21st August 2015
Sir Hans Christian Anderson, once very correctly said, “To travel is to live”. I cannot agree more. That is why I grab any and every chance to pack my bag and get going.
Having moved to a Gulf country
recently, The Sultanate of Oman, there
are so many new places to visit and things to see. After concluding a lovely
visit to the deserts last week (http://2015/09.html),
I joined the same troop to visit another historical site of Oman followed by a
fun-filled Friday. This time it was 16 adults with the 4 kids.
We took off by 7.20a.m from Wadi
Kabir. The news on the car radio reported the temperature as 40°C. We travelled
approx. 105Km and reached The Nakhl Fort
by 8.40a.m.
The Nakhl Fort is a large fortress in the Al Batinah Region of
Oman, which dates back to the pre-Islamic era. It is built above the village
named Nakhl (an Arabic word for ‘palm’)
and overlooks vast palm orchards from which the name was derived. This fort is
said to be continuously remodeled over the years and a detailed restoration
took place in the year 1990.
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| The Nakhl Fort |
As we entered the main gate, climbed
up the stairs and turned left, we were met with a series of chambers with
wooden doors. The structure consists of many majlis (an Arabic word for a place of sitting) that displays a
range of antique weapons such as guns and swords. The castle also has a main
residential section with a series of living rooms, boys room, girls room and
also wali’s room (wali is an Arabic word for ‘Guardian’/
‘Governor’). These rooms exhibit antique belongings such as mirrors, jewelry,
crockery, old wooden chests, rickety beds and many more.
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| Majlis (an Arabic word for a place of sitting) |
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| Antique Jewelry |
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| Kitchenware |
Climbing down the stairs we saw the
castle’s jail, the mosque and the deep well located inside the dark chamber.
The squeaking bats made this chamber even creepier. A nice display of antique plates,
a grinding stone, boiler & kitchenware was seen inside the kitchen of the
castle.
Chambers within the watchtowers had wooden ladders built into the wall
that reaches to top of the tower. With the vast palm orchards against a
backdrop of a range of mountains, the view from the top of the towers was
spectacular.
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| Reaching the top of the tower |
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| Spectacular view |
Nakhl Fort is a
beautiful historical site with so many things to see for foreigners as well as
locals. But going there on a hot summer day was a not the best idea. The
scorching heat, even at such an early hour of the day, was unbearable that we
decided to dodge touring the west tower and turn back. I wished I could see
more of the fort. But unfortunately, that day, I was in the right place at the
wrong time. I’m sure this place would be more interesting and exciting for any
person visiting here during the winter.
With this
thought, we left the fort by 9.55a.m and headed to our next destination. Within
a drive of 30minutes on the highway and along a service road, we reached the Khimji Farm. After travelling along a
dusty road, entering this farm with so much green everywhere we looked, it was
truly a paradise in my eyes.
The path from
the gate was fenced with hibiscus plants, tall neem trees and many more. This farm
consisted of a green ground surrounded by tall trees and most importantly a
sheltered pool. The place was quite windy and the ideal getaway to relax after
a long week.
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| Green ground surrounded by tall trees |
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| The sheltered pool |
While the boys
started playing their cricket match, the girls headed straight to the pool. The
water was mild and nice. The match didn’t take too long and after an hour and
half everyone was in the pool. We spent almost four hours in the pool, doing
laps, collecting dive sticks, playing water games, etc. A sheltered pool when
summer is at its peak – what more can make this weekend perfect? It was a much
needed relaxing haven for all of us, and especially the kids had a great time.
Immersed in the water, we totally lost track of time. Soon, it was time for lunch.
Quite reluctantly one after the other, everyone got out of the water.
Visitors going
to the farm need to make arrangements for their meals. When the meals were brought
and everyone was ready, we sat together in an open hall for lunch. There was a
breeze in the air. After lunch, everyone sat on mats and stretched to enjoy the
tranquility.
Among many trees
and plantations in the farm, we also got the opportunity to taste nice and ripe
wood apples and pomegranates. Walking around and about the farm, I was
mesmerized to see the beautiful trees and plants. There was a beautiful garden
with white and yellow plumeria (araliya)
trees with flowers blooming in all branches. The efforts of the caretakers to
preserve this flora and greenery fighting against the nature are truly
praiseworthy.
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| Walking around and about the farm |
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| Plumeria Trees |
After a much
relaxing day, by 3.40p.m we were ready to leave. With one stop for approx. 20
minutes, we reached back to Wadi Kabir by 5.10p.m.
Thanks to this
wonderful troop I got another opportunity to experience Oman, and every trip
only makes me want to explore more of this beautiful country. People say, our
days on earth are numbered, but right now I’m filling it with uncountable
memories to cherish.
Until we meet
again…
Ma’a salama!!! (Goodbye!!!) :)
Wathsala Perera
