HERITAGE
Jewel of Muscat

The Jewel of Muscat set off on its historic voyage to Singapore recently from Port Sultan Qaboos where she was seen off by dignitaries, including H H Sayyid Shihab bin Tariq al Said, advisor to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said. Hundreds of people gathered in the port and along the Muttrah Corniche to see off the crew as they entered the first phase of their five-month long voyage.

Launched on January 1, 2008, the Jewel of Muscat project’s purpose was to document how a ship of its kind would have sailed about a thousand years ago. Although fitted with modern GPS equipment, the 17-member crew will attempt to navigate the vessel using traditional methods and instruments.

Tom Vosmer who has been attached with the project since its inception will not be part of the crew that will set sail for Singapore. “You need to be in good shape to take such an arduous journey and I recently hurt my back. Also, I have too many things to attend to here in Muscat,” he said. The first stage of the journey to Kochi could take between three weeks to six, depending on the weather.

The biggest finding of this year’s Biosphere Expedition is the fact that there was overwhelming evidence pointing to a resident population of Arabian leopards in the Jebel Qara mountains of Dhofar region, said team scientist Tessa McGregor. Even though there was no sighting of the animal, unlike previous years the trail was hot this year with the team coming across pugmarks that were less than 24 hours old in some areas.

“Till this year we were not sure whether it was a herd that was passing through these mountain ranges or whether they were inhabitants. The results of this year’s survey point to a resident population, however small it may be.” She said Arabian leopards are threatened by shrinking habitat due to development activities and a steady depletion of their prey base.

Tessa said creating awareness about the importance of sustaining the fragile ecosystem in the region is imperative if Oman has to make sure that the last of its surviving Arabian leopards don’t disappear. She said poaching – not of the big cats themselves but their prey like tahr, gazelle and ibex – is a serious concern.

Members of the Biosphere Expedition 2010, which was facilitated by the Diwan of Royal Court and co-sponsored by Shell Oman, surveyed areas in Jebel Qara in Dhofar region for about four weeks in January and found several rounds of used ammunition, especially near the waterholes frequented by the prey of these felines.

Thai Basil in Midan Hotel Suites has introduced a new menu with dishes that are simple and yet successfully carry the flavour of Thailand. One of our favourites is the Koong Chup Pang Tod (RO2.100), an entrée of succulent prawns coated in tempura batter and lightly fried. Served with the accompanying soy and ginger sauce, the result is refreshing to the palate.

Another appetiser to look forward to is the Thai Fish Cakes (RO2.400), made of fresh local fish and Thai spices, accompanied by a sweet sauce and a cucumber and crushed peanut sauce. The Tom Yam Gai is a light soup with chicken and mushrooms and a touch of lemon (RO2). The Thai Laab Salad (RO3.700), with its finely chopped beef tenderloin seasoned with Thai spices is a delectable salad choice as is the Green Papaya Salad, shredded green papaya with roasted nuts and a lemon dressing, at RO1.900.

For the main course, the Pad Thai – rice noodles stir-fried with prawns, eggs and bean sprouts – makes an excellent choice (RO2.900). Other additions to the menu are the Koong Pad Klapraow, stir-fried prawns with garlic, chilli and hot basil leaves; and Pla Tod Sam Rod, a light dish of hammour fish fillet with sweet and sour sauce, both slightly steep at RO5.400. The Mochaccino, cappuccino with a dash of chocolate, is a marvellous choice to round off a tasty meal.

CUISINE
Passionate about pasta

Vincenzo Spinosi, otherwise known as The Prince of Pasta bought his traditional brand of pastas – Spinosi – along, when he came to Muscat for a special promotion as part of an Italian week offering at Capri Court, Shangri-La’s Barr al Jissah Resort and Spa.

Spinosi showcased his range in a special menu while guest chef Mauro Taufer from the Hotel Excelsior in Venice joined him. This occasion marks the second trip to the sultanate for the eccentric foodie and he said, “My father used to travel to Rome on a horse from his hometown to sell products such as sausage, olive oils and cheese. Due to the fact his region is renowned for producing excellent pasta, he decided to give a gift of pasta to his hosts in Rome. Later they used to ask him to bring more pasta until eventually they urged him to make it into a business.” In 1973 Spinosi took over and in 2000, created a new type of pasta called Spinosini. Among the delicacies on offer were honey- and dill-scented black Spinosini with squid and orange confit.

BMW has launched its first new car for 2010, the Gran Turismo – a car that combines the characteristics of a prestigious sedan, the functionality and space of a Sports Activity Vehicle and elements of a traditional Gran Turismo.

The Gran Turismo will enter the Omani market with eight-speed automatic transmission and two engine variants – the in-line six cylinder 535i and the V8 550i – both with twin-turbo technology. The BMW 535i Gran Turismo has a maximum output of 306hp with a top speed of 250km/h and acceleration from 0 to 100km/h in 6.3 seconds. The top-of-the-range engine, the BMW 550i Gran Turismo has a maximum output of 407hp with a top speed of 250km/h and acceleration from 0 to 100km/h in 5.5 seconds.