Being picked up at the airport is the height of luxury. Yousor, one of my former CityU ESL students, met us at the airport. It was wonderful to see Yousor, who having received her MBA in June, recently returned home. After settling in at Genny’s B&B by the 7th Circle in Amman, Yousor took us to dinner at a traditional Jordanian restaurant replete with traditional Bedouin tents and yummy grilled food.
We loved our home at Genny’s B&B. Genny and Jalal have a B&B that is fabulous. Genny is French; Jalal is Jordanian and staying with them couldn’t have been better. Every morning we had a breakfast treat (Genny is a wonderful cook!) made to order eggs, yogurt, fruit, pastries, coffee, tea and juice. We didn’t need to eat again until dinner! Genny helped us plan our Jordan visit and sort ourselves.
On Day 1, Mark and I explored downtown Amman. We visited the Blue Mosque, and the Citadel. Amman is one of the oldest continually occupied cities in the world. At the Citadel museum, prehistoric to Byzantine artifacts are on view. (This is where the Dead Sea Scrolls are normally kept though they are on loan at the moment.) In the 3rd century BC, Amman was renamed Philadelphia, after its Ptolemaic ruler. When it fell under the Roman Empire, Philadelphia was reconstructed in typical Roman style, with an amphitheater capable of seating 6000 spectators. Pillars from the Temple of Hercules and ruins from a Byzantine temple are found at the Citadel. Moreover, there is a very impressive Roman palace with a monumental gateway, audience hall and four vaulted chambers.
After exploring the Roman amphitheater and meandering through the small but well appointed Ethnological Museum (I love Ethnological Museums!) we walked through the Souk area (small market stalls), and then headed to Rainbow Street, the yuppie part of downtown. Here we met a group of 20-something young men who were passing out ballots to name the Dead Sea as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. These men played a crucial role in our Jordan trip by introducing us to their friend Shawn AKA Moe who became our Jordanian tour guide and driver.
On Day 2, Moe picked us up at Genny’s and we headed south to visit the site of Jesus’ baptism. I hadn’t realized that Jordan had so many Biblically significant sites! Although Jordan is largely Muslim, the country is tolerant of all religions. Various denominations have constructed churches around this religious site. When we approached the Jordan River we were shocked to see Israel less than 20 yards away on the other side of the River. It was interesting to talk with the Jordanians about Israel. Their take on the Israel-Palestine issue varies greatly from what we hear in the States.
We left the Baptismal site and headed to the Dead Sea with Igor and Moe. We invited Igor, a Ukrainian software engineer who we met on the Baptismal tour, to join our trip to the Dead Sea. We had a BLAST at the Dead Sea. It is so salty you float and can only stand up with effort. We painted our bodies with mud we dug up from the shore. After showering we took a dip in the pool that was adjacent to the Dead Sea. What fun! Three hours later we were back on the road to Mt. Nebo, the location from which Moses saw the Promised Land. After Mt. Nebo, Igor returned to Amman while Moe, Mark and I headed to Madaba to see a church with a mosaic map of the world from the Byzantine era. We also visited a Catholic church that had a tunnel that led to a well that dated to the days of the Moab people about 3000 years ago.
The following day we went to King Hussein’s car museum with an enormous collection of mint condition cars. What a trip down memory lane! After lunch, with Moe back in the driver’s seat we headed south to Petra. We arrived in time to get a hotel room, some dinner and then head off to Petra. The Petra at Night program is not to be missed. Lit only by candlelight, you approach the Petra Treasury with the awe and anticipation of a caravan trader some 3000 years ago. When at last you emerge from the 2 km narrow Sandstone gorge (known as the Siq) you stand in awe of one of the most beautifully carved monuments made by man. Petra at Night is magical.
Petra by day isn’t too bad either. We spent the following day walking, climbing and marveling at the beauty of this ancient town. We could have spent more time exploring but by 2PM it was time to head to Wadi Rum, the land of Laurence of Arabia.
Wadi Rum is about 2 hours from Petra and the location of our Bedouin camp. We made it just in time for the sunset there. It was gorgeous to see the sunset over the desert dunes!
The night in Wadi Rum was so much fun. We stayed at a Bedouin family camp. The food, cooked under the ground, much in the same way it is done traditionally in Hawaii, was delicious. We had a blast playing games, one of which Mark won, as did Moe! After dinner and the games, Mark and I went to enjoy the starlit night.
The following day we got up and out of the tent by 5:30AM, but due to the change from daylight savings time, the sun was already out. We were probably lucky because walking in this desert was hard work!
Our last day, we spent traveling with Yousor and her sister to northern Jordan. Our first stop was Jerash, probably the best-preserved Roman town we have seen on this trip. Dating back as far as 6500, Jerash’s popularity peaked under the Roman’s rule and was abandoned by 600AD. After a series of earthquakes the town had been buried and was not revisited until 1925 when excavation began.
The Romans were amazing architects. The pillars had been constructed to withstand an earthquake. One of the local guides illustrated this capability by manually shifting one of the columns sufficiently to place a shard of glass beneath it. The theatre, colonnaded streets, baths, temples and plazas transport you back in time. From there we headed toward another amazingly well preserved site, ‘Ajlun a castle from the 12th century. Although it is a beautiful building, I am very pleased to be living in the 21st century.
Jordan has dazzled us. We are so happy to have met such wonderful people and to have experienced a country so rich in history. Our next stop is Thailand, and the beginning of our visit to Southeast Asia.
We loved our home at Genny’s B&B. Genny and Jalal have a B&B that is fabulous. Genny is French; Jalal is Jordanian and staying with them couldn’t have been better. Every morning we had a breakfast treat (Genny is a wonderful cook!) made to order eggs, yogurt, fruit, pastries, coffee, tea and juice. We didn’t need to eat again until dinner! Genny helped us plan our Jordan visit and sort ourselves.
On Day 1, Mark and I explored downtown Amman. We visited the Blue Mosque, and the Citadel. Amman is one of the oldest continually occupied cities in the world. At the Citadel museum, prehistoric to Byzantine artifacts are on view. (This is where the Dead Sea Scrolls are normally kept though they are on loan at the moment.) In the 3rd century BC, Amman was renamed Philadelphia, after its Ptolemaic ruler. When it fell under the Roman Empire, Philadelphia was reconstructed in typical Roman style, with an amphitheater capable of seating 6000 spectators. Pillars from the Temple of Hercules and ruins from a Byzantine temple are found at the Citadel. Moreover, there is a very impressive Roman palace with a monumental gateway, audience hall and four vaulted chambers.
After exploring the Roman amphitheater and meandering through the small but well appointed Ethnological Museum (I love Ethnological Museums!) we walked through the Souk area (small market stalls), and then headed to Rainbow Street, the yuppie part of downtown. Here we met a group of 20-something young men who were passing out ballots to name the Dead Sea as one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. These men played a crucial role in our Jordan trip by introducing us to their friend Shawn AKA Moe who became our Jordanian tour guide and driver.
We left the Baptismal site and headed to the Dead Sea with Igor and Moe. We invited Igor, a Ukrainian software engineer who we met on the Baptismal tour, to join our trip to the Dead Sea. We had a BLAST at the Dead Sea. It is so salty you float and can only stand up with effort. We painted our bodies with mud we dug up from the shore. After showering we took a dip in the pool that was adjacent to the Dead Sea. What fun! Three hours later we were back on the road to Mt. Nebo, the location from which Moses saw the Promised Land. After Mt. Nebo, Igor returned to Amman while Moe, Mark and I headed to Madaba to see a church with a mosaic map of the world from the Byzantine era. We also visited a Catholic church that had a tunnel that led to a well that dated to the days of the Moab people about 3000 years ago. The following day we went to King Hussein’s car museum with an enormous collection of mint condition cars. What a trip down memory lane! After lunch, with Moe back in the driver’s seat we headed south to Petra. We arrived in time to get a hotel room, some dinner and then head off to Petra. The Petra at Night program is not to be missed. Lit only by candlelight, you approach the Petra Treasury with the awe and anticipation of a caravan trader some 3000 years ago. When at last you emerge from the 2 km narrow Sandstone gorge (known as the Siq) you stand in awe of one of the most beautifully carved monuments made by man. Petra at Night is magical.
Petra by day isn’t too bad either. We spent the following day walking, climbing and marveling at the beauty of this ancient town. We could have spent more time exploring but by 2PM it was time to head to Wadi Rum, the land of Laurence of Arabia.
Wadi Rum is about 2 hours from Petra and the location of our Bedouin camp. We made it just in time for the sunset there. It was gorgeous to see the sunset over the desert dunes!
The night in Wadi Rum was so much fun. We stayed at a Bedouin family camp. The food, cooked under the ground, much in the same way it is done traditionally in Hawaii, was delicious. We had a blast playing games, one of which Mark won, as did Moe! After dinner and the games, Mark and I went to enjoy the starlit night.
The following day we got up and out of the tent by 5:30AM, but due to the change from daylight savings time, the sun was already out. We were probably lucky because walking in this desert was hard work!
Jordan has dazzled us. We are so happy to have met such wonderful people and to have experienced a country so rich in history. Our next stop is Thailand, and the beginning of our visit to Southeast Asia.
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