So my free day in Petra was one of self-care – a swim, reading beside the pool, a walk, a museum and some retail therapy.
The following morning we were en route by 8, north towards the Dead Sea area. We drove through breathtaking scenery – winding roads through rocky mountains with a view over the low plains that lie between Jordan and Israel. We even got caught in a traffic jam… behind camels!
Our first stop of the day was the baptismal site at Bethany Beyond the Jordan. In 34 degree heat we explored the site and were fortunate to encounter the Director General of the site, Rustom Mkhjian – a most inspirational and committed man (Jordanian-Armenian) who talked to us about the development of the site. We learned about the baptism of Jesus by Peter and walked down to the River Jordan, where some people were entering the water in their own baptism ceremony. I may not be religious or hold much store in the bible, but this site was something special.
Cultural stop over, it was off to the Dead Sea. I was hoping it would be refreshing in the heat… I’m not sure I would go that far, but it was certainly memorable! We did the full works – covered ourselves in mineral-rich mud before entering the sea to wash it off. It was quite surreal as the water is so salty and viscous that you can’t even walk into it in a normal fashion – it’s a bit like I imagine wading into a bowl of porridge would feel. And you definitely could not swim – floating was the order of the day… although finding your feet again was tricky! We had a good laugh attempting some ‘synchronised floating’ into a star shape – the only time I’m likely to be able to achieve that with both arms and legs up out of the water! It was fun.
From there, we finally made it to Madaba for the night – dinner in a local restaurant followed by a shared Shisha (lemon-mint flavour!)
Our final day dawned and we were off early to visit more religious sites, starting with Mount Nebo, where Moses is supposed to have seen the promised land (I think). There we saw amazing views over to Jericho, and superbly renovated mosaics from the 6th century. We saw more mosaics in Madaba itself at St George’s church. The sites were absolutely heaving and Mount Nebo in particular was clearly highly significant to those who were visiting.
Our afternoon was spent in a nearby village where we had lunch with the lovely Halima – an absolute feast of kofta, mufaraka potatoes and vegetables, followed by a bowl of fresh pomegranate seeds. Halima told us about her role heading up the Bani Hamida weaving project, which empowers local women to work and earn their own money by weaving. Apparently so successfully that they have supplied IKEA!
We returned to Madaba where we spent our final evening together eating Arabic mezze and drinking local beer. The week has gone so quickly and we have seen and experienced so much together – a really lovely group of ladies to travel with and a most amazing and knowledgeable tour guide. What an experience!
50shadesofbrave 