Hitchhiking

            The last few days, George and I have been working on earning our Open Water diving qualifications at a German dive center near the small fishing village of Qantab. By car, it is about two hours away from our district of Ma’abilah, but since George and I have figured out the taxi system really well, we can get anywhere in the city for pretty cheap. This trip, in particular, is $20 for the two of us one-way.

            Saturday was our first day of diving classes, and it had just rained those past few days, and the foggy dust that Muscat construction usually produces was gone. The air was fresh and clean and one could see the tall craggy mountains in the distance. It was the perfect first diving day.

            After going to the pool and learning the basics of clearing out water in your mask and buddy breathing, we packed up our stuff and got ready to take the long taxi ride back. The only problem is that we weren’t near any taxi stands or modern civilization. No Starbucks. No indoor plumbing. We decided the hitchhiking approach was best. In such a friendly country like Oman, sticking your hand out for a ride is almost entirely safe, and I have done this on plenty of occasions.

            After waiting for a few minutes, the second car that passed by saw our need and stopped. The three Filipinos were kind enough to pick us up and drive us 30 minutes to the town of Ruwi. After talking with them for a bit and recognizing that they had a Third Day disc in their CD system, we found out that they were Christians too. This made them more eager to help us out, and even though they felt obligated to drive us further, George and I did not want to inconvenience them any further.

            We then hopped in a taxi from Ruwi to the Ma’abilah stop, an hour drive without traffic. The taxi driver, Joseph al-Abri, a member of the Royal Omani Police in the traffic department, escorted us there. After talking to us for a little bit and visibly impressed by our Arabic, he told us he would drop us off right by our homes, no cost.

            Two free car rides in a row is great, but as surprising as this may sound, I have received a lot of free rides in Oman. What’s my secret? Make good conversation, be interested in the other person, and if they’re Omani, I tell them I am here to learn Arabic and experience Omani culture. 60% of the time, it works every time.