Jordan - A Beautiful Oasis of Stablility in a Turbulent Region

     With Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Israel to the west, and Saudi Arabia to the south, you'd think that landlocked Jordan with its’ odd-shaped borders would be in constant turmoil. Yet this country avoids being politically yanked around by religious zealots and warriors from all its borders. No wonder this primarily Muslim country is considered “an oasis in a turbulent region”. There are however frequent police checks on many of Jordan's highways. Armed police check passports and baggage. 

Watching the Jordan landscape go by as my sister Vicki and I sat in our tourist van with a small group of travel-friends last October 2018 was enjoyable. Jordan resembles our arid Utah, New Mexico and Arizona states.

After crossing the border at the Jordan River, from Eilat, Israel to Aqaba, Jordan at the furthest southern border crossing, we headed 35 miles north to Wadi Rum -- the Arabic translation means “Valley of Sand”.

Many films were shot here.

     Camels wear knitted muzzles if they bite or spit on people. If you want to learn more about cranky but loveable camels, read this wonderfully funny book by Robyn Davidson, Tracks: A Woman's Solo Trek Across 1,700 Miles of Australian Outback. 

    Camel rides are a tourist business here. I declined to ride; the saddles didn’t look comfy and there were no stirrups, meaning you had to balance yourself on your crotch (ouch!). Also, I pitied the camels for having to be hobbled and bored. Yet, if they run wild and free, they eat and devastate the precious greenery and then its population must be harvested. The camels, like the nomadic Bedouins, are in a twenty-first century predicament :(

We took a 4x4 drive through the soft sandy landscape with beautiful sandstone rocks.

For another travel blogger's photos and perspective of the exact same camp and tour of Wadi Rum that we took, click here.

Walking around these rocks in the middle of a desert was memorable - we didn't see any tourists besides our small group.

Watching the sun set in the middle of this desert was beautiful.

Bouncing along on the road-less desert of soft quiet sand in a 4x4 on a starry dark night was a once-in-a-lifetime wonderful experience . . . there were no town lights in the distance. Our lodging for the night was a tent which blended well into the landscape. The boardwalk on the sand was lit by lanterns.

After a traditional Bedouin meal which was lamb, charcoal-pit-baked under the sand . . . 

. . . we all adjourned to the “party tent” which is also a Bedouin tradition.

     This Bedouin couple in photo above led us in a traditional Bedouin circle dance. Recognize that Bedouin woman wearing traditional garb? I was asked to be his wife for the night :)

     Our next stop was another once-in-a-lifetime experience, Petra. Just remember this one word if you’re planning a visit to Jordan - Petra! That's me by the way (below, figure in black with hiking poles, lower left)

     It’s a first century complex where villagers lived in relative peace because they were hidden (below photo shows how well Petra is hidden when you approach Petra from the highway).

     Petra was abandoned for centuries (click here for history). In 1812, Petra was “re-discovered” and tourism took off with a big bang. From beginning to end, it's about a five mile walk, plus many side trails for another five or so miles. Click here for a video about Petra.

The canyons narrow as you get further along.

It's a spectacular walk.

There are hand-carved channels along these canyon walls for catching rain water that was gravity fed to cisterns.

     For folks who can't walk far, there are carriages pulled by horses, or one could ride a horse or donkey or camel. The slot canyon's cobblestone throughway was a busy place; no vehicles, just animals, carriages and people. And at the end of this beautiful slot canyon, a teasing-look into why we've come this far -- the majestic architecture of "The Treasury". 

     The carvings in the stone are amazing. It's carved into the layers of red rock, it's not block construction.

     The seating for this theater (below) is carved into one continuous rocky mountain. It’s not constructed with blocks.

Some buildings had small rooms carved deep into the stone.

Some are partially finished, others just begun, few are "finished".

     See the people walking up to the carved sites? Below photo far right stairway shows people walking up to the terrace of the building (for perspective of the hugeness of these carvings).

     Further up the steep trail is the Monastery, dating from the first century BC. See how the grain of the rock is continuous in the carvings? 

Getting here is too steep and rocky for horses, camels and donkeys. One must walk (very carefully).

     From Petra, we visited Amman which is Jordan's capital city. Using Amman as our central point, we traveled north to the Jerash Temple.

     We also traveled north to the Ajloun Castle which sits high on a mountain surrounded by greenery. It’s one of the few Muslim places that wasn't destroyed by the Christian Crusaders. 

     From Amman, I said au'voir to my sister who joined friends in Dubai, and I took a bus back to Aqaba, Jordan to SCUBA dive in the Red Sea for three days. The bus ride was wonderfully scenic and entertaining. My seat-mate was a young Saudi Arabian college student who wore a burqa; all I could see was her eyes. We talked about romance, parents, friendships, life and my independence in the United States for about three hours; surprisingly intimate conversations initiated by her. If anyone ever hurts this beautiful soul just because they don't like her clothing or religion, I would be there to defend her. We Americans need to meet and talk more with people from other cultures and other countries . . .