Update from Jordan
Our arrival in Amman from Cairo on Sunday evening was not entirely without a hitch. We arrived with three bags – but should have had four. So after piling our bags-in-hand onto a trolley, I sat guard while Boak and our tour company representative (along with many other increasingly disconcerted-looking passengers) gathered around the carousel exit, closely scrutinizing every item that emerged, including a forlorn looking handle with its tag still attached that just kept traveling round and round. It soon became obvious that there were no new bags to come. Ours had clearly decided to take the scenic route from Cairo to Amman.
So the crowd then descended on the passenger services counter on the other side of the terminal, Boak in his Panama hat standing head and shoulders over the others. I could see but not hear from my vantage point, but Boak told me later that tempers flared and several people even tried to scramble over the counter to check for their belongings in the room beyond.
For my part, still feeling slightly nauseous and very tired, I perched myself on the baggage trolley and tried to rest my head. It was a surreal experience. Regular announcements informed people not to leave baggage unattended. I sat alone in a veritable sea of unclaimed luggage! In addition, the same recorded woman’s voice wagged a figurative finger at smoking in the terminal while my stomach churned from the cigarette smoke that filled the place. I put my head down. Then a swarthy little Arab man began repeatedly coming up and asking if I was Juliet! Oh, how I wished I was Juliet instead of Di with the Dicky Digestive System!
The bag eventually turned up the next day. We weren’t concerned as there was nothing of great value in it. However Egypt Air has a policy of not delivering bags lost by them to their owners. (In case I haven’t made it clear enough, I’m not impressed with Egypt Air). So Boak caught a cab out to the Queen Alia Airport for another adventure, and $Aus100 later we had our bag.
Jerash
Here are some photos of our morning visit to Jerash, not far from Amman, where the remains of a Roman city are being excavated. The most exciting experience for me was being able to walk down a Roman road where chariots once rolled (you could even see the grooves their iron wheels wore in the stone). Amid the heat and dust came the unexpected but unmistakable skirl of bagpipes! The Royal Jordanian Police Band was performing in the Roman amphitheatre, and apparently the bagpipes are a legacy of the British occupation. Some of the stone seats in the amphitheatre still have letters of the alphabet carved in them, signifying that these were the reserved seats for the VIPs, in the area that would have been in shade by 3pm when performances took place.
Progress to Petra
Having missed out on our Nile cruise and all the associated experiences, I was determined I was going to see Petra - and I did!
Here in Jordan we have had our own guide/driver, Khalil, in an air conditioned Hyundai Elantra. On Tuesday morning he picked us up at 9.30 for the drive to Petra by the ancient Silk Route known as The King’s Highway. From Mt Nebo on the way we had a magnificent view towards Israel. Jericho (27km) was discernable, but the heat haze prevented us seeing Jerusalem (46km). Nevertheless, we could imagine Moses standing right there looking into “a land flowing with milk and honey”, and seeing the end of the journey for his people.
We stopped at St Georges Church in the town of Madaba and saw the famous mosaic map of middle eastern lands, including its detailed map of Jerusalem.
And we passed through the rocky, barren-looking, precipitous countryside of Moab which held particular interest for us as our Bible study group at St Marks has been studying Ruth (the Moabitess) this year.
Lunch was at Karak, a town dominated by a Crusader castle perched on a steep outcrop. I couldn’t help thinking of the film “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” as I squinted up to its ramparts. The photo is an “arty” shot through an arch high up in the castle looking down to the town.
Sunset comes very quickly, and it was very dark by the time we reached the Grand View Hotel in Petra at 6.30pm. The streets were deserted for Ramadan has begun, and as we passed through a police check-point it might as well have been midnight.
The grand view from our hotel window greeted us in the morning! Though we couldn’t see Petra itself, the pink rocks were spectacular with the early morning sun glancing off the contours.
A Word about Ramadan
With respect to anyone reading this who has expert knowledge of Ramadan, allow me, gentle reader, to tell you what we’ve learned so far.
The people here and in Egypt have been waiting to be told when Ramadan is to begin, since it depends on the moon being in a particular position over a particular mountain. In preparation, though, everyone goes through a time of personal cleansing, both spiritually and physically. Doctors and hospitals are busy. People make peace with their enemies and settle scores.
Tuesday was the first day of Ramadan here. This means that from the time in the morning when you cannot tell a black thread from a white thread, to the time in the evening when the same applies, no food or drink is allowed. Even smoking is prohibited. Khalil tells us that it is policed here, and undercover police even work as street cleaners. However heavy, hot work is curtailed, and people driving over a certain distance (like Khalil) are exempt (for safety purposes). The hour before sunset is chaotic with traffic jams and tempers flaring as everyone tries to get home to break their fast, and the muezzin all over announce from loud speakers on their minarets when this can happen. Consequently the early evening is a very quiet time outside. It is a time of spending first with families, then with friends, and special foods (and lots of it) are eaten in the evening in a party atmosphere.
Petra
The best time to see Petra is early in the morning. The light hits the Treasury (the most beautiful building) at just the right angle, and it is coolest for the unavoidable walking. So we set out at 8am and Khalil negotiated a local guide (Ali) for us and two horsemen to lead us on horseback for the first part of the 2km journey into ancient Petra from the town of Wadi Musa (Moses Spring).
Carriages for two passengers are available, but they rush down the hill through the siq at such speed that there’s no time to savour the experience (especially that final approach when the Treasury is revealed deliciously slowly), and the details mentioned below are totally missed.
Petra was first established by the Nabateans 2,200 years ago and was a thriving centre for trade, receiving caravans of silks, spices and animal hides from as far away as Africa and India and when Christ was alive. It became lost to the West in the 16th century.
Wow! We rode 800m on our brown Arab horses, “Leila” and “Susie”, then dismounted at the entrance to the Siq, a narrow winding chasm that leads (after 1.2km) to Petra. It was pleasantly cool here in the shade of the towering pink cliffs, and we made frequent stops along the way as Ali pointed out the ingenuity of the Nabateans’ plumbing and water supplies, and the carvings of the Nabateans’ gods on the cliffs.
We have so many photos of the gorgeous pink rock formations and the rosy striations that they could probably form a “threatening set” along with my Egyptian sunsets – so look out.
Then, suddenly, there in front of us was the world-famous view we’ve seen so many times! Through a cleft in the siq the Treasury of Petra glowed a warm pink in the morning sun! What a Kodak moment! Wow! (Sorry, but there were lots of wow! moments in this place).
We sat on a bench in the shade and drank in the splendour of what was the tomb of a Nabatean king before going up to peer in to the three rooms carved into the cliff – a large main room, with two smaller rooms through doors on either side of the entrance. So while it looks like a building several storeys high, in fact the interior only extends to a depth of around 18 metres.
The ubiquitous camel drivers were there, touting for business in the insistent fashion we’ve become used to. A smile and “no thanks” usually received the reply “later”. And of course they were right.
After wandering down the main street, past the many tombs, both royal and belonging to the ordinary people, we came to the colonnaded street that indicated the former residential area. The freestanding houses that stood here have long since been destroyed by earthquakes, so really the exquisite carved facades that have come to represent Petra to the outside world since Burkhardt rediscovered Petra in 1812 belong to tombs.
After a cup of mint tea we started back up the hill, negotiated a good price for two camels, and rode in splendour and surprising comfort up the hill to the Treasury again. Wow again! And our accommodating camel driver took the mandatory happy snap for the album!
The cool walk back up through the siq didn’t prepare us for the heat of the final leg, but we made it! An ice cold Coke, in the shade of a brilliant pink bougainvillea, hit the spot.
Having difficulty uploading photos, so will do so when possible .... sorry.
So the crowd then descended on the passenger services counter on the other side of the terminal, Boak in his Panama hat standing head and shoulders over the others. I could see but not hear from my vantage point, but Boak told me later that tempers flared and several people even tried to scramble over the counter to check for their belongings in the room beyond.
For my part, still feeling slightly nauseous and very tired, I perched myself on the baggage trolley and tried to rest my head. It was a surreal experience. Regular announcements informed people not to leave baggage unattended. I sat alone in a veritable sea of unclaimed luggage! In addition, the same recorded woman’s voice wagged a figurative finger at smoking in the terminal while my stomach churned from the cigarette smoke that filled the place. I put my head down. Then a swarthy little Arab man began repeatedly coming up and asking if I was Juliet! Oh, how I wished I was Juliet instead of Di with the Dicky Digestive System!
The bag eventually turned up the next day. We weren’t concerned as there was nothing of great value in it. However Egypt Air has a policy of not delivering bags lost by them to their owners. (In case I haven’t made it clear enough, I’m not impressed with Egypt Air). So Boak caught a cab out to the Queen Alia Airport for another adventure, and $Aus100 later we had our bag.
Jerash
Here are some photos of our morning visit to Jerash, not far from Amman, where the remains of a Roman city are being excavated. The most exciting experience for me was being able to walk down a Roman road where chariots once rolled (you could even see the grooves their iron wheels wore in the stone). Amid the heat and dust came the unexpected but unmistakable skirl of bagpipes! The Royal Jordanian Police Band was performing in the Roman amphitheatre, and apparently the bagpipes are a legacy of the British occupation. Some of the stone seats in the amphitheatre still have letters of the alphabet carved in them, signifying that these were the reserved seats for the VIPs, in the area that would have been in shade by 3pm when performances took place.
Progress to Petra
Having missed out on our Nile cruise and all the associated experiences, I was determined I was going to see Petra - and I did!
Here in Jordan we have had our own guide/driver, Khalil, in an air conditioned Hyundai Elantra. On Tuesday morning he picked us up at 9.30 for the drive to Petra by the ancient Silk Route known as The King’s Highway. From Mt Nebo on the way we had a magnificent view towards Israel. Jericho (27km) was discernable, but the heat haze prevented us seeing Jerusalem (46km). Nevertheless, we could imagine Moses standing right there looking into “a land flowing with milk and honey”, and seeing the end of the journey for his people.
We stopped at St Georges Church in the town of Madaba and saw the famous mosaic map of middle eastern lands, including its detailed map of Jerusalem.
And we passed through the rocky, barren-looking, precipitous countryside of Moab which held particular interest for us as our Bible study group at St Marks has been studying Ruth (the Moabitess) this year.
Lunch was at Karak, a town dominated by a Crusader castle perched on a steep outcrop. I couldn’t help thinking of the film “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” as I squinted up to its ramparts. The photo is an “arty” shot through an arch high up in the castle looking down to the town.
Sunset comes very quickly, and it was very dark by the time we reached the Grand View Hotel in Petra at 6.30pm. The streets were deserted for Ramadan has begun, and as we passed through a police check-point it might as well have been midnight.
The grand view from our hotel window greeted us in the morning! Though we couldn’t see Petra itself, the pink rocks were spectacular with the early morning sun glancing off the contours.
A Word about Ramadan
With respect to anyone reading this who has expert knowledge of Ramadan, allow me, gentle reader, to tell you what we’ve learned so far.
The people here and in Egypt have been waiting to be told when Ramadan is to begin, since it depends on the moon being in a particular position over a particular mountain. In preparation, though, everyone goes through a time of personal cleansing, both spiritually and physically. Doctors and hospitals are busy. People make peace with their enemies and settle scores.
Tuesday was the first day of Ramadan here. This means that from the time in the morning when you cannot tell a black thread from a white thread, to the time in the evening when the same applies, no food or drink is allowed. Even smoking is prohibited. Khalil tells us that it is policed here, and undercover police even work as street cleaners. However heavy, hot work is curtailed, and people driving over a certain distance (like Khalil) are exempt (for safety purposes). The hour before sunset is chaotic with traffic jams and tempers flaring as everyone tries to get home to break their fast, and the muezzin all over announce from loud speakers on their minarets when this can happen. Consequently the early evening is a very quiet time outside. It is a time of spending first with families, then with friends, and special foods (and lots of it) are eaten in the evening in a party atmosphere.
Petra
The best time to see Petra is early in the morning. The light hits the Treasury (the most beautiful building) at just the right angle, and it is coolest for the unavoidable walking. So we set out at 8am and Khalil negotiated a local guide (Ali) for us and two horsemen to lead us on horseback for the first part of the 2km journey into ancient Petra from the town of Wadi Musa (Moses Spring).
Carriages for two passengers are available, but they rush down the hill through the siq at such speed that there’s no time to savour the experience (especially that final approach when the Treasury is revealed deliciously slowly), and the details mentioned below are totally missed.
Petra was first established by the Nabateans 2,200 years ago and was a thriving centre for trade, receiving caravans of silks, spices and animal hides from as far away as Africa and India and when Christ was alive. It became lost to the West in the 16th century.
Wow! We rode 800m on our brown Arab horses, “Leila” and “Susie”, then dismounted at the entrance to the Siq, a narrow winding chasm that leads (after 1.2km) to Petra. It was pleasantly cool here in the shade of the towering pink cliffs, and we made frequent stops along the way as Ali pointed out the ingenuity of the Nabateans’ plumbing and water supplies, and the carvings of the Nabateans’ gods on the cliffs.
We have so many photos of the gorgeous pink rock formations and the rosy striations that they could probably form a “threatening set” along with my Egyptian sunsets – so look out.
Then, suddenly, there in front of us was the world-famous view we’ve seen so many times! Through a cleft in the siq the Treasury of Petra glowed a warm pink in the morning sun! What a Kodak moment! Wow! (Sorry, but there were lots of wow! moments in this place).
We sat on a bench in the shade and drank in the splendour of what was the tomb of a Nabatean king before going up to peer in to the three rooms carved into the cliff – a large main room, with two smaller rooms through doors on either side of the entrance. So while it looks like a building several storeys high, in fact the interior only extends to a depth of around 18 metres.
The ubiquitous camel drivers were there, touting for business in the insistent fashion we’ve become used to. A smile and “no thanks” usually received the reply “later”. And of course they were right.
After wandering down the main street, past the many tombs, both royal and belonging to the ordinary people, we came to the colonnaded street that indicated the former residential area. The freestanding houses that stood here have long since been destroyed by earthquakes, so really the exquisite carved facades that have come to represent Petra to the outside world since Burkhardt rediscovered Petra in 1812 belong to tombs.
After a cup of mint tea we started back up the hill, negotiated a good price for two camels, and rode in splendour and surprising comfort up the hill to the Treasury again. Wow again! And our accommodating camel driver took the mandatory happy snap for the album!
The cool walk back up through the siq didn’t prepare us for the heat of the final leg, but we made it! An ice cold Coke, in the shade of a brilliant pink bougainvillea, hit the spot.
Having difficulty uploading photos, so will do so when possible .... sorry.
posted by Di at 1:16 PM
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