Jordan day 7 - Amman history lesson

We slept in because we knew the Jordan museum only opened at 10:00 and it was still really cold. After breakfast, we decided to uber it to the museum, and that worked out very well, no haggling or arguing... We arrived just in time for opening and we bought tickets for 5 dinar each.

The museum looked brand new, and was extremely well presented and excellently laid out. It started in the Neolithic and Paleolithic periods, and then moved through to bronze and Iron Age, Bedouin and Nabatean eras, Greek and Roman eras and even Byzantine. For some reason the Muslim dynasties that followed were not covered. Some of the highlights were the oldest statues of the human form ever found, which were discovered not far from modern day Amman, plastered skulls, ancient texts, a nice display on Bedouins, a history of writing and a cool computer programme that translated your name into 4 different writings and printed it for you.

There was also a section on the Dead Sea scrolls which were discovered by a shepherd in a cave very close to the Dead Sea. Some fragments of the scrolls were on display, as well as the famous copper scroll, which was inscribed onto a copper sheet and rolled up. The archeologists weren't able to unroll it, so they had to cut it into pieces to be able to read it.

As we left the museum it was raining, but it stopped enough that we were able to walk to our next destination - downtown Amman, with its mosques and souks, we were mostly looking for souvenirs, and Ayman had told us downtown was the best place to buy. We picked up Dead Sea mud packs, a coloured sand bottle and a beautiful box, all much cheaper than the tourist sites we had been the rest of the week. 

Since shopping was so quick, we decided to walk to the citadel, high up on a hill with a view of the whole city. It was a fair climb but we found our way and paid the 3 dinar entrance fee. Inside we met Heather who had been following the same route, a few minutes ahead of us! We took a pic of the amazing view, said farewell and then moved quickly through the site, as our airport pickup time was getting closer. The site was more impressive than we expected, but of course not as amazing as Jerash.

It was built during the Roman period, and enhanced during the Byzantine and Islamic periods. We saw the temple of Jupiter, otherwise known as the temple of Hercules, due to the huge "Herculean" statue that once stood in front of it. Next was the archeological museum, a smaller and less impressive version of the Jordan museum, and then a mosque. Next to the mosque was the most impressive and best preserved building - the Umayyid palace. We took a walk through it and then reached the Byzantine church.

We then left the citadel and walked back towards rainbow street, climbing a very steep set of stairs to get there. Amman is known as the city of seven hills and today we found out why. For our last meal in the Middle East, we grabbed one more kushary - the unusual but delicious mix of noodles, macaroni, rice, tomato sauce and lentils that we had tried in Egypt. It was warming, spicy and delicious. 

Our airport pickup was on time so we headed off, sad to see the end of a wonderful trip and a real adventure.

Jordan day 6 - New Year's Day

We tried to sleep in a bit after our New Year's Eve in the desert, but first we were woken by quite heavy rain (in the desert!), then by the chattering of those who hadn't stayed up til 2AM and almost finished a bottle of Jordanian whiskey and then by Ayman organizing camel rides for some of our friends... Finally he came to fetch us a bit after 8 and we dragged ourselves to the usual unexciting breakfast, disappointed that there was Nescafé rather than real Bedouin coffee...

We left shortly after, most of us sleeping through the 4 hour bus ride back to Amman. It was expected to snow, and we hoped we would see a white Amman. By the time we got there, it was really freezing cold, blustery and rainy. No snow yet. We checked back into the Belle Vue hotel, took a much appreciated shower and bided our time til dinner. The museum was closed on a Friday anyway.

For our last meal there was much confusion. Ayman gave us two choices and we voted, "Jerusalem" restaurant won. Then in the reception of the hotel, he said we were going back to Jafra, which we had already tried, I asked why and he just said, ok then we go to Jerusalem... It was too wet and cold to walk so we bundled into cabs and headed downtown. When we reached Jerusalem, we changed our minds, the place just had no atmosphere and it really felt like a cafeteria under harsh fluorescent lights, so we ended up in Jafra after all.

This gave us the opportunity to try some of their other dishes, I had the oriental pastry with cheese and thyme - kinda like a pizza, and Werner had the grilled chicken in garlic sauce, both were excellent and we weren't even able to finish.

Ayman convinced everyone to go to the bar on rainbow street so we agreed, but we needed to take taxis again, he spoke to one taxi driver and we hopped in with our Finnish friends... After quite a bit of driving and chatting to the driver, we found out he had no idea where we were going and neither did we. But there aren't that many bars in Amman... First he took us to a weird place, we said it wasn't the place, so he asked around and then stopped in the middle of rainbow street, telling us to walk the rest of the way. Naively, we asked how much we owed and he said it would be 5 dinar (R100) but because he had to go around it would be an extra two. This was ridiculous, it had only been a 5 minute drive and Ayman had told us taxis wouldn't be more than 1 or 2 dinar in the city. So we argued for a while and eventually ended up giving 5, while he drove off in a huff. 

We walked in the direction he pointed but we found we were going in the wrong direction from where we remembered the bar to be. By this stage we were a bit fed up and really cold so we just headed back, it was a bit of an unfortunate end to what was otherwise a truly amazing tour!

Jordan day 5 - New Years in the desert!

We started our second day in Aqaba with a stroll through the city. It wasn't too cold, but the town was still sleeping. We passed some ruins, had a look at the Harbour and then walked along city beach. The beach was deserted with the exception of a glass bottom boat owner and a family. The sand was a bit gravelly and not that great, but the sea was beautifully calm and clear. 

Back at the hotel we had breakfast with our Danish friend Dennis the adventurer, it was the usual spread of pita, hummus, jam, boiled eggs and cream cheese... We spent the morning relaxing and drinking copious amounts of coffee and tea, before meeting the group at midday to buy our drinks for the evenings celebrations, sampling the local ice cream on our way out.

It took us around an hour to reach wadi rum, the small town in the Jordanian desert. We saw small houses that some of the Bedouins now lived in. Very soon we pulled into our accommodation: Zuweideh camp. I was a little surprised that it was right there off the main road, I guess I was expecting something a little more remote that we might need to reach by 4x4... We had swapped camps and were not staying at the normal G Adventures camp, as Zuweideh camp was planning a New Year's Eve party, with music, and more people, so it was thought it would have a better atmosphere. Plus it had electricity.

The moment we stepped off the bus we felt cold and started putting more layers on. We were shown to our "tents" - they were all laid out in rows, with doors and beds. I was torn between being disappointed it wasn't more traditional, and thrilled to have a double bed and our own room. Lunch was served in a covered seating area - the usual suspects of a middle eastern meal, plus tuna salad. Lots of carbs as always.

Brian and Simon took the opportunity to kick back with a newspaper...

Then it was time for our jeep ride. We got dressed warmer, then saw that the "jeeps" were actually open bakkies/pickups with seats on the back. So we went back for more clothes. Then we had the brilliant idea of bringing a blanket with and went back for that. It ended up being the best decision ever, and Werner, Heather, Goshia, Simon and I were very grateful for it!

We drove off in three bakkies, the icy wind whipping around us. Soon we were off the road and driving in the sand, at some points the bakkies were almost racing which was exciting and then they sped down a dip which gave us a thrill! The desert around us was different to anything I had experienced before, every desert is unique and has its own beauty. Wadi rum was surrounded with beautiful rock formations in lovely colours, it didn't have dunes as such. The scenery was superb and we were enjoying our ride despite the cold.

Our first stop was some ancient "graffiti" left by the Bedouins. Apparently there are over 10,000 graffitis in the desert, left by all the different people that have been through this place. Ayman pointed out camels, oryx and Bedouin on horses in the images carved in the stone. 

We drove further and came to a beautiful natural stone arch. Here we encountered a few other tourists and some camel riders. We drove around the corner and found another arch we had to ourselves. We climbed it for a great group photo and played around a bit on the rocks, enjoying the fantastic view.

The next stop was a high rock we planned to climb to watch the sunset. Ayman was keen to start the New Years celebrations early and was kind enough to share some vodka with us. It warmed us from the inside out. The wind died down as we sat on the rock and watched the sun sink below the desert horizon, the colours of the rocks around us beautifully changing to pink and red hues. Then we headed back in the dusk, snuggling under our warm blanket.

The view of the camp was beautiful as we arrived back, the rock formation behind the camp had many holes and niches and each had been beautifully lit up. A fire and a warm cup of tea was waiting for us and we relaxed and chatted. We were joined by small groups of Japanese and French tourists, we did eventually chat a bit to the French.

The food was taking a while so we moved onto beers and eventually Ayman called us together to witness the unearthing of the dinner. It had been cooked in a traditional Bedouin way, the meat and potatoes were layered in a large steel container and then buried in the ground with enough coal to slow cook it. It was Mansaf again, same as we had had in Petra, but not quite as nicely presented with the flatbread. Dinner was otherwise really good, and we also tried the Jordanian wine we had bought. It was quite nice, considering we had bought the cheaper bottle of St George. By "cheap" I mean 9 dinar = R180.

After dinner we relaxed, chatted and drank. Ayman had promised to take us on a night walk, and he didn't let us down. Around 10:30pm a group of us headed off into the desert. On the way we passed what seemed to be a desert "hotel", pumping its music but we kept walking until it was out of sight and earshot. The moon had not come up yet so the stars were pretty awesome. Ayman led us up a sand dune to the base of a large rock formation, and instructed people to try to find wood. The boys brought back whatever small dry twigs they could find and Ayman started a fire, he had brought a large kettle with him. The fire was a bit pitiful and we wondered if the kettle would ever boil, but he kept sending us out for more wood and persevered, and soon we were rewarded with cups of sweet hot black tea. Once the tea was done, we wanted a big fire so Ayman said we would be ok with wetter wood from the small bushes around us. Jay Jay went a bit overboard and brought back half a tree!

Back at the camp some shisha pipes were brought out and we moved to sit by the fire while we waited for new year. It was announced with a few small fireworks and we all counted down, toasted and wished each other happy new year! It seemed too early to go to bed so we decided to celebrate at least two more cities' New Years and made it to GMT. The music promised for the party never quite materialized, other than a guy playing guitar briefly, so we made our own and Simon and I DJ'ed with the selection on our phones. Some of us danced around the fire... All in all it was a really fun experience, and definitely a New Years we will never forget!

Jordan day 3 - Petra

We woke early at 4:50, quickly showered and got dressed, then breakfast. By 6:00 we were at the entrance to Petra, but the staff only opened the ticket booth 20 minutes later. It was cool and overcast as we headed down the path into the siq (canyon in Arabic). 

Our first stop was a Nabatean tomb on the outskirts of the city. According to the map and signs it was the obelisk tomb and bab el-siq triclinium. Some Aramaic and Greek writing inscribed on the opposite cliff refers to the burial monument erected by Admanku, who had four sons. The tomb was carved into the sandstone and was topped by four elongated pyramids. A central niche contains the statue of a cloaked figure who represents the head of the family buried in tomb underneath. On the lower part are columns an entrance to the triclinium, a funerary dining hall with benches carved along its sides, where a banquets were held in honor of a god or ancestor.

We proceeded down to the siq and stopped at the dam wall. The Nabateans built a dam at the entrance of the siq to divert flash floods from wadi musa. A tunnel 88m in length was carved through the rock for this purpose. Ayman pointed out the water channels the Nabateans used to carry water into the city for irrigation and drinking. Apparently the Romans poisoned this water to conquer the city. Ayman went on to explain that the Nabateans traded heavily with the civilizations around them, and went to great effort to welcome visitors by copying their architectural features such as Egyptian pyramids and Greek and Roman columns.

Inside the Siq the high walls towered above us. The siq was created by a split in the Shara mountains and runs for about 1.2km. We had the place all to ourselves as no other tourists were up so early. We stopped by a small niche and a statue inside, Aymam explained it was to Dushara, god of rock and mountains. Pilgrims would come and sacrifice animals and ritually clean themselves in preparation for their visit to the holy city of Sella, the ancient name for what is today Petra.

Further on we stopped at Sabinos Alexandros Station. This set of baetyls, or sacred stones, was carved by Sabinos who was master of religious ceremonies to honor Dushara at Adraa in current day Syria. The two main niches depict Dushara from Adraa and another deity Atargatis on two lions. Another worn carving depicts a camel caravan, led by a silk clad man wearing sandals, pointing to the source of wealth of the Nabateans.

A short way on we caught our first glimpse of the fabled treasury, Al Khazna, and emerged into the large open space at the end of the Siq. The carved facade rises magnetically 40 meters high and is intricately carved with Corinthian capitals, friezes, figures and more. At the very top is a funerary urn, which the Bedouin believed contained the Pharoahs treasures, and shot at it to try and break it open. We stood spellbound, transfixed by the scene before us, the treasury carved from the rose coloured cliff face before us. Petra has been portrayed in many movies and has entered into the mainstream consciousness, but it simply awe inspiring when seen in person. The treasury is decorated with eagles near the top, and statues of Roman and Greek gods Tyke and Nike, Castor and Pollox the sons of Zeus. There is also a statue of Egyptian goddess Isis, and lions. Four carved Corinthian columns made up the base of the treasury, and decorated just above with 31 flowers and glasses of wine. All these aspects again show how the surrounding civilizations influenced the Nabateans and they sought to welcome those civilizations. It is no longer possible to visit the inside the of treasury due to graffiti and vandalism. 

We proceeded past the treasury along the street of facades, named for the monumental Nabatean tombs carved into the souther cliff face. The facades are crowned with corner crow steps, pilasters, cavettos. These tombs were for carved for the extremely wealthy Nabatean families. Ayman pointed out how the entrances to some tombs lie very low in the ground and this seems to indicate that the actual level of the city was much lower.

Next stop was at the amphitheater carved from the rock around 1st century AD. The Romans later modified to add a stage and enclosure.

Ayman explained a bit about the nearby housing settlement, which is where the tribe of people who used to live amongst the tombs were relocated many years ago to prevent further degradation of the tombs.

We stopped at a rest station. There was a spice seller, who had a distinctly English accent, who gave us a presentation on his products. The highlights were amber, myrrh and frankincense. 

We had coffee at a nearby shop. The people working here looked just like jack sparrow from pirates of the carribean. Apparently they dress this way to attract foreign women and can be quite aggressive. Ayman didn't like them and said they are not true Bedouins.

We met Marguerite from New Zealand, who married a Bedouin man in 1978 and lived in a cave. She wrote a book about her experiences which we bought. She also runs a shop selling beautiful locally made jewelery. 

We climbed up to the urn tomb, so called for the urn on top. Inside was a large carved space, the alternating sandstone layers of light and dark made for amazing natural patterns. The precision of the carving work was impressive. Some Greek writing in the tomb indicated this was converted to a church at some point.  

We climbed back down from the urn tomb, and Ayman pointed out the silk, Corinthian and palace tombs.

We followed a trail over a sandy hill and ended up at Petra church. On the way we passed several donkeys, dogs and goats wandering around. 

Not much remains of the structure, it was destroyed by fire and earthquakes. Now the ruins are covered by a modern canopy donated by some archeological team. The most impressive aspect was the mosaics. 

Next we visited Roman Petra, columned street and temple. This area would have been the main shopping bazaar, a hive of economic activity.

We paused at the junction near the crown hotel restaurant before starting the climb. Some of the group hired donkeys to take them up to the monastery. The walk was quite challenging and steep and we were soon sweating and had to shed some layers as we ascended. Along the way we saw countless entrances cut into the rock. At regular intervals we passed stores catering to the tourists, souvenirs, rocks, tea and food. We labored up to top and now it started to rain as well. But as we rounded the final bend it was all worth it see the grand monastery, one of the largest facades in Petra.

We climbed up a nearby peak to take in the views but soon had to take shelter from the rain in a cave and decided to have our lunch. It was a welcome break for our aching feet. After lunch we walked up to the top and took great pictures of the monastery below.

The group made the arduous climb back down to the junction. We paused here for a while to use the restrooms and some decided to head back to the hotel as they were not confident of making the next climb.

We commenced the hike along the wadi el-Farasi up to a point called the high place. On the way stopped at a shop of an ancient Bedouin woman who was good friends with Ayman and had soft drinks, tea and coffee.

Passed interesting tombs.

We reached a carved relief called the lion fountain. 

When we reached the high place, Ayman pointed out the sacrificial altar.

The views from the top were amazing. 

We then hiked a bit further and then proceed to the start of the trail to the top of sanctuary. Some more of our group turned back at this point and the rest of us soldiered on. The trail got a bit more difficult to follow, working its way down the steep cliff sides. Eventually we reach the eagles eye view point of the sanctuary, the steep drop off only meters away. It felt exhilarating to have made it and reach a view point few other tourists will ever experience. Poor Ayman got stressed out each time one of us got too close to the edge, especially Lei, who was fearless. Health and safety is not big in Jordan!

We only just managed to hike out of Petra before it started to get really dark. We were all completely exhausted by the time we got back to our hotel. The ones that made it (Nix, Van, Simon, Goshia, Lei, Jenny and Dennis) were really chuffed, we had walked over 25 Kms over 11 hours. 

We had a shower and changed out of our damp clothes before heading out to dinner with the group at The cave bar near the Petra visitor center. The bar was literally a disused Petra tomb but had been tastefully decorated with effective lighting. The music was loud and food and drinks overpriced.