Jordan and Lebanon

There is a lot to see in Jordan. To try to do the country justice, I've decided to gather together some more or less random pictures and impressions of the country.
The 1st picture is of the River Jabbok. This river is where scripture tells us Jacob went to meet his brother Esau after their long separation. In fact, I was told that this is the very place.
The 2nd picture looks at the Jordanian landscape. Of note here is the road way down below. It is the road we were traveling. It is also the King's Highway. This is s major trade route from western Arabia through the middle east to Damascus and beyond. This is the route controlled by the Nabataeans with their capital in Petra (see other posts).
The 3rd picture is in a mosaic workshop. The artists here are all disabled in various ways. Their work is exquisite.
The 4th picture is in a church in Madaba. The picture is a floor mosaic map of the middle east, showing all the important cities of the region. The church was built around the mosaic; even columns were sited where the the original tesserae are missing.
The 5th picture is a wood fired bread oven. Look closely and you'll see that the bread dough is stretched like pizza dough and then placed directly on the superheated stones that make up the floor of the oven. Really good bread baked in a way that is new to me.
Last but not least is a Thanksgiving turkey dinner prepared using Jordanian cooking and spices. It was outstanding and a real treat to celebrate the holiday in a new and cosmopolitan way. Right up my alley.Читать далее

This is one of the best examples of a traditional middle eastern souk or market in Lebanon. If you've been reading these posts, you probably know I really enjoy the marvelous messiness, the glorious chaos, the energy of these places. Unfortunately, much of Lebanon's business takes Mondays off. So here are some looks at the vaulted souk on a quiet day.
The 1st 2 pictures look at very different streets in the souk. The inner parts of the market are vaulted like the 1st picture with small shops and workshops; outer streets are more open with larger shops.
The 3rd and 4th pictures look at a couple small shops and a covered alley. The 3rd picture is a bakery, and the 4th looks past an accessories shop into a "clothing street". These souks are generally organized such that similar products are grouped together.
The 5th picture is a shell of a Murex snail. This is the source of the very expensive "royal purple" dye that was so coveted back then. There seems to be a debate as to whether the dye and the process of extraction was discovered in Tyre or Sidon. Fact is, I see that as immaterial as both cities became incredibly wealthy from the trade.
The last picture is of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, dating to the 8th century, that was closed. Of interest to someone like me is that I'm told that the church incorporates a 1st century room where the apostles Peter and Paul met in 58 CE when Paul was being transported to Rome. It is said to be a coincidence that Peter was there.Читать далее