You see, we were in Jackson, WY this past Fall, on our way to visit Grand Teton Brewery (and eventually onto our quest for a local huckleberry milkshake). Immediately after passing into Idaho, we were stopped on the quasi-highway by a ranch-hand. He motioned for us to slow down/stop. It is one of those weird moments in life where you either gun-it, or you stop. We decided to stop. What could possibly happen? We were captive observers in our rental car as (I swear) a 500 head sheep herd surrounded our vehicle. Eric simply stuck his Blackberry out of the sunroof, and captured a shot wherein all pairs of eyes were upon us. It was a picture we sent to close friends, giggled about the rest of the day, and relished in the obscure moment we had been placed in.
When we arrived home, we thought to enter the picture in a monthly contest for Budget Travel. Mainly because, the prior month's winner was some loser who found hot sauce on a shelf. And we wispered to ourselves, 'hot sauce? really? why don't we submit the sheep picture.'
And here we are. We won. A nine day tour of Oman. In the Middle East, on the Arabian Penninsula.
If you are like me, maybe you've heard of Oman. It sounds fairly far, right? We had one friend who I recalled had visited Oman in the past on business. But business is different than pleasure. We ordered every tour book Amazon willingly sold. Most are written from a UK-perspective, which is fine, but gives a bigger indication that not many Americans consider it vacation-worthy. Why?
The more I read and researched, the more exciting it has become. The people are welcoming, hospitable, and go out of their way to be stewards of the Middle East.
I learned that you must always accept at least 3 cups of coriander-brewed coffee from your host; less is considered rude. I learned to never show the underside of your feet during a meal. Always eat with your right hand, sans utensils. They are a proud nation, in which infrastructure has only been built and created in the past 30 years by the Sultan. Visitors and tourists are welcome, and they respect your religious views, whether based on Islam or not. People "of the book" are all considered equally. This is quite the different view than, say, Fox News Channel would like to push down your gullet during the 7:00 p.m. nightly news.
This trip becomes much more than the prize. Maybe the award from Budget Travel is really understanding a culture and a people that we had not considered in the past. A land where smiles are more prevelant than hatred. Or is the prize that Eric and I find a bit of ourselves in the Omanis? That we can relate to them on a simple laugh, or a wink? It is a chance to become ambassadors for the United States (yes, we are not all haters). An opportunity for Eric and I to grow as travelers, and not be so entrenched in 'how many shoes do I need' or 'ten t-shirts for twenty dollars' type of traveling we have done in the past.
We camp in the Wahabi desert for three nights. Certainly a challenge for a 'city girl' but one that I face head-on with spirit and humor. How many of you have dug your own poop hole? I didn't think so! But under a star-filled sky, with a belly full of grilled lamb and stories by a firepit, it is expected to be one of the most life-changing vacations of my life.
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