Jordan Artist

We alway keep an I out for local artist when traveling.  However, we didn't find much of interest until we were walking through the shops on our way out of Jerash.  We met the artist that did these paintings and decided that we had room for a couple of last minute souvenirs.

Welcome Home!

Soon after boarding my flight home in Frankfurt, I checked out the news channel.  The first thing I saw was a bombing in Boston.  I didn't know if this was really happening or was a preview for a new movie, but it quickly became apparent that I was watching breaking news.

It's interesting that several people thought I was crazy for going to the Middle East, but the entire time I felt perfectly safe.  After watching the news though,  I was a little afraid to return to the USA.

Touchdown!

How's that for live blogging?

Sunrise

The first hint of daylight on my flight out of Queen Ali International Airport in Amman that began at 2:55am.  The female passenger in the window seat is literally "shrouded in mystery".

Ma'a salama (Goodbye)

No, I didn't learn any Arabic while here. I had to look that up.

We have had a good time here, seen a lot of amazing places and met many great people. I now need to go meet my ride to the airport.

Ila al-liqa'a

Temple of Artemis

The original Temple of Artemis, one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, is located near the ancient city of Ephesus in Turkey. It has been reduced to a few ruins.  This temple is fairly well preserved.

Poppie

North Theater

Flower Amid Ruins

The Cardo

This is the Cardo (Colonnaded Street) which is the main road in the city of Jerash, or Gerasa as it was know as when it was founded around 170 BC.  If you look closely, you can see the wagon ruts in the paving stone.

At Last... Popcorn!

After two weeks without, Jeff finally gets popcorn! When Jim went out to pick up his laundry, he found this bag in the local market labeled "Gourmet Popcorn".



Sure enough, it's the real thing!

Calm Water

Calm water in a troubled land.  View while driving along the Dead Sea road from Aqaba to Madaba.  The mountains on the other side of the Dead Sea are in the West Bank.

Salt

Every trip we try to find a way to get "off the grid", someplace where there are no tourist. Here we are at the southern most area of the Dead Sea.  We definitely had this place all to ourselves.  We thought these salt formations along the shore were very photogenic.

Stairway to...

Not sure where these stairs lead to, but they are all over the walls to the siq (gorge) that is Little Petra.  One of the bedouins we met there tried to get us to go up one of the staircases with him, but we declined the offer.

Temple, Little Petra

We made another trip to Little Petra to see what it looked like in morning light.

Iconic Image

Well this is it, the shot everyone comes to Jordan to get.  Walk down the siq (a narrow gorge) until it opens to a larger canyon.  Carved into the solid rock opposite the entrance to the canyon is "The Treasury".  Note that we got an earlier start today so no people in our shot.  Even the camels haven't arrived yet.

Bedouin Playing Flute

Later in the day we checked out another area known as Little Petra.  This bedouin was there playing his flute.

They Look Cute....

... but don't ever, ever get on one of these guys, especially if you want to go up a steep mountain trail on the edge of a cliff.

The Monastery

This is the Monastery in Petra. It's quite a walk to this place including a climb up 800 steps along a narrow canyon with steep drop-offs.  Jim didn't want to go but suggested I hire a guide to take me up there and back on a donkey.  We hadn't gone 100 yards before I was regretting the whole thing.  Hearing my brothers laughter didn't help.

The donkey had a mind of his own and would veer off the trail in defiance of his master (did I mention that there were steep drop-offs next to the trail).  I noticed that no one was riding any of the donkeys coming down (did I mention that it was steep in places).  I felt lucky to have survived the trip up hill, but the sight of the Monastery made it all worth it.  After all, when am I ever going to have another opportunity to experience this?

No problem going down hill on a donkey.  Don't know why others pass on that.

Colorful Rock

Bedouin at Urn Tomb

This is our first of two days in Petra and we didn't get an early start this morning so we had to put up with more tourist than we wanted to.

Sunset, Petra

Today we traveled from Madaba to Petra on the King's Highway. The King's Highway is like taking the backroads.  It winds around going though every small town along the way.  It took us all day and I don't think we saw any tourist until we arrived in Wadi Musa, the town that has grown up around the entrance to Petra. Along the way we stopped to tour the crusader castle at Karak.

Shobak Castle

Also along the King's Highway, is this crusader castle.  Shobak is not as well preserved as Karak,  but it is definitely worth checking out.  We need to get on to Wadi Musa, but plan on returning here in a few days.

Bedouin Home

Driving from Madaba to Wadi Musa along the King's Highway.  There are a lot of people in this country living in tents.

Karak Castle

Located along the King's Highway is Karak Castle.  Karak is one of the best preserved crusader castles in the Middle East. Construction on it was begun in 1142.

Inside Karak Castle

Bird, Mujib Nature Preserve

I saw this bird and many others like it near the entrance to the Mujib Nature Reserve.  As it borders the Dead Sea it is the lowest nature reserve in the world.

Dead Sea

This is the shore of the Dead Sea.  Note the salt deposits.

You Have Car?!

Whenever we would ask people for driving directions to some place, they would look at us in surprise and ask, "you have car?".  There weren't many tourist in a lot of the places we went, and we never saw other tourist driving themselves (other that the Australian guy we met one day).

Jeff Hits a New Low

1,388 feet below sea level to be exact. I went for a swim in the Dead Sea which is so salty I could not really swim, but I could float effortlessly. The Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth.

Baptismal Site of Jesus

Stated the day off at the official baptismal site of Jesus.  At least from the Jordanian side of the river it is considered the official site.  If touring Israel, I'm sure they have a different place they take tourist.  However, based on the story of Tell Mar Elyas (see previous post), this seems like it could be the real deal.

The highlight here was standing on the east bank of the Jordan River with Israel only 10 feet away.  Well, actually, the West Bank.

Jordan River

Tell Mar Elyas

The area near the arch in this photograph is Tell Mar Elyas, also known as Elijah's Hill.  It is traditionally thought to be the location from which the prophet Elijah ascended to Heaven.  Because of this, a holy man named John located to this area a thousand years later and began to symbolically cleanse people using the nearby springs. He came to be know as John the Baptist.

Olive Trees

Bird with Lunch

Do Your Little Dance for Me

Here are the ruins of Herod's hilltop palace at Mukawir.  This is where Salome danced her seductive dance for her step-father Herod.  Herod was so impressed that he promised her anything she wanted.  Prompted by her mother, she requested John the Baptist's head on a platter and Herod obliged.

John the Baptist's head is now in a tomb at the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus.

View of the hilltop from a distance.

Caves

Caves in the hills.

Jeff Goes Local

Jeff goes local, Jim has spaghetti. I guess French fries are everywhere.

Note: Still haven't found Double Magnums, and Jeff is close to going into popcorn withdrawal.

In the Middle of the Desert...

...Rain!

But the rest of the week looks good.

Mosaic Map, Madaba

This mosaic map of the Holy Land can be found in the St. George Church in Madaba.  Assembled in the sixth-century, it is thought to be the oldest map of the middle east.

Hill With a View

We drove out to Mount Nebo today.  Supposedly where Moses surveyed the promised land, died, and was buried.  The site is fully developed now with a large church covering the hilltop and observation platforms and museums.  Nothing like what it might have looked like 3,000 years ago (although the surrounding hills looked like they have not changed at all).

Sleep Deprivation

It was about 37 hours from the time I got up Tuesday to the time I got to my hotel room in Jordan at 3am Thursday (Jordan is 8 hours ahead of CDT).

Looking for Mr. Goodbar

By "Goodbar" I am, of course, referring to the elusive Double Magnum ice cream bar. It is indigenous to the Middle East but can now even be found in the US of A thanks in part to our good friends at Walmart (what, you expect them to sell American made ice cream bars?).




Alas, our search today was fruitless. Above is a Sub-species of the Double Magnum that I captured in the Frankfurt Airport.

Consistency

I debated a friend at work saying that McDonalds is consistent everywhere. She said "no, they're all different based on country". This is McDonalds Germany. Looks, and tastes, the same to me.

Bull and Bear

I seem to have wandered into the financial district.  Here we have the Bull and the Bear.  Near Wall Street in NYC they only have the Bull.

The Römer

This medieval building in Frankfurt am Main has been the city hall since 1405.

Frankfurt

This is the plane that got me from DFW to Frankfurt. I have about 12  hours until my flight to Amman, so I'll catch the train into town and check it out.

The Plan

This is  our tentative itinerary. Spend some time  around Madaba (Mosaics of Madaba, Mount Nebo, Dead Sea, Jordan River). Then south to see the crusader castle at Karak and on to Petra. Spend some time at Petra, then on to Aqaba and Wadi Rum. Work our way back up on the King's Highway checking out another crusader castle at Shobak. Details to come.

Getting There

This is how I will get to Jordan. Elapsed time from take off at DFW to touch down at AMM (Queen Alia International Airport) near Amman will be 25 hours and 30 minutes. Counting the time I am up before my flight and the time it takes to get through customs and to the hotel  in Madaba, I will be up 38 hours. My brother will arrive separately before I get there and will already be checked into the hotel.