Night flights are for sleeping, right?

Well, what can I say or rather write... Actually, I had only wanted to write my blogs on the Camino de Santiago so that 1. everyone knows that I am safe and sound and 2. everyone can get a little glimpse of what I experience there every day (because there is always something to write about). After the many positive and kind reactions to my previous posts, I have now considered whether I should try my hand at a completely normal travel blog this time 🤦🏻‍♀️😬 So, here I am now, in Salala, in my hotel room, writing this first post of a hopefully still interesting blog for you guys 🙈😇 Point 1 of my previous explanation still applies, I'm not sure about 2, but we will find out soon enough...

My journey usually begins at Munich Airport and yet this time it feels somehow different. My journey takes me to a culture that is foreign to me so far, and I am really excited about what awaits me. In order to sleep well on the overnight flight, I have two glasses of white wine with my dinner, and my mood is further uplifted by the food accompanied by wine 😊 Anyway, the atmosphere at the airport is always special, but as I walk towards the security checkpoint, it becomes even more apparent to me - I will spend the next 10 days alone in Oman 😶 I don't think I will make friends as quickly here as I did on the Camino de Santiago, and even though I have traveled alone before, it still feels strange now... let's see what the next few days will bring...

In the plane, I take my aisle seat, and when my two seatmates arrive, the alone-ness is already (at least temporarily) over. The infernal row of four is complete and the flight begins 😝 Yamila and Sam are two friends who are flying on to the Philippines, and Ebi is continuing to his home in India - the four of us immediately engage in conversation and get along great! We also have Khalid as an incredibly nice steward, so this is shaping up to be the most entertaining overnight flight of my life 🤩

As I mentioned before, I had treated myself to two glasses of wine to help me sleep, but there is no trace of it in the plane 🤓 Since the others are not averse to a nightcap either, Khalid receives the order for 4 gin and tonics, which are promptly served with the teasing promise of regular refills 🍸 Normally, only a maximum of two alcoholic drinks are served, but there are always ways and means, as it seems 🤫😉 Khalid really follows through on the promise, and so a lively round ensues - much to the (understandable) chagrin of the passengers sitting around us. What follows is a change of location, which can only mean moving to the crew area in the plane 🤓 So we head to the back of the plane, where we not only get more drinks but also eat and snacks (in the end, each of us is handed a whole bag with soft drinks, sandwiches, chips, etc. as provisions for the onward flight). In short - the flight really flies by and I didn't sleep until we landed in Muscat 🙈 Ebi has only been in Bavaria since 2015, but he speaks really good German with a touch of Bavarian (which you will notice) unfortunately, he has to leave the plane very quickly because he feels "a little bit sick" and I won't see him anymore. With Sam and Yamila, I then make my way to the gates for the connecting flights, where we also bid farewell to each other.

So now I'm actually on my own and on the flight from Muscat to Salalah, I treat myself to some sleep 😴 Upon arriving in Salalah, I go to the baggage claim, but I don't see my suitcase right away - this can't be true! not again 😠 Too early to get worked up - the suitcase (since it's an international flight) is just somewhere else, and the nice man from the airport takes me there.

I'm taken to the hotel in my own car (👸🏻), and I can even go straight to my room. I don't unpack much and immediately fall into bed 🤫 After 3 hours of sleep, I set out to explore the shopping center in the hotel - I need to withdraw money, buy water, and maybe I'll treat myself to a coffee. As an outfit, I choose a long skirt, a t-shirt, a light cardigan, and a scarf - not to cover everything up but to avoid feeling cold 😉 But at least from my point of view, I stand out a bit in the mall - apart from me, there is no woman alone and of course, I don't wear the typical black garment (abaya) that the local women wear. However, I don't feel uncomfortable at all - people do look, but in a friendly and polite way. I even discover a store with black outer garments and I'm very impressed by the variety of patterns, fabrics, decorations, etc. 🙂 I had never really dealt with this before, so I learned something new today.

The dinner at the hotel is very good, and even though I eat alone, I don't feel uncomfortable at all. Everyone here is very accommodating, and even local guests give me tips on what I should try.

All in all, it was a really nice start to my Oman adventure, and tomorrow we will go sightseeing in the city. I didn't have high expectations or thoughts beforehand, but after today, I am already pleasantly "surprised", especially when it comes to the openness and the way I am treated as a solo female traveler. So, I'm looking forward to a great first day in Salalah 😊

Good night everyone & see you tomorrow 😘