MY TRIP TO JORDAN: THE SOUND OF SILENCE

One of the most spectacular natural environments in the Middle East is the desert scenery of the fabled Wadi Rum (Wadi means river valley and Rum means high or elevated).  It lies in the south of Jordan, covers some 400 sq. miles and it is largely the territory of the Bedouins, the native nomadic tribe of the Middle East.
Archaeologists believe that the Wadi resulted from a great crack in the surface of the earth caused by an enormous upheaval that shattered mammoth pieces of granite and sandstone ridges from the mountains of the Afro-Arabian Shield. 
Wadi Rum is probably best known because of its connection with the enigmatic British officer, T.E. Lawrence, who was based there during the Great Arab Revolt of 1917-18, and much of the movie, ”Lawrence of Arabia”, which was filmed there.
Taking the Desert Highway and then a road skirting the mountains and shadowed by a  freight-only railway track I arrived at RumVillage.  It was hot, hotter than I could have imagined, but apparently not as hot as it can get (I saw 117F, but “that’s nothing” compared to 135F in July, I  was told).
After a buffet lunch served at a Bedouin tent, I roamed around the place in a four-wheel drive jeep.
The main thing to take in was the geology, since that area isn’t big on wildlife.  But the geology was stunning.  As I was touring the area, I could understand why climbers are especially attracted to Wadi Rum, while hikers can enjoy its vast empty spaces. 
When you think of “desert,” you think of sand.  But Wadi Rum is far more than sand, since the rock structures are so interesting.  They rise straight out of the sand, have surfaces that can be sheer or intricate, and have color that changes with the angle of the sun.

The landscape was like nothing I’d ever seen — the best I can describe is a surreal combination of the moon and the Sahara.  But even that’s not quite right; you’ve got to see it in person to understand its unique immensity.
I left that Valley, a starkly beautiful world of silence, timelessness and enchantment, with the exquisite feeling of having been out in the wilderness, miles of everything.
Stunning in its natural beauty, Wadi Rum epitomizes the romance of the desert....

MY TRIP TO JORDAN - AMMAN, PEOPLE, FOOD, ETC.

The city of Amman, ancient Greco-Roman city of Philadelphia, originally built on 7 hills (just like Rome…..the Jordanian flag has a 7-pointed star to commemorate this).The city today is mostly modern, dating from the 1930’s, and expanding out in all directions at an almost alarming rate! In accordance with municipal law, all the buildings are faced with local stone, which gives the effect of a blanket of uniformed white houses.

Wherever I went in Jordan I saw  a picture of the current King Abdullah, sometimes with his wife or with his children, too.  I think  I can say Jordanian people are sincerely and warmly proud of their Hashimite royal family, directly descended from the Prophet Muhammed himself.
Nearly all Jordanian women, Muslim & Christian alike, wear a head covering. Some wear a veil as well or even a burqa with only a lace window opening to see through. This covering is almost as much a cultural thing as it is a religious thing. Very few women choose not to wear a head covering.
They did not seem to be very receptive to cameras... hardly could my  camera capture their faces.
Jordanian food is considered healthy because it's prepared with olive oil, fresh vegetables and fruit. Fish was hard to come by so most main meals were based on lamb or chicken accompanied by rice or flat bread. Sweets were very sweet, and I can't say they were good or not because I never had even one.
An impressive cultural melange of Arab and Islamic imagery was reflected in Jordanian crafts, which included handmade glass, handy earthenware vessels, carpet weaving, and exquisite embroidery. Crafts produced on a smaller scale included artistically decorated sand bottles, finely chiseled sculptures, and uniquely crafted silver jewelry.
I left Jordan with a different image from the one I had prior to setting my feet on the land of this newcomer to tourism... Jordan encompasses much more than camels, deserts and bedouins...

MY TRIP TO JORDAN: PETRA

Petra.... I do not even know how to begin here.
Imagine going on a hike in one of the most beautiful geological spots in the world.  Imagine seeing some of the most exquisite archeological remains of a rather astounding village, with stunning temples carved right into the face of mountains.   Well, take them all together and you have Petra!
Since it was made one of the 7 wonders of the world, and with good reason, every tourist passing along Jordan will make a detour to Petra, according to the guide. You might be familiar with Petra (Greek word for 'stone') from the Indiana Jones movie.
There is structure after structure that just takes your breath away.  Petra’s prime was from the second Century B.C. through about 600 A.D.  It was discovered again by the Western world in 1812 by a Swiss explorer.
The guide told me that just 2% of the structures of archeological merit have been excavated at Petra.  I wouldn’t bet the ranch on that estimate, but it did have the sense of a vast town, and had been covered with sand some 20+ feet over the years.  I saw many partially excavated buildings where the top of the door frame was well below today’s level of the earth.  Many of the houses in Petra seemed like the Flintstone's Bedrock, a place right out of history.
Much of the excitement of Petra lies in the approach.  You enter the site and have a decent walk through the canyon before you get to the most astounding structures.  The one hour and half walk is through a gorgeous canyon, with a fairly narrow valley walled off by vertical cliffs.  What’s so interesting geologically is that, from time to time, the rock had sheared off, leaving an exposed face that was essentially a plane.  The Horites, a tribe of cave-dwellers living in the region, used these exposed planes as the start point for the buildings they literally carved into the face of it.
I was  just blown away by what I saw over there.  The beauty of the temples and monasteries, all carved out of sandstone cliffs and mountains is impossible to describe in words, so I’m hoping my pictures carry the load.
Petra, one of the most amazing places I have ever been....

MY TRIP TO JORDAN: TWO FAMOUS PLACES OF PILGRIMAGE

One day was spent visiting Bethany beyond Jordan - this Bethany should not be confused with Bethany in Jerusalem, where Mary Magdalene lived and Lazarus was raised from the dead - and the Mount Nebo.
Bethany on the Jordan side of the Jordan River is one of the most important recent discoveries in biblical archeology. Located next to the River Jordan and near the border of Israel, Bethany Beyond the Jordan is also the place where John the Baptist is said to have preached and lived in the wilderness and Jesus was baptized. Excavations only began here in 1996, following Jordan's peace treaty with Israel in 1994, but have already uncovered more than 20 churches, caves and baptismal pools dating from the Roman and Byzantine periods.
Visitors can descend into the waters of the River Jordan; many people choose to be baptized here or renew their baptismal promises.
The next stop was at Mt. Nebo where Moses is said to have seen the Promised Land and also where he was later buried.  Unfortunately the Moses Memorial Church was closed due to renovations so  just walked around a bit. 
The view was so stunning that the holiness of the place seemed to be almost tangible. However, I wondered could it be that of the Promised Land? No idea as I couldn’t find the sign that said “Promised Land” and wasn’t even sure which compass direction I was facing... it was very hot to stand around to figure it out.

MY TRIP TO JORDAN - GOLFING, JERASH AND MADABA

The day started early, as the golf course was at a one-hour drive from the hotel. I, as well as my friends, were enthusiastic about experiencing golfing in a totally different environment from what we are used to. However, surprise of the surprises, the golf course was far and beyond our expectations.... the greens were not green but black!!! The fairways were sandy and full of gravel which made us feel a bit nervous about hitting a little stone instead of the ball and by doing it, get our clubs damaged, though caddies carried a small piece of synthetic turf that they placed under the ball prior to our hitting it. None of us - we were 10 players - took the play seriously but we had fun.
After having had lunch at the clubhouse terrace, we headed to Jerash,  which is considered one of the largest and most well preserved sites of Roman architecture in the world outside of Italy.  It once had a Roman population of 15,000 to 20,000.
We entered the city of Jerash via the South Gate (dates back to 130 AD) which then opened into what was once used as a marketplace. Once we walked through the gate there were signs for reenactments of chariot races but unfortunately they did not have any scheduled when we were there.
As I walked through Jerash, I tried to follow Lonely Planet’s suggestion to “imagine life 2000 years ago: the center bustling building with shops and merchants, lined with cooling water fountains and dramatic painted facades. Picture today’s empty niches filled with painted statues; buildings still clad in marble facades and decorated with carved peacocks and shell motifs; and churches topped with Tuscan-style terracotta tiled roofs.”
While we were touring the South Theatre - built between 90-92 AD - there was a performance by a trio and due to the bagpipes I thought they sounded rather Scottish.
Leaving Jerash behind, the next stop was Madaba, renowned for its Byzantine-era mosaics.  There was the most famous one in St. George’s Church – it was unearthed in 1884 and is believed to have been constructed in AD 560.  Madaba's chief attraction is the sixth century map of the Holy Land, found in the contemporary Greek Orthodox church of St. George. It is a wonderfully vivid, Byzantine mosaic map showing Jerusalem and the holy sites. With two million pieces of coloured stone, measuring 25 x 5 metres, the map depicts hills and valleys, villages and towns as far away as the Nile Delta. Originally 25 meters long by 6 meters wide and containing more than 2 million pieces, it is now only 1/3 of its original size.
We left Madaba and we still had time to stop along the way at a mosaic factory/shop.

MY TRIP TO JORDAN -THE DEAD SEA

I arrived in Amman late in the night after a 8.30h flight. A very spacious room was waiting for me at a huge hotel nestled amongst lush gardens. Set on the northern shores of the Dead Sea, the resort and its spa was an oasis of tranquility.
After a few hours of sleep and a breakfast taken on the veranda of the hotel, with views gazing out towards the sea, I walked around the resort and found some small details that made that place special, like the smell of the flowers outdoors. This hits you while walking or using their golf car. When I mentioned the smell to the hotel staff, I was said that they are especially proud of that little touch.
There was not a lot to do there, other than float in the Dead Sea, cover yourself in mud and have fun.  The mud was smelly and it felt weird after I was fully covered with it. I didn't not experience a magical transformation in skin properties....
'Swimming' in the Dead Sea was a special experience all by itself! You cannot sink to your neck even if you tried hard to do so.  The Dead Sea is seven times saltier than normal seawater! 

As a result of the high rate of evaporation there was a veil of mist over the sea and the surrounding desert, making me a bit disappointed when I downloaded the photos from my camera and viewed them on my laptop. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the 1st slide-show of my visit to Jordan, very often described as a quiet house in a noisy neighborhood. Its neighbors are Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel to the west. Sound like a tough neighborhood?!?!