I Wish I Had My Camera

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.

Sheepherders tents during the day...the temp lingers very near freezing all day.

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.

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I think you will like this post too: Middle East Travel: The Rules of the Road

Middle East Travel: Rules of the Road

Camels inside the Petra Canyon

I continue to learn. As we travel, the rules we encounter are different yet the same. It is just a matter of filling in the blanks. If you have ever traveled, you will understand.

For example, we know that we should always keep a pair of underwear and your pills close to you. Even though this is an unwritten amen rule, we still  returned to Tucson and not one piece of luggage followed us. We had checked everything so there was no underwear or pills. Thankfully, we have a spare of most things here but my husband's pills did not turn out to be one of those things. We were in bed the next night when the luggage was finally was delivered.

Abu Dhabi, UAE

Check point on road from Amman to Petra.

I will have to admit that being in the Middle East does change some of the rules. We learned that you mustn't touch or hug your spouse in a mosque. It is forbidden.

We visited the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. As we walked through that opulent and beautiful structure, we took pictures of ourselves with our arms around the waist. We were asked to discontinue that gesture by guards monitoring the behavior of tourists that were allowed to visit. My daughter-in-law and I were also give abiyahs to wear while on the grounds. I will admit though that even if we were not required to cover ourselves, I would have done so. I do not think it is silly. It is a cultural belief and I respect that. When in Rome you know.

The Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi, UAE 

Jordan

We traveled to Jordan for 4 days. It had been warm and beautiful in Dubai and we were very surprised to find out that the temperature in Jordan would be very near freezing, particularly when you traveled through the mountains. So I am telling you, remember that the Middle East is not always warm. 

...tee-shirt, sweater, wool scarf, jacket,
tights, heavy pants and a
borrowed coat...all
on the same day.

As all experienced travelers know, you can get by in cold weather even with hot weather clothing. The secret is to just put them all on at once. You will be just fine. Sweat shirts are available almost everywhere in the world...buy one right away.

Remember that the people in the Middle East are a bit like the dromedaries that inhabit their land...they NEVER need a bathroom. Prepare for that. We flew on Royal Jordanian round trip. The plane was filled with Jordanians going both way. I think I was the only person on the plane to use the facilities more than once. We were in the air for well over 9 hours. It was very surprising!

Everywhere we go children are selling postcards or chicklets or something. Every country tells you to not support that practice because the parents are taking advantage of their children. We have all had experience with the practice. 

Still, these are children, real children with sweet smiles and warm hearts. I cannot be mean to them. We encounter this lovely young lady while walking through Petra in Jordan. When I asked her why she wasn't in school, she told me it was a holiday. (It really was.) She was 13, the same age as my granddaughter. There was a sweet connection and we photographed her with Maddie. We all knew her life was hard but she was the one that lifted us up, not the other way around.

Always be kind.

We walked slowly through the Siq canyons so the the first sight of
The Treasury would knock us off our feet...wow!

The Treasury

Granddaughter sitting on a perch among the Petra rocks.

In Jordan, Petra was one of the most amazing natural wonders I have ever seen. It sits in an ancient place where humanity lived and prospered and has survived the onslaught of tourist that walk through almost everyday of the year. My feeling was that it is not Muslim nor is it Jewish or Christian. It just is. Much like the Jordan we visited, it is a place where the old stories began and, even though those of in the West think we own those stories, they do truly belong to the Jordanian people. We only skimmed the surface but even that little bit of insight has truly changed the way I see the region.

We were told by our driver that the government takes care of it's own people. It was very expensive for us but the locals manage just fine. The average wage for it's people is around $400 (dinars perhaps) a year. The herders and tribe member are supported in this culture so they continue to work and don't abandon their family history. Lower level education is free for everyone and college is free for many. Nothing is fancy but everything seemed to be cared for.

There is no where on the face of this earth that is completely safe. There never has been. We are well aware of what is going on around us even here in Tucson. Jordan is no different. The little country is rocky and caught between other rocky places. As we traveled with our taxi drivers, we were stopped many times at checkpoints. Soldiers were surprised that American would be traveling through the countryside. Hotel entrances had pillars that retracted into the ground to keep them safe. Soldiers stood at intersections in Amman and submachine guns were mounted on the back of trucks. Did we feel afraid? Never. Life goes on. I do realize that one day something might happen that scares us a lot but until then we are just careful.

Check point near the Dead Sea.

Dubai

Dubai remains a wonderful reinvented place. The country has turned this very dry and sandy place into an other-worldly city. The tallest building in the world, Burj Khalifa, is so tall that when we traveled up to the observation deck (not the top at all) our photos came out looking as though we were flying over the city. 

The Burj Khalifa

View from the top of the Burj Khalifa

Resorts in 5 star hotels provide stunning views of the Arabian Gulf and golf courses brag about world class designers and professional golf tournaments. 

Fairmont Hotel (5 Stars)

And surrounding all this is a population of expats living in designed communities and working at well paying jobs. Servants and service employees are imported from Pakistan, India and Far Eastern locations. Superhighways that spring up with amazing speed are traffic jams at quitting time. This is in a country that did not even exist until 1971. 

We visit our son and his family when we go to the country. They live in what the country calls "affordable" housing that rents for around $50,000 per year. The designed community has it's own grocery, restaurants, hardware store etc. 

Typical affordable housing.

We walked to the store daily. A neighborhood pool serves the residence and includes a life guard that also enforces Islamic law...no playing cards (gambling) and things like that. Westerners don't pay much attention unless there is a rule that might cost a fine if broken. It is very safe and peaceful for the most part.

I have so many more pictures and stories but that is all for today. Enough is enough!

Have a wonderful week.

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"Amaze Your Eyes" he said.

Temple of Hercules, Amman

Petra

View of Marriot when we arrive in Petra

The Grand Mosque, Abu Dabai

We all take pictures and read the guide books. If you or anyone wants information about Dubai or Jordan, please go to the websites or books. I am not going to talk about the history or statistics. I am going to tell you about what will "amaze your eyes". 

We have been in the Middle East for over two weeks now. During that time we have visited the beautiful Burj Kalifa in Dubai and the Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi. We have been in Amman, Petra and the Dead Sea in Jordan. We have ridden in taxis', Uber cars and vans. Our children have two cars here so we have been transported in them shopping at the spice market. I love a ride in a car as well as the next guy but I am not going to talk about that either.

I need you to imagine the voices of people and visualize their story. 

We were standing in the lobby of the Marriot in Petra. A taxi would take us to the ancient and glorious Petra UNESCO World Heritage Site for a day of walking and marveling at what nature and man can create. A hotel lobby vender appeared inviting us into his shop where ceramic pieces adorned with gold and silver were displayed. 

"Come in," he said, "Amaze your eyes."

How could you not just love that. He was sincere and honestly pleased when I compliments his use of the English language. "Why don't I use my language is beautifully as you?" I asked. I looked directly at him for the first time and saw the pleasure he took from a few kind words. "Thank you. You have made my day." It was a phrase I heard over and over. 

Jordan is a very poor place on the face of this earth. Not blessed by an abundance of oil nor even given soil that is not rocky, the people continue to live as they alway have.They plants crops in that soil and harvest salt and potash from the Dead Sea.  Sheep and goat herders camp beside the paved roads. A man that owns a camel is very wealthy. (Their income is supplemented by the government so they can maintain their culture.) ,The temperature hovers at 3 degrees centigrade at night in the deserts and we could see the glow of lights from within the tents they called home.

In this country you travel alone with a taxi driver if you are not with a tour group. Ours drove us from Amman to Petra taking the long way. We drove past the Dead Sea over the mountains as the winds blew so hard we hung on to rocks in order to take the photos we wanted. 

How did we happen to meet him. Well...we were leaving the Citadel in Amman when we gathered up two taxis that would take us back to our hotel. Our driver showed us a Lonely Planet guide book that mentioned his name. 

"If you need a driver for tomorrow I will make you a deal". My son and daughter-in-law handle the details of these trips and they were the ones that made the deal. We travel on a wing and a prayer. What can I say?

We talked with our driver of his family of 7 children and his three girls that destroyed remote controls for the TV and two small boys, one that wanders the neighborhood and another that stays close to his mamma day and night. He said visiting his house was very like visiting the zoo. Shawki Dahier (079-5818993)) was his name and we grew to love his outgoing charm. 

We stopped on a mountainside to use the water closet and have a cup of Turkish coffee. A Jordanian man made Turkish coffee inside his small dwelling and we were invited in so gather up what warmth there was. We laughed as we sipped our very hot sweet drink. Mosha Kanan, (079-9966621), the other driver, smiled at my grandchildren and we all were at peace. (Please, remember where I am.)

We were stopped at check points where Jordanian soldier leaned into our taxi to thank us for coming to his country. 

As we walked through Petra, the children that were suppose to be in school approached us with postcards. If we declined they simply gave them to us. We did not have to give them money but of course, like everyone else, we did. They played on the rocks and round corners while they waited for the next group to pass. Petra was their school and playground.

There were rules when visiting this place. I laughed as I read the illustrated instructions:

1. Do not buy things from the children. They are suppose to be in school. 
2. Do not ride the little donkeys if you are fat. The donkeys are just little creatures and we need to be kind to them.
3. Do not pick up the rocks.

I asked the children why they were not in school. "Tomorrow" they said. The little creatures had all the right answers. Survival was their life.

We then spent two nights at the Dead Sea in what I was consider luxurious digs. My family swam in the Dead Sea and rubbed the black mud all over their bodies and then swam in the sea again. I was treated to a Salt and Aromatic Oils treatment. 

All the while I was there, I could not stop thinking about the Bedoins that chose to live in their caves and the herders that were given a supplemental income by the government so that they would continue to work as they always had. Cultures around the world are like this but I am always amazed at how it works.

We returned to Amman yesterday. The road we traveled gave us a very good view of Mt. Nebo, the place where Moses stood to look over the promised land. On the other side of that mountain the lay the place that King Solomon called home. This was where he chose to marry his niece Salome. Our taxi driver told us the story of the Prophet John, King Solomon and the woman he want to marry but was forbidden to do so. It was "haram".

His Jordanian accent gave the very old tale a wonderful new meaning for me. I loved his story telling skill. He was very humble saying that his English was not good. I could only think that his words were like hearing a song and I told him so. His face reflected his joy back to me.

I have hundreds of pictures I must sort through when I return to Tucson, Az. In the meantime I will let you create pictures of your own in your mind. 

Have a wonderful day.

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Please forgive typing errors. I am working on a very old iPad.