Finding Nebo

If only they had a Starbuck's here, I would never leave the Dead Sea Marriot!

Pictures can’t do justice to the beauty and opulence of this place. Anything that I would attempt to capture would be insufficient, so for those who are interested, I refer you to the website (http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/qmdjv-jordan-valley-marriott-resort-and-spa/). In addition to the beaches and spa, the hotel has two movie theatres, seven restaurants and bars, a real gym with weights and aerobic machines, a games room, three swimming pools, and the mineral pool. Once you finish bathing in the sea, the attendant on the beach hands each swimmer a handful of dead sea mud (you would think I would have had enough of dirt by now), which you rub on your skin and let sit for five minutes before rinsing in fresh water. The process is supposed to cure every skin ailment known to man, not to mention leave you five pounds thinner, ten years younger, and, I suspect, fifteen times richer and happier (I will let you know…).

Environmentalists heap criticism on the Dead Sea developments, as apparently the hotels and spas use ridiculous amounts of water, which is a precious and scarce commodity in this region. Other critics point out that the resort area creates an enticing target for terrorists and thus further detracts from the local economy and development. None of this matters, however, since the area is incredibly popular with tourists and the cultural elite. But, it does speak to an underlying tension that is manifest in the extreme security measures and elevated military presence. Likewise, I found the spa treatment to be one of the most unusual, and maybe even uncomfortable, of my (rather considerable) experience.

The spa caters to both men and women, with separate wet areas, but other areas in common. Consequently, my technician, who was a Muslim, wore chador in the common areas such as the lobby, waiting area, and manicure/pedicure salon. It was only in the facial/massage rooms that she removed her abaya (the full length coat garment, usually black, worn by Muslim women) and worked in short sleeves (still with her headscarf). I didn’t have a problem with this, of course, but it felt a bit strange to be wandering around in just a bathrobe behind a woman wearing more clothing than I would normally wear on a polar expedition. There was an obvious incongruity that interfered with the pleasant and relaxing feelings that normally accompany a visit to the spa. Then again, it didn’t help that I checked my work email account before going to my appointment. I have never heard a masseuse say ‘you have tension here, and here, and here’ so many times during a single massage!

Earlier in the day we went to Bethany-Beyond-the-Jordan (site of Jesus’s baptism), and Mount Nebo, where Moses saw the Promised Land. Bethany is a strange experience, largely due to the odd mixture of politics and religion. You aren’t allowed to wander freely around the site because of the proximity to Israel, and there are armed soldiers at every turn. And, our Muslim guide did not exercise any restraint in blaming Israel for everything from the low water level of the present river (more like a stream, actually), to the frequency of fundamentalist baptisms which take place at the site. We witnessed one, which began with a lengthy testimonial and ended with the new Christian obviously wishing she hadn’t worn a blue bra under her white baptismal garment. The whole thing made me proud (and relieved) to be a baptized-at-infancy Catholic who could receive all the benefits of the site simply by dipping my fingers into the stone font.

Mount Nebo was a bit of a disappointment, largely due to the enormous crowds and the fact that the ruins are closed as the Franciscans await a shipment of essential tools for their ongoing excavation. In addition, the atmosphere was so hazy that we couldn’t see Jericho much less Jerusalem, and the hills that were visible failed to impress as a landscape after Wadi Rum and Petra.

Amil has made me promise to go for another sheesha tonight, and then tomorrow we part, with him heading to Turkey and me returning to Egypt, where I will catch the overnight train to Luxor for a few days before heading on to Sinai.

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Part of trip: Egypt and Jordan (and who knows what else?)

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