Oman + Socotra Island, Yemen
After some technical difficulties recording a video episode for you guys, and the file being corrupted, we recorded this video episode hours before dropping it...Alison and Ash were up til 3 am to get you guys the good stuff, so we really hope you like it! Also we've been feeling the Youtube lately, so please subscribe to our channel so that you don't miss any of the exciting new stuff we having coming down the pike! And while you're there enjoy such goodies as our Weird Food Challenge, Drink Challenge, and the very on-brand Rosé All Day Challenge!
In other news, we just got back from Podfest Expo in Orlando! We brought one of our 10K Dollar Baes and previous guest googler Andrea Canny with us to meet our fantastic hosting service, Buzzsprout. She is thinking about starting a podcast, and if you are too, check them out, they are the most user-friendly and user-focused podcast service provider out there!
Alison is obsessed with her mid-life crisis. Wait, no…maybe, okay yes. Whether you want to call it a mid-life crisis or just following a whim, she got a completely new hair cut AND color, and she finally had a dream come true, she got lip filler. All in one day she did this. Lulu is obsessed with these stuffing-flavored almonds, it's like the best part of thanksgiving in your mouth all-year long, courtesy of CVS.
Alison is wishing for camera and lighting equipment that is super light and easy to travel with. Any recommendations? Lulu is wishing for cool color in her very dark hair. She doesn't want to bleach it though...so perhaps her previous wishlist item, Overtone, should move back to the top of her list.
Oman may not have been on your radar, but according to Alison it should be, as it has a lot to offer and is one of the safest countries in the Middle East. It has everything from forts and deserts, mountains and beaches, mosques and souqs, and you can swim in stunning wadis - during rainy season, anyways. No, she did not pick a specific locale, she's going to visit the whole country. Perhaps without realizing she was incurring 15 hours of drive time with her visits to sites in Salalah, Muscat, and Wadi Bani Khalid. She starts off her cross-country exploration at the Al Baleed Resort Salalah where she has booked the most expensive room - the three-bedroom Royal Beach Villa. At nearly 7,000 square feet this villa boasts a private outdoor courtyard with infinity pool that opens onto a private beach. There's a wine fridge and an option for in-villa dining service, so this is quite literally Alison's home away from home, amped up a notch...or ten.
She heads to Muscat, Oman's capital to visit Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. It’s a mosque that can hold 20,000 worshippers. The main prayer hall features the second largest handmade Iranian rug in the world—it took six hundred women four years to weave. Be aware that modest dress is required in places of worship, including hair coverings for women. Alison decides to come prepared, so checks out her options at Haute Hijab’s website.. She was mesmerized by all the exquisite prints and wide range of fabrics they had to offer. Especially exciting was an interactive quiz - What Kind of Hijabi are You?. Everyone in #Team10K got “The Visionary”:
“You are one of those rare people who don’t just follow trends, you set them. Your ability to think creatively and shake things up inspires people around you to do the same. So whether it’s your personal style, the way you approach your studies/work or the role you have among your friends, know that you inspire innovation in those around you. As you go boldly forward changing the world, we’ll be right by your side making sure that your hijab game is always fresh, fabulous and quintessentially YOU!
For each of us visionaries they recommend the DECO collection. Inspired by Art Deco, the headscarves in this collection have metallic features, and not surprisingly, Alison buys all of the options! Her haul includes the Metallic Jersey Set, the Satin Edge Chiffon set in Pearl and the Satin Edge Chiffon set in Black, plus the Metallic Underscarf in Brushed Platinum, which she could use in conjunction with some fabric she buys while shopping in a souq. She had to browse the luxury section, and her heart skipped a beat when she saw The Black Tie Lace Embroidered Tulle Hijab! It's $280 and meant for formal events, or anytime you want to elevate your outfit, really! So she is appropriately -and fabulously! - outfitted for her visit to the mosque.
Next she heads to Wadi Bani Khalid, a stunning oasis in the middle of the desert with crystal clear green waters, so stunning you'll jump right in. Mountains and date palms serve as the backdrop to this wonderful spot to spend an afternoon, where there is a restaurant with coffees and a vegetarian buffet, or picnic spots if you want to bring your own finds from a market. If that doesn't entice you, the toilets behind the picnic area are free to use and even have some western style toilets. Sold. Bring your own toilet paper, though. Do take note that for modesty you will need to wear coverings over your swimsuit, any type of pant that covers your knees and an oversized tee would do the trick!
Once she's dried off, Allison heads back to Salalah to the Museum of the Frankincense Land. The displays are beautifully presented and takes you back to the origins of Frankincense discovery in Oman. Where does Frankincense come from? We get it from doTerra, but surely that's not the point of origin. Apparently it is made from the sap of Boswellia trees found in Oman, Yemen, and the Horn of Africa. Also adjacent to the museum is the Al-Baleed Archaeological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site where you will see ruins from the areas first settlement.
Back to Muscat for an early dinner at Ubhar where “the brand, design and menu was developed to revive the riches of the lost city of Ubhar.” From 2800 BC to 300 AD, Ubhar was a city said to rival paradise, and prospered for over 3000 years on the trade of frankincense. They have a wide range of delicious food ranging from $20-50 USD for a full meal, and a tea service!
Alison is very excited about this next adventure. Our producer Ash was too, until while double-checking research she started to recognize city names, country codes...yep, Alison definitely booked an experience in a different country. This Sunset Camel Safari through tour company Deep Desert Queen with camel rides, dinner, and entertainment in the desert, is definitely not to be missed...if you are visiting Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, India. A bit of a ways from Oman. But definitely worth the trip, according to Ash who in fact spent "an evening of Rajasthani cultural entertainment with local gypsy music and dancing" like the one this excursion offers, while actually in India. She didn't get to ride a camel through the desert though, so let's just put a pin in this activity for an imaginary luxury travel day in that Indian state. Or not so imaginary, one day, would be nice. Fingers crossed!
Socotra Island is one of the islands of an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, officially a part of Yemen. Because Yemen is in turmoil due to cholera outbreaks and civil war, at this time travel there is not recommended. However, the lush islands of the Socotra archipelago have escaped much of the conditions the mainland finds itself in, so there is a flight to the islands that doesn't stop in mainland Yemen. Lulu is cautious but excited to explore these islands, where it’s said that a third of its plant life is found nowhere else on the planet. Some people even think it’s the original Garden of Eden! There are caves and paths, but no roads. This is a very untouched part of the world. Paradise may be beautiful, but it does not have any 5-star hotels. Lulu was able to find this 5-star reviewed North Face Base Camp Dome Tent for $5500. For her sleepover in paradise, she will also need a sleeping bag. The North Face Dolomite One Duo Sleeping Bag will do just fine, thank you! Now that she has set up camp, Lulu is ready to explore this beautiful island. She does get a bit unnerved that the only native animal is the bat. Thinking about bats makes her think about Batman. Thinking about what to do here in paradise, she thinks (a) Batman + (b) Garden of Eden = (c) Poison Ivy.
She is going to dress up as the DC villain (and sometimes love interest) of Batman. This is going to look really interesting to any local native humans on this island. To start her costume, she buys a bag of leaves on eBay. Literally, a bag of leaves. She is convinced this is a great idea after reading the description written about this item. Listen to this: "Natural Organic Wild-caught Leaves fresh fallen from the Wilderness Forests of Northern New Jersey. One time deal, the real deal. Don't be caught with those plastic factory facsimile leaves- participate in the Ephemeral Art of Mother Nature Herself." Now she needs something to put the leaves on, so she found this nude rhinestone bodysuit from Amekana. She is going to use hot glue to attach the organic wild-caught leaves to her bedazzled bodysuit.
This costume is shaping up, but what about some green paint for the leaves? Green eyeshadow? A red wig? Nah…Lulu is more worried about getting into that nude bodysuit, so she spends the rest of her money on a year-long "destination access" subscription to Equinox. She could wax poetic forever about why Equinox is her own personal Mecca, especially during summers in NYC. Between initiation fees and monthly fees for a year, her gym cost comes to $3760. She also decides to drink only protein shakes on her day, specifically the Garden of Life Raw Organic Protein mix. She is going to look bomb in that nude bodysuit, you guys.
CHECK OUT THE CHARITIES WE FOUND IN THE CITIES WE VISITED:
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