Jordan's beach resort town

Day 60 23 October 2010 Saturday

Jordan’s access port to the sea, is a resort and duty free zone. Although the public beaches were a little dirty, the reefs just a few meters from the shore were full of life.

The beach boardwalk was backed by what looked like vegetable gardens in this port town with a small town feel. 

Carved sandstone in a desert canyon

Day 57 20 October 2010 Wednesday
Day 58 21 October 2010 Thursday

Day 59 22 October 2010 Friday

We all know the iconic image of the Treasury facade deep within the slot canyon at Petra, but what the heck was Petra?

In a large nutshell, Petra was the great desert city from the first millennium of the Nabataeans. The ornate sandstone facades that we recognize in photos are the large tombs the nobility and very affluent. The Nabataeans oversaw and supported the ancient caravan trade in the area, especially the lucrative trade of frankincense and paper. The Romans / Byzantines had their fingers in the area for a few centuries. The Crusaders set up shop in the 11th century. At one time the name was changed and the location of the famous city hidden in the desert fell into obscurity. Much of their great tomb structures, cut into the sandstone walls, survive today, but little of their free standing masonry structures, which were their homes, shops, etc. remain. A massive earthquake in 555 is blamed for some considerable damage to the city, causing it to be largely abandoned.

A Swiss explorer sought out the city in the 1812. At the time Petra was only sparsely inhabited by the local Bedouin. Burkhart (the explorer) documented the rediscovery, and the Thomas Cook company started offering tours in the 1920’s. Today Petra receives 800,000 plus visitors a year. Fee hikes at the lucrative site are a hotly contested issue. This year prices for tourists will be raised twice, from $45 up to $90 for a three day pass (day trippers coming from Egypt or Israel will pay $135). Local residents pay $1.50.

Administrators are trying to limit the number of annual visitors to the site to 1 million or less. The hotel and restaurant owners are frustrated because they want to see their investments to continue to grow, while the local Bedouin are still wondering when they are going to see a solid portion of the proceeds.

We spent 3 days exploring only a small portion of the 42 sq km site. After just a few days of hiking through

slot canyons and up hills in mid-day sun our bodies were tired. We had the pleasure of meeting a local Bedouin woman named Fatima that someone asked us to look up. We found her working in the site, said hello, and she instantly welcomed us and invited us for tea. Latter that day we found ourselves treated to dinner with her family at their home. Her hospitality speaks worlds about the Bedouin people!

Jerash, Jordan

Day 56 19 October 2010 Tuesday

This city reached its peak in the 3rd century AD as a Roman colony. By the 5th century the Christians had built several churches. Following the Persian invasion of 614, the Muslim conquest in 636, and a devastating earthquake in 747 Jerash fell into decline.

Tourist leave more behind than just $12 at the gate.

Welcome to Jordan

Day 55 18 October 2010 Monday

Today we traveled to the capital city of The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Philadelphia, no wait I mean, Amman was like Rome built upon 7 hills but now sprawls across 19 hills and beyond. With a population of only 2000 in 1900, this is a adolescent of a capital city when compared to Damascus or Istanbul. The current population is approximately 2.2 million.

 

Jordan has a dynamic population that includes large numbers of refugees from the wars of 1948, 1967 and the two Iraq wars.  Many of the Iraq refugees have a greater spending capacity than the local Jordanians causing rising prices.  For us traveling in Jordan feels as though the Jordanian Dinar spends as quickly as a Euro.

 

A 2nd century Roman amphitheater with seating for 6000.  The ancient Eastern Roman city had a much larger population due to thriving caravan trade, but through history Amman has boomed and busted.



Pieces of the Dead Sea Scrolls were a surprise at the anitquated museam.



Anthropomorphic pottery coffin

Dust storm driving south to Petra

Quiet Time

Day 51 14 October 2010 Thursday
Day 52 15 October 2010 Friday
Day 53 16 October 2010 Saturday
Day 54 17 October 2010 Sunday

In 1980 an Italian priest, father Paulo Dall‘ Oglio, resurrected an abandoned 1000 year old monetary in the mountains north of Damascus. Anyone (travelers/pilgrims) can come to Dier Mar Musa and visit or stay as long as they would like. We chose to take 3 nights to relax while washing dishes, cleaning rooms, and taking walks in the surrounding desert mountains. The monastery buildings are built on the hillside following the natural contours. The fortified church contains three distinct layers of frescos from different periods of worship. The site also contains a cheese making facility, a well stocked 3 story library, a newer building able to house large parties on retreat, plus many other smaller buildings in need of some sprucing up. Visitors arrive by taxi or tour bus and hike the last 2.5 km up to the monastery. 

We helped in the kitchen, cleaned a few rooms and helped the goat farmer that supplies the monastery with milk that is made into yogurt and cheese.  And went for a few walks in the mountains.

After leaving Mar Musa on Sunday we spent one more night in Damascus to catch up on a few things we missed the first time. While we were trying to catch a service minibus a business man stopped in his car to ask us if we needed help. We said “No, we are just trying to get to the center of town. Do you know if a the bus stops here?” He offered us a free ride, which we accepted, he turned out to be a Palestinian who works for the Syrian government in the trade and commerce department. This is just one of the many instances in which a Syrian has gone out of his way to help us. But one thing we found interesting is that when we stated we had just returned from Mar Musa his eyes lit up and he asked if we had seen Father Paulo. After dropping us off right were we wanted to be he insisted on giving us his name and phone number, and told us to call if we had any problems.

Strolling Damascus

Day 49 12 October 2010 Tuesday

Day 50 13 October 2010 Wednesday

Khan As’ad Pasha, a hotel for passing caravans from 1752. Khans are usually located near the markets or souqs. We have seen several khans along the many trade routes, but most have been consumed by the shops of the surrounding souqs. This one is in beautiful shape and open for tourists and exhibits and performances.

The Azem Palace 1749 was built by As-ad Pasha al Azem. The Pasha (Governor) of Damascus was a very important and powerful position within the Ottoman Empire. He was responsible for the safe travel of pilgrims and their goods going overland to for the Hajj to Mecca, thus had to maintain a good working relationship with the desert Bedouin tribes. Since Damascus was also the foremost arms producer in the area, the Pasha also held control over the blacksmithing artisans and a huge arsenal. With these arms, and the Bedouin tribes as a possible mercenary force, the Pasha was also a huge potential threat to the Sultan. Therefore his term was limited.

Umayyad Mosque built in 705 by Khaled ibn al-Walid converted from a Byzantine cathedral which had followed a Temple of Jupiter. Besides its large size, another exceptional feature of this mosque is the 37m long gold mosaic.

Hammam Nureddin the oldest working bath in the city.
 

Pide making

Brass table carving

Fresh dates



Street side beverage vendor

A small percentage of the busses in Damascus are brightly decorated.

From new back to old

Day 48 11 October 2010 Monday


Today was a travel day from Beirut to Damascus. This, more popular border crossing went very smoothly. We did have a small problem: after paying one driver and then, being passed to a different minibus driver in Beirut. After a very simple boarder crossing we arrived in Damascus, the new driver had not been paid back in Beirut. We tried to call the first bus company with no luck, so we were out $20. Next time maybe we will get a receipt, but you know they never give out receipts.

In the afternoon we visited the national museum and wandered around town a bit, and found some really nice piles of baklava.

Baalbek: Roman temples on a titanic scale

Day 47 10 October 2010 Sunday
Today we visited the ancient Roman city of Baalbek (Heliopolis - Sun City)

The center of the site is composed of two massive temples as well as smaller courtyards and fountains.

The larger of the two temples, dedicated Jupiter (A.D. 60) is 90 meters long with some of the largest columns (only 6 still standing) in the world.

The second, smaller temple, dedicated to Venus (A.D. 150) which is still very large, is much better preserved.

Menagerie

Day 46 9 October 2010 Saturday

Beirut is a menagerie of modern, ruined, historic, religious, secular, affluent, and working class. A visitor would see just as many large churches as mosques, just as many Mercedes 500SL’s as mid 80’s Toyota Tercels, and just as many western fast food venues as local falafel stands. Walking the neighborhoods is a mixture of modern and restored high rises, as well as, historical mansions and bomb pot marked carcasses of buildings.

We visited the National Museum, where between 1976 and 1990, during the civil war most treasures were locked away in the basement. Those that weren’t like the 1800 year old sarcophagi were encased in concrete bunkers to protect them from the shelling and looting.