Memorable Muscat
From the Great white shark to the smallest blennies
Paul Morrall Padi Master Instructor at the Oman Sheraton Hotel - Muscat. Sultanate of Oman
28th July, 1989 Fax in from Paul Morrall - Muscat
" We would be delighted if you could find time to dive with us during your forthcoming visit to Muscat? "
" We would be delighted if you could find time to dive with us during your forthcoming visit to Muscat? "
Panic! - All my wonderful trendy diving gear was in the Maldives! How can I possibly dive if not All IN THE PINK!
A fax to Ray Mckee Tabata in Hull - Help! Next morning on my doorstep a brand new set of equipment. Jacket, regulator, fins, mask, snorkel, booties and knife ALL IN THE PINK! How's that for service!
A fax to Ray Mckee Tabata in Hull - Help! Next morning on my doorstep a brand new set of equipment. Jacket, regulator, fins, mask, snorkel, booties and knife ALL IN THE PINK! How's that for service!
29th July Airborne. KLB - Amsterdam - Seeb Airport - Muscat.
Spotlessly clean, My NOC ( No objections Certificate ) awaiting my collection, You must have this certificate to enter the Sultanate. Customs brief and painless. Butterflies in my tummy! New country, new faces, new Dive. Only here for 4 days.
The next day a car picked me up. I was to be interviewed by the celebrated Judith Razek on Radio Oman's FM Service (English Language) I was Guest of the Week. The programme was called 'Words in Action'. This went out live for an hour! I was so blessed to have Judith interviewing me. She was so inspired by my role with the Maldive Islands and the information I was able to relate
My title Toni The Maldive lady. Next day more interviews with the two Muscat English language news papers. The State sponsored 'OMAN DAILY OBSERVER ' and the privately owned 'TIMES of OMAN'. During my short time in Muscat, I had already more than caught the magic of this arabesque Islamic country
Wednesday 8am Oman Sheraton
I met Paul and his most attractive diving instructor Christine Harrison and Alan a young lad out from the UK who helps Paul.
They all laughed over my log book, its like a glorified scrap book, pictures of various Maldive dive masters and their comments. Alan loads our gear into the land rover, and we all pile in. A ride of some fifteen minutes taking us along Oman's dramatic coast line. Towering mountains rise behind us. We turn into the Yacht Club and I get into my dive gear. Into a cradle goes our boat 25 foot open-hulled fibreglass, we pull into the water and soon its floating. Not long we creep into a small bay and drop anchor. Paul and I tog up and we start to descend, leaving Alan on the boat.
Spotlessly clean, My NOC ( No objections Certificate ) awaiting my collection, You must have this certificate to enter the Sultanate. Customs brief and painless. Butterflies in my tummy! New country, new faces, new Dive. Only here for 4 days.
The next day a car picked me up. I was to be interviewed by the celebrated Judith Razek on Radio Oman's FM Service (English Language) I was Guest of the Week. The programme was called 'Words in Action'. This went out live for an hour! I was so blessed to have Judith interviewing me. She was so inspired by my role with the Maldive Islands and the information I was able to relate
My title Toni The Maldive lady. Next day more interviews with the two Muscat English language news papers. The State sponsored 'OMAN DAILY OBSERVER ' and the privately owned 'TIMES of OMAN'. During my short time in Muscat, I had already more than caught the magic of this arabesque Islamic country
Wednesday 8am Oman Sheraton
I met Paul and his most attractive diving instructor Christine Harrison and Alan a young lad out from the UK who helps Paul.
They all laughed over my log book, its like a glorified scrap book, pictures of various Maldive dive masters and their comments. Alan loads our gear into the land rover, and we all pile in. A ride of some fifteen minutes taking us along Oman's dramatic coast line. Towering mountains rise behind us. We turn into the Yacht Club and I get into my dive gear. Into a cradle goes our boat 25 foot open-hulled fibreglass, we pull into the water and soon its floating. Not long we creep into a small bay and drop anchor. Paul and I tog up and we start to descend, leaving Alan on the boat.
As we slowly descend surrounded by all colours of a fishy rainbow. Inquisitive and so welcoming. Forty five minutes of total bliss. No one could ever be bored. New to both of us what a lucky man!.
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My visit also had a personal touch in that in a particularly hospitable welcome was made by Richard and Joanna Owens. Richard was General Manager of a prominent Oman based company that traced it's origins back to my Father's Company Smith Mackenzie in Kenya, which guaranteed a dinner of very special reminders of a past long gone.
Oman remains for all those who seek to visit a land of both beauty and mystery, a land where, guarding the desert passes, ancient Forts and Castles continue to do duty and peopled by a welcoming and liberal cast-list of delights, a people who have so accurately been described as the Aristocrats of the Arab world, the Gentlemen of the Gulf.
*Arabia awaits!
Oman remains for all those who seek to visit a land of both beauty and mystery, a land where, guarding the desert passes, ancient Forts and Castles continue to do duty and peopled by a welcoming and liberal cast-list of delights, a people who have so accurately been described as the Aristocrats of the Arab world, the Gentlemen of the Gulf.
*Arabia awaits!
