Spring Break Part I: Jordan

John needed to work for a few days in the middle of the week that the girls had off for spring break, so we decided to take off for two long weekends instead of the whole week. The first one was in Jordan, a little over three hours by plane from Abu Dhabi.

Our trip started with a view of Hadrian's Arch, the gateway to Jerash, an ancient but well preserved Greco-Roman town north of Amman.

We traveled with friends from ACS on our first day in Jordan.

Ionic and Corinthian columns everywhere, especially around the Roman Forum.

Wild spring flowers were in full bloom.

Roaming goats in the Roman ruins.

Endless photo opportunities

Wandering around the ruins makes people do funny things.

 

The South Theater. Apparently bagpipes date back to Roman times.

 

Guess where we went next.

If you put your ears under water and close your eyes, you end up with almost total sensory deprivation.

Movenpick, Dead Sea Resort. I really wanted to get a photo of the woman in a full covering black abaya sitting next to the woman in a thong bikini, but didn't want to cause any trouble.

Sheep and goats graze all over the country. Our guide from the first day calls them "Kebabs".

Lots of Biblical stories are based in Jordan. This is Mount Nebo, where Moses saw the promised land in the distance. But he died here before he could reach the promised land.

The Greek Orthodox Basilica of St. George in Madaba is known for a detailed mosaic floor map of the region created in the 6th century.

Madaba is still considered an important mosaic center today.

Whoa, is that a horse in the back of the truck?

Petra. The Siq is a narrow passage, almost a mile long, that leads to the famous Treasury.

We were lucky enough to be some of the first people there that day. Just to get a better idea of the scale, note that John is the tiny dot near the entrance in the photo on the left.

Petra was inhabited by the Nabateans, beginning around the 6th century B.C.E. They resisted being overtaken by the Greeks but finally fell to the Romans. They embraced architectural detailing from both civilizations.

We rode donkeys up the mountain. Actually, we started by trotting up steps, yelling yalla yalla, and having way too much fun, until Mackenzie's donkey slipped and fell. Fortunately we weren't near a cliff. Mackenzie, being her usual fearless self, simply stepped off, waited for the donkey to stand back up, and got back on again. After that, the donkeys walked up the steps. The guide explained that the donkey was only a year old and had never done this particular trail before. Hmmm...

Our happy guide.

Here's a video that Hannah took during our ride. Caution: May cause motion sickness.

The Monastery at the top of the mountain.

Cave dwellings and tombs go on for miles.

Ancient cave as stable.

Ancient cave as garage

Little stands selling jewelry and scarves go all the way into the mountains. Many of the local bedouin workers still live in the caves and on matts behind the stands, though most were moved to nearby housing 50 years ago.

If you look carefully, ancient carvings suddenly appear in the stone. It becomes a little like looking for animal shapes in shifting clouds.

Horse drawn carriages can take visitors through the Siq.

Donkeys wander up and down the paths all by themselves. They know where to go (except for Mackenzie's) and the owners know where to find them. Goats on their way to see a show in the theater.

The usual array of cats, dogs, goats, camels, donkeys, horses, and Roman guards kept us happy.

The sacrificial altar at the top of the high place, with a view. The groove is there to let the blood run out. Fortunately, no sacrifices today.

The view from our hotel room, looking over the entrance to Petra, an absolutely amazing place.