Muscat festival

We went to the opening day of the Muscat Festival at the festival park near Seeb airport. This is one of the city's biggest events which will last for the entire month of January with circus shows, music and dancing, culture and heritage displays, a funfair, food stands, trade stands and an enormous shopping area which was Mrs M's prime objective. I was dragged mercilessly around countless numbers of stalls which were all for women; clothing, bed linen, frilly tissue box covers, underwear, perfume, curtains, jewellery. I hovered by one of the beauty stands intrigued by the range of soaps for breast firming, face whitening and armpit softening. I was clearly out of my depth here.

Mark and Miles joined us later as the place was beginning to liven up. Men on stilts paraded around trampling maids trying to grab their children. Boys in animal costumes shook hands with small children, occasionally scaring them to tears when confronted by a two metre Ninja turtle. Families, groups of teenage boys and clusters of teenage girls were enjoying the exciting atmosphere with noise from the main stage and the motorcycle trapeze act, the smell of food from different regions, the waft of meat flavoured barbeque smoke, bright lights and loud music.

As we left around 10pm the place was really buzzing. A great experience for all but, (sigh), I have the feeling we'll be back for a bit more shopping.