How many times have we all said that. It comes out of our mouths when there is something so fleeting that it cannot be caught or when it is dark or when we don't pay close enough attention...I wish I had my camera.
When we were vacationing in Jordan this last month, there was one particular occasion when I could not take pictures but if I could have seen more clearly and I could have taken pictures, I think we all would have been amazed..
We left the hotel near Petra late in the day because we were cramming all that we could in a short space of time and we wanted to spend the day taking pictures and walking. It was almost dark when we left and we were all very tired. My granddaughters fell asleep against their mother in the very back seat of the van and the rest of us just watched.
Our driver came from Amman I think and he had had a very long day already before he picked us up. We were going back north to the Dead Sea where we would spend two nights.
Now you need to understand that going into and leaving the hotels in Jordan is very interesting and does NOT inspire confidence. Metal pillars guard the entrance and exit. They come up to guard the entrance and recede into the ground when you enter or exit. We saw those pillars in Amman at the Marriot too.
We climbed into our van and my son told the driver where we were headed and the journey began. We wove our way through the city of Petra and took a side road that soon turned to a dirt road. There is a pretty substantial range of mountains between Petra and the Dead Sea. The road was one lane a great deal of the way. We passed big lorries carrying produce and several cars. Then traffic ceased all together.
We could see the tents that the sheepherders lived in lit from the within beside the road once in awhile but most of the time we saw the night. The rock cliffs beside the road lit up in the lights of the vehicle and in the blackness I wondered how big the drop off was as we traveled along.
My husband commented that the road reminded him of the ones we travels along the Snake River in eastern Oregon where the road fell away to a black body of water.
We climbed and climbed before we eventually dropped into the Dead Sea valley. It lays 1400 feet below sea level. The lights began to appear and at last we arrived at a gas station where I was allowed to use the restroom.
I wandered through the dark to a door that was lit so I could find it. It was there that I was greeted by the first squat toilet I have seen since I was in China almost 10 years ago. For the dozenth time that evening I was thinking...where is my camera?
Our driver did save a lot of time that night. We arrived at the hotel where we were again greeted by security, pillars, scanners and a pat down search. By that time we were accustomed to the routine and simply did what we needed to do. My granddaughters didn't even blink. They travel a lot and know the drill.
I wished I had had my camera out of the bag and ready but then we all know that there will be no pictures taken in the security area. As we entered the hotel we were awestruck by the luxury and beauty of the accommodations. It was gorgeous.
b+
I think you will like this post too: Middle East Travel: The Rules of the Road
When we were vacationing in Jordan this last month, there was one particular occasion when I could not take pictures but if I could have seen more clearly and I could have taken pictures, I think we all would have been amazed..
We left the hotel near Petra late in the day because we were cramming all that we could in a short space of time and we wanted to spend the day taking pictures and walking. It was almost dark when we left and we were all very tired. My granddaughters fell asleep against their mother in the very back seat of the van and the rest of us just watched.
Our driver came from Amman I think and he had had a very long day already before he picked us up. We were going back north to the Dead Sea where we would spend two nights.
Now you need to understand that going into and leaving the hotels in Jordan is very interesting and does NOT inspire confidence. Metal pillars guard the entrance and exit. They come up to guard the entrance and recede into the ground when you enter or exit. We saw those pillars in Amman at the Marriot too.
We climbed into our van and my son told the driver where we were headed and the journey began. We wove our way through the city of Petra and took a side road that soon turned to a dirt road. There is a pretty substantial range of mountains between Petra and the Dead Sea. The road was one lane a great deal of the way. We passed big lorries carrying produce and several cars. Then traffic ceased all together.
 |
| Sheepherders tents during the day...the temp lingers very near freezing all day. |
My husband commented that the road reminded him of the ones we travels along the Snake River in eastern Oregon where the road fell away to a black body of water.
We climbed and climbed before we eventually dropped into the Dead Sea valley. It lays 1400 feet below sea level. The lights began to appear and at last we arrived at a gas station where I was allowed to use the restroom.
I wandered through the dark to a door that was lit so I could find it. It was there that I was greeted by the first squat toilet I have seen since I was in China almost 10 years ago. For the dozenth time that evening I was thinking...where is my camera?
Our driver did save a lot of time that night. We arrived at the hotel where we were again greeted by security, pillars, scanners and a pat down search. By that time we were accustomed to the routine and simply did what we needed to do. My granddaughters didn't even blink. They travel a lot and know the drill.
I wished I had had my camera out of the bag and ready but then we all know that there will be no pictures taken in the security area. As we entered the hotel we were awestruck by the luxury and beauty of the accommodations. It was gorgeous.
b+
I think you will like this post too: Middle East Travel: The Rules of the Road
Sounds like a bit scary, but amazing experience.
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