUS
of them – mixed in with a few little fi shing vessels. The sea was as calm as a millpond. This was the port of AL FUJAIRAH, one of the smaller of the seven states that make up the United Arab Emirates. The port is Al Fujairah’s raison d’être, linked by pipeline to Abu Dhabi’s vast oil and gas reserves. It seems entirely new – until you fi nd the Portuguese forts, the oldest mosque in the Emirates and a museum full of daggers and jewellery dating back 4,000 years. The next morning we are, oddly, back
in Oman. A geographical quirk means that the Musandam Peninsula is separated from the rest of the country by the UAE and is accessible only by boat. This is a breathtaking land of high, sheer mountains dropping into a fabulously blue sea. The coastline is indented with khors, or fjords, where surely Sinbad – known in his Omani homeland as Sindabad – sailed. Ap- propriately, we went exploring by dhow, seated on kilims (local brightly-coloured
a specialist on religion and peace accords in the Middle East, the other on defence and news in the region. I was blessed with a cabin on the top (sixth) deck. This was not only spacious, with a separate sitting room, masses of stor- age and a bed you can curtain off, like a draped four poster, it had its own balcon
draped four poster, it had its own balcony. Perhaps, even better, I had Eric, steward for the four cabins on the topfor the four cabins on the top deck, who looked after me as carefully as a mother with a
p
k, who looked after me as carefully as a mother with a newborn baby.
Late on the fi rst night, we sailed out of Muscat and I sailed out of Muscat and I woke to a heat haze overoke to a heat haze o er the water and a line of oil tankers – dozens
the water and a line of oil tankers – dozens
rst night, we
LOCAL ETIQUETTE To p
are e Th L
Lo Al
or w A
re
To point out the obvious – you are travelling through Muslim countries and you are expected to cover up.
This applies to both men and women and can be a challenge in the heat. Loose linen trousers and tops are ideal, and women should always take a scarf or wrap to cover heads and arms, especially for visiting mosques. A sarong is useful, too, if you need to cover up shorts. Alcohol is frowned upon generally, though it is available in some hotels and restaurants when you are away from ship.
resta
But, even in hotels, there are days when alcohol is banned. We were in Oman at the start of Eid, the late November religious holiday, when even the fi ve-star hotel where we had our fi nal meal before boarding could serve only juice or water.
Bu We
Never take a bottle and mix into your drink – you will seriously offend the locals! A few words of Arabic go a long way. Try ‘Salaam aleikum’ on meeting someone. If they greet you fi rst, the reply is ‘Wa aleikum salaam.’ ‘Shukran’ is thank you, while ‘Yalla’ means let’s go. And then there’s ‘Insha’allah’; literally ‘If God wills it,’ for when you’d really like to do something.
even serve Ne A
some Sh
In nsh Summer 2010 I WORLD OF CRUISING 39
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