My first night in Oman - I'm sitting on a dhow, second in a row of eight tied to a quay. They're bobbing gently, the only noise their fenders squeaking and the trilling of the seabirds. Suddenly, singing bursts from the mosque not 50m away - the dusk muezzin. "Alaa-a-a-aaaa-a-a-aaaa-a-a-aaaaah Akhbar!" It's a beautiful moment, one which reminds me of numerous such calls to prayer from my travels - the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, the dawn call in a remote village in Southern Ethiopia, the chorus rising above the mists breathing an Indonesian volcano. Luxury accommodation in Oman, with balcony and sea views. The great thing is, I wouldn't be here unless I was as, erm, budget conscious as I am. Yo
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