A Travelogue
Masirah Island: Captivating
By Amy Luz U. Catalan
(In the maiden edition of “The Mirror”, the official newsletter of the English Language Center of Nizwa College of Technology edited by Prof. S. B. Flamenia, Prof. T. H. Finken, Jr., and Prof. S. Prem)
Last October 18, 2014, I woke up at 3 in the morning and readied myself for the trip. The first thing that I checked was my camera. Since coming to Oman, this gadget became a necessity for me-what with all the lovely sights of mountains, deserts, and seas all displaying their various colors and shapes to my unbelieving eyes. The first photos that I took on that day were the phases of sunrise that welcomed a new day of adventure and fun. For the rest of the trip, I filled my camera with moments and images of beauty-both physical and ethereal. Except for the delayed departure from Nizwa, because a friend overslept, everything else went great. The weather cooperated and the day started with a positive vibe. I prepped myself for what awaited me in Masirah Island!
As I later discovered, the island is located in the Sharqiyah region where the mountains, desert, and oceans meet. As magical as it sounds, the region is home to beautiful wadis-one of which is Wadi Bani Khalid, the never-ending stretch of the golden desert called the Wahiba Sands, and the famous turtle beach, among the many.
As soon as we reached the Sharqiyah region, everybody became excited and checked out the signs that pointed to our destination- the Shannah ferry terminal-where ferries ply the nautical route from the mainland to Masirah Island. Just before reaching the port, a white crystal-like landscape caught our attention so we went out of the rented van to check it out. It was salt. As we reached the spot, everybody took photos and posed beside it. And soon enough, we touched the grains and took more photos of the white expanse than our lens could take. After all, where could you find a salt bed in the middle of the desert, of crystal-clear seawater meeting the golden desert sand? How wonderful it was to look at the tiny crystals glinting under the heat of the sun!
We chattered as we took more photos that our driver reminded us that we had to leave soon. We were running out of time as we still had to catch the ferry, and upon reaching the island, we needed time enough to look for a suitable spot to set camp.
As we waited for our vehicle to be boarded, we sat outside the only coffee shop at the terminal and observed all that was happening and who was coming and going. Most of the passengers were Omanis. Some were fellow expats who were on a holiday like us. The Omanis were probably businessmen who ply their trades from and to the island since they drove pick-ups with huge containers on the back. We met some of them and they gamely posed for photos with us- on the terminal with the ferry as background and inside the captain’s deck. They were very friendly and eager to socialize, and we never had a difficult time exchanging queries with them. They conversed with us in their typically warm and humorous way. And I guess, minds and interests met as my friends equaled their neverending playful banter.
The “uneventful” ferry ride took more than an hour. While we lined up along the boat rails and watched out for anything that moved in the waters, the stories became scarce and we began to silently await the sight of the island. Then excitement filled the air for a few minutes when we saw a tortoise with its orange head, popping up and down the waves. Silence again. After almost like an eternity of staring at the clear blue waters and the occasional humorous stories, somebody from our group heaved a sigh of relief while we turned our heads in the direction of the island. Over the horizon, a strip of brown land appeared thinly at first, then it became a huge landmass with structures and buildings that could be seen from afar. We chorused “At last!” and moved like one body as we pointed our cameras to the island-a bunch of amateur paparazzi wanting to capture the perfect moment.
As soon as we docked, the gentle ocean breeze and thoughts of driving around the island and seeing the long stretch of wild sandy beaches and the crystal-clear blue waters re-animated us. One of our stops brought us to the ruins of what used to be a dhow- a traditional Omani fishing boat. It was a sight to behold! The wooden ruins proved to be something more than just a pile of wood. It became a piece of artwork as we shot from different angles. When we got exhausted from posing and clicking, we proceeded to our next itinerary-- crabbing! Only the men went out to catch crabs, which they accomplished, and they brought back almost 3 kilos for our dinner. Since it was almost four in the afternoon, we started planning for our next meal and someone suggested going “fishing” to complete the beach-themed dinner that we planned since leaving Nizwa. It was impossible to catch fish late in the afternoon so we determinedly set out to the men who unloaded fish from their boats. It was nearly sunset when we reached that beach. While we stood there waiting for our “catch”, the place became flooded with bright lights and shadows from the setting sun. Seagulls flew around as they circle the boats for their supper. It was a beautiful sight! And it probably inspired the owner of the pick-up where the fish were being loaded because he just gave us two large pieces for free! We felt lucky as we drove away and went back to our camp - mightily proud of our “catch” and ready to cook and eat a sumptuous dinner of crabs, fish, chicken adobo, and rice.
Perfect! It was the best dinner ever. The moon shone brightly. We sat around our meal. We talked and laughed, and shared stories of the day how some crabs were caught, how some of the crabs bit, how big and juicy the grilled fish was, and so many more anecdotes that we enjoyed hearing from each other. We played cards after dinner until we all got exhausted.
On the following day, we went for a brief swim to feel the warm seawater on our skin. Then it was time to move on. We all fell silent on our way back to the port and the mainland. I doubted that it was because of the heat and exhaustion. I believed that we all felt a little sad because we left behind a paradise- a place where we could enjoy being with friends for some good old-fashioned fun and adventure.
Masirah Island was a lovely experience. It offered a generous take on nature and people. I’d always believed Oman to be beautiful, and so far, I hadn’t been proven wrong.
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