Category: Egypt-Jordan-2010

The Dead Sea is our final stop before heading to the airport in Amman. It is mid afternoon when we arrive at the resort hotel, at the edge of the Dead Sea. An elaborate buffet luncheon is waiting for us, but the Dead Sea also beacons so we must divide our time between eating and swimming. We walk down the steep incline to the beach but there is so little time to swim, that I decide not to take the plunge. I don’t want to be sticky and salty for the next many hours on the plane trip back home. Stephanie is more adventurous and takes a 5 minute dip. Those in our group who do go into the water, float, bob and laugh, in the flotsam and jetsam of the sea. The high salinity makes it impossible to sink.

We stay up late into the night packing and our wake up call is early. We place our luggage outside our room door at 6:00 A.M and are onboard the busses by 7:00 A.M. for a full days tour, via the Dead Sea and onto the airport. This tour is not part of the Young Living tour. We have each paid an additional $100 for todays experience. It will be over 48 hours before I sleep again in a real bed. I doze until our first stop at the town of Madaba, to visit the Virgin Mary Church and our group is escorted up hill to the church. The street that we follow is lined with enticing shops and Stephanie, Sandy and I hope that we will have time on our own later to explore. The mosaic floor, a map of the biblical lands, discovered in 1896 is the treasure. Sections of the mosaic are missing and although I wish to understand the historical significance of it all, my biblical knowledge is also fragmented.

Although we have time to enjoy the church, we are unduly hurried back through town and onto the buses. We return along the same colorful street; lined with many unique shops but when I stop to admire a tasseled camel blanket, I am hurried on by the commanding voice of our tour guide. The merchant at this shop door hisses or whispers to me, and I pause to comprehend. He tells me that the the tours won’t allow us to shop with the local merchants because they will not get their commission. His price for the camel blanket is extremely reasonable; a fraction of what I priced them at in Petra. I wish for time to explore the possibilities, but our group has left me far behind and regrettably, I slink away, towards the bus and onto our next destination.

Within 10 minutes our buses pull into a large parking lot and I know immediately that this “Tile Factory” is a controlled tourist shop. The cavernous shop is the size of most Costcos and after peering inside, I balk at the entering. I have an uncontrollable gut reaction which I verbalize to the stunned tour guide; exclaiming that I do not want to be here and refusing to enter. I announce that I am going to leave and go drink a Turkish coffee somewhere. A handsome Bedouin man takes my arm, offering me turkish coffee within the shop. Stephanie and Sandy are more tolerant and urge me to come with them, but I make an about face and march back into the parking lot. I pace the parking lot and walk to the gated perimeter. We are far outside the town; a two lane highway stretches in both directions. There is nothing of remote interest outside of these gates, but I leave the confines of the tile factory and walk down the country road. I am fuming! A beautiful orchard is across the highway and after looking both ways with not a car in sight, I cross over and stroll into the grove. Becoming aware of another’ presence, I look behind me to see the security guard from the “Tile Shop” following me. He is congenial when he asks me where I am going and I blurt out my dissatisfaction about being here. In retrospect, I know that he did not understand my angst and anger at being held captive in this place. He walks with me into the grove, his machine gun slung casually over his shoulder. He asks me why I don’t want to go into the shop and I try to explain. He proudly points to a simple walled compound beside the shop and tells me that he lives there. I imagine that as tourists we support the lifestyle that he is so proud of. I tell him that I want to drink coffee and with a glimmer of understanding, he points directly across the road to a tiny shack; a 10 x 10 wood structure with a tin roof. One lone man stands behind a counter void of goods. Immediately grasping that this is the local cafe, I practically jog back to the tourist shop; yank Stephanie away from her shopping and the cup of coffee that she balances in her hand and usher her across the road to the cafe. “My” security guard is still with me; somewhat bewildered at my actions, but still smiling. I order two Turkish coffees from the man behind the makeshift counter who asks if I want milk and sugar? These queries are mimed when he opens a tiny refrigerator, with a single can of condensed milk inside. He pours the heavy and sweet condensed liquid into both of our cups. There are no chairs or tables, but Stephanie and I take our two cups of coffee outside and sit upon rocks adjoining the cafe. The owner immediately, brings two milk crates outside, tipping them over and offering them to us for seating. Stephanie and I reposition ourselves upon the crates and proceed to drink the rich and delicious Turkish coffee.

Our extended stop here has put us behind schedule. We have been here well over an hour. Several in our group made large purchases and the powers to be allowed them as much time as needed to part with their money.

Before today, the names and places of biblical history were just a fantasy. We stop to visit Mount Nebo, to pay honor to the memorial of Moses. Our buses pull into a large parking lot and we hike up the hill to the museum and the overlook. The day is mild and sunny and the view from the hilltop is hazy but a sign at the summit points to Bethlehem, Jericho and the Dead Sea. Israel is just over the horizon and all these famous destinations are just a stones throw away.

For me, the most significant stop is at the Jordan river. The campfire song, “The river of Jordan runs muddy and wide..” repeats in my head as we walk along the arid pathways beside the muddy river. 2000 years ago, the Jordan river may have been wide, but it is not today. We come to the revered section of the river where Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. There is definitely a spiritual presence here and almost all of us take a moment to kneel and dip our hands into the water. During this two week excursion we have experienced so much; the magic of Egypt; temples, pyramids, tombs and incredible unfathomable art. We have been awed by the magnificence of Petra and the accomplishments of the Nabataean people. Today we are walking where Jesus walked.

We walk from the sacred river towards the newly erected commemorative church, its golden dome shining in the distance. The afternoon sky casts a dramatic light upon the scene. The interior of the church is quite lovely with fresco ceilings and gilded chandeliers, but its newness feels out of place in this ancient landscape. One member of our group begins singing a gospel hymn, her voice strong and reverberating within the fine acoustics of the chapel. Soon, many of us join in her song of reverence and celebration. One song morphs into another and it is only the time constraint that brings our impromptu choir to an end.

For days, our schedule has required that we wake before dawn, but this morning, we sleep until nearly 7:00 A.M. We will visit Little Petra in the afternoon, but have the morning free and a group of us have arranged a visit to a Turkish Bath. We enjoy an elaborate buffet breakfast overlooking the rock canyons adjacent to our hotel and at 9:00 A.M. are picked up by taxis and taken to the bath. Stephanie, Sandy and I are in one of the first taxis to arrive at the baths and we are ushered downstairs into the foyer. We each pay our $30, all inclusive, for the procedure, tip, and the round trip taxi service.

It has been nearly 40 years since I enjoyed a Turkish Bath in Istanbul, as a lone back packer; where ample women with pendulous breasts and voluminous baggy underwear scraped and massaged me into cleanliness. Todays procedure is more industrial, and wearing the advised swim suit, I obediently follow directions and the three of us are ushered into the steam room. Initially, I am disoriented with all vision obliterated by the clouds of steam. I grope my way and find a seat along the wall of the marble room and within seconds am finding it difficult to breath. A fellow “steamer” invisible within the mist, suggests that by putting ones head down, breathing will be easier. I lower my head between my knees and take a welcome breath of cooler air. Although I cannot see my other steam mates, I believe that there are about 9 of us within this room and we dutifully sit and sweat for 12 – 15 minutes. During this time, groups of three or four enter and prior groups exit. It is soon our turn to rotate out and a heavy set man enters, taps our shoulders, and the three of us follow him to the outer room. He motions for us to lie down upon a raised marble slab and with some effort, I climb up onto it, slipping and sliding and positioning myself face down as instructed. The marble slab is intensely hot and wet with water. Our torturer repeatedly flings buckets of ice cold water upon us and I somewhat enjoy the contrast of the cold water against my overheated body. Some minutes later, we are instructed to turn over and cold water is again flung onto us. My body has adjusted to the intense heat of the marble slab and I am relaxing into the experience. It is doubtful if this part of the procedure lasts more than 10 minutes before we are ushered back into the steam room for another period of intense sweating. Stephanie, Sandy and I are again removed from the steam room, this time individually, and escorted into private rooms where again, we are placed upon a heated slab. By this point, my body has relaxed into jello. I am face down and the practiced masseur, with one motion, jerks my one piece swim suit down around my hips and begins intensely kneading and scraping my back. As if on a spit, I am modestly rotated until all sides of me are scrubbed clean. The procedure is somewhat painful, but my tight muscles relax and the skin scraping is cleansing. A limp 20 minutes later and after a hot shower, I am cleansed. Back within the lounge, we all drink tea and those of us who wish, may smoke a water pipe.

Shortly after lunch we board our three busses to drive to Little Petra. Had we visited Little Petra first, I would have been awe struck; but yesterdays visit into Petra; one of the wonders of the world, dwarfs Little Petra. Rooms and treasuries of all sizes are carved into the cliffs and the afternoon light casts a magical glow. Stephanie and I leave the group to hike up a rock hewn stairway; a monolithic rock formation hovers at the peak of the staircase. I want to climb down the other side of the staircase and explore the canyon beyond, but we are called back to the group and all too quickly are herded back onto the busses.

Stephanie writes: “What I found amazing about Petra (Greek word for rock), is not only the truly magnificent wonderland of the full spectrum of color but the unbelievable accomplishments of the Nabataeaens. (a Semitic tribe dating back to at least the 6th century B.C.) Our guides, who were also scholars, were able to share information that had to do with the rich history of this land and these people who possessed the ingenuity to build canals and cisterns, carved into the rock to bring water. Petra was on the Caravan route from Yemen to the ports of the Mediterranean Sea. The Caravan trade route is what we were trying to depict as a part of the documentary that Gary Young and Mary Young of Young Living Oils were producing in the filming of ” The Frankincense Trail.” The Nabataeaens ruled for quite a while and sculpted remarkable temples; the Treasurey building ( where the frankincense was stored) tombs, caves, stairways, monastaries, theaters; all carved out of the natural rocks in organic color. All this was created by people who I had never heard of prior to this day. Petra and Little Petra; both a most magnificent wonder of this world. It is also amazing because everywhere you look within these rocks there are sculptures; some natural and some not. It is all quite haunting…….”

At 4:00 P.M. we have a mandatory group meeting in the conference room at the hotel. A few in our group will leave tonight to fly home, but the majority of us have another full day and will take a tour along the Dead Sea en-route back to the airport in Amman.

After the meeting, Stephanie, Sandy and I walk the short distance into town to shop and to eat dinner. We buy last minute souvenirs and have dinner at a local restaurant. I wish for a beer with my meal, but no alcohol is served in the town; only at the tourist hotels. My meal of skewered chicken, rice and hummus is nothing exceptional, but the mint lemonades that the three of us order are incredible. The frothy green elixir is more like a milkshake than lemonade, and my desire for a beer is quickly forgotten.

We have been on our own in Petra all afternoon and hurry back to the hotel to change into warm clothes for tonights Bedouin barbecue in the desert beyond. As we board the buses for the short ride to the barbecue, the sun casts a golden glow on the hillside of the modern town. Sunset descends, a dramatic splash of deep rose and purple, setting over the sculpted canyons. The night is bone chilling cold and I am grateful for the several bonfires blazing. It is not as authentic as I hoped, but the food is tasty and ample and the 108 of us heap our plates with lamb and goat skewered meat hot off a large grill. There are dishes of salad and warm pita bread and hummus. When our plates are full, we return quickly to the perimeters of the fires to warm ourselves. Soon the music begins and those brave enough to leave the warmth of the fire keep warm by dancing to the rhythm. The evening is a festive and fitting close to a remarkable day.

Everything about Petra is mind boggling; from the archatectual splendor of this immense city, hewn into the canyon walls, to the abstract “paintings” that nature created in the rock formations.

Gary Young, the CEO of Young Living Oils, gives a final empowered explanation of the history of Petra in relationship to the Frankincense trade trail. He talks nothing about the geological significance of the region and I wish that my father were here to enlighten all of us. We have the afternoon to explore on our own and we break up into our smaller social groups to explore the region. Stephanie, Sandy and I set off together, hiking further down the canyon. We explore many of the carved cliffside chambers, walk into ancient amphitheaters and take countless photographs. As renowned as this archeological site may be to the world; it is even more significant to the economy of the local Bedouins. Young Bedouin men, strikingly handsome with dark eyes outlined with Kohl, hawk hand made jewelry at “oasis” throughout the site. They all seem to possess a “Johnny Depp” magnetism but as charming as these young men may be, their “silver” jewelry is fraudulent and it pains me to see members of our group paying good money for silver plated jewelry. I observe that the “transportation” industry within this archaeological site is booming and am amused and delighted by what entrepreneurs the Bedouins are. It is an easy 3.5 mile hike into Petra, gently sloping downhill and a relatively easy return in this overcast climate, but tourists have the option of returning via donkey, camel, carriage or horse. Sandy wishes to engage some mode of transportation for the return journey and Stephanie and I are agreeable. Donkeys cluster at the far end of the trail, watched over by their Bedouin owners. After drinking turkish coffee at one of the roadside cafes, we barter for a donkey ride for our return journey, but soon learn that the 3.5 mile return trip is divided into distinctive territories. We may ride a donkey only so far. The donkey territory ends at the ancient amphitheater and from there we must hire a camel. The Camel territory goes only to the famed, architectural stronghold; the vault where the oils, and spices were stored. From there one can only ride in a carriage to travel up the narrow canyon. It is not the price for the various modes of transportation that deter us; but the complexity of it all and we return by foot enjoying the visual spenders of the area. When we emerge from the canyon, it is still nearly a mile back to our hotel and there are horses waiting. All three of us ride horses on this final leg of the journey and for $5 each are deposited at the edge of the hotel property.

With no plane to catch, our wake up call is later than usual. Last night, we arrived after dark, so it is this morning that we take in our first glimpse of our surroundings. The views from the spacious decks of our luxury hotel overlook the sculpted rock formations adjoining Petra, one of the wonders of our world. Sadly, the morning skies are grey and there is a steady drizzle of rain, but the carved and weathered canyons unfolding beyond are breathtaking and inviting exploration. I am disappointed when our hike into Petra is postponed. To pass the time, I pay $10.00 to the hotel for internet connection and manage to send e-mail for one hour. The hour passes quickly; the rain subsides and by late morning our group begins the hike from our hotel into the canyons of Petra. Ordinarily, I have a vision of what to expect; but I know little about Petra and I take each step savoring the moment and without preconception. I am a geologist daughter and the hike itself is the adventure as well as the reward. For the first half mile the landscape is an expansive canyon of weathered rock formations on either side, narrowing imperceptibly as we proceed. We walk gently downhill, stopping frequently to listen to our guide explain the terrain and the archeological significance of this remarkable area. We reach a junction where a small and dry dam protects a narrow canyon branching off from the main artery. As the canyon narrows, I am delighted by the colors of the canyon walls; folds of red, black, ochre and grey rock create an abstract painting and I wish for better light and fewer tourists in order too take my photos. I wish that this canyon to go on indefinitely; but 3/4 of a mile further on, at the final snake of the canyon, the architectural splendor of Petra unfolds. The monumental facade of a building, over 200 feet high is carved into the rose colored rock face of the canyon wall. Please don’t test me on the particulars of Petras’ history; but as I understand, the city flourished in the 1st century B.C. and A.D. Petra was the thriving hub of commerce and trade. Frankincense oil, gold and spices were of considerable value and were stored and traded within Petra. Caravans arrived and departed from Petra.

“The ancient city of Petra was literally carved from the sandstone cliffs of southern Jordan. There the Nabataeans built temples and tombs, houses and halls, altars and aqueducts. And they built a civilization that stood at the crossroads of the ancient Near East, a center for commerce as the spice routes and trading trails of the time all flowed through Petra. At its peak the city of Petra was home to some 20,000 Nabataeans who, in the midst of the desert, built an ingenious system of waterways to provide their city with the precious liquid.”

All is utterly breathtaking and unimaginable.

Our wake up call is at 4:30 A.M. for our morning flight between Cairo, Egypt and Amman Jordan. Our group shuffles sleepily through the buffet breakfast and boards the bus obediently for the hour drive to the airport through rush hour traffic. The morning is a blur of waiting in lines; security checks, baggage checks, passport and ticket checks and more security checks. We eventually board the plane and surprisingly, after all the security, are allowed to take photos of our group boarding the plane. My assigned seat is in the last row, middle seat, between two young, well dressed and handsome Arab men. The flight to Amman takes close to two hours and the plane is well appointed. I am very aware of the two bodies on either side of me, and they soon acknowledge my presence. Each passenger has his/her own small T.V. screen, mounted on the back of the seat in front. When I begin to fumble with the remote control the man to my left immediately comes to my assistance. I push a few buttons to no avail and the man to my right leans over to help. I am soon connected to the movie of my choice and thank my seat mates for their assistance. Although the flight is short, I loose myself in what I am watching until a rather elaborate “snack” is served. The man to my right offers me his juice, which I decline, but in turn I offer him the pastry that I have not touched. The man on my left offers me his fruit cup which I accept and I offer him my roll and butter. If only our international relations could be as simple and civilized as this. Words cannot express how delighted I am to be squeezed between these two gracious and accommodating men and for the three of us to be connecting.

We land in Amman shortly after 1:00 P.M. After claiming our baggage, we are herded out to the waiting busses for the three hour drive to Petra. I am stunned at how bleak the landscape is; only vast expanses of hard packed dirt and sand, punctuated by electrical wires and the occasional settlement. The flat topped buildings are without paint, camouflaged within the color of the landscape. There are no trees and there is no visible human presence within these settlements.

An hour into our journey, hungry and in need of restroom facilities, we stop at a tourist restaurant and gift shop. The exterior is nearly as bland as the miles of country we have traveled, but there are clean restrooms and the cavernous store is packed full of souvenirs to sell to us tourists. We are not in Egypt anymore. The prices here are two or three times what things cost in Egypt and I spend 5 dollars on a small bag of almonds to tide me over until dinner in Petra. Our 20 minute stop extends to over an hour as our group shops. Some in our group gravitate to the adjoining cafe, ordering plates of lamb and rice, salads and hummus. The almonds quickly loose their appeal and I am soon sharing plates of lamb and hummus with Stephanie.

Eventually we are on the road again. The sun is dipping low on the horizon and I find beauty in the starkness of the landscape, the power poles and the emptiness. An hour and a half later the road snakes up and then winds down into the town of Petra. It is dark when we arrive at our 5 star resort overlooking the sculpted canyons of Petra. ( I will be amazed at the view that I wake to in the morning.) As soon as baggage is unloaded and our rooms assigned Stephanie, Sandy and I, take a taxi, the short distance back into the town. The three of us spend a delicious two hours on our own, enchanted with the brightly lit tourist shops. We are seduced into one shop in particular; by a charming Bedouin man offering us cups of Turkish coffee and a story with every Pashima scarf. He has honed his ability to capture even the most difficult prey and I am soon allowing him to wrap my head with the scarves and I am encouraging both Stephanie and Sandy to purchase one. I too leave his shop with a Pashima scarf, and for $1 we share a taxi back to the hotel and fall into our luxury beds, exhausted.

Backtracking to earlier in the day; two free hours between our rooftop lunch overlooking the pyramids and actually getting to enter the site, we are promised free time in a bazaar. We have had very little free time and I imagine that I am finally going to be able to step into the side streets of Cairo and loose myself in the tiny shops crammed full of incredible temptations. Von leads our satellite group of about 20 along the sidewalk towards the bazaar. She is not an employee of Young Living, nor an employee of the tour company, but as a strong woman, she has taken on a leadership role in this tour. She is confident and straight forward and I like her. I believe that she is as bewildered as I am, when the directions given her, take us up a stone stairway and into a multilevel “department” store. I have an immediate gut wrenching reaction when I enter the ground floor to see “Papyrus” paintings illuminated, gallery style along the walls of a large show room. This is not a bazaar, but a government run shop and without thinking, I vocalize my displeasure. I exclaim that I do not want to be here. Visions of being trapped in government run stores in China flash through my mind, a horror endured some years ago on a first class tour to China. I head for the door and the freedom of the sunlit street outside, but already, many of our group have been enticed towards the stairway leading to the second floor. Reluctantly, I go upstairs, my intentions simply to tell the others in my group that I am going elsewhere and will meet them later, but I am derailed when I step onto the second level. The second floor is a visual delight of inlaid boxes, jewelry and tapestries. My comrades have already gravitated to the jewelry counters and several are engaged with sales personal discussing a custom design for a cartouche pendant. I lean over the shoulders of a few of my fellow travelers, curious as to what purchase they are contemplating. As a jeweler, I know the cost of gold per gram and I expect the shop to make a reasonable profit on both labor and materials; but I am floored when the prices quoted for the jewelry is two or three times what I might charge. Things are happening quickly within this large showroom and I flit between one counter and another, trying to take in all the action. One man within our group is negotiating with a salesman over a $2000.00 dollar cartouche. Stepping forward, I graciously ask to look at the piece and tell the man that the quality of the gold and workmanship is first rate, but also that the price is exorbitant. The man immediately changes his mind about purchasing the piece and I feel badly. Perhaps it was the significance of the piece, more than the price that was of importance to my fellow traveler and I know that the sale was important to the shop; but I also know that their prices are extremely inflated. The angry eyes of the salesman follow me as I walk over to another counter where a young woman within our group is in the process of choosing another custom cartouch. I like this young woman and want to help her. My expertise is of great help to her and within a couple of minutes she is able to mindfully negotiate the price nearly in half. At this point the eyes of the establishment are all focused upon me and the previous salesman brushes by me venomonisly. I don’t remember his exact words, but he hisses at me; about ruining his large sale. I am straightforward and ask if I can see where the jewelry is made? I don’t think that this is a usual request but the establishment is anxious to get rid of me. After all, if I am not in the showroom, they may be able to close several sales without my interference.