Nice report so far. I liked Oman when I visited, I agree that you get a view of what the rebuilt buildings in the UAE and Qatar are trying to copy, though I never visited Misfat al-Abrayeen. Saudi Arabia has some places which give a nice perspective as well if you are looking for more authentic Arabian life.

One thing I liked about Oman is you actually have locals doing service jobs (though not as common as in Saudi) like taxi driving (foreigners are banned from doing this), unlike in some other gulf countries where it's all foreigners.

Nice pics so far, keep them coming.

Also I'd be interested to hear what ordinary Omanis think about Qaboos being a homosexual. The ones I talked to (educated part of the population) said that it was clear, but I think many would want to deny it.