Our last full day in Amman, and we had more castle storming to do! (For those of you who don’t get it, Tony and I are just a wee bit obsessed with “The Princess Bride,” so every time we visit a castle, we feel compelled to quote the movie: “Have fun storming the castle!”) In … Continue reading Desert Castles & Amman – Jordan Journey, Day 12
After a day of doing absolutely nothing in hopes Tony would get over his cough (he didn’t), we decided to storm the castle. George took us north to Ajloun, where the rocky landscape of Amman gave way to … well, more rocks, but also rolling hills of patchwork farms, olive groves and forests. He said … Continue reading Ajloun Castle & Jerash – Jordan Journey, Day 11
Waving good-bye to the comfort of our swanky Petra hotel, Tony and I headed for Wadi Rum and Bedouin Directions camp. Our driver was named Jafar, so you know I couldn’t stop singing the Alladin theme song in my head for the whole 2-hour drive. Our jeep tour organizer, Mehedi Saleh Al-Heuwaitat, had sent an … Continue reading Wadi Rum – Jordan Journey, Day 9
After a mellow day, we crossed the street from our hotel to experience Petra by Night. Luminaries lined the moonlit path leading to and through the Siq, glowed from alcoves in the rock walls and filled the open area in front of the Treasury. We joined throngs of tourists for the walk into Petra and … Continue reading Petra by Night – Jordan Journey, Day 8
First into the park again on this cold cloudy morning, we chose a trail that would take us to the High Place of Sacrifice. The path was very easy to follow, and yet we took a wrong turn. At one hair-pin bend in the path, I saw steps to the right but for some reason … Continue reading Petra Redux – Jordan Journey, Day 7
The ancient city of Petra, carved into the sandstone mountains of southwest Jordan starting in the 4th century BC, is listed on nearly every website touting “The Top 25 Places You Should See Before You Die!” Many travel bloggers say you can see the main archaeological sites in a day or less, but Tony and … Continue reading Petra – Jordan Journey, Day 6
Feynan Ecolodge hires local Bedouins to transport guests to and from the reception center. For our departure, I rode in the back of a rattletrap pick-up, nearly popping out every time we hit a rut in the dirt road. (Decades ago, a similar ride resulted in a broken collarbone.) I tried to snap some farewell … Continue reading Getting to Petra – Jordan Journey, Day 5
Christmas Eve George dropped us off for two nights at the Feynan Ecolodge reception building, about 15 minutes from the lodge (on a road requiring 4-wheel drive). After a short briefing by a young Bedouin man named Suleiman, we were shown to our room. Simple but clean, it overlooked the hills of the Dana Biosphere … Continue reading Serenity Now! Feynan Ecolodge – Jordan Journey, Days 3 & 4
The Dead Sea region features prominently in the Bible, and today our driver, George, took us to three sites of Christian significance: Mount Nebo, where Moses saw the Promised Land before he died; Madaba, where an ancient mosaic map of the Holy Land has helped historians pinpoint biblical locations; and Bethany Beyond the Jordan, the … Continue reading Trekking through the Bible – Jordan Journey, Day 2
You can’t visit the Dead Sea and not go IN the Dead Sea, right? Tony and I kept asking that aloud because, frankly, we were not at all enthusiastic about getting in the water. Every website about the Dead Sea features a litany of warnings: Don’t shave before you swim! Any cuts or sores will … Continue reading Bob-bob-bobbing along – The Dead Sea – Jordan Journey, Day 1