It was nothing that we expected and was one of those adventures where everyday you can't believe where you are and then the next day even tops it. We had decided not to go to Petra as it is expensive to get in ($70 US each) and we also wanted to be able to spend a couple of days there and this was going to be a short, cheap trip. So Petra, Wadi Rum and Aqaba together will be another visit as they are all very far south and then there is another trip we have in mind to some of the other ruins & castles in the far northeast like Qusayr 'Amra. Can you tell we can't wait to go back?
Jordan is quite a mountainous country with landscapes that range from pine forests in the north to rolling desert in the south. We had rented a car along with an extremely useful GPS, so we hit the road and really went all over the place using a small town called Madaba as our base. The people are incredibly friendly and it's very green and Mediterranean looking and reminded Matthew very much of Greece. Given it's location, almost every civilization in the world has occupied or tromped through at one point or another so it's stuffed to the brim with history. There was so much we saw and did, walking our feet off in the process, so I'm going to try to do a recap as opposed to blow by blow details. Here are some favourites -
- Going to the Al Pasha hammam in Amman - you are given fresh, ice cold pomegranate juice as you head into the steam room and are then scrubbed, washed and massaged from head to toe within an inch of your life for the next 90 minutes all at a cost of about $28. You leave feeling like you are made of marshmallow and cleaner than you have ever thought you could be.
- Driving south and talking about directions, I say 'well, of course we are driving towards Egypt' and then we both stop and realize what was just said and where we were. A little surreal.
- The Citadel in Amman - this was the main hilltop fortress for the city and is so old and has been occupied so consistently that it contains the ruins of all of the following; a Temple of Hercules, a Mosque, a Sassanian Palace and a Byzantine Church. Bonus points for spotting in the museum there a plastered skull that was found at Jericho that Matthew studied way back in college in Montana.
- The Roman Amphitheatre in Amman - one of the steepest ones we have both ever seen and then in a case at little exhibit there about ancient jewelry seeing the exact same faceted, carnelian beads as I was wearing that had been found near there (mine are the same age - Sassanian and came from an auction in the US years ago)
- Going for dinner above this English bookstore I had heard of and finding the most lovely view over the nighttime Amman and then being able to have a beer and shisha with dinner.
- Standing on Mt.Nebo, looking out at Jerusalem in the spot where Moses supposedly stood and looked over the Holy Land before he died.
Heading through the mountains and down a crazy, winding path to find the Ma'in Hot Springs which is a natural mineral waterfall that falls into the remains of a Roman bath where you can still bathe. Incredibly hot and standing under the waterfall is almost too much to take but is the best neck and shoulder massage ever. Half an hour in here and you are wiped.
Driving down past the sparkling Dead Sea to the River Jordan to the site where they think John the Baptist baptized JC. We weren't going to do this as we as heard you had to get on a tour bus and go with a group which isn't our scene, but we found ourselves with some time so we went. Well, you are in a group on a bus for your safety as you end up down at the river, with a guard with a Kalashnikov behind you and 10ft in front of you across the river is the west bank of Israel.
- Coming back to our hotel in Madaba one night to see three Father Christmas' in very creepy maks gathered around the Christmas tree in the square (which for some reason is decorated with Santa hats) all playing carols and ringing bells.
- Wandering the vast Roman ruins of Jerash where you can walk anywhere you want, or should I say clamber/climb as there are many, many very steep steps and everything is on a massive scale. It goes all the way to the horizon line on the left in the picture and we walked it all.
- Standing on the top of the Ayyubid castle at Ajlun watching the sun set over the valley (excuse the not so great picture of us - we were knackered!)
- Almost being blown off the side of the mountain at the extremely windy ruins of the Crusader castle at Karak. Apparently its always that windy here so what they needed a moat for when they were already atop a mountain with the wind whipping around I'll never know! Another place you could go wherever you want, and we ended up deep in the belly of castle with just the odd hole above for light wishing we had a torch with us.
- Waking up Christmas morning in Madaba, hearing the rain pouring outside and then the first call to prayer joining in with the rain. Merry Christmas to us - who knew that a rainstorm could be the best present of all!
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