This impressive structure is the reconstructed gate to the old city of Muscat, which hosts the palace of the sultan, old Portuguese forts overlooking the harbor and dating to the 16th century, stone watchtowers high on the mountains, a number of government buildings and some beautiful mosques.

The weather today was hot, very humid and overcast, which never fails to dampen my enthusiasm for taking pictures, but of course I do anyway, and now I’m having a hard time sorting through the many I took because they look so dismal with that ugly sky. This image was an easy one to select because it’s the entrance to the area where we spent most of the afternoon.

We also went to the main souk, which was fascinating, but suddenly I felt very undressed without an abaya, so I bought one (which I must admit is quite striking). I even got several compliments on it from vendors in the souk, who might have been trying to flatter me to sell me something, but they also seemed genuine and pleased that I was respecting the culture of Oman. Unlike in Saudi Arabia, tourists don’t have to wear abayas, but there were lots and lots of people in the souk, and I was definitely the only person without one. It's also still Ramadan, and in the end, just better to have one on.

One other thing I forgot to mention about Oman – alcohol isn’t prohibited as it is, and very strictly enforced, in Saudi Arabia. When we were changing planes in Abu Dhabi, I almost fell over when I saw wine and hard liquor for sale in the duty-free store, it’s been so long since I’ve seen that kind of thing for sale. A very refreshing change!