Oman

Under Arabian Skies

De: Rory Patrick Allen

Narrado por: Alan Pelz-Sharpe

The Sultanate of Oman is a land of oases, deserts, rolling sands, shifting dunes, and mountains upon which ancient cities have been carved from stone. A land that boasts the Queen of Sheba, Sindbad the Sailor, and The Lost City of Ubar buried for millennia under the Arabian Sands. A country that was heralded for its wealth in frankincense, and it is from here that ancient frankincense caravans began carrying their precious cargoes to the classical world.

Oman is a country where the Bedouin still wander the deserts as they have since time immemorial. A mystical land where eagles soar over the mountain that is home to the prophet Job, a prophet in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

In the mountains nearby live an ancient people whose language predates Aramaic. The age of the language remains a mystery. It is a spoken language with no written form. In these mountains one finds caves that are decorated with prehistoric art. Mines and distinctive cone-like tombs dating from the Bronze Age feature all over the country. It is a land that has tales of wizardry, magic, jinns, and exorcisms. Embark on a magical and mystical Arabian Odyssey with one man and his traveler's tales through this land that time has all but forgotten.

©2010 Rory Patrick Allen (P)2014 Rory Patrick Allen

The most fun I've had on a trip I didn't take.

I very much enjoyed this book, and recommend it to anyone who would like to explore a new world.

As an Omani, I thoroughly enjoyed this book

I am now half way through the book, but I felt I had to write a review now while I have the time rather than later and not have it done at all. As an Omani, I still found this book thoroughly enjoyable. It's nice to see how a foreigner perceives us and our customs and traditions. As of the point where I have reached in the book so far, I do find that the authors Omani social circles had focused on one ethnic group out of a vastly varied mixture of cultures.So far, it seems that the author has spent most of his time with the Badu and missed out on mixing with African Omani's (I am not talking about people who have been in Oman for 5 generations, I am talking about Omani's who even today speak Swahili and can give you a mile long list of relatives in Africa), he also has not covered the culture of Baluchi people from Baluchistan and the culture of Lawati people who are mostly based in Mutrah.

I also find his stories about wildlife very comical but totally inaccurate. Camel spiders might be the ugliest thing you could ever run across, but they have no venom and no numbing poison. They do however have a very powerful bite that can go through your clothes and because they tend to eat things like mice, they are very likely to be carrying diseases that they can infect you with. Similar inaccuracies about other critters. But it's OK, because it does make for a more entertaining story to tell people that we have this terribly ugly spider that you could eat you alive and you wouldn't even notice till it was too late.

The author romantices Oman in a wonderful way and paints it s a land of fairy tales, as a measure of the success of this book, even me as a native Omani started seeing Oman in different more romantic way while listening to this book.

On the down side, the narrator would occasionally swallow words at ends of sentences and you couldn't make out what he was mumbling even after rewinding several times. I assure you this has nothing to do with English being my third language. There has also been many editing errors where the narrator would make mistakes and repeat a sentence then not edit out the error. It would get rather confusing to the listener sometimes. There have also been many instances where the Narrator paused for a very long time. This could have easily been edited out.

A message to the author just in case he hasn't been to Oman for a while. Development goes on and sometimes at the expense of loosing some of the charm the country has. The old dirt road Quraiyat to Sur has been replaced with a modern super highway, but as a result, the road has lost all it's charm and the entrance to Wadi Shab is no defiled by concrete pillars holding the highway in place. Lots of the beaches in the north of Oman are now allocated for hotel projects and if you really wanted a nice isolated beach, you would either have to go by boat or drive very far our of the capital.

Many gems still remain, some of them have benefited from the modernization. Misfat Al-Irbiyeen is now more accessible with no risk of your 4WD vehicle falling of the edge of the mountain, you can now safely take that ice cold shower under the waterfall to ward off the summer heat. Little villages near the Wadi Shab tombs are now far more accessible but still retain their charm.

Anyway, enough straying off topic. Buy the book, it's funny, engaging and offers a pleasant distraction from daily life. I highly recommend it.

A note to anybody tempted by this book to visit Oman. If you want to enjoy Oman, you need to do lots and lots of research. Oman isn't the sort of place you would enjoy just dropping into with your suitcase and fully enjoy. There are two ways to enjoy Oman. Either get a tour company to arrange your activities for you...... Or, just make Omani friends, preferable ones driving around in unwashed 4WD vehicles

A unique and fascinating travel book

What made the experience of listening to Oman the most enjoyable?

You can clearly visualise the natural beauty,culture and ancient history of Oman coupled with the fascinating and mystical experiences revealed throughout the book.

What other book might you compare Oman to and why?

There is no comparison as this is a unique, wonderful and thoroughly enjoyable travel book.

What does Alan Pelz-Sharpe bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Alan Pelz-Sharpe's narration is absolutely superb and I found it an easy listen. I was able to absorb and visualise these wonderfully narrated spellbinding stories.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes most definitely. Many of the stories were gripping and humourous, others were informative and enlightening.

Any additional comments?

I strongly recommend this book as it is a truly authentic and an original guide to beautiful Oman and its wonderful hospitable people. It's a unique visitors travel book with its personal exploration from a westerner who has lived in an Omani community.

A Really Enjoyable Listen

If you could sum up Oman in three words, what would they be?

Magical Beautiful Hospitable

What other book might you compare Oman to and why?

None because this is a brilliant travel book with a difference because of the incredible adventures experienced by the author and the uniqueness of this travel book.

Have you listened to any of Alan Pelz-Sharpe’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Yes Oman is now on my bucket list.

Any additional comments?

A wonderful listen without the over the top, highbrow style of certain other travel books. I highly recommend this excellent book. A cracking good listen.

Ab enjoyable listen.

Having spent a fair amount of time in the Middle East, myself, this book is a good reflection of the relationships that can be developed and sites to be seen. The author did a good job describing his adventures. The only drawback, I found, was that the narrator's voice softened on the last few words of most sentences which required the volume to be turned up loud.