When you least expect it.. shepherds and through the mist.

When you least expect it... sometimes it's the unexpected surprises that are the best.

As we head from Amman toward the Dead Sea we settle in for a long bus ride. The day is better today, blue sky and warm. We have a few stops planned along the way.

One such stop is the Mujib Valley, known as Jordan's Grand Canyon. As we approach we wind down to a lookout point. Here a couple of local men have set out some woven rugs and wall hangings. The vista of the canyon is spread out below, the fog almost dissipated with traces hanging over the hillsides. It is vast and impressive.

At closer glance there is a shepherd in the distance with his herd of sheep and goats around him.  We realize he is moving his herd toward the area below us. And we are treated to an unexpected demonstration as he shepherds his herd right past us, up a small embankment and onto the road. 

 Onward.... we settle back in the bus and continue on our journey.  Next stop, Mukauer Fortress. This is the ruins of an old fortress that sits high atop a hill overlooking the Dead Sea. We are eager for our first glimpse of the Sea and across to Israel. 

However, as we near the spot we see a heavy fog hanging over the valley and the Sea. Tony, our guide, warns us that, while we can still hike up to the fortress we will likely not be able to the Sea.

Mukauer, or Machaerus, is said to have been the place where John the Baptist was held and executed in 32 AD by Herrod. The history and the age of this area continue to awe me.

As we arrive it is indeed cloaked in heavy fog. It hangs like a heavy blanket draping all around, one side is clear and sunny, the other completely in cloud.


The trail up is clear so we decide to do the hike to the ruins.

At the top the remnants of the fort spread out across the landscape. All around the valley drops off steeply but the view is totally obscured.  We accept that we will not have our anticipated view. I take one last walk around the hilltop venturing further toward the outer rim. And as I do I see the first glimpse of a body of blue below the cloud. And as the clouds begin to dissipate the Dead Sea comes into view. Quickly I scamper back up signalling to the others in our group... come quick!! The Dead Sea!!  It is spread out below us... 

Sometimes the unexpected surprises are the best!

Come With Me to the Dead Sea....

..

What do you mean there is no wine?

What do you mean there is no wine?

Jordan is predominantly Muslim with at least 90% of people being Muslim. Muslims do not drink alcohol… ever!  And since the hotel we were staying at in Amman is owned by Muslims there is no alcohol available.  Travelling with a group of predominantly women this presented a problem. We could not foresee a week without wine.  

Returning from our rainy trip to Jerash yesterday we sent Joe (our fearless leader), on a mission to find us a couple bottles of wine to smuggle in. And, good sport that he is, he set out in the rain returning with 2 bottles of red and two bottles of white wine produced in Jordan. Now, I did not have high hopes for wine from a country where 90% of the people do not drink!

On the top floor of our hotel is a rooftop lounge and restaurant and part of that is a Hookah Lounge.

Of course, we are all eager to see this and experience it… and to show how cool we are!

Like a bunch of giddy teenagers sneaking Daddy's beer we smuggle our wine up to the lounge. We gather around hiding our bottles under the table.

They bring us several silver hookah. The hookah contains a bowl with tobacco and a glass jar filled with flavored water. Flavours like watermelon mint and green apple.

On top is a piece of foil where they place several chunks of smoldering charcoal which heat the liquid and send the vapor through the long tube. 

The distance of the tube cools the vapor as you inhale the smoky vapor.

We take turns sucking in the hot vapour and exhaling a cloud of smoke.   I discover my lack of expertise in this area. Try as I may the best I can manage is a little puff of smoke. I watch in awe as Gayle breathes out great dragon-like puffs and Aimee sends smoke rings rising in the air. Guess I should have smoked more in my youth!

Sitting around the low slung tables on comfy sofas we sip our wine, eat fresh strawberries and take turns trying out the hookahs, snapping shot after shot and laughing till our sides ache.

Sitting around the low slung tables on comfy sofas we sip our wine, eat fresh strawberries and take turns trying out the hookahs, snapping shot after shot and laughing till our sides ache.

We feel daring and exotic and cool and can’t wait to shock our friends and families back home.

What's up with the Red Scarves?

So What's Up With the Red and White Head Scarves?

While women in Jordan all dress very modestly and wear head coverings all the time, most men do not. However, I notice a lot of men wearing these red and white headscarves. Sometimes they are held in place with circular black bands or roped ties. Sometimes they are just twisted and tucked. The fabric reminds me of a tablecloth or tea towel.  White cotton with red print.  Sometimes we see black and white too. But they look very striking.  Of course, I was curious about the meaning and significance of these… who wears them? Why? Is it traditional, functional or religious?

 Tony, our guide explained it :

The head scarves are originally and primarily for function. They protect from the dust of the desert, the cold at night and the heat during the day. Rural Jordanians were them most of the time. Driving through the countryside en route to the Dead Sea we saw that they were an everyday part of their clothing. We saw shepherds herding their sheep wearing them. We saw merchants at little roadside stands wearing them. We saw men on the streets of the towns and out on the farms. I can see their function... they provide warmth when you need it and cool when you need it and you can draw it around you face to block out blowing sand. Or, if our case protect your camera from drizzle or dust. Ingenious!

The color is specific to their heritage. True Jordanians (both parents born in Jordan) can wear the red and white while Palestinians wear black and white. Others like Saudis tend to wear the head coverings too but they are usually plain and have no specific color associated with the region.

I was, of course, intrigued and seeing them in the market wanted to try one.

3 JD for a lightweight one made in China or 5JD for an authentic one made in Jordan. Nice soft cotton and heavier weight embroidery.

The young man there adeptly twisted and tucked and turned me into a desert goddess.

 Love it!  (PS. Women do not typically wear these, just tourists like me.

Jordan Day 2: From Amman to Jerash

Thursday April 26th.          Amman, Jordan.

`Travelling opens your mind and your heart.``  I read this recently and I agree with it. Traveling to other places with different cultures and traditions and religions can give a perspective to issues in the world. It is not that one is better than the other, or that to honor ours we must condemn others. Rather, it is to gain a better understanding of others` beliefs.

In that spirit, we donned our head scarves and long dark robes and silently entered one of the largest mosques in Amman, King Abdullah`s Mosque. It is vast and open. One large open room where the worshippers can enter and silently kneel in prayer.  How can that be intimidating or frightening?

We head on to the Citadel.. Even though I visited yesterday, the rest of the group had not so we set out to explore it some more. Eagerly trying out a new lens I purchased for the trip, I set about looking for new things to see, or new ways to see familiar sites.

From here we board our bus and head to the ancient city of Jerash, an important historic and archeological centre. Here history dates back to biblical times but the ruins we are exploring date back  two thousand years or so to the time of the Roman Empire and the Emperor Hadrian. However, the city itself was earlier settled  by Alexander the Great in 332 BC. Archeological remains date back even further to the Bronze Age 2500 BC. It was an important centre, called a Decapolis. It is believed only about 20% of the city has been excavated so far and it is surprisingly large and intact.

It has turned cloudy and cool and the weather is ominous. Before long it starts to drizzle and then lightly rain.But we forge on...

We begin by entering through Hadrian's Arch, a massive and beautiful gate that is the entry into the city.

 We pass by the hippodrome where chariot races would have been held. From there we wander through the Forum, a large oval paved with stone and surrounded by towering Ionic pillars.








Stone-paved walks branch off toward the various area of the complex.



A long colonnade leads toward the Basilica and temple.

 Throughout the site there are many impressive structures like The Temple of Zues, The Temple of Artemis, and three theatres.

 The Triumphal Arch.

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The Cathedral

The Temple of Artemis

The Theatre

The Temple of Zeus

Finally, we are just too wet and chilled. We head indoors for a hot cup of tea and a little souvenir shopping before we head back to Amman.

Sorry to bore you with the history lesson.... but it does not cease to amaze me as I wander through civilizations that exhibited such sophistication and beauty thousands of years ago.

Come With Me.... as we explore some of the more fun part of Amman and head toward the waters of the Dead Sea.