25 August

Luxor to Oman

Arriving in Luxor after a 10 hour flight about 8.30 PM we stayed in a Sheraton that looked a bargain on the internet. As usual you get what you paid for! A bed all we needed though. Not a bad Indian meal in the hotel and off to bed ready for another 10 hour flight  to Muscat.

After putting up with the Egyptian baksheesh merchants and a country where every second person had a police or army uniform we took off at 9.15. It was already 41 degrees so the climb to 11,000 feet was slow and even up there it was 21 degrees.

We crossed the border into Saudi Arabia and had an uncomfortably rough slow and turbulent 4 hours until we cleared the high plans and tracked over the desert to the coast. We were routed directly over Bahrain and descended over the bay so that we could see the incredible amount off oil and gas wells. We then went past Abu Dhabi which is the capitol of the Emirates. These are sights that you would only see in a light plane.

It was night again when we arrived in Muscat, so we couldn’t see much on approach, but it certainly looks a safe friendly and prosperous country. 2.5 Million people, courtesy of Oil and gas they have free hospital and schooling and no tax. The difference between Egypt and Oman is remarkable.

I was wearing a white pilot shirt with ID so I was shepherded to the aircrew visa desk and straight through. I felt like an impostor, but who cares, it did cut down on the red tape!

I left my camera in the plane, and it would have been a huge drama to get out to it again, so before we ate I bought a new one at what appears to be a good price, then a meal and a note from me before bed. Pretty tired as we have been on the go ever since arriving in the UK, so a day off tomorrow and some sight seeing is looking good.