The following day we set off to catch a bus to Haifa. We had a little hold up when a security officer found a knife in TJ’s backpack. TJ always carries a pocket knife at home and didn’t think anything of it on our trip. Little did he know that carrying a knife into a bus station warrants a trip to the Police Department in Israel. Thankfully the officer believed TJ when he said he didn’t know knives were forbidden in bus stations and was satisfied when TJ said he didn’t want the knife anymore. Geez, doesn’t it seem like one thing after another on this trip?
We spent New Year’s in Haifa at an Irish Pub called Bear. We had Guinness and the best dinner we’d had in a while - Caesar salad, crab bisque and prawns. It was a nice way to bring in the New Year!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Jerusalem (continued again)
Sadly, TJ was still in bad condition on our next day in Jerusalem so he rested while I explored. I started my day with a city tour on a double-decker bus. I know, it sounds kind of cheesy, but it was an easy option that I was primarily interested in so I could get a better orientation of city and see some of the highlights on the outskirts of town. The tour was fine, although it was cut a bit short as the bus had to re-route and skip some attractions due to security concerns.
I made my way back to our room to check on TJ. He still felt terrible so he stayed put while I headed back out. I spent the afternoon and evening checking out the New City. The New City doesn’t have “attractions” so to speak but it is a nice area to wander around. It is an area where couples stroll, families dine and all sorts of people congregate at all hours of the day and night as is full of restaurants, bars and shops.
The following day TJ felt a little bit better! The two of us headed back to the Old City to catch a bus to the Israel Museum. It turned out the museum didn’t open until 4pm that day. We have learned that tourist sites in Israel seem to hold rather unusual and frustrating schedules! We revised our itinerary for the day and made the Tower of David Museum our first stop. The museum summed up the history of Jerusalem and offered lovely views over the Old City.
Since the Temple Mount, where the Dome of the Rock is located, was open from 12:30pm – 1:30pm this day we decided to try (my 3rd or 4th attempt) to see it. Instead of making our way across the crowded and hard to navigate city, we opted to take the Ramparts Walk, which is a path along the top of the city wall. Unfortunately, TJ was still too sick for this sort of strenuous activity so he headed back to our room to take it easy. I was on a mission to see the Dome of the Rock so I kept trekkin’. Little did I know I’d come across boys who threw stones at me! The boys they didn’t actually throw stones – they threw what looked liked Red Bull cans that I think they’d filled with pebbles. I felt like George Bush having to dodge objects being launched at me. No, I didn’t get hit but yes, it was kind of scary!
I finally made it to the Temple Mount and actually got in this time! The Temple Mount has monumental significance to Christians, Jews and Muslims. It is said that the foundation stone of the world has been identified in the Temple Mount. Furthermore, it is believed that God gathered the earth that was used to form Adam in the Temple Mount. This is also where the prophet Mohammed is believed by Muslims to have ascended to heaven where he joined Allah resulting in the Temple Mount being Islam’s third holiest place, after Mecca and Medina. 5000 people can be found praying at a time inside of Al-Aqsa Mosque inside of the Temple Mount.
The highlight for me was seeing the Dome of the Rock. I was really excited to see the Dome and it was a very impressive site. The Dome was built between AD 688 and 691 and continues to sparkle today. I was however a little disappointed to learn that the solid gold covering the dome was melted down long ago to pay off debts and has been replaced anodized aluminum.
After visiting the temple I went back to check on TJ. A little bit of rest did him a lot of good and he was ready to check out the Israel Museum. We took a bus to the museum to learn that main exhibit hall was closed and we’d only be able to see a couple of exhibits! Geez! What do you have to do to see the attractions?
I made my way back to our room to check on TJ. He still felt terrible so he stayed put while I headed back out. I spent the afternoon and evening checking out the New City. The New City doesn’t have “attractions” so to speak but it is a nice area to wander around. It is an area where couples stroll, families dine and all sorts of people congregate at all hours of the day and night as is full of restaurants, bars and shops.
The following day TJ felt a little bit better! The two of us headed back to the Old City to catch a bus to the Israel Museum. It turned out the museum didn’t open until 4pm that day. We have learned that tourist sites in Israel seem to hold rather unusual and frustrating schedules! We revised our itinerary for the day and made the Tower of David Museum our first stop. The museum summed up the history of Jerusalem and offered lovely views over the Old City.
Since the Temple Mount, where the Dome of the Rock is located, was open from 12:30pm – 1:30pm this day we decided to try (my 3rd or 4th attempt) to see it. Instead of making our way across the crowded and hard to navigate city, we opted to take the Ramparts Walk, which is a path along the top of the city wall. Unfortunately, TJ was still too sick for this sort of strenuous activity so he headed back to our room to take it easy. I was on a mission to see the Dome of the Rock so I kept trekkin’. Little did I know I’d come across boys who threw stones at me! The boys they didn’t actually throw stones – they threw what looked liked Red Bull cans that I think they’d filled with pebbles. I felt like George Bush having to dodge objects being launched at me. No, I didn’t get hit but yes, it was kind of scary!
I finally made it to the Temple Mount and actually got in this time! The Temple Mount has monumental significance to Christians, Jews and Muslims. It is said that the foundation stone of the world has been identified in the Temple Mount. Furthermore, it is believed that God gathered the earth that was used to form Adam in the Temple Mount. This is also where the prophet Mohammed is believed by Muslims to have ascended to heaven where he joined Allah resulting in the Temple Mount being Islam’s third holiest place, after Mecca and Medina. 5000 people can be found praying at a time inside of Al-Aqsa Mosque inside of the Temple Mount.
The highlight for me was seeing the Dome of the Rock. I was really excited to see the Dome and it was a very impressive site. The Dome was built between AD 688 and 691 and continues to sparkle today. I was however a little disappointed to learn that the solid gold covering the dome was melted down long ago to pay off debts and has been replaced anodized aluminum.
After visiting the temple I went back to check on TJ. A little bit of rest did him a lot of good and he was ready to check out the Israel Museum. We took a bus to the museum to learn that main exhibit hall was closed and we’d only be able to see a couple of exhibits! Geez! What do you have to do to see the attractions?
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Jerusalem (continued)
Today TJ is even worse and if he isn’t any better tomorrow we might be making a trip to the doctor. While TJ spent the day resting and trying to recover, I went site seeing.
I was very discouraged this morning as I walked a long way without getting anywhere. This city is seriously very difficult to navigate! I wandered around for several hours then went back to check on TJ to see if he was feeling any better. He wasn’t so I headed out again, this time determined to see something! I actually had a very productive afternoon. I entered the Old City and actually found my way to the Temple Mount, only to learn that it was closed again and no one was sure when it would open again. I then walked the Via Doloroso – the route that Jesus is believed to have taken as he carried his cross to the Calvary. After that I hiked up the Mount of Olives, which according to the Book of Zechariah, is where God will start to redeem the dead when the Messiah returns on the Day of Judgement. 150,000 people are hoping to be good candidates for redemption by being buried on this mountain! While the climb was a bit ambitious for my knee and was more cardio than I was interested in, it did provide nice views of the Old City, the Church of All Nations and the Russian Orthodox Church with the shiny golden domes.
From the Mount of Olives I made my way to the City of David. This city is the oldest part of Jerusalem and was the Canaanite settlement captured by King David 3000 years ago. Checking out the City of David was probably worth an hour or so on the stair master so by this point my angry knee was throbbing. I wanted to see and appreciate the Via Doloroso again so I re-visited this famous path on my way back to the New City.
Today was a very strange day to be in the Old City. Due to the recent events in Gaza between Israeli troops and the Palestinians, the Old City was shut down but hundreds of soldiers and police officers were stationed inside and on the perimeter of the city. All of the restaurants and shops were closed, which created an eerie, unnatural calm in the Old City. Only tourists and residents were permitted to wander around and while it kind of nice to avoid the masses, it was a bit creepy to walk through a vacated city. I think (and it is very likely that I am wrong) that the government required the businesses to close because the soldiers could keep an eye on the trickle of tourists, but it would be impossible for them to monitor the activities of the swarms of locals who flood the Old City on a daily basis. I asked one soldier why they stationed so many troops around the Old City and his response was, “If someone wants to make a point, they will make it in Jerusalem.”
I made my way back to my room to check on TJ. His condition hadn’t improved at all and may have even deteriorated. Hopefully he is better tomorrow or else I may try to get him to a doctor. I left again to pick up laundry, buy TJ some fruit and find dinner for me. I was still a bit sketched out from the Old City and found it perplexing that there was some sort of a bar mitzvah celebration taking place in the square outside of our hotel. While the Old City was vacant with an influx of soldiers, people were singing and dancing in the streets in the New City. I began to wonder if I was the only one watching the news? It is hard for me to understand how people can be singing and dancing when missiles are being launched in their small country. Gaza is located 48 miles from Jerusalem. Unfortunately the recent events are not anything new or surprising to Israeli’s. The people here are so familiar with political turmoil and war that, according to my Israeli friend they have adopted the motto, “Life goes on.”
I was very discouraged this morning as I walked a long way without getting anywhere. This city is seriously very difficult to navigate! I wandered around for several hours then went back to check on TJ to see if he was feeling any better. He wasn’t so I headed out again, this time determined to see something! I actually had a very productive afternoon. I entered the Old City and actually found my way to the Temple Mount, only to learn that it was closed again and no one was sure when it would open again. I then walked the Via Doloroso – the route that Jesus is believed to have taken as he carried his cross to the Calvary. After that I hiked up the Mount of Olives, which according to the Book of Zechariah, is where God will start to redeem the dead when the Messiah returns on the Day of Judgement. 150,000 people are hoping to be good candidates for redemption by being buried on this mountain! While the climb was a bit ambitious for my knee and was more cardio than I was interested in, it did provide nice views of the Old City, the Church of All Nations and the Russian Orthodox Church with the shiny golden domes.
From the Mount of Olives I made my way to the City of David. This city is the oldest part of Jerusalem and was the Canaanite settlement captured by King David 3000 years ago. Checking out the City of David was probably worth an hour or so on the stair master so by this point my angry knee was throbbing. I wanted to see and appreciate the Via Doloroso again so I re-visited this famous path on my way back to the New City.
Today was a very strange day to be in the Old City. Due to the recent events in Gaza between Israeli troops and the Palestinians, the Old City was shut down but hundreds of soldiers and police officers were stationed inside and on the perimeter of the city. All of the restaurants and shops were closed, which created an eerie, unnatural calm in the Old City. Only tourists and residents were permitted to wander around and while it kind of nice to avoid the masses, it was a bit creepy to walk through a vacated city. I think (and it is very likely that I am wrong) that the government required the businesses to close because the soldiers could keep an eye on the trickle of tourists, but it would be impossible for them to monitor the activities of the swarms of locals who flood the Old City on a daily basis. I asked one soldier why they stationed so many troops around the Old City and his response was, “If someone wants to make a point, they will make it in Jerusalem.”
I made my way back to my room to check on TJ. His condition hadn’t improved at all and may have even deteriorated. Hopefully he is better tomorrow or else I may try to get him to a doctor. I left again to pick up laundry, buy TJ some fruit and find dinner for me. I was still a bit sketched out from the Old City and found it perplexing that there was some sort of a bar mitzvah celebration taking place in the square outside of our hotel. While the Old City was vacant with an influx of soldiers, people were singing and dancing in the streets in the New City. I began to wonder if I was the only one watching the news? It is hard for me to understand how people can be singing and dancing when missiles are being launched in their small country. Gaza is located 48 miles from Jerusalem. Unfortunately the recent events are not anything new or surprising to Israeli’s. The people here are so familiar with political turmoil and war that, according to my Israeli friend they have adopted the motto, “Life goes on.”
Jerusalem, Israel
We arrived in Jerusalem on Friday evening, which was the beginning of Shabat (Sabbath). Shabat starts at dusk on Friday evening and ends at dusk on Saturday evening. The origin of Shabat is the book of Genesis, which said that God created the world in six days and on the seventh he rested. The fourth of the ten commandments says, "Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy. On it you shall do no work" As a result, Jewish people worship, study and spend time with their families during Shabat. They do not work, go to school, study, do chores, cook, shop or do anything that would interfere with their obligation to obey the fourth commandment.
There is a long list of things that it is forbidden for Jews to do during the Sabbath. Jewish people who keep the Sabbath faithfully will not go to work or to school, do any housework or homework, use public transport, cook any food (all food for the Sabbath will be prepared before sunset on Friday) and will not go shopping. The Sabbath will be seen as a time to worship, study and enjoy time with family. I wish I’d known more about Shabat before we arrived in Jerusalem during this period!
We didn’t know that we’d arrive in Jerusalem at a time where public transportation wasn’t running and shops and restaurants were all closed. Thankfully we’d called our hostel in advance and gotten the access code as the reception desk was closed for the next 24 hours. We didn’t realize that we’d have to wander the streets searching for water and something to eat. After roaming the streets for awhile we came across a little market where we bought water, bread, turkey, cheese and yogurt for dinner then called it an early night.
The next day we headed for the Old City, which is jam packed full of historical sites, shops, cafes, residences and more. The Old City is a fascinating place. I’d expect even the best navigators would find themselves turned around in the convoluted maze of streets and alleys. We’d think we’re on the right track to a destination and then would wind up exactly where we started. I didn’t mind being lost though. Every turn had something interesting and unique to offer.
We entered the city at the New Gate and wound our way through the Christian Quarter to the Citadel (Tower of David). The Citadel was Herod the Great’s palace in the 1st-century and then changed hands several times in with future occupants including Muslim Armies and the Crusaders. Unfortunately, my tumble down the Citadel stairs in Aleppo is still fresh in my mind, so we admired the Citadel from a safe distance then sought out the Temple Mount, which is home to the Dome of the Rock.
The Temple Mount has too much history for me to even begin to explain, so I recommend you Google it. While we were en-route to the Temple Mount, we inadvertently wandered across the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This Church is claimed to be the holiest Christian site in the Old City as it is believed to be the place where Jesus was nailed to the cross, died and rose from the dead. This Church had an unexpected captivating and enchanting effect on me. The Church itself was rather simple on the exterior and stunning on the interior. The intricate mosaics that adorned the walls were especially impressive. The Church was filled with extremely passionate people who shed tears, said prayers and stood in awe as they considered what happened to Jesus at that very site.
We exited the Church and set off again to find the Temple Mount. This time we stumbled across the Western Wall en-route. The Wall was built 2000 years or so ago as a retaining wall to support the Temple Mount, but over time it has become a religious shrine for Jewish people. Today the courtyard attached to the wall serves as an open-air synagogue with segregated areas for men and women. Again, it is a long story so you can Google it.
After seeing the Western Wall we finally found our way to the Temple Mount. We got very close until we were turned away by soldiers as the site was closed for Shabat.
TJ was feeling really crappy again so we found our way out of the Old City and headed to the New City where we are staying. Everything was still closed at this point. It is very strange to be in a city that feels like a ghost town because everything is closed.
There is a long list of things that it is forbidden for Jews to do during the Sabbath. Jewish people who keep the Sabbath faithfully will not go to work or to school, do any housework or homework, use public transport, cook any food (all food for the Sabbath will be prepared before sunset on Friday) and will not go shopping. The Sabbath will be seen as a time to worship, study and enjoy time with family. I wish I’d known more about Shabat before we arrived in Jerusalem during this period!
We didn’t know that we’d arrive in Jerusalem at a time where public transportation wasn’t running and shops and restaurants were all closed. Thankfully we’d called our hostel in advance and gotten the access code as the reception desk was closed for the next 24 hours. We didn’t realize that we’d have to wander the streets searching for water and something to eat. After roaming the streets for awhile we came across a little market where we bought water, bread, turkey, cheese and yogurt for dinner then called it an early night.
The next day we headed for the Old City, which is jam packed full of historical sites, shops, cafes, residences and more. The Old City is a fascinating place. I’d expect even the best navigators would find themselves turned around in the convoluted maze of streets and alleys. We’d think we’re on the right track to a destination and then would wind up exactly where we started. I didn’t mind being lost though. Every turn had something interesting and unique to offer.
We entered the city at the New Gate and wound our way through the Christian Quarter to the Citadel (Tower of David). The Citadel was Herod the Great’s palace in the 1st-century and then changed hands several times in with future occupants including Muslim Armies and the Crusaders. Unfortunately, my tumble down the Citadel stairs in Aleppo is still fresh in my mind, so we admired the Citadel from a safe distance then sought out the Temple Mount, which is home to the Dome of the Rock.
The Temple Mount has too much history for me to even begin to explain, so I recommend you Google it. While we were en-route to the Temple Mount, we inadvertently wandered across the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. This Church is claimed to be the holiest Christian site in the Old City as it is believed to be the place where Jesus was nailed to the cross, died and rose from the dead. This Church had an unexpected captivating and enchanting effect on me. The Church itself was rather simple on the exterior and stunning on the interior. The intricate mosaics that adorned the walls were especially impressive. The Church was filled with extremely passionate people who shed tears, said prayers and stood in awe as they considered what happened to Jesus at that very site.
We exited the Church and set off again to find the Temple Mount. This time we stumbled across the Western Wall en-route. The Wall was built 2000 years or so ago as a retaining wall to support the Temple Mount, but over time it has become a religious shrine for Jewish people. Today the courtyard attached to the wall serves as an open-air synagogue with segregated areas for men and women. Again, it is a long story so you can Google it.
After seeing the Western Wall we finally found our way to the Temple Mount. We got very close until we were turned away by soldiers as the site was closed for Shabat.
TJ was feeling really crappy again so we found our way out of the Old City and headed to the New City where we are staying. Everything was still closed at this point. It is very strange to be in a city that feels like a ghost town because everything is closed.
Aqaba - Eilat
The following morning we set off to cross the border into Israel. We heard it took about an hour to take a taxi to the border, walk across, go through the checkpoints, then take another taxi to the bus station in Eilat. There was a 10am bus in Eilat we wanted to catch so we set off for the border around 8:30. We were lucky that there weren’t any lines! We exited Jordan quickly and thought we’d get into Israel in a timely fashion as well. We were wrong.
It took a little while for the Israeli guards to take out and inspect each individual item in our backpacks. We thought that would be the most time consuming process until we got to passport control, where our passports were taken from us.TJ and I were interviewed separately and then we were put in a holding room. We watched other Americans breeze through the checkpoint but we were told to sit and wait for up to 3 hours while we were investigated and then someone would let us know if we could enter Israel. I couldn’t imagine that they would reject us and send us back to Jordan, but I guess it was possible. When we asked why we were being detained we were told it was random. We are inclined to believe it is because we’d been in Lebanon and Syria – two countries that are hated by Israel.
We played Nintendo and caught up on magazines before our passports were returned and we received permission to enter. We cruised Eilat then boarded a bus to Jerusalem.
It took a little while for the Israeli guards to take out and inspect each individual item in our backpacks. We thought that would be the most time consuming process until we got to passport control, where our passports were taken from us.TJ and I were interviewed separately and then we were put in a holding room. We watched other Americans breeze through the checkpoint but we were told to sit and wait for up to 3 hours while we were investigated and then someone would let us know if we could enter Israel. I couldn’t imagine that they would reject us and send us back to Jordan, but I guess it was possible. When we asked why we were being detained we were told it was random. We are inclined to believe it is because we’d been in Lebanon and Syria – two countries that are hated by Israel.
We played Nintendo and caught up on magazines before our passports were returned and we received permission to enter. We cruised Eilat then boarded a bus to Jerusalem.
Wadi Rum, Jordan
We left Petra early in the morning and headed to Wadi Rum. I still have not quite formulated an opinion of my stay in Wadi Rum. Wadi Rum offers “extraordinary desert scenery” and was made famous by Lawrence of Arabia. Visiting Wadi Rum provides an opportunity to experience a protected desert area and learn about the Bedouin people and culture. Bedouins are predominately Muslim, desert-dwelling, Arab nomads. What isn’t advertised is that there aren’t very many Bedouins still roaming the desert and that most have traded their tents, camels and nomadic lifestyle for concrete block homes and jeeps. So, I am not sure if I should appreciate my opportunity to learn about this historic nomadic lifestyle or feel duped into an over-glorified camping trip in the desert.
Our desert trip began with tea at our guide’s house. Mohammed, our guide, didn’t end up taking us through the desert as the birth of his 10th child required his attention at home. So, we set off in our rickety 1970’s Landcruiser with an English couple, a gal from Singapore and a girl from Egypt, into the desert to check out the sites. Our 6 hour jeep tour included many stops, although whether or not they were noteworthy is up to debate. Our Landcruiser made me pretty nervous. I kept my fingers crossed that it would start after each time it was turned off and that its fumes wouldn’t silently kill us along the way. Our trip ended at the “Sunset Camp” where we would camp for the night. TJ and I chose our tent then explored the small camp. First on my agenda was checking out the facilities. Let me just sum it up by saying the bathrooms were foul and I knew a 2nd visit could result in me barfing. What absolutely baffled us was a young, French-Canadian couple was volunteering at the camp for two months. Every day they used those facilities, endured the freezing weather and slept in the goat-hair tents. TJ wanted to call their parents to get them on the first Landcruiser out of there. While camping in the desert was a highly unusual way to spend Christmas Eve and an interesting experience, one night was plenty for us!
Watching the sun set over the desert was nice and then we played a few rounds of Rummy before dinner. The dinner festivities began with a “Bedouin” fellow playing music. It turned out this guy had pitched a tent over a nearby cave and called it home. Dinner followed along with more music and a bit of dancing. The sky was impressive with a bright array of stars. We retired to our tent, crawled on our mattresses on the sand and under our blankets in our layers of shirts, jeans, hats, gloves and coats and tried to go to sleep, even though we were in a tent in below freezing temperatures.
We managed to sleep and when we woke up it was Christmas! We had breakfast at the camp, then headed out with our new English friends in their rental car to Aqaba.
Aqaba was pretty nice. It was nicely situated on the Red Sea and had a lot more Western influences than the places we’d been. Trust me, if your options had been mostly limited to Arabic cuisine for a few weeks you might welcome the sight of the golden arches too! Plus, we he had a tradition to keep after dining at Mickie D’s last year with Carrie on Christmas Day in Cairo. Should you ever find yourself in the Middle East on Christmas day you should consider partaking in our tradition:)
Aqaba is popular with Jordanians from the North and Saudi’s. There is currently a ton of construction going on and it looks that Aqaba is heading in the direction of becoming a destination for those who are looking for high-end 5 star resorts. Aqaba offers a beach, waterfront, sunshine and water sports. Diving and snorkeling are major attractions, although a few people I met in Amman said all of the garbage in the water detracted from their experience.
We strolled along the waterfront, checked out the city, then planted at and English Pub for Christmas dinner and a beer or two. While we had a nice time at the Pub, we would have happily traded our meal for some good home cookin.’
Our desert trip began with tea at our guide’s house. Mohammed, our guide, didn’t end up taking us through the desert as the birth of his 10th child required his attention at home. So, we set off in our rickety 1970’s Landcruiser with an English couple, a gal from Singapore and a girl from Egypt, into the desert to check out the sites. Our 6 hour jeep tour included many stops, although whether or not they were noteworthy is up to debate. Our Landcruiser made me pretty nervous. I kept my fingers crossed that it would start after each time it was turned off and that its fumes wouldn’t silently kill us along the way. Our trip ended at the “Sunset Camp” where we would camp for the night. TJ and I chose our tent then explored the small camp. First on my agenda was checking out the facilities. Let me just sum it up by saying the bathrooms were foul and I knew a 2nd visit could result in me barfing. What absolutely baffled us was a young, French-Canadian couple was volunteering at the camp for two months. Every day they used those facilities, endured the freezing weather and slept in the goat-hair tents. TJ wanted to call their parents to get them on the first Landcruiser out of there. While camping in the desert was a highly unusual way to spend Christmas Eve and an interesting experience, one night was plenty for us!
Watching the sun set over the desert was nice and then we played a few rounds of Rummy before dinner. The dinner festivities began with a “Bedouin” fellow playing music. It turned out this guy had pitched a tent over a nearby cave and called it home. Dinner followed along with more music and a bit of dancing. The sky was impressive with a bright array of stars. We retired to our tent, crawled on our mattresses on the sand and under our blankets in our layers of shirts, jeans, hats, gloves and coats and tried to go to sleep, even though we were in a tent in below freezing temperatures.
We managed to sleep and when we woke up it was Christmas! We had breakfast at the camp, then headed out with our new English friends in their rental car to Aqaba.
Aqaba was pretty nice. It was nicely situated on the Red Sea and had a lot more Western influences than the places we’d been. Trust me, if your options had been mostly limited to Arabic cuisine for a few weeks you might welcome the sight of the golden arches too! Plus, we he had a tradition to keep after dining at Mickie D’s last year with Carrie on Christmas Day in Cairo. Should you ever find yourself in the Middle East on Christmas day you should consider partaking in our tradition:)
Aqaba is popular with Jordanians from the North and Saudi’s. There is currently a ton of construction going on and it looks that Aqaba is heading in the direction of becoming a destination for those who are looking for high-end 5 star resorts. Aqaba offers a beach, waterfront, sunshine and water sports. Diving and snorkeling are major attractions, although a few people I met in Amman said all of the garbage in the water detracted from their experience.
We strolled along the waterfront, checked out the city, then planted at and English Pub for Christmas dinner and a beer or two. While we had a nice time at the Pub, we would have happily traded our meal for some good home cookin.’
Petra
Petra was amazing. Petra boasts ruins of an entire city that 30,000 people are believed to have inhabited. When Petra was constructed is up to debate, although the 6th century BC seems to be the most consistent claim. The city was home to residences, a theater, temples, 500 tombs, a church, markets, a monastery and more with the majority of the structures being carved out of the rock face by The Nabataeans – Arabs who dominated the region in pre-Roman times. Many of these structures remain in excellent condition today making Petra a magical place to visit.
The most impressive site in Petra is the Treasury. The Treasury was carved out of the sandstone to serve as a tomb for a Nabataean King, but it got its name from the story that an Egyptian Pharaoh had stashed his treasure there. The approximately 141 ft high Treasury is a truly a spectacular site.
The city is in remarkable condition considering it has withstood several earthquakes, has been invaded by the Romans and the Crusaders and gets trampled on daily by eager tourists.
All in all, Petra was very impressive, especially considering only 5% of it has been excavated! We really enjoyed hiking and wandering around this ancient city and I am excited to watch ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade’ to see how what I’ve seen has been pictured on the big screen!
The most impressive site in Petra is the Treasury. The Treasury was carved out of the sandstone to serve as a tomb for a Nabataean King, but it got its name from the story that an Egyptian Pharaoh had stashed his treasure there. The approximately 141 ft high Treasury is a truly a spectacular site.
The city is in remarkable condition considering it has withstood several earthquakes, has been invaded by the Romans and the Crusaders and gets trampled on daily by eager tourists.
All in all, Petra was very impressive, especially considering only 5% of it has been excavated! We really enjoyed hiking and wandering around this ancient city and I am excited to watch ‘Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade’ to see how what I’ve seen has been pictured on the big screen!
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