Flying to Muscat, Oman

OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens visiting my web page. How hard can it be? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page.

Jiffy (also jiff)

noun [in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.

ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.

So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.

So I put a “Next” button here and I hope that there isn't any problem to understand how to use that one. So just CLICK the “Next” button on your left hand side and you will be on the next page in a jiff!

Marunong ka mag-tagalog? Walang problema! Magpunta sa kabilang pahina pindutin ang “NEXT” button sa itaas

Faites vous parlez le français? Pas de problème! Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!

Haga usted dice el español? No hay problema! Ver la siguiente página sólo hacer clic el botón “Next” encima!

Farla parla l'italiano? Non problemi! Per vedere la prossima pagina lo scatto per favore giusto Il bottone “Next” sopra

Sprechen sie Deutsch! Kein problem! Wenn Sie die folgende Seite sehen wollen gerade klicken der Knopf “Next” oben!

คุณพูดภาษาไทยได้ไหม ไม่มีปัญหา ถ้าคุณต้องการไปหน้าถัดไป ให้กดปุ่ม “Next” ข้างบนนี้

Вы говорите по-русски? Просто нажмите синюю кнопку "Next" с левой стороны и Вы моментально переместитесь на следующую страницу!

E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.

Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.

Sunday 25 ^th of November 2018 and it was almost 7 thirty when I woke up. My alarm was set to go off at 3 thirty. I had obviously just turned off the alarm and went back to bed. I went up and I turned on the kettle and I enjoyed my Earl Grey tea and blueberries that I had bought at the Dubai Mall yesterday. I had bought tea, milk and blue berries at the supermarket at Dubai Mall.

I find refreshments

Of course, I found some refreshments at the supermarket. I had planned to have my dinner at the mall but I was not hungry after having had a barrel of milkshake back in Fujairah. We left the immigration and custom at the port of Fujairah earlier this afternoon.

- FIRST STOP TO BUY A MILK SHAKE!!!! I said to the driver when we left Fujairah and we made a stop after 5 minutes. I asked the driver if he wanted a shake. He would like a shake and I asked for 2 HUGE shakes. They only had small cups so I bought 4 strawberry shakes. 1 for the driver and 3 for me. Sounds a lot, but it was not any impressive sizes they had to offer.

A few shakes

On the way to Dubai

I´m in the front seat and I have filled all available cup holders with my shake mugs. We´re hauling arse on the highway between Fujairah and Dubai and we drive through the mountains on the East coast and we´re soon reaching the desert. Our AB was happy as we had seen some camels driving through the mountains.

I was soon calling out “camels” when we passed more camels, but by then our AB was a sleep in the back. Strange, last week on board and he was only talking about camels as he had never seen any camels. Otherwise it was a pretty boring drive through the desert.

Driving through the mountains

Driving through the mountains

Driving through the mountains

We reach the desert

Driving through the desert

Driving through the desert

Driving through the desert

We drop the AB at the airport and we continue to our hotel. We reach Dubai Grand Hotel by Fortune around 5 o´clock and I´m in my room 10 minutes later. The room was OK, but the shower! First of all, who like to have a shower in a bathtub? And the water pressure left a whole lot to wish for. Nut mush water coming out from the shower head.

I threw my clothes in the garbage bin and I had a shower and I changed for clean clothes. I set up my IT-centre and the internet seems to be very good. I called the 2nd Engineer but he was going to stay in his room. I will call him when I´m back from the Dubai Mall.

I will go to a book store recommended by a guy at birdforum. I will by the book Birds of the “Horn of Africa: Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia, and Socotra” I will also buy the “Birds of the Middle East”

My room at Dubai Grand Hotel by Fortune

My room at Dubai Grand Hotel by Fortune

The bathroom

Who likes to have a shower in a bathtub

Dubai Mall and I had a haircut first thing and then I went to the second floor to look for the book shop. I was also looking for a camera strap. I was very lucky today sitting in the car going to Dubai from Fujairah. I had my camera in my lap and I discovered that the hook on my camera strap was almost worn to pieces.

WOW! Imagine walking around with my camera when finally the hook would have given up and the camera and lens, 6000 US Dollars would have felt to the pavement.

So I stopped at a camera shop and I bought a new BlackRapid camera strap for my camera. I went next door and I bought my bird books and then I left for the supermarket with a stop on the way to buy a SIM card for Dubai.

Lucky to discover that my hook was worn away

Back at my room with my books and refreshments

Well, anyway, I passed the hotel restaurant yesterday and I just had a look in to the restaurant. That was enough for me to decide not to eat there so I enjoyed my tea and blue berries in my room. The car will bring me to Dubai International Terminal 2 at 9 o´clock. They call me just before 8 o´clock and told me that the car would leave in 20 minutes.
- You said 9 o´clock yesterday!
- You need to be there 3 hours before!
- OK, I will be down on 20

We left the hotel and it took us about 10 minutes to reach the airport. Check-in to Salam Air was empty and not much people in the immigration and security.

On the way to the airport

I pass the tax free and I decide to ask if they have chewing tobacco. The girl say yes and we went to have a look but she cannot find any chewing tobacco and I leave. A few minutes later they call me again, they had found the chewing tobacco and I went to have a look.

They had something called Kayak and I bought 5 cans. I tried it and it reminded me about the WB Cut that they sold in Sweden some 40 years ago. It was a wee bit too sweet but it is something I might get used to. All my e-cigarettes are in my checked luggage.

Kayak long cut moist snuff

Kayak long cut moist snuff

Ready to try my first Kayak

I had to kill an hour at Gate F4 before the boarding started. We had to go to the plane by bus and when we stop on the tarmac I think that they have stopped at the wrong plane. It was a Vietnam Air or something, but it turned out that SalamAir had rented the plane from Vietnam.

I took my seat and the guy at the check-in had promised me an empty seat next to me. So I was kind of happy, but suddenly, two girls boarded and they had the seats next to me.

It was 550 kg girls coming and 500 of the 550 kg was in the seat next to me. DARN! But the row next to us was empty and when I heard the “Boarding completed” I moved across the aisle and I had a row to myself.

We take off and we´re soon flying over the mountains and I enjoyed the view while waiting for them to bring the food and refreshments. I had checked the menu and they have Diet Pepsi so I was looking forward to a drink.

Flying over the mountains

I get a free refreshment

Thy pass my row with the food cart and I ask for two cans of Diet Pepsi and two wraps. I washungry as I only had have my blue berries for breakfast. I handed them my Master Card.

They told me that they only accepted cash.
- There is credit card logos in the menu!
- The card reader is not working!
- What kind of Scooby Doo airline is this?

I was very upset, if their equipment is not working it should be their loss and they should give me the food for free. But I got ONE can for free. A big setback, I had expected to eat on the plane so I could leave for the Botanical Garden ASAP after checking in to the hotel without having to eat avoiding losing any birding time.

Approaching Muscat, Oman

Approaching Muscat International Airport

We have landed at Muscat International Airport

I´m off the plane

Not many people in the immigration so this was a quick thing. I had to scan my carry on after the immigration, but my e-cigarette was in the checked luggage. I went to get my bag at the luggage claim and I went through the custom. Now they wanted to scan my suitcase and carry on.

My carry on passed the machine and when my suitcase came out from the machine the girl asked if I had cigarettes in my bag.
- No

She looked at the screen and asked about cigarettes again.
- Electronic cigarettes?
I never answered and she asked how long I was going to stay while looking at the screen. Another custom officer asked if she wanted me to open the bag. She said:
- No, never mind

I left the custom with my suitcase full of electronic cigarettes and I was soon stopping at the airport taxi counter. Not possible to pay with card and I had no cash. But it was no problem, they would put it on my room. We went to buy a SIM card and as I was hungry I bought two sandwiches and two cans of Diet Pepsi.

In a taxi on the way to Radisson Blu

In a taxi on the way to Radisson Blu

Reaching Radisson Blu

I checked in and I booked a taxi to take me to the Botanical Garden. I brought my luggage to my room and I told them that I would be back down in 10 minutes. I discovered that my tea glass wasbroken so I needed to call the room cleaners to come with a vacuum cleaner.

My bag was full of glass and some of it had ended up on the floor so both the floor and the bag needed some vacuuming.

So I was delayed coming back to the reception. I was happy with my room and there was a fridgeso I can keep my milk cold. The breakfast starts at 6 thirty and I need to have my breakfast in the room as we have left the hotel before they start serving breakfast.

So I have my tea and oatmeal for breakfast before taking off for the bird watching.

My room at Radisson Blu

My room at Radisson Blu

My room at Radisson Blu

Bathroom at Radisson Blu

Bathroom at Radisson Blu

Botanical Garden, I was pretty excited to go for some bird watching again. You just need to click HERE to find out if I find any birds. And which will be my first bird here in Oman?

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