Welcome to Oman

I arrived in the Sultanate of Oman and could smell the sea air right as I stepped off the plane. After 7 hours to London and another 9 to Muscat, the balmy but breezy night air was refreshing. I knew this was going to be a fascinating trip but it's also a significant time to travel throughout the world especially in the Middle East. Barely a couple of weeks old, the US election is still fresh in the minds of not only Americans, but of supreme interest to the international world as well. One of the first comments my guide made on the way to our hotel was about the US election. After most of the group acknowledged they were from the States, he proceeded to say what a great outcome for Obama to win the election. He enthusiastically spoke about his anticipation for the 44th American president to take office. Although I know people throughout the world share in the Obama excitement, I was surprised it was one of the first topics of discussion. I imagine this may happen throughout our journey and I look forward to hearing local Gulf perspectives on US politics especially as the world deals with the economic crisis.