Amman has rickety old buildings perched on steep hillsides with a maze of roads weaved inbetween. Driving out of the city the countryside began to flatten and we reached the bustling market town of Madaba, home of a sixth century Byzantine mosaic map. Apparently 95% of the population here are Christian, which doesn’t surprise me given the number of churches, but it does lead to an interesting investigation of the populace. Jordan has succeeded where other countries have failed. It is a melting pot of different nationalities, ethnicities and religions and people seem to live in harmony. Circassians fled persecution in Russia and found a home in Jordan, Christians settled here, not finding a welcome mat at the door of other countries, and Muslims moved in when the Roman empire softened it’s grip; everyone seeking a spot in the holy land. Looking into the eyes of Jordanians you’re never quite sure who you’re looking at. Everyone looks different. Everyone’s family roots can be traced back to different places and not necessarily from the same tree. You can spot a European or an Arab, but not a Jordanian. There are some fascinating genealogy stories to tell.
We’ve seen some spectacular scenery today. From Madaba we visit Mount Nebo, where Moses is said to have viewed the promised land, and then died. We took in the same sights of the Jordan Valley, with Jerico and Jerusalem just 40km beyond.
From there, the flat road broke away in front of us and just south of Karak (which has an cliff hugging Crusaders’ castle as its pinnacle), we found ourselves on the edge of plateau diving into a steep valley to meet the shimmering Dead Sea, which looked almost like a mirage. This is Wadi Mujib or the Grand Canyon of Jordan. The Dead Sea is 400m below sea level and it’s impression, as the lowest point on earth, was made on us just by the changing shape of the water bottle we had in our car. It was virtually crushed by the pressure. The views were breathtaking, despite the sides of the mountains glimmering with discarded packets, tins and other waste.
We’ve left all mod-cons behind for the night, having driven half an hour from the Dead Sea Road to Feynan Eco-lodge. The only electricity is solar, water has to be pumped here, and the rooms are lit by candles. Ironic that I’m using 21st century technology to record my experiences then. I’m feeling guilty so I’m going to shut the computer down and read a book… on my Kindle.
We’ve seen some spectacular scenery today. From Madaba we visit Mount Nebo, where Moses is said to have viewed the promised land, and then died. We took in the same sights of the Jordan Valley, with Jerico and Jerusalem just 40km beyond.
From there, the flat road broke away in front of us and just south of Karak (which has an cliff hugging Crusaders’ castle as its pinnacle), we found ourselves on the edge of plateau diving into a steep valley to meet the shimmering Dead Sea, which looked almost like a mirage. This is Wadi Mujib or the Grand Canyon of Jordan. The Dead Sea is 400m below sea level and it’s impression, as the lowest point on earth, was made on us just by the changing shape of the water bottle we had in our car. It was virtually crushed by the pressure. The views were breathtaking, despite the sides of the mountains glimmering with discarded packets, tins and other waste.
We’ve left all mod-cons behind for the night, having driven half an hour from the Dead Sea Road to Feynan Eco-lodge. The only electricity is solar, water has to be pumped here, and the rooms are lit by candles. Ironic that I’m using 21st century technology to record my experiences then. I’m feeling guilty so I’m going to shut the computer down and read a book… on my Kindle.
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