Oman: Turtles, Karak Tea, Warm Seas and a Change of Heart
Much like Cyprus, the run-up to my Omani adventure was full of tension and uncertainty linked to Trump and Israel’s war on Iran, and the angry Iranian reaction all over the Gulf. While Oman’s capital, Muscat, was never attacked during the Iranian onslaught, a couple of its ports were bombed. Therefore, the trip only became certain when the plane took off from Istanbul and lurched towards the edge of the Strait of Hormuz. My companion for these travels was an old friend, Jonathan from Norfolk, who visited me on Siargao Island and Ayoke in 2014 and with whom I’d kept in touch across the years. He’d felt particularly low through the dark English winter and had surprisingly accepted my invitation to join me as a practical way of lifting his spirits for a few days at least. Actually, the trip began with a 12-hour stopover in Turkey’s capital, where I got to show Jonathan around a city I’ve visited a few times over the past couple of decades. The day started with a train/ferry combinat...