Blogs from Petra, South, Jordan, Middle East - page 6

We were scheduled for an early pick-up and did out best to comply, but we had a hard time getting going. First, we couldn’t find the Petra tickets that we were supposed to have. After we gave up and left the hotel, it took about 15 minutes for us to realize that we’d forgotten our passports. When we got back to the hotel, they told us they’d found them within 2 minutes of our departure, but had no way to contact us. We had planned a hike to the Monastery, one of the major buildings in Petra for this day. Ali met us near the entrance to Petra and we boarded a beat-up four-wheel drive and headed off up the mountains. The four-wheel drive had several problems, the most significant being that the exhaust leaked into ... read more

Today is the day. I'm so excited! I've been wanting to see Petra for ages and I was so ready to get this adventure started! We had a good breakfast at Bait Ali Camp, where they baked us bread, made me eggs, and allowed me to sip some good tea in peace. Then it was time to high tail it to Petra! We chugged our way up the big grade out of Wadi Rum area and into the hills, where we veered left for the road to Petra. Holy crap - I knew there were some mountains, but this road reminded me of the Santa Monica Mountains between the 101 and the Bu. And we were going 100 kph (Matt was driving...) There was a cool sign where there is an incline and a car heading ... read more

"I live in a neighbourhood so bad that you can get shot while getting shot." Chris Rock So lies Jordan, the quiet cul-de-sac of calm and serenity within the rough neighbourhood of the Middle East. It sits impassively trying to ignore the noisy neighbours it borders (Syria, Iraq, Israel and Egypt, plus Lebanon around the corner), plays peacemaker when tempers start to fray and accepts newcomers to the area when they try to escape their own streets. A country that straddles the holiest lands mentioned throughout the Bible and Quran that at every turn has a story about Moses, Jesus or Mohamed. A land that has seen Persians, Babylonians, Greeks, Nabateans, Romans, Islam and Ottomans all passing through leaving their mark. The result of all this is a small country that punches well above its weight ... read more

Sat in the harem of Nabil in a rectangular room of cushions and a central dancing pole, everyone chanted in near harmony those words, all the while wondering if this serenade had actually worked on a local Jordanian as a pick up line. Nabil’s hotel in Dana, our next destination, offers not only match making services but is an adventure travelers agency for tours into the dry mountainous valleys south of the Dead Sea. Sadly after one night we departed the Dead Sea Spa Resort, the swanky rooms, muddy therapeutic shores and smoke filled foyer, cramming our refreshed bodies into the minibus with bottles of water and backpacks at our knees. Goodbye to the non Western women clad in burkas wearing full-body-lycra aquatic clothing, goodbye to the lifeguards that have never seen a competent swimmer from ... read more

Today, I finally came eye to eye with the Treasury in Petra, but first we visited preview: Little Petra. But the day started early: a hike in Dana Biosphere Reserve. But, we started the day with simple but delicious breakfast. The Dana hotel, is a simple hotel, but quit atmospheric and hospitable. I've really had the idea that I stayed in a small, local mountain town, middle in the biosphere. That's true; however, this town is supporting tourism. It breaths hospitable, and there are other tourists, staying in other hotels as well, in town. From the other hand it doesn't feel completely "live as the locals". The feeling of "living like the locals" can be better achieved in the Wadi Rum. But of course, the local experience is not why you visit Dana; the only reason ... read more