Misfat Alabrene

One of our favorite stops on our trip through Oman's interior was the mountaintop village of Misfat Alabrene. This is a real-life home to many Omanis but life seems to still be a lot like it would have been for the last few centuries. We went on a cloudy and sort of drizzly day, which was chilly and basically glorious for walking through the mountainside farms (and getting great pictures, as usual).

 

We traveled with some friends which was great because we were able to take turns with the camera and get pictures together in our favorite spots! Behind us is a deep ravine, which would locally be called a wadi. The locals have made a maze of steps to walk down into the wadi and planted their date palms into the "steps" on the mountainside.

 As we walked down into the date palms we met this man, a Bangledeshi named Bilbop Mohammed. He FREE CLIMBED the date palm to trim and take the seeds at the top for grain.

 

This amazed and stunned me: at the top he stood on the branches! He nimbly moved around the tree stepping from palm branch to palm branch. Remember, this guy is free climbing. There is no harness!  

 



Bilbop showing us the grain inside the leaf. 

 A piece of the old section of the city on display for tourists.

 

The main reasons the farming works so well here is their use of the traditional-style falaj. It is a drainage system that uses gravity to pool clean water and deliver it throughout the gardens. Just as it has for centuries, the main pool here doubles as drinking and bathing water. We interrupted this poor guy as he was washing before his noon prayers! 

 The peaceful sound of running water can be heard throughout the gardens and much of the section of the town we toured. It was heavenly!

 

As we headed back to our car these two came around the corner and jumped in front of us.