Livestock and gun market

Today we were supposed to spend the morning at Nizwa Fort, but Sunil thought it best to go yesterday, as today is Friday, the day for the livestock market. I thought, coming from farming stock, that it wouldn't be that interesting - I'd been to too many in my childhood. There were the usual great sheds of fish, meat, veg, spices, clothing etc, as well, but the livestock market, selling mainly cattle and goats, was fascinating, one of the most interesting experiences of the trip. There was a central raised area, where we stood to watch, but where the buyers also stood. The cattle were paraded round at a fair pace, and anyone interesting in making a purchase would call a price. Still moving round, in case of a better offer, the vendor would attempt to raise the price. Sometimes a deal was done. Amid all this, a few cattle got over-excited and made a break for it. Another decided to lie down and wouldn't move till the own bit its tail. After a while we hurried to the gun market. Mr C found a 1944 Lee Enfield .303 which he'd used in his RAF days. I could barely lift it up. The couldn't decide on my blip so made a phot grid. I loved some of the faces at the market.

After leaving the market we headed for what our guide called the Grand Canyon, up in the mountains. It was spectacular.

On our return we had lunch in a cheap tasty place where I had dahl and Mr C had very tender goat. We then had a walk through a date plantation to Al Hambra, a 500 year old village made of mud, with gorgeous faded doors. ( I imagine some playing with wet in wet water colour at some point,). The next stop was a walk around Tanuf, where there had been an uprising against the sultan in 1950s, so he called in his chums the British to bomb the place. Hundreds were killed.

I just had time for a swim in the rather bracing, but refreshing, hotel pool before it got dark.