Jordan Sights

Today was another busy day and I'm sure I'm forgetting a lot of details but will try and put the main stuff into some sort of post. Left the hotel at 7:30 am and drove the two hours to Karak. Toured a crusader castle before hoping back in the bus and driving to Madaba, another 2 hours away. (I'm sure the castle is impressive but after seeing the Pyramids and Petra, it just looked like another building!) Arrived in Madaba just after 1 pm and found a small sandwich shop which was open and was even serving cheap food. Enjoyed two sandwiches and a smoothie for only 3.5 JD. The main attraction in Madaba is St.George's Church which has a huge mosaic map on the floor, depicting all the major Biblical sites in the Middle East. The map was unearthed in 1884 and is from the Byzantine era. Some parts of it have been lost but you can see most of the main parts.
In the afternoon we traveled along the King's Hwy, which dates back to ancient times. (This was the road that Moses wanted to take through the land of Moab but the local king refused.) Jordan has three main valleys and we traveled up and down one of them today, going quite slowly on all the hairpin curves.
Our last stop of the day was Mt.Nebo, where Moses viewed the Promised Land before he died. There is a "Moses Memorial church" at the top with some more impressive mosaics in it, along with an interpretive centre/museum which was funded by the Canadians and Italians! On a clear day you can see the Dead Sea, Jericho and the outskirts of Jerusalem from the top of Mt.Nebo but the sky was a bit hazy today so we weren't able to see too much. Before leaving the area we were taken to a "government approved" mosaic shop, which basically means the shop is owned by some friends of the tour guide so he gets a kick back from anything that is purchased! First we were shown how they made the mosaics by hand and then how the large vases were made. The shop was quite full so we were a little skeptical about how "hand made" everything was. Once inside the showroom there was a "mosaic salesman" for almost every tourist and they followed us around asking questions about where we were from and what we did for a living, most likely sizing up our spending money! They had some interesting pieces of art, furniture and swords, but everything was way out of our budget!
We arrived in Amman around 6 pm tonight, quite tired from all the touring and sitting that we did today. We'll be staying at the Hillside for three nights before leaving for home early Tuesday morning. We had to play musical rooms tonight before all the couples got their double beds and the rest got their single beds and non smoking rooms, but it seems that nobody has a room with working air conditioning. (Apparently they only turn it on during tourist season and apparently this is not tourist season!) Jordan is a bit cooler than Egypt but it's still a bit stuffy in our room, even with the windows open.
We're hoping to go to the ancient Roman fortress of Jeresh tomorrow and then spend the day at the Dead Sea. Too tired to write anymore so hopefully this all makes sense!


Karak


One of three main valleys in Jordan


Mt.Nebo


Looking towards Israel from Mt.Nebo


Where's the promised land?


A mosaic in the 'Moses Memorial Church'


Mosaic making at a mosaic warehouse.


This guy would not leave us alone! He even had to be in all the pictures!





The best part about the Mosaic warehouse - the pink flowery toilets in the women's washroom!

Petra - Friday September 29

Had an early wake up call on Friday and left the hotel around 7 am. Our Jordanian guide, Niam, explained our itinerary for the day, before we caught our horses which would take us from the visitors centre to the beginning of the Siq. (The long canyon that goes into the ancient city of Petra) The horses, which cost 7 JD one way ($14 CND!) are included in the price of the admission ticket but each person is expected to tip the horse handler 1 or 2 JD just for helping them on the horse. The horses only take you about 800 m so the whole thing is a bit of a scam but we did take them and paid our tips. (Our handlers were happy with their tips but some of the others were not so pleased when they only received their 1 JD!)
The walk through the Siq is 2 km with the walls reaching 200 m high in some points. Part of the road has old Roman cobblestone on it while the rest is concrete, which was poured in the 60's to help with the flash floods that would wash away all the sand. (And some of the tourists too!) You can take a horse drawn carriage through the Siq although the gov't has made the price quite high ($40 Cnd) to try and get people not to use them!
Petra is a huge site with over 500 tombs and many other ancient buildings carved into the rocks. It's hardly possible to see it all in one day but our guide did his best and left us with some free time at the end to do our own options. We were able to see the Treasury, Royal Tombs, Petra Church, museum and also climb to the monastery and one of the high places of sacrifice. Apparently only 5% of Petra has been excavated as this point and there was evidence of some archeological digs that were still in progress, mostly American and German.
We finished the main tour with our guide around 11 and then J and I decided to make the trek up to the monastery. There's over 800 steps up to the top and it took us almost an hour, with numerous breaks. You can take a donkey up to the top for 5 JD or so but I preferred to sweat it out instead of riding on one of those poor little beasts! There were many little stands set up along the way with the locals trying to sell their jewelry and ancient coins and lamps that had been found on the site. "1 JD, no charge for looking! Buy one and make my day!" (One of the young boys was trying to sell one of the Aussies a ordinary rock, claiming it was some ancient stone. The Aussie picked up another rock from the ground and asked why it wasn't for sale, seeing as it was the same as the one the kid was selling. "That rock is broken," was the reply!) Apparently they learn English at school and even the young children can be heard selling their wares to the tourists.
Upon reaching the top, we stopped for a break at the top, under a tent which was selling cold drinks. No refrigeration at the top so all the drinks were on blocks of ice. A pop was selling for $8 Cnd so we opted for a luke warm water instead! Further past the monastery there was a high place of sacrifice with a great view of the Jordan Valley, so I left J sitting at one of the tombs with some goats which were keeping him company, and continued on for another 10 minutes or so.
By 2 pm were were back down the trail in the main city of Petra and seated at the local buffet for lunch. We brought snacks with us as the buffet was about $14 Cnd each, but splurged on pop instead. (Jordan is so expensive that we're letting our frugal sides take over!) Some of the others opted to do a hike after lunch but they had taken the donkeys to the top and had a bit more energy than we did. We slowly made our way back to the Siq and walked out of the site by 4 pm. Upon reaching the horses, the handlers tried to tell us that it would cost us 5 JD to get the horses back before we reminded them that we'd already paid our 7 JD in the entrance price! We couldn't believe that we actually had to haggle with them over what sort of tip they would get! In the end, we dragged our weary feet out and didn't take the horses as J only had 1 JD on him plus some big bills and the guys didn't seem too anxious to take small change. (One of them told J that they did take Visa though!) I didn't think I was going to make it after being in the sun all day, but J prodded me on and we finally reached the entrance. (It was so hot that day that not only were we covered in sweat but we actually had salt stains on our shirts from sweating so much. I'm sure you all wanted to know that, right?) Since the bus back to the hotel wasn't going to arrive until 5:30 we opted to take a taxi back (2 JD) and catch some sleep before supper. Nine hours at the site had done it's toll and we both enjoyed a well deserted nap before supper at 7:30. After supper I enjoyed a Turkish bath which included a steam room, sauna, short massage and jacuzzi before heading back to the room and collapsing into bed!


The Treasury at the end of the Siq


The Treasury




Dwellings cut into the rocks


Funky limestone patterns!






J found a tomb with his name in it!


The trail up to the monastery - can you see the donkeys climbing the steps?


Still climbing! I'm in the foreground with my arms raised - I guess brown wasn't such a good colour to wear that day!


No safety ropes along these ledges!


The Monastery






Jonathan taking a break with the goats


Suicidal goats - they were hanging around the high place of sacrifice! =)


Girl selling necklaces


Nine hours later ... we're finally on our way out!


Dusty, pinkish shoes!

Red Sea & Wadi Rum - Thursday September 28

It's 9:30 pm and I'm typing this post from our hotel in Amman, Jordan. The hotel only has one internet connection ($4 CND/hour) and there was a line up, but I thought I should stay awake and try and write a few lines. There are a couple of internet places close by, but I didn't feel up to taking a walk in the dark, even though J went out to the store to pick up some drinks and snacks for us.
After my last post on Wednesday we had a bit of time to do some shopping in Aqaba. Supper at the hotel was at 7:30 but for some reason I misread my watch and it was 8:30 before we headed down. Everyone else had already eaten, but fortunately they saved some food for us and we were able to get a bite to eat before heading out. We wandered around the area for a bit and went through many shops, all of them duty free. Aqaba sells lots of fresh nuts and of course, Dead Sea products. Walking down the streets reminded of us walking into a health food store - everything smells like spices and fresh produce. Bought some souvenirs but I think we were both too tired from our early morning Sinai trek to really enjoy everything.
Thursday morning we left the hotel around 9:30 to enjoy a few hours at the Red Sea. We paid to go to one of the beaches at a hotel and were able to rent snorkeling equipment there. It was quite wavy but the coral was fantastic and there was quite a variety of fish to be seen. We headed back to the hotel around noon, packed up our gear and tried to find some place that was open for lunch. Most of the restaurants were closed but J managed to walk down to the McDonald's and found they were open. However, they would only make food for those taking it away and nobody was allowed to eat in the restaurant as it was Ramadan. Many of their foods weren't available either but we did manage to score some burgers and ice cream cones. (It cost approx. $8 Cnd for two burgers, some fries and two ice creams)
Our destination for the afternoon was Wadi Rum - a protected nature reserve area where the local Bedouin still live. We all piled into two jeeps and headed out into the dessert to see some sights. Our first stop was at the Lawrence of Arabia springs, now dried up, but some ancient rock carvings were left behind. We also enjoyed some Bedouin tea and stopped to chat with the locals. Our second stop was at a canyon with more rock carvings - can't remember all the details as to how old the rock writings were. The area has lots of pink sand and huge rock formations similar to the Sinai region. One of the rock formations forms a natural stone bridge between two huge rocks so we clamored up some sand dunes and walked across the bridge to enjoy the scenery from above. We were all covered in pink dust by the time we boarded the bus and I emptied out a pile of sand from my shoes that night. I would love to go back here and camp for a week in the dessert or take a camel trek for a couple of days. The rock formations look like they belong on the moon and the whole area is quite amazing!
After our visit to Wadi Rum we continued on to Wadi Musa (Valley of Moses) where we stayed the night. Around 6:30 pm we stopped to watch the sun set over the Rift Valley, while our driver, who had been fasting all day, broke his fast and had some food. (I wonder how safe it is to have drivers who haven't had anything to eat or drink all day?) Arrived at our hotel around 7:30 and then those of us who wanted to see "Petra by night," left at 8:30. J opted not to go on this excursion but our guide book said it was a "magical experience" so I forked out the $27 Cnd and went for it. In the end I was a bit disappointed, as the walk from the entrance of Petra, through the Siq and to the Treasury took over 30 min and was only lit with candles. It was hard to walk in the dark, and even though they could be smelt and not seen, there were some camel and donkey paddies lining the way. At the end of the walk there were more candles in front of the treasury, but not enough to get a good picture. Everyone was served some tea, while two locals entertained us with some Bedouin music. We walked back out shortly after and arrived home just before 11 pm - I think I should have saved the money and enjoyed my sleep!


Red Sea


Camel Crossing


Middle of nowhere!


Herd of goats under tree




Red and white sand!


Climbing up the sand dunes and rock formations


Natural rock bridge


Sunset over the Rift Valley

Mount Sinai

We arrived in Aqaba, Jordan this afternoon and have nicely settled into our hotel. I'm currently writing from the lobby, where the net is a bit expensive ($4 CND/hour) but all the other internet places are closed as people prepare to break their fast around 6 pm tonight. Supper for us is at 7:30 pm ( you get better service when the locals have their stomachs filled!) and then all the shops will reopen again until probably 1 or 2 am.
We left Cairo on Tuesday and drove the 8 hours to St.Catherine's, which is a very tiny village at the bottom of Mount Sinai. Only the two other Canadians from our original tour are still with us now, as all the others were only with us for the Egypt part of the trip. Three other guides in training have joined us though, making the ratio of guides to tourists 1:1! Not bad! Cheryl and Virginia are both from Britain and Patricia, from Italy. If there was any doubt that Patricia was a true Italian, it was confirmed when she boarded the minibus carrying a huge lasagne, wrapped in tinfoil and then protected by a pillow case with red hearts on it. She was going to visit her friends in the Sinai and brought them a special meal. She was a little worried about how she was going to heat it up though, as it was a Bedouin family and I think their accommodations were quite basic. Also accompanying us on the bus were the driver, an armed guard and an ImTrav rep from the Egypt and Sinai area. We were well taken care of. We stopped twice on the way to Sinai for gas and washroom breaks, and also had to go through a couple of military checkpoints.
Leaving Egypt, the landscape changed quite drastically. Leaving behind the apartment complexes and pollution of Cairo, we soon were in the dessert and could catch glimpses of some blue sky ahead. Entering the Sinai Dessert and mountain region was truly amazing. The rock formations are like nothing I have ever seen before and the rocks rise out of the ground in soft pinks and greys. Camels and nomadic people appear from time to time, but besides the blue sky and the rocks, the area along the highway is mostly deserted. Before reaching our hotel in St.Catherine's, we stopped at Wadi Feiran, which is Sinai's largest oasis and consists of a natural spring and over 12 000 date palms. This is the alleged site where Moses struck the rock and water came out. (There were certainly lots of rocks to choose from!)
We made a quick stop at a grocery store for water and "energy bars" (ie chocolate!) before heading to the hotel. Supper was a large buffet, served at 7:30 pm, with the traditional Egyptian grub - rice, potatoes, roasted chicken pieces, chickpea salad, buns, pasta, beans in tomato sauce and mixed veggies along with an assortment of cookies and cakes for dessert. Bed time came early (9 pm) as our Sinai adventure would start early the next day!
At 1:10 this morning, we received our telephone wake up call from the front desk. Five minutes later there was a knock at the door to make sure we were truly awake. Only J, Carol and I decided to make the trek up the mountain. The trainee tour guides had done it before, the other Canadian opted out and our tour guide, Siobhan was feeling sick, so we told here there was no need to come with us. We had a Bedouin guide, Ramadan, with us, so didn't really need any other guides. Upon arriving at the mountain around 2 am, we had our bags searched by guards, went through the metal detectors and then were able to start our hike up the mountain. The mountain is 2285 m tall, roughly 7 km!
It takes a good 2-3 hours to hike up the mountain on the camel path, depending on the weather and the amount of people on the path. The other route, the 3000 plus steps of repentance, takes much longer and most people don't attempt them in the dark. Upon approaching the base of the mountain we had to walk through "camel alley" where the Bedouin guides are with their camels, offering to take people up to the top. (The camels can actually only go so far, as everyone who wants to reach the top must traverse the 750 steps at the top which are inaccessible by camel.) Most of the camel drivers were calling out "camel? camel?" except for one in the group which was trying the Cairo approach, "taxi? taxi?."
I was determined to walk all the way up to the top by myself but after 45 minutes of walking in the dark, stumbling over rocks and camel dung and gasping for breath, I decided that I might as well hire a camel. I think the combination of the early morning, the darkness and the strange environment made me feel a bit sick too and I knew that I still had to climb the 750 steps at the top before I could see the sunrise. There isn't too much negotiating going on when one tries to get a camel, as the camel drivers know they have a service that you need! There are camels every step of the way, especially clustered around the little tea houses, so as soon as I came across one, J arranged for me to take it up. (The cost was 55 EP - the best $11 CND I ever spent!) If this is the correct Mount Sinai that Moses climbed numerous time, he must have been quite a spry old man. (or at least had a side membership at the Y!)
Carol and J slugged it out for another 20 minutes or so before J's tiredness won out over his cheapness and he decided to hire a camel as well. He did better than I did though, and managed to get one for 40 EP. Riding the camel was much easier, although my camel did not seem to happy at having to work at 3 in the morning. I'm sure if he was a union camel he would have been asking for double time! There was much groaning and bellowing as his driver made him kneel down for me to climb on. He also plodded along quite slowly and almost stopped a couple of times. I'm sure I saw one of the empty camels coming down, give my camel a toothy grin, as if to say "ah ha, you have to carry a tourist up to the top and we're already on our way home!" Jonathan seemed to get the energizer camel - his guide just looped the reins around his neck and sent him on ahead, while walking behind and talking to our Bedouin guide.
Before long we had all reached the stairs and were ready for the last little climb. Carol had climbed all the way and put the rest of us to shame. (Twice our age too!) The 750 steps can hardly be classified as steps - more like climbing and clamoring over giant boulders while trying to catch a breath every once in a while. Since the camels can't climb the steps, the locals have found another way to sell their services. For a small fee you could get someone to carry your bags to the top or even hold your elbow for you and guide you up the steps. There were also numerous tea houses along the way, selling water, hot chocolate, tea, coffee and other edible goods. Most had lanterns burning outside and some crude type of couch inside for people to rest on. Five minutes before the top, we stopped at the last tea stop to catch our breath and warm up a bit before we sat on the top of the mountain and waited for sunrise. (It was quite windy out so our sweaters and gloves came in handy!) This tea house had one more item to hawk - smelly camel blankets and mattresses to keep you warm while you waited up at the top! Prices were quite expensive by Egyptian standards too - 10 EP for a blanket or a chocolate bar ($2 CND) and 5 EP ($1 CND) for a hot drink.
Around 4:20 am we climbed the last little bit, caught our breath and found a stop to sit. There weren't too many others at the top but some had come armed with sleeping bags and pillows and had been there for an hour or two already. The sunrise was scheduled for 5:15 am so we had about an hour to make ourselves at home. We both enjoyed our chocolate bars that we had bought in the village yesterday as well as some other well deserved treats. It was quite quiet at the top until more tourists came and crowded our site. Sometimes at Easter there came be hundreds at the top but thankfully there weren't too many this morning. The sunrise was as beautiful as everyone had told us it would be and much more appreciated after you climb 3 hours just to see it! We stayed on the top until just before 6 am, when there was enough light to see down the mountain without our flashlights. It was a little slower going down at first, as everyone was crowded on the stairs, but once we got back to the camel path, the crowds thinned out. We reached St.Catherine's monastery at the bottom around 7:30 am and took a few quick pictures before heading back to our bus. I found the hike down quite hard on my knees and back but the dull ache was a good feeling!
After breakfast we headed back to sleep for a couple of hours before packing up and leaving the hotel around 11 am. We had a two hour drive today to the port of Nuweiba, Egypt where we crossed into Aqaba, Jordan. The ferry is not always on time and due to many pilgrims heading to Saudi Arabia for Mecca, Siobhan was a bit worried as to how the crossing would go. Fortunately the ferry was waiting for us when we arrived and after loading our luggage into the storage hold, we were able to get some seats in the VIP section upstairs. The main section was filled with locals and was quite hot and strange smelly so it was nice to get a breath of fresh air. Leaving the port in Egypt, you can see Jordan & Saudi Arabia and upon arrival in Aqaba, Eilat, Israel is just across the water!
Our guide in Jordan met us with a smile and said this is the first time in two months that the ferry has been on time. Customs were another matter and quite confusing, had it not been for our guide. We unloaded the bags from the boat and then proceeded to put them on our minibus. Our passports had been kept on the boat and were sent to the immigration station where we had to collect them. Our Jordanian guide went in to collect the passports while we unloaded our luggage, took it into the building and had it scanned! We also had to pass through metal detectors before picking up our luggage again. We got the passports back from the guide, had them stamped and then boarded the bus again. Before we could leave the complex an official came on board to check our passports and make sure everything was in order!
The hour is almost done so will close for now. The agenda for tomorrow is diving in the Red Sea in the morning and then a Jeep safari tomorrow afternoon through Wadi Rum. Petra and Amman are the following days. Hope to write again tomorrow but might not have time until Amman!


Police checkpoint on the way through the Sinai region.


Catching a quick breath at one of the many tea houses on the way up Mt. Sinai.


Camel blankets for rent


Waiting for the sunrise










The steps of repentance.


Climbing down


Lack of sleep makes one want to kiss camels!


Halfway down!


St.Catherine's Monastery at the base of Mt.Sinai