UK Arab Scout Fellowship Study Trip to Oman - October 2009

UK Arab Scout Fellowship Study Trip to Oman - October 2009

Guiders were privileged to be invited to apply for the above trip during the summer due to it being our centenary year.  Out of 19 contingents there were 6 LASER Guiders from Kent, Sussex and London.  The trip was organised by Roger Cole and each participant given some pre trip research to do.   

We arrived in Muscat on 24th and spent our first night at a residential scout camp.   We were looked after during the week by Khamis, Zain and Maitha who stayed with us at the camp.

Sunday 25th - our first official visit was to the amazing Oman Scout and Guide HQ in Muscat, where we were welcomed by the Director and other HQ staff. We were also joined by the British Scout and Guide Leaders from BGA (British Groups Abroad) and BGIFC (British Guides in Foreign Countries).

We were able to visit Guide and Scout troops, which are based in boys and girls schools, as Scouting and Guiding is supported by the Ministry of Education.    Sultan Qaboos is the Chief Scout in Oman.  English is learnt at school and many of the scouts and guides we talked to spoke English fluently, as opposed to our Arabic!

The first Guide troop we visited were the Ruwi Guides who were the winners of His Majesty, The Sultan's Excellence Competition Award.  We experienced our first welcoming party with the Guides lined up clapping and singing as we walked through the entrance to the school. 

We were given programmes for our visit.  The first item was seeing the Guides impressive camp work on display in the Guide's room and this was also where their patrol areas were showing photos of the girls in each patrol and some of their other work.  We then went outside to see the girls' "camp" outside, they had made a large fence in lashing.

We were also given a display of a traditional wedding with all the guides in their colourful finery.  We then had a power point presentation, the first welcome of halwa, and Arabic coffee, we all said our promise in Arabic and English.  The Guides gave us a CD and laminated photo of ourselves as a parting gift.  We then had an official photograph which found its way into the local press the following day.

On 26th we pulled up in our coach at Suwaiq fort to see long line of guides and scouts from Batinah North waiting to welcome us.  There we also had an official welcoming party, then we had the traditional welcome of coffee and halwa in the fort entrance.  We then had a tour around the fort whilst scouts were singing songs, then in the courtyard we were invited to join in some dances with Omani ladies who were all dressed in their colourful traditional clothes.

We visited the Scouts at their school in Batinah South was very interesting, their immaculate patrol corners and the displays of a making a book stand for camp from natural materials and the testing of blood groups were put on and also singing/yells.  In the evening we went to a campfire held by the scouts of Batinah South, where they put on a couple of sketches, songs and games.

Tuesday 27th we visited the Jamma Basic Guides.   The guides had put on a large display of their traditions such as weaving purses and fans, henna, crafts and past guide activities.

We then moved on to visit the Al-Fadhal Bin Al-Abbas Scouts and Rovers at the Rustaq College of Applied Sciences who put on a welcome with a flag greeting, then we visited displays of camp activities and and exhibition of traditional handicrafts, music, dancing and games.

Wednesday 28th we had a splendid welcome from the Guides of the Maria School which included singing, clapping, drums, and the presentation of red roses.  The guides showed us a presentation of their activities, and local history.  Then we had a tour around an exhibition of their hobbies - painting, weaving, crafts of making forts and palm trees, traditional music, songs and games.

We were joined on the coach by the ministry of tourism who gave us a tour of Rustaq fort, followed by a lunch at a 5 star hotel (where all the ladies made full use of the western toilet facilities). After lunch we had a tour of Niswa fort, which was the one most adapted for tourists seen with information provided around the fort.

Thursday 29th we went south to Sur stopping at Wadi Shab where we were welcomed by a troop of local scouts. The scouts accompanied us on a 1 hour trek up the wadi, crossing the creek by a small boat (chain ferry) and hiking along the wadi, 'falaj' (irrigation channels) to reach the deeper pools. We swam through a pool and walked to a deeper pool, where we swam through a narrow channel which led to a cave where the water looked beautifully blue. On the return journey the scouts laid on ice cold drinks which were very welcoming.

That night we went to Ras Al Jinz in the hope of seeing green turtles.  It was quite surreal on the beach in the moonlight.  We were lucky enough to see one turtle just finishing laying, one coming out of the water and a hatchling heading down to the sea.

We stayed overnight at a local scout hostel where some of the group had a barbeque about 1.00 am, but some of us preferred sleep!

Friday 30th we stopped at the Dibab village Sink Hole - Hawiyat Najm Park. We were welcomed by local scouts and rovers from Quriyat and some from Al Buraimi with chants and dances with drumming. They led us through the park to the sinkhole; the Omanis say that a piece a star fell to earth and made the hole. Most of us went for a swim before moving on to Quriyat where we spent an hour undertaking a beach clean with the scouts and rovers.   The scouts had laid on a wonderful picnic which we ate in a park overlooking the sea.

Saturday 31st we paid a visit to the amazing Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. The  prayer carpet of the men's prayer room weighs 21 tons and took four years to produce. The chandelier in the men's prayer room is 14 meters tall and is made of Swarovski crystal.

We then paid a whirlwind visit to the Natural History Museum before a final session at the Scout & Guide HQ where a presentation of our visit was shown and potential future projects between UK & Oman were discussed.

A farewell dinner was held at the scout camp with music from the 38 piece Scout Band. 

Sunday 1st November was our final day in Oman which started with a visit to the Ministry of the Environment where we had a presentation about Oman's efforts to protect its biodiversity.  We had a tour of Muscat including stopping to see the Al Alam Palace of Sultan Qaboos.

Other items that were included on our itinerary were visits to a souk and local shopping where one of our Omani guide leaders arranged for a demonstration of incense burning at a perfume shop, and demonstrated £500 of traditional headwear at one of the jewellery shops.  A visit to the Port of Sohar, lunch at an airbase, dipping our toes into a hot spring.  We had an enjoyable evening at a local restaurant, where we ate wonderful breads, with salads and a barbeque meal in a private tent sitting on the floor (some crossed legged - those yoga classes paid off!) 

Throughout the trip the scouts and guides liked to exchange badges and scarves.  It was wonderful to meet so many Omani Guides and Scouts and see their enthusiasm.  The Guides are involved in helping their country by donating blood, Scouts go out and talk to people to help raise awareness of such public health issues e.g. the effects of smoking.

Maxine

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