Jordan

Wadi Rum

Jordan is a small country, bordering with Israel, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria, and Saudi Arabia. The impact of the influx of Palestine refugees, combined with the loss of trade with Iraq its main trading partner has had a significant impact on its economy. It is ruled by a Monarchy, the current one being King Abdullah 2. It is 80% desert, and despite having the fertile valley of the Jordon River running down its centre, has a severe water shortage.

WHERE IS JANET?

The easiest way to enter Jordan is to take the ferry from the Egyptian port of Nuweiba directly to the Jordanian resort town of Aqaba, on the western shores of the Gulf of Aqaba. The ferry was scheduled to sail at
Petra As-Siq two pm, and we arrived at the port early since we anticipated an arduous couple of hours clearing Egyptian customs, based on our experience entering the country. After three hours of running around to various departments with the aid of a friendly Egyptian assistant, we had handed back our Egyptian registration plates, had all the required papers and stamps, and were ready to board the ferry. In sharp contrast to the dilapidated cement barge we had used to cross into Egypt from the Sudan, this ferry was a high speed, jet powered modern craft, cutting the Gulf of Aqaba crossing down to a mere 1.5 hours.

We had just finished a snack when the captain asked all drivers to return to their vehicles, since we were due to arrive at Aqaba, and needed to ready to disembark our vehicles. When we arrived at the parking level,

View from As-Siq
The Treasury Al-Khazneh we discovered that we could not find our keys and so for the first time on our 8-month odyssey we had to use our spare key procedures. Not only did we have to get into the cruiser but we also had to disarm the security system. Our meticulous planning paid off, and it was not to long before I was able to drive off the ferry, much to the relief of the ship hands, who were anxious clear the ship. Janet decided not to disembark with me but return to her seat to look for the missing keys, which seemed like a good idea since I could clear customs at the same time. However, when I got out of the cruiser to enter the customs building I noticed that the ferry had raised its ramp and was moving away from the dock, with Janet inside. So now, we were in an interesting situation. I had the car but no passports and Janet was going somewhere and had no money or documents. It was evident that by now we were seasoned travelers, since I calmly went about the business of clearing customs and Janet simply talked herself down to the loading deck and was unloaded with the luggage when the ferry stopped at the nearby passenger terminal. We were reunited shortly thereafter and after a good laugh, we were soon on our way out of the port heading into Aqaba. Had such an incident happened early on in our trip I’m not sure we would have handled it so calmly.

Rock Jewels

Our first impression of Jordan was very positive. We thought that the country was certainly more prosperous and cleaner that the countries we had traveled through to get here. After a delicious slice of apple pie and a piping hot coffee, we headed south down the coast to find a campsite at the local Bedouin village, which came highly recommended.

EXOTIC MASSAGE;

Aqaba is a lovely seaside city, from which you can see three countries, Saudi Arabia to the south, Egypt to the west and Israel to the north. First item on the list was to find a bookstore and purchase a Lonely Planet Jordan Guide. Whilst exploring the city, the smell of fresh bread drew us into a bakery where we were invited to tour the bread-making machine. After the tour, I was swarmed by the employees all of whom were asking for money, and Janet and I had to beat a hasty retreat. The internet café was our next destination and once seated at the terminal, Janet’s shoulder and neck
Petra Tomb started to complain, a result of extended driving periods. Fortunately located right next to the internet café was a hotel, which advertised a massage service, and I was dispatched to see if I could book an appointment. After requesting directions, I was sent to the rear of the hotel to where a large sign indicated “therapeutic massage,” and the man at the front desk indicated to me that they had an immediate opening. I returned to Janet, took over the internet session, and Janet proceeded to get her tight muscles seen to. About half-an-hour later, Janet returned with the same muscle condition but a large grin on her face from ear to ear. Apparently, after showing up for her appointment, a young woman in a skimpy dress and oversized high heels appeared, and directed her to a room, which did not have any of the usual massage equipment. Once the massage started, it soon became clear that this was no masseuse; this was not a Canadian therapeutic massage but something much more “exotic.” Janet left sniggering; we had been naïve once again.

Treasury Al-Khazneh

A MAGNIFICENT DISCOVERY

The friendly customs official had asked if we were going to visit Wadi Rum whilst we were in Jordan. We had never heard of it, but a poster above his head showing a spectacular desert scene awakened our curiosity. After some research, we discovered that this desert nature reserve lay a mere 100kms north of Aqaba, so we decided to visit it on out way to the famous city of Petra. It is difficult to find words to describe accurately the magnificence of these rocks and desert wonderland. Since we were fortunate enough to have our own four-wheel drive vehicle, we could explore the furthest reaches by ourselves and on our own schedule. After deflating the tires so that we could get better traction on the soft sand we hooked up our trusty GPS navigation system and set off to get acquainted with this stunning place. We drove through a lunar like scenery of deep ravines cut into the ancient multi-coloured sandstone. Our vistas where filled with as many hues of oranges, reds, and browns as you can possibly imagine. Our road went wherever there were tracks; we spent hours exploring, often completely on our own, surrounded only by the soft desert wind and the reminder that time has no meaning in a place like this. The driving was
Mount Nebo fun and the Landcruiser once again showed its capability as we traversed thick desert sand with ease. We reflected on how skilled we had become at handling off-road conditions and laughed at remembering our tentative beginnings so many months ago.

Since we were self-sufficient we decided to spend the night in this incredible geographic wonder. As the sunset and the colours softened, we explored the endless ravines for a suitable campsite. We finally settled for a spot below some towering cliffs; their protective embrace sheltering us from the warm desert wind. After the normal routine of setting up camp we cooked up a delicious flavored bean and rice supper, made a bonfire, and sat quietly in its glow. We knew that our incredible adventure was ending, and that soon we would be busy with meetings, packing, arranging, scheduling, and all the other tasks associated with going home to friends and family. The splendid isolation which is so rare in our busy everyday lives allowed us reflect on how far we had come and just what we had accomplished as a couple, we had clearly had become a team. We had laughed and cried together, made difficult decisions jointly, been amazed over and over again by what we had seen and witnessed and most of all, we had fallen in love all over again.

It wasn’t too long however before fatigue overcame us and we clambered up the ladder to our familiar roof top tent where sleep came easy. Just when we where sure we had seen it all, Mother Nature surprised us yet again. The scenery and vistas of Wadi Rum are seared into our minds forever.

Russian Orthodox Church on Banks of River Jordon

ROSE CITY

Petra, an ancient city in the southern Jordan, is truly remarkable and one of the most spectacular sights in the Middle East. Petra was the capital of the Nabataean kingdom during the 6th century. Hewn from towering sandstone rocks, Petra is remarkable both as an archeological site and as a geological wonderland. Shades of rose, yellow, blue and white blended in intricate patterns in the rock add to the magical and mystical ambiance of Petra. The pathway to the city itself is through a narrow, long, and winding gorge known as the Aq Sig. After walking the 1.2 km through the narrow gorge and despite knowing what lay ahead, we were both still stunned at the sight of the Treasury (Al Khaznek) coming into view. It is breathtakingly magnificent. Carved out of sandstone it once served as the tomb of the Nabataean King Aretas 3rd. We spent the day wandering through the city, marveling at the Royal Tombs, theatre, and street of facades. We could only just imagine what this site may have looked like 3500 years ago.

Hiking Through Wadi Rum

BIBLICAL TIES

Since Jordan is a relatively small country it is possible to see a lot in a short time. The Kings highway is a modern road that follows the route of the Crusaders in the 15th century. It runs the length of Jordan on top of the escarpment dropping down into the rift valley below from time to time as it winds it way north. Along the way are ancient and modern Jordanian villages as well as the ruins of Christian Castles, the most impressive of which is located at Karak. The views down into the rift valley the floor of which drops below sea level are breathtaking, and the countryside is clean and the villages pleasant, where for the fist time on our travels we saw garbage cans and street cleaners. We headed for Mt. Nebo, the mountain where Moses looked cross the Jordan River into the Holy land, but was not able to cross. A simple church marks the spot. We also visited the location on the River Jordan, which is small and muddy, where Jesus was baptized by John, and once again its simplicity
See the Camel on the Rock was striking. A path through the river valley with simple wooden and cement structures marked out the historically significant locations. An Israeli flag fluttered in the wind on the other side and barbed wire fences demarcated the border armed soldiers were all around, reminding us that despite the message of these great religions, all is not well in that troubled part of the world.

Perhaps most striking however was the unassuming nature of both Mt. Nebo and the Baptismal Place, which was in sharp contrast to the excess that characterized the Egyptian and Nabataean edifices we had seen previously.