Ke ʻimi nei i ka ua ma Oman's Salalah

ʻAʻohe mea e hoʻohālikelike i ke ʻano o ke kauwela ma ke kahawai e like me ke ʻano o ka mākaʻikaʻi ua.

ʻOiai ke koena o ʻArabia e hoʻomoʻa ma lalo o kahi lā pio ʻole, kahi poʻe liʻiliʻi o ka hema o Oman e hele nui ʻia e nā mea kipa ma muli o kahi quirk o ke aniau a me ka ʻāina i hāʻawi iā ia i ka mōneka.

Ma hea kahi ʻē aʻe akā i ke kauwela ʻAlapia e hiki ai i kahi makemake o kahi huakaʻi e ala aʻe i ka pili pololei i ka manawa o ka ua. A i ʻole ʻOman Air Holidays e hoʻohana i ka huaʻōlelo "tranquil mist and enchanting showers" me ka hoʻohenehene ʻole i waena o kāna mau kumu kūʻai kiʻekiʻe loa no nā lā nui i ke kau khareef?

Ma mua o ka maopopo ʻole i kēia wā aʻu e noho nei i nā kihi damper o ka hona, akā i ka manawa o ka hala ʻana o kaʻu kauwela ʻelua ma Abu Dhabi, ua lele wau i ka manawa kūpono e hele i Salalah ma ke ʻano he mākaʻikaʻi ua piha.

I ka lele ʻana o kaʻu lele i ka ʻaoʻao hema o ka ʻāina i hoʻomālamalama ʻia e ka lā o ka peninsula ʻAlapia, ua hiki iaʻu ke ʻiʻini i ka wīwī no ka ua noe ma luna o koʻu ʻili a ʻike i kekahi ʻano mea kanu i loaʻa ʻole kahi paipu waiʻeleʻele polyethylene e alakaʻi iā ia.

I ko mākou hoʻokokoke ʻana i ka mahina puʻupuʻu o nā mauna e hopu ana i ka ua e wehewehe ana i ke kīʻaha kahi i loaʻa ai ʻo Salalah, ua uhi ʻia kahi ʻie mānoanoa o ke ao khareef i kaʻu ʻike i ka honua a pono wau e uku ma ka hoʻomanaʻo ʻana i nā kiʻi o nā lau nahele a me nā wailele i hōʻike ʻia i loko. nā pepelu mākaʻikaʻi.

Akā i ka wā i hāʻule ai ka mokulele ma lalo o ka ʻāpua, ʻo ke kiʻi i kū aʻe ʻaʻole ia he ʻōmaʻomaʻo ʻōmaʻomaʻo akā he ʻālohilohi keʻokeʻo e like loa me nā hue aʻu i waiho ai ma Abu Dhabi. Inā paha, ʻo ka loaʻa ʻole o nā ʻōnaehana hoʻoulu wai nui o ke kapitala i manaʻo ʻia ua ʻoi aku ka pā o ka nānā.

ʻO Ahmed, koʻu alakaʻi, ua hālāwai me aʻu ma ke kahua mokulele a wehewehe i ka mea maopopo: ke holo nei ke khareef i kekahi mau pule i ka hopena o kēia makahiki.

Hoʻomaka ka wā maʻamau i ka solstice kauwela ma Iune 21 akā ʻo ka hapakolu o ke ala a hiki i Iulai, ʻaʻole i loaʻa kahi ʻino malino a i ʻole ua ua e hoʻohuli i ka maloʻo mai ka hopena o ka wā nui i hala.

Eia nō naʻe, ʻo ka hele hope loa ʻana o kaʻu mokulele aia ma kahi pā ʻaʻohe a ola ʻole, ma ke ʻaoʻao kaona o ke kahua mokulele aia kahi māla o nā niu e lūlū mālie ana i ka makani mehana me he mea lā i huki ʻia mai kahi ʻoihana Bounty.

A laila, i ka wā a mākou e holo aku ai, ua ʻike wau ua pio ka ʻenekini kaʻa a ʻoiai mākou i kēia manawa i ka tropic, ua lawa nā puka aniani ʻelua e ʻoluʻolu iā mākou. Ma mua paha ʻelua mau mahina mai ka hope o koʻu huakaʻi kaʻa kaʻa ma Abu Dhabi me ka ʻole o ka aircon he pono.

"He ʻelua mau kau ma aneʻi," i wehewehe ai ʻo Ahmed, akā ua maopopo iaʻu aia he eiwa mau mahina o ka maloʻo a laila ʻekolu mau mahina o ke khareef, mai ka solstice a hiki i ka equinox i Kepakemapa.

Ua huli aʻe ʻo Ahmed e kuhikuhi ana i kahi mea ʻokoʻa iki. "Aia ke kau ʻEulopa a aia ka wā Arab."

A Pololei ʻo ia. ʻOkoʻa nā mea ʻelua e like me ka hiki. Mai ʻOkakopa a ʻApelila, holo ka poʻe e noho ana i ʻEulopa i ko lākou wā wai, pulu a me ke anuanu no ke one o Oman hema, ka lā a me ka wela. A mai Iune a Kepakemapa, holo ka poʻe e noho ana ma ʻAlapia i ko lākou one, lā a me ka wela no ko Salalah maʻū, hina a me ke anuanu. I kēia pule, ua awelika ka mahana i nā kekele he 27 a ua hiki mai ka ua.

Aia nā mea hou aku iā Salalah a me nā wahi e pili ana iā ia ma mua o ke khareef wale nō. Iā mākou e kaʻa i ke kaona, hōʻike ia iā ia iho he lōʻihi, ʻikiʻī a aloha ʻole ʻia hoʻi, kūlaha ʻia i waho o ke kai a hōʻike i kahi preponderance maikaʻi ʻole no ka hana Stalinist, i mea e pōʻino ai i nā koena hapa nui o nā hale kūkulu kuʻuna Arabian hema. .

Akā ma kahi mamao aku kahi wahi mahiʻai haiki ma waena o ke kaona a me ke kahakai one keʻokeʻo lōʻihi, kahi e hāʻawi ai ka wai nui o ka ʻāina i ka ulu ulu a hiki i ka hohonu o ke kau maloʻo o ka makahiki. Aia kekahi mau niu niu e kuʻi hou ana, ma ka ʻaoʻao o nā mānoanoa o ke kō kō ʻōmaʻomaʻo momona, nā pā o ka maiʻa a me nā kumulāʻau papaya a me nā lālani o nā hale kuʻiwi i luna o ke alanui e ʻūlū nei me nā hua tropical no ke kūʻai aku.

ʻAʻohe wau ka mea mua e mahalo i nā huaʻai tropical a Salalah. I ke kenekulia 14, ua kipa ʻo Ibn Battuta i Salalah i kāna huakaʻi nui ma Dhofar; ma mua o 700 mau makahiki ma hope o Battuta, ua hele mai ʻo Wilfred Thesiger ma hope o ke kau khareef ma 1945. ʻO Salalah ke kumu hoʻomaka no ka mea e lilo i kāna huakaʻi epic o ka Empty Quarter, ʻoiai ʻo kāna hōʻoia mua no ka noho ʻana ma laila no ka mea ua manaʻo ʻia ka khareef e hana nā kūlana hānau i hāpai i nā ʻino o nā ʻūhini wao nahele i hoʻopilikia i ke koena o ka Hikina Waena.

"ʻO kekahi mea ʻano ʻē i ke ʻano o kēia mau kuahiwi e huki ana i nā ao mone [a aia lākou] e uhi ʻia me ka noe a me ka ua i loko o ke kauwela a ʻeleʻele hoʻi me nā ululāʻau i ka lau piha ma hope o ka monsoon," kākau ʻo ia ma Arabian Sands; "Ma ke ala a pau ma kahakai hema o Arabia no 1,400 mile mai Perim a Sur, ʻo kēia mau mile he 20 wale nō e loaʻa ka ua maʻamau."

Akā ua kahaha iki ʻo Tesiger iā Salalah, me kāna mau hoʻomanaʻo mua ʻoi aku ia ma mua o kahi kauhale me kahi souq hoʻonāukiuki a me ka pilau o ka sardine i waiho ʻia e hoʻomaloʻo i ka lā ma hope o ka pae ʻia ʻana e nā lawaiʻa kūloko.

ʻAʻole ia he mea kupanaha, ua ʻike ʻo ia he pilikia no ka hiki iā ia ke huakaʻi ke hele pū me kekahi o nā kiaʻi o ka Sultan. Ma mua o 60 mau makahiki ma hope mai, ua hauʻoli wau i ka hele pū ʻana me Ahmed, ka mea i hōʻoia he alakaʻi ʻike a pilina hoʻi.

ʻAʻole e like me ka mōʻī e hiki mai ana me ka pahū koke ma nā wahi ʻē aʻe o Asia, ua wehewehe ʻo ia e ulu mālie ka khareef ma ʻaneʻi me ka makani ikaika o uka a laila ka ua e hoʻohuli ai i ka ʻāina mai ka ʻeleʻele a i ka uliuli. ʻOiai ʻaʻole i hoʻomaka ka ua, ua paʻa mua ka makani khareef a ma kahi o nā wili wili mālie e hele mai ana mai ke Kai Arabia a hiki i kahakai i Salalah no ka hapa nui o ka makahiki, aia i kēia manawa he nalu kuʻi huhū e ʻā ana. ka wai a hana i nā au weliweli.

Akā aia kahi ʻaoʻao maikaʻi i kēia, i puka mai i ka wā a mākou e kalaiwa aku ai i ke komohana mai Salalah a i ke kahakai ʻo Mughsayl. ʻO ka ʻauʻau ʻana ma kahi o ʻehā mau mile o ke kahakai one keʻokeʻo idyllic ʻaʻole hiki ke ʻike ʻia akā ma ka wēlau komohana, ʻo ka heʻenalu e kuʻi ana ke ʻano o nā puka puhi kūlohelohe i ka pōhaku limestone i ke ʻano kiʻekiʻe.

ʻO kekahi o nā puka kī ʻoi aku ka nui i kau ʻia ma luna o lākou, me ka mea ʻole i hana ʻia ma kahi o ka makani wale me ke kani ʻana o ke kani uila e hāʻawi ana i ka mea makemake ʻole a me ka mea hoʻohana abaya i ka manawa kūpono e kope hou aku i kā Marilyn Monroe mea kaulana i hana ʻia mai ka makahiki ʻehiku. ʻAkake.

ʻO kekahi ma kahi kokoke loa kahi pōkā o nā lua puhi ʻo Mughsayl a ʻano ʻokoʻa ma waena o ka hoʻolei ʻana i ka noe kiʻekiʻe kiʻekiʻe o ka wai wai, ka huʻa kai frothy a me nā galani o ka wai kai e lele ana he 10m a ʻoi paha i ka lewa, me ka ʻike pinepine ʻole o ka hoʻolaha mua. ʻO kēlā me kēia kanaka i mimfed e ka loaʻa ʻole o ka ua e pono ai e kū i kahi kokoke loa e ʻike i kahi pulu.

I ko mākou ala e hoʻi ai i ke kauhale, ua hele ʻo Ahmed i ke ala ʻaoʻao a i loko o kahi moe lepo lepo a mākou e hele wāwae ai i kahi kumulāʻau ke nānā aku me he mea lā ʻaʻohe mea e ola ana. Ma hope o ka scan scanner o ke kumu, ua huki ʻo ia i kahi nubbin o ke kohu congealed a hāʻawi mai iaʻu.

Ua ʻānai wau i ka kāpili iki ma waena o koʻu mau manamana lima, lawe i kahi sniff a hoʻihoʻi koke ʻia i koʻu hoʻomanaʻo e pilau i nā hale pule lāʻau kahiko. Ua paʻakikī iki ka manaʻo ʻana ʻo kēia ke kumu nui o ka waiwai o ka ʻāina e kau ana i nā makahiki he mau makahiki - frankincense, a lubban paha i ka ʻAlapia.

Ua loaʻa ka waiwai nui mai ka hoʻomaka ʻana o ke kālepa ʻana i ka libano i 5,000 XNUMX mau makahiki i hala aku nei a ua ulu aʻe kekahi mau kūlanakauhale kūnono ma kēia kahakai e hānai i nā makemake o ʻAigupita, ʻInia a me Roma no ka lubban.

Ua ʻike ʻo Egyptologists iā Samhuran, kahi kauhale paʻa i ka wahi nani e nānā pono ana i kahi puka hikina o Salalah, i hōʻike ʻia i ke kiʻi ʻana i 1,500 mau makahiki i hala aku nei i loko o kahi luakini ma ke awāwa o nā mōʻī ma Luxor, kahi i hoʻohana ai ka poʻe ʻAigupita kahiko i ka frankincense ma ke ʻano o ke kanu ʻana. nā loina.

Akā ma hope o ka hala ʻana o nā makahiki he mau tausani o ka hoʻokumu ʻana i ka waiwai nui, make koke ka ʻoihana ma waena o nā makahiki a me nā kaona e like me Samhuran a me Al Balid, ma waho o Salalah, i hoʻomaka i kā lākou moʻokūʻauhau e lilo i mau ʻāpana archaeological lepo ʻike ʻole i nā hanohano i hala.

I kēia manawa ke ola nei kahi echo o nā wā i hala aku nei i loko o nā hale kūʻai he nui i hoʻolaʻa ʻia no ke kūʻai aku ʻana i ka mea ʻala ma Al Husn souq ma Salalah, kahi e hoʻopuka ai nā mea nona nā waiwai kiʻekiʻe mai lalo o ka pā ma ka ʻaoʻao o ka hoihoi.

E hoʻāʻo ana wau e hana i ke kumu o ke kumu kūʻai o ka mea ʻala uliuli iʻoi aku ka pipiʻi o nā mea āpau ke ʻike wau i kahi nūhou mai Ahmed, nāna i kuhi aku i kahi pahu o nā mea kanu ʻole pono ʻole. "E ʻike i kēia," i ʻōlelo ʻo ia. “He mura kēia. I kēia manawa, ʻo kā mākou wale nō e hana ai na ʻoe e ʻike i kahi gula a lilo ʻoe i kanaka naʻauao. ”

"Inā ʻo ia wale nō ka maʻalahi," pane wau.

I ka lā aʻe, hele ʻo Ahmed huakaʻi i ke kuahiwi ma hope o Salalah. "Maikaʻi a ʻōpua hoʻi i kēia lā," wahi a Ahmed me ka hauʻoli i ko mākou piʻi ʻana i nā puʻu maloʻo e kipa aku ai iā Job's Tomb, kahi hoʻomaha hope loa o ke kāula o ka Old Testament a me kahi kahua hoʻomana nui o ia wahi.

Akā ʻoiai mākou e hoʻokele kokoke i ka piko o ka pali e nānā pono aku ana i ka pāpū, hoʻopili ke ao i kahi mea kokoke i kahi noe e waiho ana i nā manaʻo liʻiliʻi loa ma ka aniani. "Ah, kulu!" ʻLelo ʻo Ahmed, a laila hele mākou i ka pali a hoʻopau ka mist. ʻO ia kahi kokoke loa e hele mai i ka ua i ka wā o kaʻu hana e lilo i mākaʻikaʻi ua ma Salalah.

Ma hope, ma hope o ka huakaʻi huakaʻi lepo o nā awa ʻala ʻē aʻe ma Taqah a me Mirbat, ke hoʻi nei mākou i Salalah ke huli ʻo Ahmed i kahi ala ʻaoʻao i kahi kai ākea ākea. Ma hope koke mai e ʻike ʻia kahi kahawai wai falaj a laila kū mākou i kekahi o nā 360 mau punawai perennial ma ka moku ʻo Salalah.

Ma kahi o kahi mau haneli mau mika, ua hele aku ka ʻāina mai ka wao nahele neoneo a i ka ʻōmaʻomaʻo, me nā kumu waina a me nā kumulāʻau ākea e ulu ana ma kahi o nā punawai kūlohelohe e kū mai ana mai lalo o kahi escarpment. Eia kahi hint pono o ke ʻano o ke khareef.

"E ʻike i kēia," wahi a Ahmed me ka lanakila. “He ʻōmaʻomaʻo āpau! Ma ka liʻiliʻi ua ʻike ʻoe i kahi ʻōmaʻomaʻo ma mua o kou hele. ” A loaʻa iaʻu. I kekahi mau hola ma hope mai, haʻalele wau iā Salalah ma kahi mokulele i hoʻopaʻa ʻia no nā paipu polyethylene ʻeleʻele o Abu Dhabi.