Blogs from Jordan, Middle East - page 10

So, back on the bus it was. You know, that once a day bus from Petra back to Amman? Well, there's certainly enough business to run a more frequent service because as well as those of us with booked seats and tickets there was a significant number of other people who were on 'standby', ready to fill any empty seats. What a scrum! And, yes, I do realise that queuing is not a concept that is understood or adopted everywhere but I do think the concept of fair play is, or should be. As soon as I realised that those on standby were just pushing to the front and sitting in any vacant seat, despite a chappie on the bus trying to get everyone into their rightful place, I stuck out every protruding bone I had ... read more

We had to get up early to catch the bus to Petra. Now, I'm normally an early riser but this was early even for me and it was still the middle of the night for Steve! The alarm went off at 4.15 am and were eating breakfast at 5.30. We'd decided to travel with a couple of holdalls rather than take the suitcases so we left those behind at the hotel and wandered down to catch the bus. The place was heaving, even at that time of day! We eventually left at 6.45 rather than 6.30 but I didn't really want those extra minutes in bed anyway .... The journey was uneventful on smooth-ish roads, driving through mainly rocky, sandy countryside. We saw some sheep and goats but very little agriculture. We stopped at the Half ... read more

Jordan springs to mind a laid back, desert with humble people living off the Dead sea, the lowest point on Earth (423 m, 1,388 feet below sea level). It is a region which has given rise to three religions which have spread extensively. I had four days to explore this wonderful place. Jordan is a country with so much aridity that a little greenery is welcomed with hope. Nomads of Edomite tribes named Nabateans (originally from Saudi Arabia) settled down near small springs in the arid deserts. Water meant everything. However, I found that the bleak desert also has its own beauty. The big eyes with long eyelashes of the graceful camels or the green fig trees sprouting in the crevices are delightful. I flew Royal Jordan Airways and enjoyed the spicy breads for breakfast. We ... read more

This morning after an early breakfast, Renata and I headed back to Petra to start climbing to the High Place of Sacrifice, recommended by our Tour Guide. On the way to the High Place of Sacrifice we had to pass through the Siq, a 1.2 kilometer long gorge. The Siq The Siq is the entrance to the city of Petra. It is a narrow passage cut through sandstone architecture as a result of rain and wind. It is beautiful to behold and in the morning it lights up with red-pink hues. The Siq also contains a water conduit system along the sides, where rain water can be collected and transported to the various areas of Petra. Inside the Siq there are sculptures carved into the rock. One sculpture is of a camel caravan, with two merchants ... read more

Today, was a travel day as we left our tropical paradise of Dahab to the secluded desert of Wadi Rum. The Ferry from Nuweiba to Aqaba From Dahab, the group drove to the ferry terminal in Nuweiba. We said goodbye to our Egyptian tour guide and after going through customs we left to board the ferry. From Nuweiba we took the ferry leaving for Aqaba, which only departs when it is full. So we unfortunately had to wait a long time on the ferry before it left. There was not much to do on the ferry except wait, sleep and read. The group was relieved when we finally reached Aqaba. We did not reach Aqaba until late in the evening. In Aqaba, we met up with our Jordanian tour guide and other tourists who were joining ... read more