!!!From a posh hotel in Muscat to desert fortifications

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Note: All pictures were taken in 2005 and can be freely used with the mentioning "Foto: H. Maurer, Austria-Forum".

This first part shows the lobby of the hotel with a view of the ocean, and then a visit of Nizwa some 180 km inland, in the process climbing a pass of 2200 m near Jebel Akbar peak with over 3000 m.
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[{Image src='110.jpg' caption='Foto: H. Maurer' alt='From Muscat into the desert' class='image_block' height='250' width='333'}]
[{Image src='120.jpg' caption='Foto: H. Maurer\\In the Lobby of the Hotel' alt='From Muscat into the desert' class='image_block' height='250' width='333'}]
[{Image src='130.jpg' caption='Foto: H. Maurer\\Blick auf das Meer vor dem Hotel. Der Swimmingpool war einladender' alt='From Muscat into the desert' class='image_block' height='250' width='375'}]
[{Image src='140.jpg' caption='Foto: H. Maurer\\En route to Nizwa' alt='From Muscat into the desert' class='image_block' height='250' width='333'}]
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[{Image src='300.jpg' caption='Foto: H. Maurer' alt='From Muscat into the desert' class='image_block' height='250' width='333'}]
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Driving from Nizwa to [Bahla|http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/433] an Jabrin, we see friendly children smiling curiously  at us and visit  the only souq (=market) under UNESCO world heritage.
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[{Image src='400.jpg' caption='Foto: H. Maurer\\Roadsign warns of flooding' alt='From Muscat into the desert' class='image_block' height='240' width='320'}]
[{Image src='410.jpg' caption='Foto: H. Maurer\\Horses crossing!' alt='From Muscat into the desert' class='image_block' height='250' width='333'}]
[{Image src='420.jpg' caption='Foto: H. Maurer\\Yes, even numbers are different' alt='From Muscat into the desert' class='image_block' height='250' width='333'}]
[{Image src='430.jpg' caption='Foto: H. Maurer\\If you cannot see much of the stick you know the depth of water you have to cross in case of flooding' alt='From Muscat into the desert' class='image_block' height='250' width='333'}]
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Tanuf (on the way back to Muscat) has the ruins of many old clay-houses in  a village that was completely destroyed by bombs in the fight of the British on behalf ot the then Sultan in 1956 against the "Jebel Akhdar rebels". Simplified grossly, those rebels were a group of tribes supported by Saudi Arabia against the Sultan ruling the coast. To understand it fully, read the [Story of the Jebel Akdar rebels|Geography/Asia/Oman/Special_Information].


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