Jabal Akhdar literally means Green Mountain, although anyone from Vermont might raise an eyebrow or two at the rather tenous connection between the name and the color of the landscape. It's all relative: compared with most other parts of Oman, these mountains are indeed green, or sort of anyway. Because the mountains rise to almost 10,000 feet here, they offer spectacular scenery. There are magnificent views on the drive up the unpaved road, and Anna has now decided that she quite likes the thrill of driving up narrow mountain roads. Because much of the mountain is under military control, it's necessary to get a permit to visit. There is a lovely new hotel at about 7,000 feet and we stayed there overnight to give us a chance to explore the region. At this elevation the temperature is delightful, and at night we even felt a little cold (again, that's a relative term). There are quite a few villages up here, taking advantage of the relatively wet, cool climate. Some of them are perched on the mountain side and all of the agriculture occurs on narrow terraces, visible in the second picture. The farmers here grow an astonishing variety of fruits and even roses. We took the picture of the four girls in a tiny settlement that we ended up in after getting lost. This being Oman, we were invited out of the car and offered coffee and dates and asked questions about everything on earth (Alasdair's Arabic really comes in handy at such times). The four girls hovered around the periphery, since this is still a segregated society. When you look at their colorful dresses, you can understand why Anna wants very much to dress like an Omani girl.
CLICK TO ENLARGE AND SCROLL VERTICAL IMAGES
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|