Oman: goat anyone?

As Eid approaches, goats around the country are trying to look thin and unappetising. Nizwa market was full of such goats and cows bleating and mooing their way to being the main course over the next few days. Some stood around with an air of inevitability; others weren’t going to go without a fight. One cow attempted to escape, causing men to scatter Pamplona-style until the animal was restrained and returned to its retail outlet.

After the market we visited craft market to chuckle at the ridiculously inflated prices before heading for the fort. I am losing count of the number of times we have been here. Fort done, we headed to our favourite lunch spot for unsophisticated dining where Mrs M threw a bit of a wobbler when the waiter declared the shawarmas (a sort of Arabian taco) were 'finished'. Somehow they managed to find a few shawarmas and the poor chap reluctantly dropped them and the rest of our order into our 'family room'. There was no sign of our waiter when I went to pay – he was probably too afraid to come out.