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| This tomb sits outside the Siq. |
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| The start of the Siq, which gets as narrow as 3 m and as high as 180 m along its 2 km length. |
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| The Siq opens up to the impressive Al Khazneh, "The Treasury". |
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| 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.
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| Welcome to the Why Not? Shop |
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| Cave life in Petra must have been pretty sweet. |
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| 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.
