Wednesday
21st October
The
Dead Sea
When
we were planning the trip, Jim wanted to visit the ancient city of
Petra. To do this we booked a three day “Intrepid Tours”
adventure in Jordan. Actually, we had forgotten what it included so
it's all a bit exciting.
Mohammad
II and his magic carpet was at the hotel to pick us up at 9:00 am
sharp for our first day of the tour ... we began with a drive to
Madaba, the highlight being a 5th century Byzantine mosaic
map of the Holy Land – incredible. It's housed in the St George
church with a number of other significant Christian art works of that
period.
Then
it was off to Mount Nebo, the supposed resting place of good old, and
we mean OLD, Moses. It's from this point that he looked out over the
holy land towards Jericho, but he never made it. Anyway, if it's
good enough for Moses, it's good enough for us.
The
smell in the on-site toilets, as Kenny says, would outlast religion.
Then
it was to the Dead Sea ... the lowest point on the earth. We had a
quick (delicious) lunch and then changed into our bathers for a float
in the water. What fun! Then it was time for the mud pack (see
picture). Holy Nic and Jim in the Land... Oops – Nic and Jim in the
Holy Land!
The
trip south along the Dead Sea to Petra took us past where they think
that Sodom and Gomorrah was. Evidently, in the Book of Genesis, God
was a little a pissed with the locals' behavior and the final straw
was when the Sodomites demanded to have sex with the angels who had
been sent to visit them ... What can we say?
Continuing
south, our guide decided to take us on the back route, or the scenic
route into the city of Petra. Again, the most gobsmacking scenery
that has to be seen to be believed. Through the Negav Desert and
into the Rift Valley. Finally, late in the afternoon we came upon the
town of Wadi Musa, which is the tourist centre on the edge of the
Petra precinct. Our guide booked us into a Hammam for tomorrow night
and the we headed to our hotel.
Jim
kept telling Nic that this part of the trip was going to be a little
lower class than the rest (basically a back packing expedition, with
private driver and car) but we were shocked on arrival at our hotel –
right next to the main entrance to Petra and the most beautiful room
with a huge balcony overlooking the site. Obviously the travel gods
share our sense of humour.
Today
was filled with wonderment and delightful people. Jordan is perched
next to some of the most dangerous countries in the world and yet it
has remained a bastion of civility and tolerance. Everyone we meet
is welcoming and friendly, including the cute check point guards who
when they hear that we are Australians light up in huge smiles, greet
us and wish us a good time and wave us on. It's funny, public
physical affection is commonplace within sexes, and you see men
kissing and holding hands without a second thought. Sad really,
because they are an extremely good looking race, and these displays
do not mean they are gay, so it's all a little distracting and to us
gay westerners, a little misleading and frustrating. As the call to
pray rings out over the valley, we reach for our cocktails and
prepare to venture out to the local dinner hot-spot, recommended by
Mohammed II (who knows a thing or two about good cheap eats).
