Blogs from West, Jordan, Middle East - page 8

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 ... read more

Hey guys, Well our travels into the Middle East had us cross over from Egypt into Jordan. We ended up getting a transfer from Aqaba to Wadi Moussa otherwise known as Petra. After checking into our hostel we headed to the lost city of Petra, this site is so spectactular that we dedicated two full days to discover all it has to offer. When you first arrive you walk for close to half an hour through a large sandstone valley. When you finally reach the last turn you are offered your first peak at the Treasury Building, easily the most recognisable and most impressive building found at Petra. When you do finally breach the valley and enter the courtyard in front of the Treasury and take in all its beauty you know you are looking at ... read more

Wow what a day of travel! We started out in Beirut, drove across Syria and ended our day floating in the Dead Sea! It was a day of seeing the countryside and border crossings. It was amazing how each country handled their military and border police. Most of the time in Syria and Lebanon was spent greasing palms. The process in Jordan was expensive, but efficient. If you were to look at our pictures or over hear our conversations, you may think that we travel just to eat or that we spend our time between meals thinking about the next meal...so what? Maybe we do! I was not joking about our meal plans... before ending our day in Jordan at the Dead Sea, we started the morning in Beirut eating crepes on the street. Kyle had ... read more

Wow, so much to write. Internet has been a little spotty - deal. Bethany, Nathan, McKenzie, and Rachel took me to the bus station in Fang, for the 3-hour van ride to Chiang Rai. I already miss them - crap. I sat next to a monk on the ride down, and he knew English fairly well. He even negotiated me a kickin' fare for a tuk-tuk back to the airport! Steve's travel hint for today: when your new monk friend negotiates your fare, you win. The flight to BKK was uneventful - I ended up spending a little more than I normally would to get a decent hotel right near the airport. It even had a fitness center - spot on. As I planned my Jordan itinerary on the flight to Abu Dhabi, I began to ... read more

The night under canvas went very quickly - for me. Others complained at the noise coming from the dogs, the little train, the odd vehicle, snoring, but I heard nothing - apart from the occasional mosquito trying to get a quick bite. I heard nothing until 06h15 that is when Bassam wandered through camp urging everyone to get up. Breakfast was a simple affair - strong coffee, pitta bread dipped in olive oil and herbs and hard boiled eggs. By 07h00, the bus was packed and nine sleepy adventures headed for 5 hours across the Jordanian Desert back towards the north. To pass the time, we managed a group crossword, although next time I recommend that the person with the pen has some numeracy and language skills!!!! Coming off the Desert Highway, we joined the Dead ... read more