8 April 2019 - Majlis al Jinn Cave Chamber In Oman

Majlis al Jinn Cave Chamber In Oman

G'day folks,

Here is another interesting place in Oman.

This giant underground cave chamber can only be accessed through a small opening at the top. 

  Majlis al Jinn is the second largest cave chamber in the world by surface area. The base of the cave is 624,000 square feet, the size of nearly 11 football fields. However the only way to get in is through one of three tiny openings at the top, all of which have been formed over time as the accumulation of rainwater dissolved the limestone covering.

 This cave chamber, located 60 miles from Muscat, was discovered by Americans Don Davidson Jr. and his wife Cheryl Jones in 1983. They noticed the strange holes in the ground on aerial photographs, and eventually made the journey out via helicopter. When they looked down into the small openings, they saw the sandy floor below - over 500 feet down. Just days later, they rappelled down for the first time.

In an attempt to find an appropriate name for the chamber, they asked the Omanis in the surrounding area if they had a local name for it, to which the response was no. They did, however, mention that they believed that the cave was filled with genies, which are prevalent in Omani mythology and the Quran. In Arabic, the word for “genie” is “al-Jinn”, so hence, the American explorers named the cave is “Majlis al Jinn. “Majlis” means “meeting place,” making the cave name, “the meeting place of the genies.”

This cave room has become a hot spot for abseilers and BASE jumpers. A small hole at the top sheds a beam of light into the vast base. Strangely, the bottom of this chamber appears to be a sort of graveyard for goats (who presumably fell in), snakes, and birds - their bones littering the floor.

 

Clancy's comment: Extraordinary. It certainly is an interesting part of the world. What will they find next?

 I'm ...

 

7 April 2019 - BIMMAH SINKHOLE in OMAN

BIMMAH SINKHOLE in OMAN

G'day folks,

Here is a sinkhole turned swimming hole, full of dazzling turquoise water. Long attributed to a meteorite, this beautiful swimming hole is actually a naturally occurring sinkhole.

 Sinkholes are often the result of groundwater eating away at rocks like limestone and carbonate. Caverns form as the rocks dissolve, and eventually the ground above caves in, sometimes taking cars, houses, and even the occasional pizza place with it.

In Northern Oman, just off the road between Dibab and Bimmah, there’s a particularly beautiful example of the natural phenomena. In an otherwise flat area, a sinkhole formed about a third of a mile from the sea, resulting in a turquoise mix of fresh and salt water.

 Geologists have confirmed the 65-foot deep pool is in fact a sinkhole, but locals hold on to the legend that a meteorite hit the spot. When the local municipality developed the area into a park to preserve and protect the hole, the name Haweat Najm (The Falling Star) Park was chosen.

A large concrete staircase sticks out among the natural landscape, but offers a less precarious way down to the picturesque pool. Many folks just go to admire its beauty, or dip their feet in the vividly blue-green water for a fish-administered pedicure of sorts. Still some take full advantage of the salty water, diving from the cliffs within the cavern.

Clancy's comment: Wow. Nice spot, eh?

I'm ...

24 March 2019 - Strange Rock Garden at Duqm, Oman

Strange Rock Garden at Duqm, Oman

G'day folks,

 I'm always interested in odd things. This is one of them.

A section of this desert has an array of unusual sandstone and limestone formations.  

 Whichever way you approach this place, you’re likely to have traveled through hundreds of kilometers of rocky desert.  It is, therefore, somewhat surprising to find 3 square km of desert fenced off and signposted “Rock Garden.”  If you leave behind any preconceived ideas of what a garden may look like, and focus instead on the rock part of the name, you’ll be better prepared for the site.

At first sight, there is little (if any) difference between the fenced off and the surrounding area.  Yet, once you start wandering around, you’ll find a curious array of sandstone and limestone formations. Water, wind and millions of years combined managed to create this bizarre landscape.

Almost perfectly spherical stones sit next to rocks resembling animals, thrones, human body parts, and whatever else your imagination can conjure up. Some large rocks stand balanced on smaller ones, while others sit at improbable angles.

It may not be the most jaw-dropping site you’ll ever see, but it does provide the chance to marvel at the beauty of rocks.  There is something hypnotic about contemplating the way time has made some rocks smooth, and others jagged, some flaky and others scaly, and so on. If you take time to notice these little variations, the Rock Garden has a striking variety of rock surfaces, shapes, and colors.

Clancy's comment: Mm ... It looks like a former playground. That whopping big bone is extraordinary.

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