After three days, I leave the capital and move inland towards Nizwa. As I travel further away from the city, it becomes clear how closely life here is linked to its surroundings, how limited resources are handled as a matter of course. I quickly get the feeling that people make do with what they have and are content with their world, which from our perspective seems small. This focus on the essentials results in wonderful things, such as the Damask roses on the terraces of Jebel Al Akhdar or the sacred frankincense in the Dhofar Mountains. Much here does not need to be questioned or reinvented, as these are routines that have proven themselves over a long period of time, whether in family structures, the trading rituals of the souks, or the natural dependence on water, which is distributed through the ancient aflaj irrigation systems.

The journey continues through the desert region of Wahiba Sands to Sur, and between the mountains, the desert, and the coast, the landscape changes constantly. The basic impression, however, remains the same, as if everything were following an inner measure that does not need to be accelerated, and this is precisely where my own view shifts. Away from inner dissatisfaction and restlessness, towards quiet and natural awareness.

It has been a long time since I last experienced how emptiness can be felt and how, through quiet observation, this emptiness can be filled with new content. Oman does not provoke or overpower, but opens up space for new perspectives without having to name or evaluate them.

What remains is not a loud memory, but a quiet clarity of a country that presents itself as modern and open to the world, while placing great importance on preserving its Arab and Islamic identity. Perspectives sometimes arise precisely when you stop trying to force them.

Leer>>> Sultan Qabus bin Said

>>> Sultan Qabus bin Said

>>> Oman production of frankincense

>>> Dates production in Oman

>>> Roses in Oman

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Today, Uzbekistan is a magnet for curious travellers interested in culture, history and exotic countries. The architectural monuments are the pride of the locals, as they have survived the ages and represent the heritage of their ancestors. Places such as the Ichan-Kala complex in Khiva and the historical centres of Bukhara and Samarkand are on the UNESCO list of “World Heritage Sites”. The unique monuments, magnificent mosques and madrasahs in these cities tell stories from an era that significantly shaped the country. Despite numerous attempts by foreign cultures to change the traditions and customs of the Uzbeks, these have been preserved over the centuries. The influence of Islam, spread by the Arabs in Central Asia, has strongly characterised the customs and traditions, but at the same time they are closely interwoven with the local culture and deeply rooted in the everyday life and minds of the Uzbek people. Despite the destruction of some historical buildings during the invasion of Tsarist Russia, they still remain witnesses to millions of people who appreciate art and culture.

Don’t forget to try the bread in Samarkand…
…there is no tastier bread than flatbread from Samarkand. A genuine flatbread from Samarkand should be edible for three years. All you need to do is sprinkle it with water and heat it in the tandur (clay oven in which flatbread is baked). Anyone who has ever been to Samarkand never leaves the city without Samarkand flatbread. This tradition has survived to this day and…
…every region of Uzbekistan has its own traditional cuisine, and the world-famous pilaf is prepared here in around a hundred different ways.

The Silk Road:
The history of this ancient trade route hides many secrets. Entire cultures have blossomed and faded, civilisations have appeared and disappeared, travellers have made groundbreaking discoveries, artisans have created monumental masterpieces. For centuries, the path of this route has remained intact, connecting China with the regions of Eurasia. No wonder that many legends and stories have been preserved along the “Road of Life”.

From the second century AD, it was silk in particular that was transported by Chinese traders to distant lands. Despite its high price, this compact and lightweight product attracted the attention of many traders along the caravan route, from Central Asia and Turkestan to India, Rome and Alexandria. Cleopatra seems to have had a passion for luxurious silk clothing, and in the early Christian centuries there was even a special silk market in Rome. One legend tells of Emperor Justinian of Byzantium in the sixth century, who commissioned two monks to bring precious mulberry silkworms from China. The monks are said to have hidden the “treasure” in a bamboo stick, as the discovery of the cocoons by the Chinese would have meant the death penalty for the clergy.
The exact circumstances are difficult to confirm today, but the centuries-old secret of silk production was finally revealed.
In addition to silk, bronze mirrors, porcelain, ceramics, paper goods and metal products were also shipped from China to distant lands. On the other hand, there was a strong demand in the Middle Kingdom, as China was known at the time, for jade from Hotan, lapis lazuli from Bodakhshan, Indian carpets, glass from the Mediterranean and horses from Fergana.

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IMPRESSION

…and at night the cities of Uzbekistan glow with a unique oriental flair:

Leer

>>> Amir Temur

>>> Ulug beg 

>>> Avicenna oder Ibn Sina

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In Jordan, you will quickly realizes that power is getting a new dimension: power over oil, power over water, power over the military and with it, the unlimited opportunity to assert also non-legal claims. Jordan is a good example of how innocent people suffer from the proxy wars of the here ruling forces like, Saudi Arabia, the US, Iran or Israel. Even plain numbers about Jordan make the pictures spinning like a head carousel and create an inevitably amazement. The local situation of the Jordanians release a mixture of humility and anger about the naivety of central European perspectives.

The population of Jordan has multiplied from around 500,000 inhabitants in 1950 to 9 millions today and consists largely of refugees from Palestine and Syria. In addition, there are more than 2 million refugees from the current war zones such as Syria or Iraq. On the other hand, just 5 percent of Jordan’s area can be used for agriculture and the only usable resource is phosphate. Jordan is considered a water-scarce country with the availability of approx. 120 qm3 of water per person and year (FAO < 1000 qm3= arid) and had many disputes with Israel (= more power) about the water use of the Jordan for years. 

Despite everything, it is impressive to see what people do with nearly nothing in hand. If you hasn’t had a taste till yet, you will love products such as hummus, coffee or Jordanian dates (top). The openness towards strangers with a surprising willingness to talk, is extremely positive and personable. Although tourism is still low (unfortunately Petra is an exception), you are moving historically in places, that can be compared socially and culturally with the Roman Empire. Furthermore, it is of course the unique landscapes around Wadi Rum or the Dead Sea that characterize the country and create this unique magic of quiet moments.

In 2019, Jordan is ranked on place 6th of the TOP travel destinations in the world.

IMPRESSION

>>> LONELY PLANET