Monday……Aljun, Jerash, Petra at night
WHAT a clear, crisp, beautiful morning with the bluest skies possible!!! We were up and had a decent breakfast…..not outstanding, especially the blah croissants…..and then waited to meet our new guide here in the Crowne Center Plaza Hotel. This is always a ……”could he be our guide?”…..”could she be our guide?”…..as we watch the various people with guide license badges around their neck…walk into the beautiful hotel lobby.
Our hotel is nice….not elegant…but nice and adequate. The security…..well, vehicles cannot drive up to the grand entrance as there are concrete barriers across the drive….as a vehicle approaches the hotel they are stopped and the trunk is checked, a dog sometimes is led around sniffing all sides of the car, and then everything….EVERYTHING….must be X-rayed by the machine and each person entering is given the Royal Jordanian pat-down!!! What do we think? Well……..this is just part of the new world of travel into possible security threat countries……and we both think it is just super!!! It just goes to show how much this country cares about it’s visitors…..and how important tourism is to Jordan. Tourism in Jordan, as in Egypt, is the #1 contributor to the national economy!! And……after today, we can well understand how MUCH there is to see in this very American-friendly country!!!!!!
Our guide walked into the lobby….all smiles….and dressed very, very nicely!! He introduced himself as “Nabil”…..and we soon were in his very new car and out into the Amman traffic for a Monday morning at 8AM. And….HIS CAR???? It is a new SAMSUNG sedan!!!! Did you know they made cars???? I sure as hell didn’t!!!! A great looking car…..and it rides really smoothly. America………watch out because this is a great car.
We headed north by northwest…..to the ancient mountaintop of the village of Aljun…..where on top of the mountain is the citadel that Saladin had constructed during the days of the Crusaders. This place allowed him to see 360 degrees around the area to make certain when, or if, the attackers were coming. What an interesting place!!!! And, what gorgeous views from here. After a 30 minute walk-around inside, we soon rejoined Nabil and were off down the mountain and a 45 minute drive to Jerash….or as was spelled hundreds of years ago…..Gerasha.
Oh…….I didn’t mention that we could see across the Jordan Valley to the mountains and hills of Israel……about 12 miles west of where we were. AND…..to the north less than 10 miles, we could see Syria…….we were up in the northwest triangle of Jordan-Israel-Syria.
At Jerash……we immediately realized we had gone back further in time from Aljun and the Crusades……..back to the Roman times right after Alexander the Great conquered this area. What was I reminded of???? Pompeii…in Italy. Many, many of these ruins have been, or are still, completely covered with layers of civilization and debris. They are now, and have been, digging them out…..and WOW!!!! What gorgeous walls, arches, columns, etc., etc. have been uncovered and are really beautiful!!!!
We met our guide of the two hour tour of the grounds…….and OMG, what an absolutely fantastic lady!!!!! A Jordanian by birth, a Muslim with her headscarf, but yet with slacks and coat like any other western country woman……….and, she has lived in Canada and her daughter and family also now live there. Soooo, her English was just as good as ours…..and well……..she had such a personality that it puts all guides I have ever had to shame!!!!!!! TREMENDOUS!!!!!! And, we hit it off from the very beginning!!!!
And then the tour began……..and it ended waaaaaayyyyyyy tooooo soon!!!!! We both wanted it to continue for much longer, but……alas……it was time to go on with the day.
I will show a few pictures from the various spots we stopped and looked at……….After over two hours there……it was time to head south, as it was early afternoon by this time.
Driving south out of Amman, after coming back here from the north at Jerash, we took the Desert Highway…..and it sure as hell WAS the desert highway!!!!!! That is all we saw for the next 3.5 hours….with the exception of the small shacks along the side of the road……a four lane highway and it fairly good shape…….at least as good as I-70 across Missouri……hahaha!!!
The sun began to go down…..and then it just dropped very quickly behind the rocky/sandy hills to the west. About that time we took off on another highway towards Wadi Mousa….and PETRA!!!! Arriving there, we wound our way down the mountains which had sprung up in front of us……into this small village of Wadi Mousa where the indescribable entrance to Petra is located. The village itself is geared toward tourism….and there are many hotels of all kinds.
We went into the entrance of the Crowne Plaza Resort……an really cool place with lovely landscaping, terraces with coffee shops, bars, pools, etc., etc. Quickly checking in, we did a quick bit of laundry and then headed up the street to check out eating establishments. I STILL have been having intestinal grumblings and…….other verbs I won’t type…..and so I had purchased a few Algerian cookies and some crackers in sealed packages. We headed into a place recommended by Lonely Planet for Jordan…….a Pizza place and not a chain. The 1st Lady a what we would call a personal pan pizza and it was pretty good…..I did have a rather small bite……..for a cheese pizza. I drank an Orange canned drink….and then we headed for the Visitor Center for Petra.
There, we found that THIS was night of the walk to the Treasury…..1.3 miles through the Siq…..by CANDLELIGHT!!!! So, back up to the hotel, just above this entranceway, and we changed into some clothes for cold weather as the winds were picking up and with the sun gone, the temps drop VERY quickly into what must have been the upper 40’s/lower 50’s. Back down the walkway/steps to the visitor center where this lady from Belgium GAVE us a ticket for the entrance….and then we purchased the other one for $30.00.
In talking with the lady from Belgium, she is actually from England, and is teaching outside of Brussels. The lady whose ticket we got had become ill…….intestinal….hmmmm…….and couldn’t go on the night walk. We enjoyed visiting with her and then ALL of us….a couple of hundred people from all parts of the world with all kinds of various languages being spoken……….we began our walk. We were told to go single file……no one did…..but, above all else NOT to talk during the entire evening.
Going through the X-ray machine for the security, and with armed guards noticeable along the way…..we began to see the candles in the brown paper bags on the sides of the gravel walkway. OMG……….as we entered the Siq…..did it ever become an aesthetic experience, especially with the almost full moon shining down upon us through the narrow openings in the Siq. The Siq????? It is a narrow walkway for almost a mile that meanders through the sandstone walls of this NARROW canyon, with walls 300+ feet high on each side of us. Obviously, we couldn’t tell that in the darkness, but what an eery feeling it was……and very lovely!!!!
After about 40 minutes of walking, the bright and beautiful moon peaking down on us from time to time through the narrow openings in the canyon walls, we rounded a narrow bend and there in front of us was the shadowy vision of the HUGE Treasury building on the other side of this sea of hundreds of lit candles on the ground of sand!!!! Breathtaking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We were instructed to sit on the carpets of the Bedouins and again….no talking. Soon after everyone was seated on their carpets on the sand…….a Bedouin in his long robes, scarved head (difficult to see him)……began to play a stringed instrument of their tribes and to sing. He sang in their language, played the nasal string instrument, and continued for about 15 minutes. During that time, other Bedouins walked by with trays and leaned down so we could each receive a cup of tea!!!!! Then……THEN….this remarkably outstanding “flute” player came out into the sea of lit candles and began to play!! WOW!!!!!!! WHAT a sound in this darkened area with 300 foot walls around, the lit candles, the visual hint of the 200 foot tall Treasury Building/Temple in the background…..sipping tea on the Bedouin carpets!!! HOW could it get any better??????? Just tell me, please!!!
Next…..another Bedouin….came into the sea of candles…and began to talk about the Bedouin customs, etc., etc. And then……before we were really ready….it was time to begin the 1.3 mile walk back through the Siq. HOW can I transport to all of you the incredible feeling…..the meaning…..the emotion of this 2 hour evening????? I can’t…..and that is really toooooo bad for all of you. THIS is the place you HAVE to be to understand how it gets to you……and us!!!!!
And now……..a return to our room…..and the letdown that occurred after this beautiful evening. But……tomorrow is heading our way…..quickly…..and we are really very, very tired after this long day of visiting the historical sights of northern Jordan, and the emotions of the evening in Petra by candlelight.
LIFE IS JUST INCREDIBLY GREAT!!!!!!!!! ……….And, I sure hope it is for all of you, also!!!!
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