The Matra Souk (Suq)
The souk was on the opposite side of the Corniche and had an ornate entrance.
Once inside there are small shops on both sides of the covered walkway. We passed shops selling souvenirs, clothes, antiques, spices and electrical goods..
Partway into the souk we came to a large area, again covered, where the shops stretched out to both our left and right. Looking up this was the ceiling over the area.
We followed the left branch out into the street beyond. We decided to turn back and walked back through the souk.
The Corniche
Once outside we crossed over the main road onto the Corniche. The temperature by now had risen and was starting to become uncomfortable as we walked away from the souk along the Corniche. Oceana was docked across the bay from the Corniche.
Anchored in the middle of the bay was this dhow.
We passed the small shelters and statues that we had seen from the ship earlier.
After a couple of hundred yards we crossed back over the road into the shade and continued our walk. We stopped once we reached a At a small group of buildings we stopped. There was a small museum which we gave a miss and we the joined fellow passengers walking back Wto the souk.
We had not planned or booked any excursions in Muscat but given the temperature we made the decision to approach one of the parked taxes and negotiate a tour.
Old Town Gate
These are the places that we were offered to visit.
The taxi driver eventually accepted €20 an hour for a short tour around Muscat.
The first place we visited was the old town gate.
We walked up the steps past the gardens onto the gate itself. To our right there were tiered lawns and flower beds. To our left was a low wall with increasing drops down to the road below.
After we had walked over the gate we could have gone into the museum but instead we asked the taxi driver to take us to the next place of interest. Here’s the view from the gate looking towards the old town…
… and towards the sea.
