It was a weekend in Doha, the site of the 2022 World Cup, and time spent at Pearl Qatar, amongst other things, when we last checked in with one of Black Entrepreneur’s See the World, BE the Future scholarship recipients, Jordan.
As the days dwindle down on his study abroad program, Jordan made himself a goal to do some final adventurous things before leaving. Particularly, like seeing more countries in the area. So he took a weekend trip with the same group of friends to Oman, “the Arizona of the Middle East”, a country right under the UAE.
Guys wearing Omani Kuma hats, popular in Oman.
The group spent three hours at customs, finally leaving at 11 P.M., and after one of the roughest bus rides, they arrived much later than planned in Muscat, the Arab world’s land of enchantment. Oman was identical to America’s New Mexico or Arizona; Jordan couldn’t tell the difference whatsoever. Peering out of the window while Crossing over the border, he could see long spans of desert and huge dirt mountains, the size of some of the buildings in Dubai. The bus ride drained the group so the first day they took it easy and took in views in Muscat, arriving at; you guessed it, the beach. Jordan relaxed on the sand next to the salty Arabian Gulf, knowing that back in AUS most of his classmates were stressing over taking finals and delivering presentations.
Mountain ranges on Jordan’s trip to Jebel Akhdar.
The following day was by far one of the most serene and peaceful days he’d had in a long time. There was a two-hour drive to a place called Jebel Akhdar, or Green Mountains in English. Jordan reports that the landscape was absolutely beautiful and every few miles he could see a huge oasis with luscious landscapes and water that were most likely saving graces to Omanis traveling through centuries ago. The group stopped a few times and ventured off into the mountains, or down in the valleys, to get a closer view. Some of the most peaceful parts, Jordan says, were getting to see Camels roam, the goats trot across the mountains and watching the little townships go about their daily business.
Oasis in Jebel Akhdar with an old settlement built in the rocks.
Jordan and some his fellow exchange students who took the trip to Oman. Behind, one of the Oasis in Jebel Akhdar.
Oman is one of the places Jordan says he will always remember. “Everything was so different than the UAE or Qatar.” It wasn’t as wealthy and the atmosphere was more genuine and traditional, a reminder of what many of the GCC countries looked like before oil was discovered and they amassed loads of wealth. There was street food being sold on corners and camel crossings the street instead of Ferraris. Oman was a breath of fresh air and visiting, further showed Jordan the diversity of this region, reminding him just how much he is going to miss it once he leaves.
Three camels getting fed by their owner on the side of the road.
The final day was a bit of a hassle, turning in the rental cars and getting back on the bus only to find that their return tickets had expired. The group was able to work things out and get back to the UAE without any further troubles—back into work mode as finals were coming up.
Check back next time to read about Jordan’s latest activities. Don’t miss these final days!
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