...the second day in petra was for me an r & r day...lounging by the pool (wonderful) but then plans changed...our jordanian guide, haitham, decided that we needed to experience an overnight in the desert...wadi rum...so briana and i (up for yet another jordanian adventure) trundled off to the desert...these mountains are really interesting because they are not full of trees and rocks like in the rockies but are just mounds of hardened sand with all kinds of shapes, nooks and crannies carved into them...
...we arrived at our desert camp 'palm camp' at about 4 in the afternoon...these camp is run by bedouins and is a series of tents, some made out of goat's hair, some canvas, some palm leaves...we were in a canvas tent...there was a large lounging area that had 'couches' of some sort with pillows and other types of arm rests (somewhat reminiscent of the roman times where they lounged around...only we had no one to feed us grapes, the eating area was also in a big tent which was covered and had sides but the one side was open...there were tables and chairs but very rustic...
...we lounged around for a while and then haitham arranged for us to take a jeep (which actually turned out to be a pick up truck where we sat on a bench in the back) out to see the sunset...the sand was very red in places and we tried climbing up the side of one of the mountains about knee deep in sand...my knees didn't last long so i let the 'younguns' go for it and then took pictures of haitham as he rolled down the hill...boys will be boys!!...we saw the sun set with its reflection of the red sand...beautiful and then sat on a sand dune listening to the quiet...very peaceful and serene...our truck driver, i found out after having a little conversation with him (translated by haitham) was a 17 year old bedouin named absalom...i asked him if he had a girlfriend but he just smiled and said he was looking for a foreigner to be his wife...i asked him if he would like to move away from wadi rum and again with his smiling face, he answered that it was his destiny to be there and he accepted that...i asked him many more questions, one of which was whether or not he goes to school...the answer NO...another was what does he eat...his family eats dates, camels milk and bread...everyday, every meal!!!...seems pretty boring to me but he said it was a very healthy diet and one he likes...he likes driving the truck for the foreigners and he seems pretty happy with his simple existence...we should all live such a simple life!!...after driving up and down a few more dunes, we returned to get ready for dinner...
...dinner consisted of meat that was cooked underground on a grate inside a large can and then covered with sand...very interesting and very delicious...the remainder of the meal consisted of rice, vegetables, and hummous...i didn't mention but haitham got us an incredible deal for this trip...15 jordanian dinars...about equivalent to $22 canadian...everything we did on that trip was a 'deal' thanks to haitham and his contacts...
...after dinner we sat over in the lounge area and chatted until about midnight...night time in the camp was especially lovely because they had lights in various holes in the mountains that looked like stars...so beautiful...just before midnight, we were given an oil lamp and told that the lights would be going out soon...when that happened it was VERY DARK but the stars were magnificent...reminiscent of being in northern ontario...something you miss out on in the city...
...sleeping there was a little difficult because there were dogs barking, tent noises and just a slight eery feeling of being out in the wild...however, i did sleep for a while until nature called and i had to step outside the tent and....well you know...
...in the morning, we climbed one of the smaller mountains by the camp and then went for a walk...not many places to go in the desert...after a short walk, i returned to sit in the lounge area and do some crosswords and enjoy the peace and tranquility...we had some lunch and then our driver (a colleague of haitham's) came to drive us to the dead sea...
...that drive turned out to be extended as haitham thought we should stop by aquaba on the red sea to see the beach...he pointed out that from that vantage point we could see israel and egypt side by side...the whole arab/jewish conflict is so evident even though jordan is neutral and tries to be friends with all nations...their late king hussein was a champion for peace while he was alive...
...somehow, again through haitham's negotiations, we ended up on a glass bottom boat, driven by a small, weathered, chain-smoking jordanian who had the brownest teeth i have ever seen (what teeth he had left)...unfortunately, our short time in aquaba turned into about 2.5 hours because we kept going out farther and farther to try to see some fish in this glass bottomed boat...unsuccessful...but we did manage to get drenched on the way back because the sea was quite rough...this was such a 'male/female' conflict...each time we got hit with a wave, haitham was in gales of laughter and briana and i were cowering in the middle of the boat grimacing as we sat covered in salty sea water...the 'captain' was apologetic but we knew he had no control over the waves...finally we arrived back at the dock and we continued on our way to the dead sea...which took about another 3 hours...i was so bored by the time we got to the marriott but chocked it up to 'another jordanian adventure'...
...the marriott was AMAZING...gorgeous hotel with 3 pools overlooking the dead sea...the other ladies had got there about 4 hours ahead of us so they had already been floating in the sea as well as had booked some spa appointments for the next day...the spa was a little bit of heaven with wonderful therapeutic smells that caressed your senses on entering the place...i booked a dead sea mud wrap envelopment... i was really looking forward to that new experience...
...we all ate dinner together at an italian restaurant...good but not exceptional...and after walking around the grounds for a while, headed to bed...i was exhausted from all the sea wind and water from earlier on...sleep came quickly and was welcomed...
...next morning (wednesday)we had a breakfast buffet and then took a van ride to mount nebo (site of where moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness foreshadowing christ on the cross - very inspiring)...we went into a church there and witnessed a mass being held in french, i lit a candle in memory of mom and other departed friends and relatives, took some pictures and tried not to get blown off the mountain...incredible gale force winds up there that day...next stop was macaba where the others were interested in seeing the mosaics for which the area is famous...i bought a few things at one of the little shops and then we continued on to our last stop which was the original site of Jesus' baptism...that was really interesting and reminded me of a song that i used to sing entitled, "i walked today where Jesus walked'...such a meaningful place to be for Christians...it made me want, even more, to go to the holy land...something which will have to be done AFTER my time in kuwait because i couldn't get back into kuwait if i had been to israel...on maps in kuwait, israel is blacked out as if it doesn't exist...hmmmm!!...
...getting back to the site of the baptism...the original site was a big empty hole because the river jordan is dried up there but we were taken to the current site and saw the river there...it still is as dirty as the Bible talks about it...across the banks of the Jordan we could see israel...so near and yet so far...someday i will go there...
...after returning to the hotel, we went for a float in the dead sea...the lowest point on earth...343 metres below sea level...the amount of salt in the sea is incredible and not something you want to get in your eyes or mouth...VERY SALTY...very hard to not float...lots of fun...at one point we floated over to some stairs where they had a huge pot of mud which of course we applied to our bodies...we looked like dark green monsters...and, yes, we took pictures...
...briana, christina and i had a snack, then some ice cream and then i went to the spa for my mud treatment...a new favourite spa treatment for me...it was so relaxing...i first was scrubbed with olive oil and salt to exfoliate, then showered, then had the mud applied all over including my face...then i was wrapped in plastic and heated blankets and then left to rest for about 15 minutes...wonderful...
...briana and i went back into amman to experience some jordanian night life with our jordanian guide...fun...but the reality of our vacation coming to an end was beginning to hit home...
...must sign off for now but will continue later...
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