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Wādī al ‘Uz̧aymī

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    • TravelerJordanien und Israel
      Day 1

      Totes Meer, Jordanien

      October 22, 2018 in Jordan ⋅ ⛅ 34 °C

      Das Tote Meer ist ein abflussloser See, der 428 m unter dem Meeresspiegel liegt, vom Jordan gespeist wird und für seinen hohen Salzgehalt bekannt ist. Er grenzt an Jordanien, Israel und das von Israel besetzte Westjordanland.
      Der Salzgehalt des Toten Meeres liegt bei bis zu 33 %, im Durchschnitt liegt er bei rund 28 % (zum Vergleich: das Mittelmeer hat einen durchschnittlichen Salzgehalt von 3,8 %). 
      Aufgrund des hohen Salzgehaltes, der fast das Zehnfache der Ozeane beträgt, und der damit verbundenen hohen Dichte trägt das Wasser den menschlichen Körper außergewöhnlich gut, man kann allerdings dennoch ertrinken. Es gibt dort nach einem Bericht des Roten Davidsterns entgegen landläufiger Meinung neben Todesfällen viele Beinahe-Ertrink-Unfälle, wie auch an anderen Badeseen. Die Menschen verlieren am Toten Meer oft die Balance und schlucken dann große Mengen an Wasser. Dies ist lebensgefährlich, da es schwere Lungenverletzungen verursachen kann. Das Salz verursacht schon an kleinsten Hautverletzungen brennenden Schmerz. 
      Die therapeutisch nutzbaren Bedingungen am Toten Meer erstrecken sich zudem auf einen höheren Luftdruck (+ ca. 50 hPa bzw. 5 % höher als der Druck auf Meeresniveau) und demzufolge einen höheren Sauerstoffpartialdruck. Diese dichtere Atmosphäre absorbiert zusammen mit dem Wüstenstaub und dem ständigen Dunstschleier aufgrund der starken Verdunstung einen größeren Teil der Ultraviolettstrahlung als auf Meeresniveau. Die kurzwelligen UVB-Strahlen werden dadurch um ca. 30 Prozent gegenüber nahe gelegenen Orten, die 300 Meter über dem Meeresspiegel liegen, verringert.      Read more

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    • Müggitina auf Achse
      123
      Day 172

      Dana to Dead Sea

      December 16, 2021 in Jordan ⋅ 🌙 15 °C

      Halb erfroren erwachen wir um 7.00 Uhr. Im Innern des Raumes ist es freezing, geschlafen haben wir nicht gut. Nicht, weil es nicht bequem gewesen wäre, sondern lediglich der Kälte wegen (trotz Seidenschlafsack und zwei Wolldecken). 🥶🥶

      Um 7.30 Uhr sitzen wir wieder zu sechst im Aufenthaltsraum und zmörgelen (Fladenbrot, Oliven, Hummus, Sesampaste, gekochte Eier). Schade, verlassen wir heute diesen Ort schon wieder. Hier fühlten wir uns auf Anhieb wohl und willkommen.
      Die vier Anderen gehen heute noch wandern, wir verabschieden uns um 9.00 Uhr von allen.
      Mohamed, der dort wohnt und arbeitet, gibt uns beiden noch ,einen Glücksbringer' mit auf den Weg (zwei farbige Steine aus der Region). Nicht nur gastfreundlich sind die Menschen hier, sondern auch sehr grosszügig. Ein grosses Herz. 🧡
      Wir fahren 1h45 bis wir das erste Mal stoppen, um den pinkigen "Tümpel" anzuschauen und zu fotografieren (diesen Geheimtipp bekamen wir gestern Abend, denn von der Strasse aus ist dieser nicht zu sehen). Dieser gefärbte See liegt direkt neben dem Toten Meer und existiert erst seit etwa 2 Jahren. Scheinbar kommt die Farbe des Wassers von Bakterien und roten Algen, die in der Sonne reflektieren.
      Sehr speziell ist das Bild von oben. Das Pink neben türkisgrünem Salzwasser - fantastisch. 🥰
      Wir fahren dann nochmals etwa 30 Minuten zu unserem Hotel Ramada Resort Dead Sea.
      Dort werden wir, bevor wir mit dem Auto einfahren können, ,untersucht'. Zuerst will der Security Man unseren Namen wissen, anschliessend wird der Kofferraum geöffnet. Anschliessend sind wir ,fit to drive'. Wir laden dann nur einmal den kleinen Rucksack aus und begehen uns zum Hoteleingang. Dort wird unser Gepäck gescannt. Trinken und Essen von Aussen mitzunehmen, ist strikte verboten. Schade, dass wir unser vorgekochtes Abendessen für heute dabei haben. 😅
      Obwohl Check-in time erst 15.00 Uhr wäre und wir bereits um 12.00 Uhr dort sind, lässt uns der junge Mann an der Reception ohne Diskussion das Zimmer beziehen.
      Es tut gut, wieder einmal in einem Hotel mit frischer Bettwäsche und einer Heizung zu sein. Wir geniessen es richtig. 🙈🙊

      Wir trinken kurz einen Kaffee auf dem Zimmer und holen dann all das aus dem Auto, was wir für den Nachmittag und die kommende Nacht brauchen. Alles Andere lassen wir drin. 🙂 Wir machen uns dann parat für ans Tote Meer.
      Von unserem Hotel aus laufen wir etwa 10 Minuten (es gäbe auch einen Shuttle-Bus).
      Uns wird gesagt, dass es unterwegs streunende Hunde geben könnte und wir einen Stein bei uns tragen sollen. Martina hat ob dieser Info gar keine Freude.
      Statt Hunde begegnen uns aber Kamele (in Jordanien gibt es keine Dromedars. Sie sprechen hier von Arabic Camels). 🐪😅

      Am Meer (eigentlich handelt es sich nicht um ein Meer, sondern um einen Salzsee) angekommen, befinden wir uns auf 400 Meter unterhalb des Meeresspiegels. Dies ist der tiefste Punkt der Erde (auf trockenem Land). Die Strände am Toten Meer sind überhaupt nicht schön. Aber das ist uns egal, denn mehr als 20 Minuten darf man sowieso nicht im Wasser bleiben (Salzgehalt um die 33%).
      Es gibt einige Regeln zu beachten, bevor man in diesem Salzsee badet: Ganz langsam rein und in Squat-Position absitzen, dann auf den Rücken drehen, den Kopf immer über dem Wasser, keinen Schmuck tragen). Ein Bad im Salztümpel könnte lebensgefährlich werden, wenn man sich nicht angemessen verhält. Verschlucken von Wasser kann bis zu Organversagen führen. Müggi geht zuerst baden, Martina überwacht die Zeit. Müggi hat richtig Spass. Regelwidrig dreht er sich immer wieder auf den Bauch und zurück (hats aber im Griff!). 🙄😄 Als die Haut zu beissen beginnt, kommt er aus dem Wasser und geht sich direkt abduschen. Anschliessend werden die Rollen getauscht. Das Wasser ist ziemlich kalt. Teilweise gibt es immer wieder warme Strömungen. Diese sind aber selten. Zu wissen, dass im Wasser keine ,gruseligen' Tiere leben, erleichtert Martina das Baden. 🤪
      Nach dem Abduschen reibt sich Tinali noch mit Schlamm (aus dem Dead Sea) ein. Sie lässt den Mud 10 Minuten in der Sonne einwirken, und geht sich dann im See waschen. Anschliessend wird der Körper + das Gesicht noch unter der Dusche abgewaschen. Die Haut fühlt sich richtig sanft an - ein super Spa-Programm. 😁

      Übrigens hat uns der Guide in der Unterkunft gestern erklärt, dass das Tote Meer bis 2050 wahrscheinlich verschwunden sein wird. Erstens, weil es viel weniger regnet und zweitens, weil sowohl die Israelis (in Israel braucht man das Salz scheinbar, um Bomben zu bauen) als auch die Jordanier das Wasser für Industriezwecke brauchen.

      Wir duschen uns im Zimmer nochmals richtig ab und trainieren dann im hauseigenen Fitnesscenter.
      Danach essen wir. Wie bereits zu Beginn gesagt, kochten wir vor zwei Tagen bereits vor. Also machen wir uns auf den Weg zum parkierten Auto und essen drinnen im Dunkeln. 👀 Die Preise im Hotel sind derartig überrissen, dass wir uns für diese Variante entscheiden, plus haben wir die beiden letzten Abende auswärts gegessen. 😇
      Nachdem wir wieder zurück ins Zimmer wollen, merken wir, dass das Auto nicht schliesst.
      Nach mehrmaligem Versuchen steht plötzlich ein Security-Typ vor uns und fragt, ob er uns helfen könne. Das Problem war lediglich, dass eine Tür nicht ganz zu war und deshalb das Schliessen des Fahrzeugs nicht funktionierte. 🤷‍♀️ Ob er gemerkt hat, dass wir im Auto gegessen haben, wissen wir nicht. Ist uns aber auch egal. Wir laufen mit dem Sicherheitsangestellten rein und werden deshalb beim Eingang nicht kontrolliert. So kann Müggi ohne Probleme sein Kaffeepulver und die Jordanische Süssigkeit ins Zimmer schmuggeln. 😉
      Im Lift will er Martina diese beiden Sachen zeigen, doch sie warnt ihn vor der Kamera an der Decke. 🤪

      Um 18.00 Uhr telefonieren wir dann via Zoom mit Stefan, Nico und Julia. 😘

      Ps: Martina entdeckt im Hotelzimmer einen roten Pfeil an der Decke. Darauf liest sie das Wort ,Qibla'. Sie schaut im Internet nach der Bedeutung und findet heraus, dass dieser Pfeil die Himmelsrichtung nach Mekka anzeigt (im Falle, dass jemand während des Aufenthalts in Richtung Kaaba, dem höchsten Heiligtum des Islams, in Mekka, beten möchte).      Read more

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    • TravelerMiddle East 2018
      Day 11

      Apr 12 - Petra

      April 12, 2018 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

      First of two posts for today......

      Today started with a 5:00 a.m. wakeup call that had been issued for all 14 members of our group, but that we had cancelled. We don't need a lot of time to get ready in the morning. We have an alarm clock and a cell phone that we set as a back up. (In Amman, we were supposed to get a wakeup call and didn’t.) We dozed until 5:45 a.m. and then hopped to it. We had breakfast and were on the bus (with our luggage since it was only a one-night stand in Petra) by 7:15 a.m. It was quite cool (about 10 deg. C) so we all had a couple of layers on for warmth.

      We stopped just 5 minutes down the road to drink in the view of the mountains. I don’t think there is anything like this in Canada.

      Our destination was Petra – one of four UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Jordan. It is also one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. See info below about Wonders of the World. It is located in the heart of the Shara Mountains. It is not known precisely when Petra was built, but the city began to prosper as the capital of the Nabataean Empire from the 1st century BC that grew rich through trade in frankincense, myrrh and spices. Petra was later annexed to the Roman Empire and continued to thrive until a large earthquake in 363 AD destroyed much of the city. The earthquake, combined with changes in trade routes, eventually led to the downfall of the city and it was ultimately abandoned. By the middle of the 7th century, Petra appears to have been largely deserted and it was then lost to all except local Bedouin from the area.

      Classic Seven Wonders of the World:

      Colossus of Rhodes.
      Great Pyramid of Giza.
      Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
      Lighthouse of Alexandria.
      Mausoleum at Halicarnassus.
      Statue of Zeus at Olympia.
      Temple of Artemis at Ephesus.

      Seven New Wonders of the World:

      Great Wall of China
      Christ the Redeemer Statue in Rio de Janeiro
      Machu Picchu in Peru
      Roman Colosseum
      Taj Mahal in India
      Petra in Jordan

      In 1812, a Swiss explorer by the name of Johannes Burckhardt set out to rediscover Petra. He dressed up as an Arab and convinced his Bedouin guide to take him to the lost city. After this, Petra became increasingly known in the West as a fascinating and beautiful ancient city. It now attracts millions of visitors every year.

      Petra is known as the rose-red city, a name it gets from the wonderful colour of the rock from which many of the city’s structures were carved. The Nabataeans buried their dead in intricate tombs that were cut out of the mountain sides and the city also had temples, a theatre, and following the Roman annexation and the later Byzantine influence, a colonnaded street and churches.

      The people of Petra were masters of hydrological engineering. They were very skilled in using dams and tunnels and clay piping to control the water from flash floods and to store water in underground cisterns. There is a tunnel 88 metres in length that they cut by hand through rock for control purposes.

      Visitors enter Petra via a narrow gorge called the Siq. It resulted from a natural splitting of the mountain and is 1.2 km long. The showpiece of Petra is the Treasury. It’s a magnificent façade. It is almost 40 metres high and has intricately carved Corinthian capitals, friezes and figures. On top of it is a funeral urn that supposedly conceals a pharaoh’s treasure.

      There is a theatre carved into the side of the mountain. It could have accommodated 4000 spectators. This is the only theatre in the world carved into rock.

      Petra is a huge site. Two ladies had been there before and had only been able to see about half of it. Eleven of the group opted to stay with Ruby and listen to her commentary. Five of us decided to go ahead of the main group and make a stab at getting to the farthest point – the Ad-Deir Monastery. We had to hot foot it to be able to get there and back by the time the bus had to leave to get all the way to our next hotel stop. Doug and Frances’ husband Ron buddied up while their wives set off to see the monastery.

      The monastery, Ad-Deir, is one of the largest monuments in Petra. It was used as a meeting place for religious associations. The Monastery dates to the early 2nd century AD. It was later re-used as a Christian chapl and crosses were carved into the rear wall, which is how the structure got its name.

      After the Treasury, which is where the rest of the group stopped and turned around, the path began to climb. There were lots of stairs with varying heights (some of them tough for our short legs). Sometimes, there were just worn rocks that we had to climb on. It was hot, tough sledding, but after a little less than two hours from when we began at the entrance, we reached the Monastery. Seeing it was a spectacular reward for our efforts. We took photos, had some water, declined to pay $1 USD to use the washrooms, and headed back down. We were back at the bus on time, hot, tired, sweaty and feeling very triumphant!

      All around Petra, there are vendors hawking trinkets, jewellery, drinks, carpets, shawls and all kinds of other bits and pieces – yes, even at the top of the mountain at the Monastery. There are men offering donkey rides, horse-drawn carriage rides and even camel rides. The rampant commercialism takes away some of the mystique and wonder of Petra and it’s causing a lot of mess and litter, but in looking past it, visitors certainly get to enjoy a truly unique sight.

      We made a quick stop at Wadi Mousa, a town located in the Ma'an Governorate in southern Jordan. It is the administrative center of the Petra Department and the nearest town to the archaeological site of Petra. Wadi Musa means "Valley of Moses" in Arabic. It is said that the prophet Moses passed through the valley and struck water from the rock for his followers at the site of Ain Musa ("Moses's water spring" or "Moses's Well"). The Nabateans built channels that carried water from this spring to the city of Petra. Wadi Musa was also nicknamed the "Guardian of Petra". The Tomb of Aaron, supposed burial site of the Biblical Aaron, the brother of Moses, is on nearby Mount Hor.

      Moses' spring delivers a continual supply of cool, fresh water. I filled my water bottle, hoping that the water would have good restorative powers for my tired, aching feet.

      We stopped for lunch just a little ways from Petra. The view over the valley made for a lovely setting. Soup, salad bar and nice sweets for just $10 USD per person. They use a lot of nice, fresh and tasty tomatoes, cucumbers, and red/green/yellow peppers in their salads and there is usually always a nice coleslaw. Doug and I have discovered the Jordanian version of chocolate pudding. It’s really good.

      Ruby bought locally-grown bananas for us. They are smaller than the ones we know and are slightly sweeter.

      Today, being Thursday, is the beginning of the weekend here. The traffic flowing out of Amman was wicked. According to Ruby, many people head to the city of Aqaba which is Jordan’s only beach/port city. Traffic going into the city was wicked also due to a bus breakdown in a construction zone. We watched with amusement as cars drove through a deep ditch and across the adjacent road being constructed to get to another route. Some drivers just kept driving on the road under construction. They couldn’t get very far as there were three pieces of heavy equipment just ahead parked across the road. An effective way of stopping foolish behaviour.

      To help pass the time on our long drive back from Petra to the Dead Sea, Ruby described how engagements take place here in Jordan. The process relies heavily on Bedouin customs and involves the man's and the lady’s families getting together and discussing the possible union over Arabic coffee (a very thick, very bitter drink). Just a short while later, we passed a wedding party. Such a lovely coincidence.

      We stopped at the Black Iris shop (nice washrooms!) that sells lovely Jordanian products and Dead Sea skin products. We all got to sample the skin scrub and to put on shea butter. They are lovely products but pricey. I’m sticking with Aveeno. The actual reason for the stop was to pick up Lynne’s suitcase. Her flight from Columbus, Ohio to Toronto got cancelled on Monday due to bad weather. She made it to Toronto on a later flight barely in time to make the flight to Cairo with the rest of the group, but alas, her luggage didn’t make it. With clothes lent by her fellow travellers, she made it through until today. Egypt Air and NET and Ruby had been working feverishly to get Lyne and her suitcase reunited without requiring her to go to the airport (far out of our way) to retrieve it. They finally found a convenient rendezvous point. Lynne is one now very, very happy traveller!!

      On our way from Petra to the Dead Sea, we dropped below sea level. We finally got to our hotel (a Ramada hotel) beside the Dead Sea about 6:00 p.m. The bus apparently had lost reverse at our stop before the Black Iris, so the bus had to stop by the gate where Haroon could just make a big U-turn. We all just pitched in had pulled our luggage in ourselves. Doug and I showered and headed down for dinner. What a lovely dinner buffet! Score – more of that good chocolate pudding we had at lunch. We checked out the pool area – two pools and a swim-up bar.

      Tomorrow being Friday (the equivalent of Saturday for us) is the running of the Dead Sea Marathon – it runs from Amman to the Dead Sea. Ruby has gone back to Amman to see her family for the evening. She and her husband have four children (ages 20, 16, 14 and 7). The roads won’t open until noon so we will have the morning to ourselves and hope to be on our way to see more sights by 1:00 p.m. This hotel has its own private beach on the Dead Sea so we will check it out during our free morning tomorrow. I experienced the Dead Sea on last year’s trip to the Holy Land. It will be interesting to see how Doug enjoys the sensation of floating in the water that has a 30% salt content.      Read more

    • TravelerMiddle East 2018
      Day 12

      Apr 13 - The Dead Sea

      April 13, 2018 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

      How nice to not have an early departure today! We got up at our leisure and had breakfast. The hotel has a very nice breakfast buffet - both hot and cold items, including waffles that Doug tried. Everything is labelled in English. Doug and Frances and I decided to head down to the hotel's private beach on the Dead Sea. There is a little shuttle bus that runs twice per hour, but we could see that it would't be far, so we walked. It was a beautiful, warm morning - the high for today is forecast to be 30 deg. C. but that won't be until late this afternoon. The walk took less than 10 minutes.

      Here's some Wikipedia info about the Dead Sea:

      The Dead Sea is a salt lake bordered by Jordan to the east and Israel and Palestine to the west. Its surface and shores are 430.5 metres (1,412 ft) below sea level, Earth's lowest elevation on land. The Dead Sea is 304 m (997 ft) deep, the deepest hypersaline lake in the world. With a salinity of 342 g/kg, or 34.2%, (in 2011), it is 9.6 times as salty as the ocean and one of the world's saltiest bodies of water. This salinity makes for a harsh environment in which plants and animals cannot flourish, hence its name. The Dead Sea is 50 kilometres (31 mi) long and 15 kilometres (9 mi) wide at its widest point. It lies in the Jordan Rift Valley, and its main tributary is the Jordan River.

      The Dead Sea has attracted visitors from around the Mediterranean basin for thousands of years. It was one of the world's first health resorts (for Herod the Great), and it has been the supplier of a wide variety of products, from asphalt for Egyptian mummification to potash for fertilisers. People also use the salt and the minerals from the Dead Sea to create cosmetics and herbal sachets.

      The Dead Seawater has a density of 1.24 kg/litre, which makes swimming similar to floating.

      The Dead Sea is receding at an alarming rate. Multiple canals and pipelines were proposed to reduce its recession, which had begun causing many problems. The Red Sea–Dead Sea Water Conveyance project, carried out by Jordan, will provide water to neighbouring countries, while the brine will be carried to the Dead Sea to help stabilise its levels. The first phase of the project is scheduled to begin in 2018 and be completed in 2021.

      We had the beach to ourselves since it was just 8:30 a.m. There is a sign that says it's the lowest point on earth, but it's not quite right. At 398 metres below sea level, it's short by about 32 metres. The actual lowest point is on the Israeli side at the En Gedi Spa (had my picture taken there last year beside the official sign). The beach here is very tough to walk on - the sand is very coarse and with small, sharp rocks. The area under the water is very, very rocky and the walking is very tough. I made it past the rocks to the sandy bottom area. Doug stayed back and was the official photographer. The water is hypersalinated so you float very easily. The tough part is getting your feet back down - you have to pull your legs and feet up to your chest and then push them down. Swimming on your front is almost impossible because you keep turtling over onto your back. I paddled around for bit and Frances waded in to waist level. We both agreed that the beach that we went to on the Israeli side was much more enjoyable. It had a sandy shore and the ground under the water was the famous Black Sea mud which was soft on the feet - we smeared over ourselves to renew our skin. Although it was very busy and quite noisy, it was all-round, a more pleasant experience.

      We passed several others from our group on their way down to the beach on our way back. Apparently they were treated to a visit by a herd of camels. Too funny.

      I needed a long, hot shower after that - the water in the Dead Sea has an oily quality to it. I had time to do this writeup and then do some reading before our departure at 1:00 p.m. Ruby made it to the hotel in good time.      Read more

    • TravelerMiddle East 2018
      Day 12

      Apr 13 - Bethany beyond the Jordan

      April 13, 2018 in Jordan ⋅ 🌙 27 °C

      Second post for today.....

      It's was a very warm afternoon - the high is expected to be in the mid-30's. Our first stop this afternoon was Bethany by the Jordan (Al-Maghtas).

      We saw many families pulled over on the side of the road having picnics and enjoying the warm weather.

      Bethany by the Jordan is the site of the Baptism of Jesus. (This is not the town of Bethany that is just east of Jerusalem.) The baptism of Jesus is described in the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke. John's gospel does not directly describe Jesus' baptism. Bethany by the Jordan is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. (UNESCO = United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization)

      The baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist is one of the five major milestones in the gospel narrative of the life of Jesus, the others being the Transfiguration, Crucifixion, Resurrection, and Ascension. In Roman Catholicism, the baptism of Jesus is one of the Luminous Mysteries of the Rosary.

      From the site www.baptismsite.com:

      Jesus left Nazareth, until he reached Bethany beyond the Jordan and went to John for baptism. Jesus joined in the line of penitents asking for baptism, yet he was pure, free from all sin. He was the one who would say to the Jews, “Who among you can provide evidence that I have committed a sin.” John knew of Jesus from the revelation and inspiration of the Holy Spirit (John 1:32). John, however, objected to baptizing Jesus saying, “I am the one that needs you to baptize me!” But upon Jesus’ continued insistence, John acquiesced and baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. Therefore, the water of the Jordan River became holy and all the waters that flow along the baptism site were purified, reviving the souls of people at every place and time.

      As Jesus was coming out of the water, he saw the heavens open up and the Holy Spirit descending like a dove. He heard a voice from above say, “You are my beloved son with whom I am well-pleased.” The baptism of Jesus is generally considered as the start of his ministry, shortly after the start of the ministry of John the Baptist.

      Bethany by the Jordan features Roman and Byzantine remains including churches and chapels, a monastery, caves that have been used by hermits and pools in which baptisms were celebrated, testifying to the religious character of the place. The site is a Christian place of pilgrimage.

      From the actual baptism site, we walked a short distance down to where the Jordan River now runs. Its course has been altered by erosion, earthquakes and mankind's interference. Marilyn and I were thrilled to see that we were directly opposite the site where we had renewed our baptismal vows with our Holy Land pilgrimage group last March. Israel is on the other side of the river, just a stone's throw away. There were groups there renewing their vows. There was a young father who was exhorting his two young sons to dunk in the water and to shout praises to God. Ruby says it's like home schooling, but it's home churching. We were able to stand in the water and reflect on the incredible blessing that had been bestowed on us to be able to visit such a holy place.      Read more

    • TravelerMiddle East 2018
      Day 12

      Apr 13 - Mount Nebo

      April 13, 2018 in Jordan ⋅ 🌙 26 °C

      Third post for today.....

      Today is Friday which is like Saturday for us back home. All along the side of the road, there were trucks parked selling vegetables. It was like a really long, narrow farmers' market. They had carrots, radishes, cauliflower, beets, turnips, tomatoes and fennel. Fennel looks somewhat like an onion but has a sweeter taste with almost a liquorice flavour. Ruby got some for us and passed them around. (Tried fennel at dinner tonight - it's good.) The vendors grow these vegetables in the fertile ground of the Jordan Valley. Note - there was cold pink turnip on the buffet last night. It's dyed using beet juice. It looks like candy. I didn't try it.

      From Bethany by the Jordan, we drove about an hour up to Mount Nebo. We wound our way up to the top of the mountain through incredibly rugged and forbidding mountains. We needed many switchbacks to wend our way upwards.

      From www.baptismsite.com:

      Upon Mount Nebo, God revealed Himself to Moses, as He had previously revealed Himself at Sinai, and Moses stood and looked over the Promised Land stretched out in front of him. He saw the Jordan River before him, descending from the heights of Mount Hermon into the depths of the Jordan valley.

      From Wikipedia:

      Mount Nebo is an elevated ridge in Jordan, approximately 710 metres (2,330 ft) above sea level, mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as the place where Moses was granted a view of the Promised Land. The view from the summit provides a panorama of the Holy Land and, to the north, a more limited one of the valley of the River Jordan. The West Bank city of Jericho is usually visible from the summit, as is Jerusalem on a very clear day.

      According to the final chapter of the Book of Deuteronomy, Moses ascended Mount Nebo to view the Land of Canaan, which God had said he would not enter, and to die there; he was buried in an unknown valley location in Moab.

      A serpentine cross sculpture (the Brazen Serpent Monument) atop Mount Nebo was created by Italian artist Giovanni Fantoni. It is symbolic of the bronze serpent created by Moses in the wilderness (Numbers 21:4–9) and the cross upon which Jesus was crucified (John 3:14).

      On the highest point of the mountain, Syagha, the remains of a Byzantine church and monastery were discovered in 1933. The church was first constructed in the second half of the 4th century to commemorate the place of Moses' death. The church is first mentioned in an account of a pilgrimage made by a lady Aetheria in A.D. 394. Six tombs have been found hollowed from the natural rock beneath the mosaic-covered floor of the church. In the modern chapel presbytery, built to protect the site and provide worship space, remnants of mosaic floors from different periods can be seen. The earliest of these is a panel with a braided cross presently placed on the east end of the south wall.

      On the way home, we saw shepherds with goats and sheep and the occasional camel along the road. There are stray dogs and cats all over Jordan - saw lots of them, especially the dogs that saunter lazily across the road willy nilly.

      We made one last stop - at Pearl Nebo. This place specializes in mosaics and employs many people with disabilities. We watched how mosaics are made - it is a very intricate and demanding skill. Doug and I bought two lovely mosaic hot plates to use when we eat soup and crackers for supper on Saturday nights in the living room while we watch This Old House!

      The hotel is full of families tonight. They come out from Amman (just an hour away) just for Friday night and Saturday. They swim in the two pools and enjoy the lovely buffets.

      Lots on the agenda tomorrow. It will be our last day with Ruby since we fly to Cairo on Sunday.      Read more

    • TravelerJordanien
      Day 12

      Willkommen am Toten Meer

      September 21, 2018 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 36 °C

      Am späten Nachmittag kommen wir bei der Dead Sea an. Bis morgen Mittag werden wir hier bleiben. Der Zugang zum Roten sowie zum Toten Meer ist von Jordanien aus übrigens immer nur über Hotels möglich.

      See translation
    • Traveler2016, Roadtrip, Jordanien
      Day 13

      We survived The Dead Sea

      November 13, 2016 in Jordan ⋅ ☀️ 35 °C

      Heute Nacht waren die Ohrenstöpsel ein Garant für ein wenig Schlaf. Entgegen der Eigenart meiner Freundin, Schnarchern mit voller Wucht ein Kissen ins Gesicht zu hauen, habe ich mich aufs Bettdecke zupfen beschränkt. Effektiver scheint allerdings die Vorgehensweise meiner Freundin zu sein. Nach dem Frühstück checkten wir aus, packten die Rucksäcke ins Auto und ließen uns dekadent vom Shuttle Bus die 500 Meter zum Strand fahren. Ein gewohntes Bild, von 40 Liegen waren nur zehn belegt.

      Wenn man schon mal in Jordanien ist, dann muss man auch mal im Toten Meer gebadet haben. Der Salzgehalt des Toten Meeres liegt bei bis zu 33 Prozent. Zum Vergleich: Der Salzgehalt des Mittelmeeres liegt bei durchschnittlich 3,8 Prozent. Man schwebt hier also im Wasser, sollte sich aber nicht vertun, ertrinken kann man auch im Toten Meer. Denn das salzige Wasser in größeren Mengen zu verschlucken hat schon zahlreiche Menschenleben gefordert. Wir tragen ab sofort das T-Shirt „I survived the Dead Sea“.

      Nach eine Bad in Meer und Sonne verabschiedeten wir uns. Bye bye Ramada, wir hauen wieder ab.

      Unser nächstes Ziel, die Hauptstadt Amman. Diesmal das moderne Stadtzentrum Jabal, mit vielen Bars und Restaurants. Das junge Mädel an der Touristen-Information war zwar keine große Hilfe auf der Suche nach einem günstigen Hotel, aber dafür ganz süß, sodass wir uns den auswendig gelernten Text über die historischen Sehenswürdigkeiten bis zum Schluss anhörten.

      Da uns der Besuch im Touristenbüro nicht weiter brachte, wurde doch das Smartphone zur Hilfe genommen. Und siehe da, nur ein paar Meter weiter wurden wir fündig. Ein Doppelzimmer im Antika Hotel für wir für 42 JD (55 EUR) inklusive Frühstück. Das Zimmer war zweckmäßig eingerichtet, die Lobby und Aufenthaltsraum sind wie so häufig Wohnzimmer der Betreiberfamilie. Und so saßen wir auf der Couch in der Lobby, während die Familie ein paar Meter weiter „privat“ zum Essen zusammen kam.

      Plötzlich wurden wir „brüderlich“ von einem syrisch-orthodoxen Christen aus Deutschland begrüßt, der versucht die Familienzusammenführung hier vor Ort über die Deutsche Botschaft zu klären. Das Problem: die Familie hatte zwar einen Termin bei der Botschaft in Amman, man ließ sie aber nicht über die syrische Grenze nach Jordanien einreisen. Während der seit 20 Jahren in Bielefeld lebende Syrer den Islam verteufelte und immer wieder betonte, dass Christen ja zusammenhalten müsste und die Araber auch noch so fies waren die aramäische Sprache zu klauen, dachten wir uns unseren Teil. Ein weiterer Grund den Atheismus „zu predigen“. Wer sich in Jordanien als Atheist outet, stößt allerdings auf Unverständnis, zu irgendeiner Gottheit sollte man sich lieber bekennen.

      Nach dem Gepräch brauchten wir eine Auszeit, diese fanden wir nach einem Spaziergang durch die Rainbow Street im Buffalo Wings Café, bei einem guten Salat und zwei oder drei Bierchen. Auch diese Nacht war kurz. Zum einen ist der Verkehr unheimlich laut, weil die Straße ein Mittelpunkt der örtlichen Tuning Szene zu seien scheint. Aufgemotzte Karossen, getunte Bikes, fahren die Straße rauf und runter. Sehen und gesehen werden ist hier angesagt. Zu dem riss mich gegen zwei Uhr eine lautstarke Schlägerei aus dem Schlaf. Baseballschläger scheinen als Grundausstattung und ohne Aufpreis zu jedem Auto zu gehören. Den Sieger dieser Nacht konnte ich nicht ausmachen.      Read more

      See translation

    You might also know this place by the following names:

    Wādī al ‘Uz̧aymī, Wadi al `Uzaymi, وادي العظيمي

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