On the Road Home

21 March 2008

I was out in the lobby before 11:00 PM and waited for the car to take us to the Amman Airport, which was named for King Hussein’s third wife who died. The car was late, but we arrived in plenty of time as the flight was scheduled for 3:05 AM. You have to go through metal detectors twice, which doesn’t make much sense to me, but then what do I know about security. The first time was just about upon entry to the airport and the second time was when we went into the boarding area. We finally boarded the plane and took off about on time. The plane was full; there wasn’t an empty seat on the plane. Seating was six across and I got stuck with a middle seat. I prefer an aisle seat. I think that I fell asleep because I was exhausted.

We landed at the Frankfurt Airport roughly on time which was about 6:40 AM local time. I had to ask instructions multiple times to locate the gate for my flight which unfortunately does not leave until 1:30 PM local time. This is a seven hour layover, which does not please me, but at least my luggage is booked through. I’m too tired to do anything and there is really no place I can sleep.

We boarded the plane roughly on time. Unfortunately we sat on the runway for almost two hours. There had been rain in Frankfurt and the plane had to be de-iced. We finally took off. The flight was fine. We made it to Newark with no problem. I had a minor problem getting my super shuttle home.

Jerash (AKA Antioch)

Hadrian's Arch constructed by the people of Jerash to welcome Emperor Hadrian
Theatre with capacity of 5,000 people suggesting that the population of Jerash was 50,000
Inscription on wall indicating when Theatre was built. Guide explaining
Former Jordanian Army Musicians


Roman ruins in background
Temple of Artemis in background
Sign at entrance of Temple


Last remaining, surviving fresco at top of arch

20 March 2008

After breakfast at the Mosaico Restaruant, we took off for ancient Jerash also know as Antioch. Jerash is considered to be one of the three best preserved Roman cities. The other two are Ephasis in Turkey and Pompeii in Italy. We drove up from the Dead Sea. Our guide mentioned a project in talk between Israel and Jordan to try to get more water into the Dead Sea which is losing about 3 feet a year. The idea is to bring water in from the Gulf of Eliat or Aqaba (depending on which side of the border that you are on). Apparently there is enough of a drop to generate some electricity and potentially to run a desalinization plant.

As we drove to Aman, you could see the beautiful green fields of vegetables growing. In theory we could see Mt Nebo, but it wasn’t a clear view. We drove through Aman, which is a very clean, modern city. We arrived in Jerash. We entered through Hadrian’s gate which the populace built to welcome Emperor Hadrian in about 150 CE. We continued walking until we reached one of the gates of the city. We saw the hypodrome which was used for chariot races and gladiator contests. There is sand on the ground to absorb blood and that is where we get the name arena for a sport’s stadium. Our next stop was the theatre, which was able to seat about 5,000 people, which means that the population of the city was about 50,000. Some former army musicians played the bagpipes and drums.

Our next stop was the Temple of Artemis or Diane. There was another temple nearby that had been converted to a church during the Byzantium period. The Temple of Artemis, which was the G-ddess that was the protector of the city, was the largest. It had not been converted to a church, but its building blocks had been taken to be used in other building projects. We then walked down to the entrance of the temple and onto the Cardo Maximus. The street was paved with the stones at a 45 degree angle. The reason was that chariots had iron wheels that would have destroyed the stone streets. In addition there were the equivalent of man holes to drain the rain water away.

I walked down the Cardo Maximus to the gate and then onto the parking lot where the bus was parked. I joined the others on the bus and we headed for Lebanon House for lunch. The food was as usual great Middle Eastern food. After lunch, we loaded into the bus and headed back to the hotel.

Back at the hotel, I prepared for my hot stone massage. I had a very tight schedule. My massage was scheduled for 5:00 PM, our farewell banquet for 7:00 PM, my luggage had to be out by 10:30 PM and I leave at 11:00 PM for Amman for a 3:00 AM flight.

I headed over to the spa at about 4:30 PM where I went into the steam room for about 20 minutes and then was escorted upstairs to wait. The massage was excellent. I noticed that most of the masseuses appeared to be European, Pilipino or Asian. Most of the woman on the trip had some sort of massage done and loved it.

The farewell banquet was held in the Italian restaurant, because Bill felt that we would be tired of Middle Eastern food by now. It was quite pleasant. I’m sorry to see the trip end. In addition to the planned sight-seeing, which I’ve thoroughly enjoyed, I’ve truly enjoyed the intelligent conversation from so many divergent points of view.

My suitcase is packed. Now I need to pack my back pack and go.

Madaba, Jordan

Picture of mosaic map dated to 300 CE
Making sure that I got the name of the city correctly
Section of map showing the Jordan river. Note the last fish is swimming away from the Dead Sea.
This part of the map shows Jerusalem, but the name given is the Roman renaming of the city.

19 March 2008

We had to get luggage out by a relatively civilized 7:00 AM to leave the Movenpick Hotel at about 8:00 AM. Since I fell asleep last night at about 9:00 PM, I had no trouble getting up at 6:00 AM without a call. I get my suitcase out a bit early, but that is all right. My next stop was to settle my account which consisted of 7 Jordanian Dinars for an hour of internet use. Things were a bit chaotic in the dining room this morning, but I was able to eat and get my two cups of coffee.

We loaded onto the bus and took off. We were riding on what is called the Desert Highway. The other road which is called the King’s Highway would have taken longer. It was desert scenery with hills in the distance. We had a rest stop where I picked up the T shirts for family and that finishes my “required” shopping.

Our next stop was in Madaba, which in Aramaic means city or spring of fruit. We went to the Church of St George which has a mosaic which was mainly destroyed in the process of building the church. The mosaic is or was a map of the Holy Land at about 300 CE. While it is not accurate, it is interesting. After a short time looking at the map, we headed to the Haret Jdoudna Restaurant. It was typical Jordanian food and was very good. They had the salads followed by a meat dish. By the time, they brought the meat dishes, I was so full from the salads that I really couldn’t eat anything else.

We loaded up into the bus and started. At the corner, the bus couldn't turn. There was a pick-up truck parked at the corner; consequently either the bus driver or guide got into the truck and moved it so that the bus could turn!

We also stopped at a mosaic factory where they make mosaics and furniture. Some of their pieces were very beautiful. I was looking for a mosaic tray, but they didn’t have it.

We passed Mount Nebo, but couldn't stop because the church at that site is under repair. I guess this is my one disappointment on this trip.

Out last stop for the day is the Jordan Valley Marriott, where I intend to take advantage of the spa facilities.

After my luggage was delivered to my room, I changed into my bathing suit and cover-up and headed for the pool area. I lounged for a while and then I headed down to the Dead Sea. There were two young men skimming rocks, which reminded me of Poquot. It turns out they were students at MIT. I got into the water and rested for a while as the sun went down. I walked back to my room. It was about the equivalent of five or six flights of stairs. My skin felt like it was drawing from the salt. As soon as I got back to my room, I showered and through on some clothes to go get something light for dinner. Bill, the tour leader, suggested the bar. I met Warren and his wife and while I ate a salad, we had a very interesting discussion. After finishing, I headed back to my room to update my blog and check my e-mail

Petra

Petra, Jordan


Tomb in the Siq
Sign describing the Siq
In the Siq - note Roman built road
First glimpse of the "Treasury Building"
"Treasury Building" famous from "Indian Jones and the Last Crusader"
Note the three "nobleman" and the large crowds
Sign describing site
View down the road
Another tomb that is similar to the "Treasury"
Note the fascinating colors in the rocks. These colors are completely natural
Point to the stairs carved in the rocks
I couldn't figure out if this is a natural rock formation or if it was carved.

18 March 2008

We left for Petra at about 8:30 AM. Our guide suggested that we walk if at all possible. The carts are very bumpy and the horses or donkeys can’t take you very far especially for what they charge. For the most part Petra hasn’t changed since I was here in 1997. The “Treasury” which is actually a tomb which was later used as a temple is as striking as ever. Our guide was significantly better than the guide that I had then. Unfortunately Montezuma’s revenge had struck me and I was constantly seeking bathrooms. Apparently there are only two bathrooms available for public use; one near the Roman Theatre and the other near the restaurant at the end of the excavated area. According to our guide, only about 9 percent of Petra has been excavated. On the way back instead of seeing the Roman built street with columns, I elected to climb to the higher point and see the relatively newly excavated Byzantium Church. It has some marvelous mosaics. An awning has been constructed to protect the Mosaics. This awning has been paid for by the U. S. government. Another entity that may not have been visible when I was in Petra in ’97 was a temple dedicated to either Zeus or Jupiter. I think I made the correct choice in seeing the mosaics in the Byzantium church.

Some of the colors in the rocks are fantastic. They look different when you leave than when you enter. To the right of the “Treasury”, there is a rock that appears to be cantilevered out from the rock wall. The question in my mind is this a natural phenomenon or is it man-made?

Walking back was a real effort. I don’t know whether the problem was that I am not in very good shape or the effects of Montezuma’s revenge. I had to stop multiple times, BUT I made it.

After I got back to the hotel, I take a nice hot shower and a nap. I had planned to wake up at about 5:30 PM since we were scheduled to leave for the restaurant at about 6:00 PM. Unfortunately I woke up at about 5:55 PM and just about had to jump into my clothes. The restaurant was interesting in that we participated in the cooking. I was just too tired. The food was excellent and as we left, they gave us the recipes for what had been cooked.

As soon as I got back to the hotel, I forced myself to upload my pictures and then fell asleep.

Saint Catherine's Monastery

Arriving at St Catherine's Monastery Airport
Note compass directions on floor are in Hebrew

On the road heading to St Catherine's monastery
Couldn't figure out what the woman is doing on the hill
"Burning Bush" next to me
Above entry to Church
Shot into church. Picture taking in church was forbidden
Monastery Bell Tower
"Burning Bush" is above me
"Burning Bush" above me
"Burning Bush" again
Heading down the hill
Map of area
Decorations in front of Motel where we had lunch

St Catherine’s Monastery and on to Jordan

17 March 2008

I managed to get my luggage out by 5:00 AM and was down to breakfast by 5:30 AM. We left the hotel in the ball park of 6:00 AM and headed for Cairo airport for our 8:00 AM departure. We flew to St Catherine’s. The airport had apparently been built when Israel controlled the Sinai. The floor of the terminal building had the compass directions in Hebrew. We arrived at the monastery at about 10:00 AM. Visiting the monastery was interesting. We saw what was claimed to be the well where Jethro’s daughter offered Moses water. We saw the church itself with a silver casket which it is claimed contains relics of St Catherine. We also saw the bush that is claimed to be the burning bush that Moses saw. It may or may not be the actual bush, but it is probably the same species. We also saw the museum which contains many ancient manuscripts. We also saw where the bones of the monks who had died at the monastery. I found it slightly repulsive. In one section, they have all the skulls and in another section, they have the other bones. I bought something in the monastery for Brydie.

We went to a restaurant which was Anwar Sadat’s favorite rest spot. We had a pleasant lunch. I was impressed with the hotel. The cabins were constructed of the native Sinai stone. From the restaurant, we headed back to the airport where I noticed a line indicating the direction to Eliat and another line indicating the direction to Jerusalem.

The flight to Aqaba went faster than expected. It was about a two hour drive to our hotel. I’m quite please with my room. I spent $10 for an hour of internet time and shocked myself by using it all up. I showered and then went down to dinner. The dining room was quite crowded. We were informed that the hotel was so full that Bill couldn’t stay here.

Tomorrow, we are scheduled to leave for Petra at 8:30 AM.

PETRA Video Clips

St Catherine's Monastery Video Clips

Cairo City Tour

Citadel in Cairo - Said to have been built by Saladin
Ali Hassan Mosque
Ceiling in Ali Hassan Mosque
Note the Alabaster stone
Note Pyramids in the distance

16 March 2008

The day started off with a trip to the Cairo Museum. Among the world’s museums, it must rate as one of the best. Its collection is limited to ancient Egypt; in particular, to the contents found in the tomb of King Tutankhamun. I was very impressed. Having seen the tomb of King Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings, I really didn’t understand how they got all of materials in the tomb, which is quite small. I asked our guide how the tomb avoided being robbed. She indicated that there had been an early attempt at robbery, but the thieves were caught, the material returned to the tomb and the tomb was sealed again. In addition, another tomb was constructed near the tomb of King Tutankhamun and the materials removed from that tomb were thrown on top of King Tutankhamun’s tomb. Since he reigned for such a relatively short time, I also suspect that he was just forgotten about.

They have a room with the mummies of several of the more famous pharos including Ramsis II. There are so many artifacts in the museum that it is difficult to know what to look at first. In addition, it was very crowded. You had to wait for one group to move away before you could look at a particular item.

Unfortunately no cameras are permitted in the museum.

Our next stop was at the Ali Hassan Mosque which is located in the citadel of Saladin. It is also called the Alabaster Mosque because the walls are covered with alabaster. Cameras were permitted.

Our next stop was lunch at a marvelous restaurant in one of the market places. We were served pita with humus, tahina, babaganush and yogurt missed with cucumbers as the first course. The second course was mixed grill with mousaka on the side. I don’t know what the desert was, but it was delicious.

We wandered around the market place for a while. It is difficult, because people jump out in front of you trying to sell you something. I am sorry that I forgot to take pictures of the market place. Some of the people bought various items including roasted peanuts like the ones we had in Aswan.

At four o’clock we returned to the hotel. We will be leaving tomorrow morning at 6:00 AM, which means luggage must be outside the room at 5:00 AM. I attempted to take a video of the view from my hotel room and my batteries died. This was really the optimum time for them to go, because I could take two new ones from my suitcase and leave the two that are in my purse.

I haven’t been on the internet since we arrived in Cairo. I was told that I could get internet in my room for about $35 for a 24 hour period. I understand that as I tourist I am here to support the Egyptian economy, but there are limits. I asked if there were any less expensive ways to use the internet, I was told that I could buy a card at the business center for 100 Egyptians pounds which is about $20. Again I feel this is excessive since I only need a maximum of half an hour.

I will never look at public bathrooms in the same way. There is usually a man or woman at the door who gives you toilet paper and expects a tip. They are usually satisfied with 50 piastres, which is worth about 10 cents. Since I didn’t have the 50 piastre notes, I was giving them a one pound note, worth about 20 cents.

I went downstairs for a light dinner, then came up to my room. Since luggage must be out at 5:00 AM, I have my suitcase almost packed. The only thing remaining is my wash.

Abu Simbel

Leaving Aswan
Arriving at Abu Simbel
Lake Nasser behind me - Reason Temples had to be moved
Inscriptions around the temple


Some paint is still after several thousand years and the temples being under water



Famous Temple entrance
Me in front of Temple
Note smaller statues at the feet of the large statues


Engravings leading into Temple



Hoopoo bird in grass - on right side of picture

15 March 2008

We left the ship at 7:30 AM this morning which meant that getting up by 6:00 AM gave me enough time to get my suitcase out by 6:30 AM and then go downstairs for breakfast. We were driven to the Aswan airport. This time we were permitted to bring water with us. I guess if I had left my batteries and duct tape in my backpack, it would have been acceptable. The flight to Abu Simbel took only about 45 minutes. While it was warm in Abu Simbel, which is just north of the border with Sudan, it didn’t feel that hot.

Abu Simbel is all it is cracked up to be if not more. None of the images have been desecrated, probably owing to the isolation of the site. It was constructed during the reign of Ramses II who ruled between 1200 and 1100 BCE. It had been buried in the sand for several thousand years. Photographs were not permitted inside the temples. The famous one has several interior chambers. One of them had not been completed. One wall had not been touched. The other wall was almost complete except at the end where the drawings were in place, but they had not been carved. In many places there was still paint. I wonder how much the paint was damaged by the flooding of the temple prior to its move to higher ground. The less famous temple is dedicated to Nefritari, the favorite wife of Ramses II. I would like to describe these two temples in more detail, because I was very impressed with its good condition.

I actually blew my four gigabyte card in my camera. Since I had loaded everything on to my computer, I just deleted pictures from previous days.

We had to leave Abu Simbel at noon to fly to Cairo. We arrived here at about four. It was five before we arrived at the Grand Hyatt. I managed to get a shower and some clothes washed before it was time for the lecture given by a professor of a university in Cairo. I found it interesting. One of Egypt’s worst problems is over population. Apparently the government is working on disseminating birth control information and convincing women to use these methods. Apparently religion is not the problem; ignorance is. Since women were not taught to read in the past, written directions wouldn’t work. However things are getting better.

I joined one of the women for dinner and we ate at the Japanese restaurant in the hotel. I am exhausted and want to go to sleep now.