Happy New Year to all!! We got home last evening around 10:00 after a very wonderful journey. We will try to recap all that has taken place.
Visit to Cairo: On the 27th and 28th, we traveled to Cairo to tour some of the sites with our son Aaron. We left Alex on the fast train and arrived in the city around 11:00 where we were met by Rasha (our guide for the two days).
After a quick stop at the hotel (The President in the Zamalek area of the city) we headed for the Kahn so Aaron could do a little shopping in the marketplace. He proved to be a good negotiator as he was able to get shoes, a galabaya, a scarf and a ring for very good prices. The vendors always start out at a very high price and will gradually come down. A good rule of thumb is to try to get it for one third to one half of their asking price and be prepared to walk away. If they want to make a sale, they will come after you. From the Kahn we went to the Egyptian National Museum. It was so helpful to have Rasha with us as there is so much to see and she was able to guide us the highpoints of the museum. For us the highpoint was the King Tut exhibit. We saw his gold mask as well as many gold plated artifacts and furniture.
The second day we picked up another couple (an American family who live in England) and first traveled to Saquarra to visit the Steppe pyramids (the first ones built in the area – 5,000 BC). Although not as famous as the Giza or Great Pyramids, they are perhaps more interesting to visit. The pharaohs who built these had to have the good blessings of the priests and the support of their people to do these as they were not done by slave labor. In addition, they often had to prove their physical prowess but performing feats of physical strength and speed to their subjects. After visiting Saquarra, we traveled to Memphis (site of the first capital of Egypt). It is in a very poor area now and was nearly destroyed at one time by the flooding of the Nile. While it does not get much publicity, it was well worth the visit. After Memphis, we stopped at an outdoor restaurant for a traditional Egyptian meal. It was interesting to watch a lady bake the traditional bread that is served at nearly every meal. After lunch we visited the Great Pyramids and Sphinx but our visit was cut short because of time. We then journeyed back to the hotel for a supper and a short rest before Aaron had to leave for the airport. It was so nice having him here to share in our experiences and to see what life is like here.
Flight to and from Jordan: We traveled both to and from Jordan (a distance of about 360 miles) on Royal Jordanian Airlines. Having flown several times in the US, we are always surprised how much better the service is on airlines outside the US. Meals are served along with refreshments and all of the attendants seem to genuinely try to make your flight as pleasant as possible. According to the travel information we have read, the airlines are doing very well financially. We wonder why the American airlines continue to cut back on service and struggle so much financially.
Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan: Jordan is home to some of the most ancient civilizations in history with a rich cultural and religious heritage. Yet as a nation, it has been in existence only since 1946. It is a small country; you could drive across it in 3 to 4 hours (N-S and E-W) at its widest points. Much as of the area is inhabited only by Bedouin tribes and the population is about 4.4 million people. It has been at the crossroads of travel between the east and west with many cultures influencing the land. It is a Moslem county with a very strong tradition of tolerance and diversity. It has been home to some of mankind's earliest settlements and villages, and artifacts of many of the world's great civilizations can still be seen today. As the crossroads of the Middle East, Jordan has been key in connecting Asia, Africa and Europe. Because of its centralized location, Jordan is a geographic prize which changed hands many times throughout history. Parts of Jordan were included in ancient Iraq, including the Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian, Assyrian and Mesopotamian Empires. Egypt extended its power and culture into Jordan, while the nomadic Nabateans built their empire in Jordan. Finally, Jordan was incorporated into the classical civilizations of Greece, Rome and Persia. Since the mid-seventh century, Jordan has remained almost continuously in the hands of various Arab and Islamic dynasties. We arrived in Amman (the current capital) in the early evening and when to our hotel for supper and a good nights sleep.
Saturday: Today we took a brief tour of the historical sites in Amman; The ancient Citadel, which towers above the city from atop Jabal al-Qala’a. The Citadel is the site of ancient Rabbath-Ammon, and excavations here have revealed numerous Roman, Byzantine and early Islamic remains. The most impressive building of the Citadel, the al-Qasr ("the Palace"), dates back to the Islamic Umayyad period. Close to the Palace is what is thought to have been a temple of Hercules. From here we headed to Jerash.
Jarash is considered to be the largest and best preserved site of Roman architecture of the ancient world located outside of Italy. Jarash has colonnaded streets, baths, theaters, plazas and arches built during the time of the Emperor Hadrian. The theater seated over 3,000 and had two unique features – it is possible to whisper into circles on one wall and be heard on the other side of the theater; and you can stand in the middle of the semi circle on the orchestra floor and your voice will echo throughout the theater. As is the case throughout Jordan, there is much left to do to excavate and “reconstruct” but one can get a very good idea of the grandeur that was once in the Roman Empire. There are over 100 archaeological excavations going on in Jordan (many of them are multinational). It is a very time consuming process as they sift through the soil.
On the trip to and from Jarash we traveled through an agricultural area of Jordan. The soil looks almost red and many of the farms raising tomatoes were growing them under a plastic covering.
Following Jarash, we traveled to the Dead Sea. Along the way, we passed through two Palestinian refugee camps that were established in Jordan in the late 40’s and early 60’s when Palestinians were forced out of Israel. As this was the first day of EID, we saw several instances of the slaughtering of sheep along the roadways. We arrived at the Dead Sea for a late lunch and then went down to the sea. In spite of the cool weather, several people were swimming in the water and gathering up mud (used to cleanse the body). We noticed small chunks of salt that were washed ashore. The sea contains such a high concentration of salt so no fish are found and it is possible to lie on the water and not sink. The Jordan River flows into the Dead Sea and the fish turn back as they approach the sea. We could easily see across the sea to Israel. Along the road, we would see signs indicating which direction the borders of Iraq, Syria and Israel are.
Sunday: We began the day with a trip to Madaba which is famous for the exquisite 6th-century mosaics in and around their churches. The most famous mosaic is located in the Church of St. George in the middle of town. The Mosaic Map of Palestine represents the Holy Land and its surrounding regions. It is thought to have taken 11,500 man hours to create this mosaic. After Madaba, we ventured to Mount Nebo.
Mount Nebo is where the Bible says Moses lived out his remaining days and viewed the Promised Land which he would never enter. Mt. Nebo offers a fantastic view westward that includes the Dead Sea, the West Bank, the Jordan River, and, on a clear day, Bethlehem and Jerusalem. Our day was not as clear so we could not see Bethlehem or Jerusalem. It is believed to be the burial site for Moses and was visited by Pope John Paul. After visiting Mount Nebo we headed south to Wadi Rum for our New Year’s Eve camping adventure in the desert.
Wadi Rum has been describes as a "moonscape" of ancient valleys and towering sandstone mountains rising out of the sand, Wadi Rum is also home to several Bedouin tribes who live in scattered camps throughout the area. It is probably best known because of its connection with the British officer T.E. Lawrence, who was based here during the Great Arab Revolt of 1917-18. Much of David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia was filmed in Wadi Rum. We arrived at our campsite after dark and after finally settling into a tent were ready to begin the New Year’s Eve activities. We were told over 100 people were camping here along with several guides and Bedouin locals. During the evening we huddled around camp fires and met several people from all over the world who had come to enjoy the evening. We had traditional Bedouin music and food along with fireworks, dancing and singing. The food was cooked underground with fires over the top. It was too dark to see what you were eating but it did taste pretty good. It did get pretty cool but we bundled up in the tent and managed to stay warm and catch a few hours of sleep.
Monday: We began our day after breakfast with a 4 wheel drive Jeep tour of the Wadi Rum desert. It is such a beautiful site with all of the unusual rock formations and red sand dunes. It is believed that this area was at one time all covered with water – locals feel it resembles what the ocean floor must look like. We stopped for a while during the tour and the driver (a local Bedouin) fixed tea for us at a high area overlooking parts of the desert. Following the tour we headed to Petra. Along the Kings Highway, one of three major “interstate” type highways in Jordan, we encountered one lane traffic as part of the highway was closed down because of snow. It was so nice to arrive at the hotel (overlooking the ancient city of Petra) and take a long hot shower after a night of camping in the desert.
Tuesday: Our hotel is located at the door step of the ancient city of Petra (perhaps most well known to Americans as the site of “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.”) It is so hard to describe what one sees here. It seems like after each turn in the path there is a new wonder to see. Though not as large as the Grand Canyon, it is similar in terrain with more rock formations and few trees and vegetation. It is so remarkable that people were able to build the temples and tombs in such a location. Petra, which means "stone" in Greek, is perhaps the most spectacular ancient city remaining in the modern world. The city was the capital of the Nabateans - Arabs who dominated the lands of Jordan during pre-Roman times- and they carved the temples, tombs and elaborate buildings out of solid rock. Words can hardly do justice to the magnificence that is Petra. For 7 centuries, Petra became a legend, its existence a guarded secret known only to the local Bedouins and Arab tradesmen. Finally, in 1812, a young Swiss explorer and convert to Islam heard locals speaking of a "lost city" hidden in the mountains of Wadi Mousa. In order to find the site without arousing local suspicions, the explorer disguised himself as a pilgrim seeking to make a sacrifice at the tomb of Aaron. He managed to bluff his way through successfully, and the secret of Petra was revealed to the modern Western world.
Beginning at the “Siq”, we walked down through the mountains of rock until we came upon a clearing and saw the famous “National Treasury” – of “Last Crusade” fame. From here we view various tombs until beginning the ride up to the Monastery. Our guide told us at the end of the day we probably walked 10 miles (up and down hills and though the rock formations). We did weaken and ride the donkeys from the ground floor up to the Monastery or highest area of the city (an estimated 1,000 meters). We’ve ridden in the Rockies and this is very comparable to it but perhaps a little more treacherous. Looking back, I don’t know if we would have done it again but once on and headed up, there was no way to turn around with the donkey. The only negative to Petra that we saw was all of the vendors peddling their wares (“Take a look – only one Dinar”). People of all ages from 5 to 60 would be trying to sell jewelry, postcards, rocks, sand bottles, and a host of other items. Even on the long haul up the mountains, vendors would have their little stands set up. You almost wanted to buy something to reward their tenacity for locating their stand up nearly 1,000 meters.
Tuesday evening we joined another couple (from Belgium) at “Petra Kitchen” where the four of us prepared a traditional Arabic meal. Each of us was given a portion of the meal to prepare. We prepared Green Wheat Soup, Arabic Salad, Cucumber and Yoghurt Salad, Foul Mdammas, Galaya Bandura and for the main entrée: Magloubet (Upside-Down). In spite of 4 novice chefs, the meal turned out to be very good. Much of the flavors and tastes come from the spices that are used in preparing the meal. All in all, it was a very enjoyable evening with good food and good company.
Wednesday: We made another trek into the ancient city of Petra and journeyed up to the High Place of Sacrifice. This location is where the locals would sacrifice sheep and goats to the gods. This is not quite as high as the Monastery (an estimated 900 meters) but the climb is steeper. We decided to do both the up and down on our own without the donkeys. In fact, very few ride donkeys in this climb in due partly to the steepness of the mountain. Once we reached the top, the view was spectacular. After climbing back down the mountain, we viewed a few of the tombs that were used for burial places. All in all we walked probably close to 6 miles – guess our 72 steps from ground floor to our apartment won’t seem as daunting as before. An estimated 700,000 visitors come to the ancient city of Petra each year with the majority coming from Europe and other Middle Eastern countries. Since 9/11 traffic from the US has declined. We do realize that Jordan neighbors Iraq but it is a very safe country with little crime and the people are so friendly. There is a campaign out to make Petra one of the 7 new wonders of the world. You can vote online at
New 7 Wonders.
Thursday: Our final day in Jordan began with a trip to Shobak Castle. This castle in part of a chain of Crusader fortresses which stretches across Jordan. It was constructed in 1115. At its height Shobak was home to about 6,000 Christians. It suffered numerous assaults by Saladin before it finally fell to him. The castle is located on top of a small hill northeast of the town of Shobak. Inside the fortress there are two churches. There are ruins of baths, cisterns and rainwater pipes, in addition to millstones for pressing olives and grapes, a few archways and other works.
Following our visit to Shobak, we traveled back to the airport in Amman for our flight back to Alexandria on Thursday evening. During the trip we had a driver (Hassan) who must know nearly everyone in Jordan including all of the police. It seems that no matter where we went or at what speed, Hassan would wave and smile and we would have no problems – when we stopped there was always someone there to buy him coffee or tea and visit or tell stories with. Our guide was a young man named Iberhim. Iberhim has his masters in archeology but has found tourism to be steadier for work. He is very knowledgeable and we also enjoyed visiting with him about the country of Jordan and gaining more insight into the culture and people who make up this fascinating land. We rarely saw women unless they were on the Bedouin land. Because of the Bedouin population and the resources, it is more rural than Egypt. In fact probably more people live in Alex than all of Jordan. This was our first trip primarily on our own and we had a wonderful time. Jordan is one of the best kept secrets in travel!
