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Published: April 4th 2012
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It was an early departure to start our Jordanian adventure outside of the capital.
First stop was Mt Nebo, where Moses is said to have seen the promised land for the first time. Lucky for us it was a clear day, so we had views all the way to Israel. Our British travel companion got her way in the end and a stop to see St George Church in Madaba was included in our itinerary. The church boosts a mosaic map, covering a large section of the Church's floor. The map is of lands that are now known as Jordan, Egypt, Israel, Syria, Palestine and Iraq. Through earthquakes, parts of the mosaic have been damaged, but considering the map dates back to 6th century AD, it is quite impressive it is in as good condition as it is.It was back on the bus to our next destination, the Dead Sea. Passing through the mountainous landscape, we dropped to 423 meters below sea level to reach our stop. After a delicious lunch we all made a run for it to the waters edge. After a few minutes of floating, trying to make each other sink and of course taking a few prerequisite
photos of floating while reading a newspaper, I had to get out. My body was covered in rashes and the burning was really painful. Once the stinging subsided, we then covered ourselves head to toe in mud of the Dead Sea. It is said the water & mud have healing qualities and can cure skin ailments and help boost the "natural quality of the skin". Our last stop for day before reaching Petra was Kerak Castle. The Ancient Crusader Castle became a legend between the Crusaders and the Muslim armies during the 12th Century battles. Some the Castle has been lost to ruin, but much of it is still in good condition. Back on the bus we continued our journey down the Kings Highway to Petra. After a delicious dinner of chicken Shwarma & felafel sandwiches it was off to bed before our early morning start the following day to explore The Pink City, known to us as Petra. Petra, home of the Biblical Edomites dating back to 1200BCE, is a city cut from multi coloured rock, both naturally and man made. The Nabateans fell to the Romans in 106AD and the caravan trade route was then moved, thus making
Petra lost to the world. Mostly forgotten except in Bedouin folk tales, a Swiss Explorer rediscovered Petra in 1812 and the site continues to be excavated to this day. The long, winding walk through the Siq, a narrow passage between the sandstone walls, gives you your first glance of the majestic treasury. If you have ever seen Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade, it is the amazing rose coloured structure Indy & his father exit from in the last scene, before riding off into the sunset on horses. The sheer size and intricacies of the Treasury do have to be seen to be believed. It was one of those moments that takes your breath away, only to be brought back by the other tourists scrambling to get that perfect photo and the touts pushing a sale. My favourite I heard over and over throughout the day.... "Camel ride for you" in an over exaggerated Boston accent.Our touring continued on and I was amazed at the size of the complex. A further 8 exhausting (and sweaty) hours later we had walked and climbed up every last known site in the complex from the now discarded Bedouin caves, to Royal Tombs and
the 800 steps up to The Monastery, which in fact is larger than The Treasury.After a further 2 hour hike uphill back to our hotel, Jess and I were well and truly exhausted. We treated ourselves to a Turkish Bath, which starts with a steam, then is followed by a scrub, body conditioning and massage. Every last trace of dirt and sweat was gone and we felt a million times better for it! For me, Petra was what I was most looking forward to on this trip and it did not disappoint! Inshallah, I will be back again one day X
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