Welcome to Jordan

July 14-19

Thursday - Eilat

After overcoming broken down buses en route to Eilat, our intrepid trio was finally united two hours later than  the scheduled arrival of a normally four hour bus ride. Eilat is a resort town at the southern tip of Israel, sitting on the shore of the Red Sea. Bordered by Egypt to the west and Jordan to the east, the best Red Sea experience is apparently beyond the Israeli border. With vibrant underwater flora and fauna in the sea's coral reef, the constant tourism draw of the many resort hotels of Eilat have led to a damaged local reef. If I ever make it to the Sinai or back to Aqaba, Jordan's Red Sea resort city, I gotta make sure to bring along a scuba diving certification.

Friday - Wadi Rum

After spending the night at a nice, cheap and hidden hostel on Thursday night, and not before a morning jam, Justin, Krista and I made our way toward the Jordanian border.



Breakfast jam at the Shelter Hostel



Without too much trouble, we exchanged shekelim for dinar, each paid the exorbitant 100 ₪ exit fee, obtained passport stampage and stepped across the no man's land that separates the two countries. Once in Jordan, the only transportation from the border was by taxi. Although there were maybe 8 drivers waiting, their collaboration in overpriced fares made it impossible to bargain them down. Fortunately, by combining our ride with a fellow traveler, we were able to save a few dinar and began our trek east to Wadi Rum, the desert of Lawrence of Arabia fame.

 

We drove for a couple hours through the rocky desert terrain of southern Jordan. In the bottom of the picture above, you can see a train. This rail is used almost exclusively to transport phosphate, Jordan's largest export. Apparently, many Arab vacationers were choosing Jordan as their destination, due to unrest in normally more popular states. We noticed a few Saudi Arabia license plates during our drive. As you can see, our taxi driver was quite informative.

 

We made it!

And now, through pictures I will show how awesome our Wadi Rum accomodations were.

 

Krista had made reservations for us at the luxurious Bait Ali Lodge, fully equipped with...

swimming pool 



private tent (with full bed frames and electricity)



sheltered bar with epic chandelier

They even have a miniature model of the compound!

Just kidding, that's a doctored photo of the view from the lodge's desert overlook.

In all it's glory. Note the amphitheater in the distance.

Arriving in the early afternoon, we decided to hit the pool and relax with a game of backgammon and some argeelah (hookah) before heading out for a sunset jeep ride in the desert.
 

 

 

 

Guh.

 Fully rejuvenated, we disembarked in Atallah's furry four-wheeler to experience the desert up close.

While everything looked unique and beautiful at the time, it's hard to distinguish between a lot of these pictures now. However, here are some of the more epic shots of Wadi Rum.



Camels know how to chill.

Atallah took us to a spot with a beautiful, expansive view of the desert, where we sat and watched the sunset as he prepared a pot of  mint tea. The colors of the sunset across the silent desert of Wadi Rum was unmistakably unique. I don't know if it was the awe-inspired locale or the teapot's many years of built up use, but the tea was unbelievably delicious.


Unfortunately, during our sandy adventures, my camera had a close encounter with the desert and its mechanical demise quickly came to pass. I caught what I could in the few times where my camera did turn on after that, but this only led more quickly to complete camera failure the next day.


We returned to Bait Ali just in time for the Friday party, where hundreds of Jordanians were bused in from around the country to feast and dance. The lodge includes a huge amphitheater, with full setup for sound and lights onstage. Despite a rather incompetent DJ, the mix of American and Jordanian pop was pretty interesting. The party ended shortly after a birthday cake made contact with the dance floor.




Saturday - Petra


Saturday morning began with made-to-order eggs and a salad buffet. We made sure to hit the pool before disembarking. The drive to Petra, or more accurately, Wadi Musa, the town that sits outside the entrance to the ancient carved city, took about two hours.

 

Wadi Musa

We got to the Valentine Inn in the early afternoon. Quickly dropping our bags, we caught the free shuttle from the hostel to the entrance to Petra, where we subsequently spent far too much on the ticketed entry (55 dinar for a two day pass, which translates to $75). We made sure to acquire hats for our crusade into the Nabataean city, unfortunately from a shop not quite as fitting as this one.

 

The owner must have paid a fortune for the trademark rights.

 

Petra is an ancient city carved out of the natural rock face of the desert terrain. It dates back to the 6th century BC, founded by the Nabataeans and used as an important stop along trade routes between Europe and Asia. The only entrance is through a narrow gorge called the Siq, along which fresh water was pumped into the city. The ancient architecture and infrastructure is truly impressive. The area is prone to flash floods, which the Nabataeans managed by constructing a huge tunnel to divert water from entering the Siq. An earthquake in the year 363 caused significant damage to much of the architecture and left the water management system destroyed. The city was mostly abandoned after that.

 

This tomb sits outside the Siq.

The start of the Siq, which gets as narrow as 3 m and as high as 180 m along its 2 km length.

The Siq opens up to the impressive Al Khazneh, "The Treasury".

 

Every crevice carved from solid stone.

Many locals hope to sell their wares to the five to six thousand daily tourists who visit Petra, and we found ourselves constantly approached by men offering transportation by horse, donkey or camel, as well as shop owners looking to move their questionably authentic ancient coins, daggers and other Petra souvenirs. Many sought humor to gain our interest, such as the air-conditioned-taxi-boasting donkey owner, a number of rhymers, and this self-deprecating shop front.

 

Welcome to the Why Not? Shop

 

Cave life in Petra must have been pretty sweet.

 

4000 seat amphitheater, and the first and only time I've ever seen a camel smile.

 

 Having passed on the equine transport, we were thoroughly exhausted from trekking through the heat by the time we  headed back to the inn. I caught the sunset as Krista and Justin napped. We ravenously attacked the Valentine buffet dinner, and met some of our fellow travelers while playing cards and enjoying more Jordanian argeelah. Unfortunately, by this point my camera was no more than a beeping paperweight.

Looking to explore Wadi Musa's night offerings, we decided to venture out to the Cave Bar, an upscale restaurant and bar housed in a Nabataean tomb near the Petra entrance. Suffice it to say, we got more than we bargained for that night. Notable events included the founding of the micro-jam/a cappella Cave Band, a personal tour of a different, uncommercialized cave bar by a local Wadi Musan, and a swift ride home from a friendly Jordanian stranger after an unfortunately intimate encounter with the rocky landscape.

Sunday - Dead Sea

With a slow start, we made a couple stops around Wadi Musa before catching a taxi to our next destination: Wadi Mujib, a river gorge that runs into the Dead Sea. Our driver was happy to pump the speakers with local music, and taught us how to dance like a Jordanian (while also showing considerable skill at no-hands driving). Along the way we grabbed a few delicious falafel pita sandwiches, at one dinar per person with leftovers to spare. Food in Jordan is incredibly cheap, unlike Israel, which is comparable to the US if not more expensive in some respects.

The gorge and surrounding area was owned by Wild Jordan, the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature. Through their organization we had reserved a hut, called a chalet, which sat right on the shore of the sea. The hut was minimally equipped, but it had all the luxurious necessities we could have hoped for. Well air-conditioned, full glass wall facing the Dead Sea, two hammocks on the porch and steps away from the salty shore. The Dead Sea is the lowest body of water on Earth, at about 400 meters below sea level. This makes it possible for the water to maintain a salt concentration of 33.7%, which is almost 9 times higher than the ocean. With a density of 1.24 kg/L (when freshwater is 1 kg/L), you find that when submerged you float like a log [thanks to Wikipedia for the deets].

We went for a swim, and practiced our floating technique, working on the bookreader, the superman pose and standing vertical among others. The problem is, the high salt and nutrient content is painful in contact with any scratches, and it's crucial to avoid getting any in your eyes or mouth. After 15 minutes of  joyful floating, we rinsed the greasiness off and headed to our chalet to relax and sleep.

Monday - Wadi Mujib + Amman

In the morning, we were delivered breakfast in bed. Venturing outside, we discovered another result of the Dead Sea's low altitude: the heat. The night before it had been windy and pretty cool, but now that the sun had retaken its high perch, we found ourselves engulfed in hot desert air. Justin and I made the short walk across the street to the exit of the Wadi Mujib gorge, where we embarked on a two-hour self-guided hike up the river. Climbing up rapids and waterfalls with questionable ropes and handles, some of which were clearly missing, made for an exciting experience. Just like the Siq entering Petra, the river cut between rock that stood hundreds of meters tall and very narrow at points. The hike ended at an insurmountable 30 meter waterfall, where we turned back and descended to the shores of the Dead Sea.

Our next taxi driver was waiting for us and we quickly packed up and began the drive to Amman, the biggest city and capital of Jordan. Along the way we stopped at Mount Nebo, where Moses was thought to have spent the end of his life. There were expansive mosaics from an ancient church that they were in the process of restoring. We also drove through Madaba, where we looked inside the Church of the Virgin Mary, also containing beautiful mosaics. For dinner we stopped at a Popeye's in Madaba. Although it was doubtful if it had any affiliation with the Louisiana fast food chain, they fried up a tasty fish sandwich and burger that we shared.

Amman is a big city with a population of almost 3 million that sees many international travelers. The streets are narrow and constantly in traffic. There is very little nightlife in Jordan from our experience, partly due to alcohol being haram (forbidden) by Islamic law and its high tax. A half pint of beer cost 4 dinar or about $5.50 in many places we had stopped. With the international and tourist community in Amman, there were some more Western nightlife options around, although we did not end up seeking out the city's nightclubs. We did however go to a popular coffeeshop area on Rainbow Street, where we went to the FRIENDS coffeehouse. We shared a tasty pizza and they prepared the most amazing argeelah I have ever seen. Using an actual carved out orange for the bowl, we smoked the shop's signature flavor of shisha directly through a fresh fruit. They used other fruits as well, the most impressive being the massive watermelon atop a hookah sitting outside the coffeeshop.

We returned to our night accomodations near the city center, called the Sunrise Hotel. We took the room off the roof, where we were able to step out and view the bus station in front of the hotel and see the hills of the city stretch away. From the roof, we could hear the Islamic call to prayer amplified from mosque minarets from all around us, blending into a strange and beautiful soundscape that punctured the city's bustling many times during the day and night.




Tuesday - Amman and Homeward Bound

On Tuesday morning, we decided to walk to the city center and explore the souq before driving north to the Sheik Hussein border crossing. The souq or "market" is home to many shops and street vendors selling clothes, souvenirs, produce, perfume, spices, live and freshly-butchered animals, and of course falafel and shawarma. On the way, we stopped in a huge pastry restaurant, and were served a delectable finger-sized honey-vermicelli dessert for 1 dinar by bowtie-sporting waiters. It was delicious. For lunch we went to Hashem Restaurant, where we got amazing falafel and hummus, with bottled waters and fries and pita, all for a few dinar.

There are three border crossings between Jordan and Israel. The most convenient one, just east of Jerusalem in the West Bank, happens to also be the most delayed and problematic. Because of its heavier security and numerous anecdotes of endless waiting, we decided the extra two hour drive north to the Sheik Hussein border by Lake Tiberias would likely be worth it. Our predictions panned out well, and we made it across the border very quickly. Our taxi driver expedited the passport check and exit tax, dropping us in front of the bus that would take us across the 2 km of no man's land back to Israel.

On the other side, we were stuck with a monopolizing taxi driver overcharging our trip to the nearest bus station. After each enjoying an ice cream that cost as much as our entire lunch that day, we parted ways and headed back to our respective apartments.

Jordan in hindsight

After visiting Jordan, I gained a great respect for the country and its people. We were warmly welcomed everywhere we went, and had no trouble getting honest advice and conscientious help. When I approached a stranger in his car, off the road in the desert in the middle of the night, he was happy to offer us a free ride to our hotel. Our hotels and hostels were happy to help organize transportation along our trip. Jordan's economy is heavily dependent on tourism. Many understand and speak some amount of English. It was impressive how well networked the tourist industry is. Drivers and hotel owners and shop owners all seemed to know each other.

There is clearly a two tier taxi price system, split between those who can and cannot speak Arabic. We got stuck with the tourist prices, which were virtually unnegotiatable. It seemed like all the drivers conspired to set certain prices for foreigners, so that nobody would get undercut. However, our drivers for the most part were engaging and interesting. They provided a welcome narrative to our travels, and even were able to get us discounts at some of the places we stayed.

While a number of Israelis cautioned against traveling to Jordan, citing the regional conflict and distrust between the two countries (I was told to be careful because I looked Jewish), I felt perfectly safe and welcome everywhere we went. The political situation in Jordan seemed very stable and the people we met seemed happy with their country. There apparently was a protest in Amman on our first day in Jordan, but only a few hundred people showed up and fortunately there was no violence.

Our five days in Jordan were exciting, relaxing and memorable. I am glad we had the opportunity to travel there. If you ever have the opportunity, I would highly suggest visiting this beautiful and historically rich region.