Day1.
Abu Dhabi Airport is what, I imagine, being inside a tiled octopus would be like ( the interior has the shape of the inside of an inverted steam pudding dish ) with arms radiating out from the centre for departure and arrival. I love this airport, it is just so different from any other airport I've been in, it is fantastic and could quite easily be something out of a Doctor Who film set. They are in the process of renovating and sadly by the look of what they have done so far all those lovely, funky green and blue tiles are soon to be a thing of the past. We had arrived early for our flight to Amman Jordan so had plenty of time to have a coffee, do a bit of duty free shopping and show concern for the renovation ( denovation?? ) work going on.
A three and a bit hour flight had ourselves and good friend Val, who had done so much useful investigation and itinerary booking, arriving at Queen Alia Airport, Amman nice and early as planned. We were met by a travel agent who promptly got us through immigration and out to meet our driver Mishal for the 7 days travelling ahead, and we sure covered some miles in that time.
First stop was Madabar, an ancient little town famous for it's splendid floor mosaics that once decorated its many local Christian churches and buildings. The best known of these, displayed in the Greek Orthodox basilica of St. George, is an over 2 million piece tiled mosaic map of the original lands of Palestine, dating back to the 6th Century A.D. - there were also many tiled mosaics on the walls depicting biblical scenes - pretty impressive.
A short drive which included a couple of stops to check out some local craft stores had us sitting down to the most delicious lunch of fresh breads, basil humous, olive dip and tabouli, in a lovely restaurant at Mt. Nebo – where Moses was said to have stood and looked out over the promised land. Just down the road we stopped at a Byzantine complex where much archaeological work has unearthed more fantastic floor mosaics. From here you can take in the view down to the Jordan valley where the Jordan river winds its way to the Dead Sea, and on a clear day across to Jerusalem sitting on the crest of the far hills.
From here it was a windy downhill ride to the Baptism Site, where Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist, on the banks of the River Jordan, which somewhat disappointingly is nowadays more of a muddy creek than a river.
With evening approaching we arrived at our hotel for the next 2 nights stay at the Dead Sea. We had time for a quick swim in the beachside pool and to look on as people floated in the sea having first spread black mud all over themselves. The hotel ( Movenpick Dead Sea ) is spectacularly designed in traditional arabic style and gives the impression of a village with cobbled lanes leading this way and that, beautifully planted gardens and water features.
Day2.
An early and very delicious breakfast was enjoyed before Mishal arrived to take us on our big day of driving. A two hours or so drive up the verdant Jordan Valley, through some spectacular green wooded hills with unusual rock formations, took us to Umm Quais, almost on Jordan's northern border with Syria. Sitting on the top of a hill, here are the remains of a roman village with black basalt columns, an amphitheatre ( again all black basalt ), colonnaded streets and a magnificent view over to the Golan Heights and down to Lake Tiberius.
Next stop was Jerash ( formerly Gerasa ). Founded in the 4th century BC by Semitic people on a site that had been occupied during Neolithic times. During its Greek colonisation, Gerasa flourished as a trading centre, followed by Roman occupation around the lst decades of the 1st century BC when it was one of the main cities in the “ Decopolis “ a confederation of ten cities of which Gerasa is today the best preserved. Through the 1st and 2nd centuries AD it enjoyed great prosperity from trade with caravans, being on the silk road trade route. Among the many ruins are the Southern Gate built to honour a visit by Hadrian, the Temple of Zeus, Temple of Artemis, a hippodrome capable of seating 3000 spectators, a magnificent elliptical shaped forum surrounded by a portico of Ionic columns that covered a row of shops, and then the main Colonnaded road ( Cardo Maximus ) again with shops on each side, intersected by two crossroads ( Decuman ). Some of the carving of the columns ( some spiral carved ) and column heads ( decorated with flowers ) is particularly impressive.
We arrived back in time for the compulsory swim in the Dead Sea. The water temperature was cool at first but once in it was very pleasant and the unusual buoyancy added to the experience, just so long as you didn't get any of the extremely salty water in your eyes or mouth. The Dead sea lies between Jordan and Israel, is almost 34% salinity, abut 8 times saltier than the ocean and lies 423 metres below sea level. Its waters are completely devoid of life and contain high amounts of chemicals such as magnesium, calcium, sodium ( of course ), bromide and potassium. The waters are said to be very therapeutic but it is recommended to wash off in clean water after swimming and to not stay in for more than 20 minutes, which makes you wonder about the therapeutic claim somewhat, but it is very invigorating nonetheless. That night we dined at one of the many hotel restaurants and followed this by watching an extremely beautiful and talented belly dancer. I was very impressed at any rate, and the girls had to admit that she was at least a pretty good dancer!!
Day3.
Another early delicious and nutritious breakfast and another early pickup for the drive to Petra. On route we stopped and visited Jordan's most famous Karak Castle, built on the crest of a hill alongside the ancient biblical capital of Moab. The city was conquered over time by the Assyrians, the Nabateans, and the Romans before enjoying great prosperity by the Byzantines. The castle built in the early 1100's on the wishes of ( Crusader and King of Jerusalem ) King Baldwin I in order to defend communications between Aqaba and Jerusalem, is also famous for being a stronghold against Saladin in his battles against the Crusaders. Lunch was another great feed of breads, Mutabal, Tabouleh and humous along with a very tasty lentil soup.
Further south we were able to see ( but no time to visit ) Shawbak Castle, another built by Baldwin I and later captured by Saladin.
Arriving in Petra late in the afternoon we were able to check in, have dinner at a local restaurant then do the ( recommended ) Petra at night light show. It is a long walk in and out again and we were all quite exhausted after a big day.
Day 4.
Petra ( Rose Red city of the Nabateans ). We had all our entry passes and guides pre booked through Atlas Travel who are to be highly recommended. Our guide for the first couple of hours was Soli, a really nice local guy and a mine of information. The walk in is quite long about 1km to the entrance to the Siq and then another 1.2km along this narrow high sided pass. This chasm ( along which Petra's main water aqueducts ran ) is 585 feet deep and no more than 12 feet wide at its narrowest.
Where the Siq finally ends you are treated to the view of Petra's most famous building, the Khasneh ( or Treasury ). Carved out of the rock the facade is 130 feet high and 81 feet wide. Although the oldest known settlement in Petra dates back to the Iron Age, its importance, is derived from around the 6th Century BC when the Nabateans ( nomads from the Arabian peninsula – Saudi ) settled and began carving their most impressive and amazing rock city.
Its choice as the Nabatean capital was primarily one of safety, being hidden away among the mountains and having few means of access and thereby being easily guarded, until the Romans on their second attempt at taking the place had the sneaky idea of poisoning the water supply aqueducts and waiting for the Nabateans to die off.
You could easily spend days ( 3 is recommended ) exploring this most amazing place. We only had one and what a day of wonder it was. Caves and carved tombs lie everywhere along the walkways. Just how the Nabateans managed to create this vast city and the size of some of the carved buildings styled upon both Greek and Roman architecture is staggering. The second largest monument ( and some say the most impressive ) is the Monastery ( Ad – Deir ) and well worth the walk up ( 800 odd steps ) so they say, but we cheated ( on good advice ) and negotiated a good price for donkeys to carry us up the steep incline. Sitting across from this most magnificent building is a delightful little tea house and it is welcome relief to just take in the view and enjoy a cold drink or a nice cuppa. From the tea house there are several tracks taking you to high vantage points where spectacular views can be had of the Monastery as well as out to the lowlands surrounding the mountainous area where Petra is hidden away.
A day of real wonders, and, as if magical Petra was not enough, not only did Lynne overcome her terror of heights by riding a donkey up a narrow track with steep drops she also ( as did I for the first time ever ) rode a horse with almost no shrieking.
It is really no wonder that Petra is rated as one of the Wonders of the World, it is also a listed Unesco World Heritage Site. Much has been written about Petra, however nothing really prepares you for this amazing place. It has to be seen to be believed.
Day 5.
We stayed at 3 Movenpick hotels during our visit and without exception the breakfasts were fantastic. So it was that after another delicious start to the day we headed off to Aqaba via Wadi Rum ( Lawrence's Desert ). Wadi ( a natural low lying area often a water course ) Rum is a majestic smattering of impressive rock formations in the middle of the desert. As impossible as it seems several springs flow into the wadi allowing vegetation to grow, and so the wadi became an obligatory stopping place for the caravans carrying spices and incense. There are rock drawings to be found in the area which indicate human presence as far back as the Paleolithic age. If there was to be one down point ( actually there is another biggie and a couple of little gripes...see footnote.. ) in our visit it was that we did not stay overnight at one of the many camps, the rocks and desert are said to come alive spectacularly in colour bursts at dusk and dawn, being there in the middle of the day when it is the least photogenic and the sun is its most oppressive the place is wondrous enough.
Our driver/ guide Soliman was a cool guy and again a source of valuable information.
About an hours drive after leaving Wadi Rum we arrived at Aqaba at the top of the Red Sea. Mishal had organised a glass bottom boat trip to see the coral reefs that are very close to shore. This trip was well worth it even though the wind was up and it was quite choppy. Mid point on the trip we pulled on to a beach and the boat guys cooked us up a delicious meal of fresh fish , salad and bread. While they were preparing the lunch I availed myself of a set of the onboard supply of masks and snorkels and was able to locate some rather impressive coral covered rocks and wonderfully coloured shoals of fish within 30 metres of the shore. The sea temperature again was slightly cool at first but I soon acclimatised and had a great time tootling around.
As we had eaten so well, mid afternoon on the beach, dinner that night was not really required and a nice bowl of lentil soup and breads courtesy of room service, chased down with some duty free vino was ample and well enjoyed.
Day6.
Finally a day off to just lounge around enjoying the pools and the beach. Tala Bay where the hotel is sited is a newish development about 15 minutes south of Aqaba city. There are numerous hotels, apartments, restaurants, shops and a marina. It is mostly all done in a traditional but modernised Arabic architecture. A style that I find to be pleasing and sympathetic to the environment and history, although it is very much targeted at the tourist market and most Jordanians would never get to see or enjoy this sort of place. The benefit to Jordanians by this and other tourist areas however is in the area of employment and the sideline shops and the sale of arts and crafts. There doesn't appear to be a low pay immigrant workforce, like other nearby countries, and Jordanians comprise the workforce themselves.
After a quick morning trip into Aqaba for a little shopping for the girls it was back to the hotel for some relaxation.
After a swim a pleasant poolside late lunch was enjoyed and afterwards Val took herself off to the Spa for a serious massage while we lay around either reading or listening to the Ipod, had a couple more swims and soaked up the sun. There can never be too much relaxation on holiday and this was our day of indulgence. Later that evening we dined in the rooftop cafe/ restaurant and took in the belly dance show and some ok music and enjoyed a nice sheisha. Too much good as they say over here.
Day 7.
After a later breakfast, some relaxing on the beach in the morning, followed by a late checkout the 4 hour drive along the Desert Highway ( not too much to report here unless you are very fond of brown and dry ) took us back to Queen Alia airport and the flight back to Abu Dhabi. We arrived back at our apartment about 1.30 in the morning and although pretty shattered were still buzzing about our wonderful trip to Jordan. We sat around and reminisced about what a great time we had just enjoyed and the many fantastic sights we had seen.
Footnotes - Grumbles and Hotel Report.
The 11th Commandment – Thou Shall Not Litter.
Although we feel incredibly fortunate at having visited Jordan and seen some of its well known and regarded sites, a few gripes come to mind.
We had been warned about the plastic bag trees and there were quite a few, however I was more disturbed by the amount of rubbish ( notably plastic bags ) we saw when travelling around. It was somewhat alarming to see Jordanian families settling down roadside to enjoy a picnic or bbq, ( which seemed to be quite a popular pastime ) surrounded in a sea of roadside rubbish. It is not only Jordan that has this problem, pretty much every country we have visited ( and lived in ), over here, is the same. We have camped at what could have been pristine beaches here in the UAE ( and in Qatar ). The beaches are always very littered, plastic bags float in the sea, and one in particular was pretty much left resembling, no exaggeration, a real rubbish tip after National Day celebrations.
It appears to be a common thing in countries in this part of the world just to biff rubbish willy nilly wherever they are. Doh, I have some rubbish, problem, throw rubbish, problem gone. Nobody seems to care particularly or it would appear notice.
A prime example was our driver, Mishal, who was a really neat guy, but, on our glass bottomed boat trip, just threw his empty cigarette packet overboard. When taken to task over this by rubbish conscious kiwis he just shrugged, laughed and said it is a big sea. Well it is and then again it isn't!
There is not a cause and effect mentality by and large in Arabic mindsets, the people live for the me and the now and give no consideration to any adverse effects their actions might effect further down the track.
Driving in the UAE ( and Qatar ) is a case in point ( although the driving in Jordan was very good I must say ). There was a 127 car pile up the other day on the Dubai - Abu Dhabi road due to fog...nobody bothered to think about maybe slowing down or the dangers of driving in fog and making adjustment, it was the usual 140km+ per hour, I gotta get where I'm going stuff. Surprisingly there was only one fatality, although many were badly injured. Driver in car no. 126 interviewed at his hospital bedside said he had slowed to about 100km per hour. Brilliant! not many brain cells firing there it would seem. In dense fog even 50km per hour can be too fast. I have driven this road early in the morning and going Dubai to Abu Dhabi is frightening enough on a good day. The road signs indicate 120km but the cameras are set to 160km and everyone knows this. The authorities have announced a change to the speed cameras of 140km but don't seem to have figured out that 120km is already quite fast enough with all the loonies out there. Not much cerebral rigour being entertained higher up the food chain either. At every camera there are thick lines of skid marks where the speeders slow down then take off again until the next camera etc...
It was apparent on the boat trip that there was a lot of rubbish lying on the sea floor ( and on the beach despite numerous rubbish bins ) and I felt that the coral health was affected adversely by this. That plus the amount of large ship traffic coming and going from the ports of Aqaba must be a real worry for the future - who knows how long these reefs will still be around, there seemed a lot of dead corals on the rocks and lying on the sea floor. Once they're gone they're gone for good.
Jordan is not a rich country, it is incredibly old and for the most part shows it. The roads are generally in a poor state, villages, shops and houses by and large look tatty and rough and the people mostly don't appear to be all that prosperous. There are many roadside camps of gypsies. For a country that has a wealth of history and treasures in its antiquities these apparent opposites can seem a bit incongruous. It was felt by a few we met, that some of the associated costs of travel ( food, drinks and crafts in particular, although jewelry and silver were very reasonable ) were a bit on the expensive side. I mention the above by way of trying to give a balanced viewpoint if you intend visiting this country – the good, the bad and the...well there really wasn't any ugly!!
Heck no country is perfect....Libya has that madman Gaddafi ( hopefully not for too much longer ), Australia has snakes, poisonous scary spiders and Pauline Hanson, Sweden was responsible for Abba, America has a history of war- mongering presidents, rednecks, the death penalty, and line dancing, Canada produced Justin Beiber ( real all time low there – shame on you Canada ), Switzerland has yodelling and leiderhosen, England is full of Poms and even little old New Zealand is a haven for gangs, political correctness and people who abuse a welfare system that other countries don't have or can even comprehend.
I would still suggest Jordan as being a wonderful and interesting country to travel to. The people are very friendly and helpful and there are so many fantastic sights to be seen and places to visit - if you can just turn a blind eye to all that plastic rubbish.
Atlas Travel are highly recommended for their work in giving us a seamless itinerary and negotiating a good upgrade deal on hotels. The guides, entrance costs etc were all pre arranged and everything was effortless in that regard. And thanks to Mishal, our driver who was just a really pleasant guy and a good safe, considerate driver - except for that little rubbish episode.......well maybe we should have just thrown him overboard!!!!
Hotel Scores: Out of the three hotels we stayed at the Movenpick Dead Sea we felt was the best all round, with its beautiful setting, gardens, architecture, large rooms with balcony and village feel. Movenpick Petra was nice enough and ideally situated near the entrance to the Petra site, Movenpick Aqaba was the most modern and again a lovely setting with it's many pools and right on the beach. All score -1 point for charging for internet ( different price at each??? ) which these days should be free. Dead Sea and Petra get +1 for having free espresso coffee at breakfast ( no limit on amount of cups ). Aqaba gets an extra -2 for effectively charging hotel guests 7JD ( NZ$14 ) to sit in the cafe where the entertainment is and for not having free espresso at breakfast.
