At Jebel Sifah Beach - Seeking Salvation

The first week of October was the week of Durga Pujo and it had passed away in a jiffy. For us Bengalis, it is the biggest event of the year. And here in Oman, we were lucky to have Eid Holidays following the Pujo week. So this trip was made with our family friends just after the Pujo, during the Eid Holidays, as an extension to the Pujo revelry. A beautiful addition to my travelogues.

Jebel Sifah Beach - Rendering in paintbrush

'Jebel' means mountain in Arabic and so far as the word 'Sifah' is concerned, I have absolutely no clue as to what it means. One thing we have encountered several times in Oman is the non-uniformity in the spelling of places. Hence, it was not surprising that as we traveled through the mountains and valleys, we came across signboards with different spelling versions each time - Jebel Sifa, Jabal Sifah, Jebel Shifa, Jabal Sifya, and even Jebel Syifah. Searching on the net, all I could gather is that 'Shifa' in Islamic tradition is a method of healing. Maybe the Jebel mountains had something to do with the healing power. 

If you search on google maps, it will show Jebel Sifah at a distance of about 50kms from the Muscat city by road passing through Wadi Kabir, Qantab road, Al Jissah and the village of Yiti. We came across some odd named villages such as Yanket (@ 30kms from Muscat), some fishing villages and wadis and then finally reached the area called Bandar Al Khiran from where we found our way to the Jebel Sifah Beach. 

And yes, stopping by the wadis, I couldn't stop myself from singing the bollywood number - "yeh haseen wadiyan, yeh khula aasmaan..."

A stop at the Wadis just after the Yanket village 

A fishing boat

 Road along the the wadis

Fishing villages on the way

For a long time, the rugged mountains only gave us company. The road to our destination was built from cutting in sections of the mountain range. If you suffer from motion sickness like one of our friends did, a word of advice from me would be to carry some medicines with you, for the road to Jebel Sifah is a long and a winding one, taking you up and down through the mountains, and motion sickness can certainly ruin your trip. Also, there were no fuel filling stations on the way, so thankfully we had our car's tank full before beginning the trip. No night driving is advised since the roads at times were steep, sometimes narrow with sharp and sudden turns; hence it could be dangerous as no proper signs or directions were available.

The white mountain goats from the village

A Beautiful village house

It took us a good one-hour time to reach our destination. We passed through Hajjar Mountains, encountered wadis (valleys) with beautiful water bodies, fishing villages with beautiful houses and we also spotted some white goats, a couple of labor camps and finally arrived at the destination marked with a signboard that said "Sammak". By the way, "Sammak" means the Fisherman.

"Sammak" - Signboard signaling arrival to the beach

Now this was a beach with no shelter whatsoever. We just spotted one restaurant named 'As Sammak' (A seafood restaurant) that had a signboard saying 'Closed for this time of the year' and there were some stone showers (not maintained though) and a parking space. However, the beach was pristine and beautiful with blue water and ahead of us lay the vast stretch of golden sand and some palm trees lined up near the entrance. A few cottony clouds floated above the mountains and the sea and made the beach look all the more beautiful.

The closed restaurant

Line of palm trees adorning the beach

Since, it was holiday time, the people had arrived earlier in the day, had spread their tents and were relaxing under colorful beach umbrellas. We also spotted some people with their fishing gears, some playing football, some swimming, some just walking along the shore. Far away we could spot a few white buildings which were actually an integrated tourism complex being developed at Jebel Sifah. 

The tents on the beach

The blue sea and the golden sand of the beach

Later as we built our own tent and settled down, we had a barbecue of smoked chicken and paneer tikkas. It was mid-day with the sun at its peak, the breeze was warm and steamy, and we had the heat pricking our skin and the hot sand searing our feet. But this would not stop our kids from playing in the sand. They had the fun of their lifetime. It seemed like each one of them was taking a bath in the sand and were unmindful of their sweat gleaming in the sun.

The Barbecue

Children playing with sand to their heart's content

After the Barbecue party, all of us headed towards the sea. While, we ladies, soaked our feet in the warm waters, our husbands and children swam in the sea. We, Indian women, are generally happy when our husbands and children are happy! So, there we were, standing by the sea holding towels in our hands; watching our families having fun, unmindful of the scorching sun, tanning away in delight. 

Swimming in the sea

Slowly as the sun's harshness melted down the sea, the crowd started building up and the beach got packed with people from all around the city. It was time for us to leave and bid adieu to the beach.

Crowded Beach as the sun sets

Nature's play with the Mountains, Clouds and the Sand

The sea was beautiful as ever. The turquoise water of the sea tempted me again to write a few lines again. Though it may sound a little remorseful to all of you, a visit to the beach as always brings out a lot of emotions from me and I can't help it if I sound wistful each time.

The pebbles on the beach

So here are a few lines inspired by the sea, the setting sun, the sand and the scattered pebbles.

Seeking salvation with the setting sun

Walking by the beach,

The wet sands had much to teach...

Holding hands walking by your side,
Thought I would cross all the tides.

I made a castle in the wet sand,

Knowing that the waves will not let it stand.

Collecting the pebbles scattered on the beach,

My dreams lay shattered beyond my reach.

Imagining the sea devoid its blue hue,

That's how my life would be without you.

But long ago you embarked on a journey,  

I was never a part of your itinerary.

The clouds drifted in the orange sky,
No more in my dreams would I dare to fly.

And as I take the last look at the setting sun,

All I seek is salvation.

While watching the song 'Jiya' from the Bollywood movie 'Gunday', I realized to my utter delight that I had taken pictures of the same locations where this song was shot.

A still from the movie 'Gunday' shot in the location near Yanket
Source: Youtube.com

The Fishing boat and the same location used in the movie 'Gunday'
captured from my lenses