Sunday 25 November 2007

from petra to the pyramids

S and I just came back from a two-week tour of Jordan and Egypt. It was so incredible and we did so much that I am not quite sure how to distill it into small enough chunks to keep you interested... but here goes!


We flew to Amman and arrived late in the evening. We had an early morning departure from our hotel, so aside from a death-defying sprint across the street to buy some bottled water, we didn't see much of the Jordanian capital. We later discovered that the speeding cars in Amman were positively calm compared to the polluted morass of Cairo, but at the beginning of our trip, playing human frogger felt quite exotic and dangerous. I was also reminded of the oft-quoted fractured English sign commanding drivers to "tootle [horns] with vigor."


From Amman, we drove to the impressive Roman ruins in Jerash.

IMG_3511.JPG

IMG_3568.JPG

Complete with ... bagpipes?!
IMG_3579.JPG


Driving on, we stopped for a late-afternoon dip in the Dead Sea. It's true: it's virtually impossible not to float in the Dead Sea. I tried to roll over onto my stomach at one point and my legs shot up above my head. Much easier to lie back and bob on the surface, avoiding getting the water on your face or in your hair. The one thing they don't tell you is how oily the water feels. Very odd but pleasant. And on the other side of the Dead Sea, you can see Israel.

IMG_3584.JPG

IMG_3586.JPG


The following morning, we toured Kerak Castle...

IMG_3618.JPG


...on our way to the highlight of the trip, Petra. Before the trip, I didn't know much about Petra beyond photos of its famous Treasury, and what little I can remember from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

IMG_3645.JPG

I had no idea how expansive Petra is - it is hard to conceive of the scale of the place until you're in it. First, you walk about 2km through a gorge known as the Siq.

IMG_3657.JPG

IMG_3676.JPG

For those who prefer not to walk, there are various options including camels and horse-drawn carriages.
IMG_3670.JPG

And suddenly, the Treasury reveals itself.
IMG_3683.JPG

IMG_3742.JPG

The Treasury is absolutely beautiful, and it is hard to imagine how they carved it so carefully out of the rock. S and I had a hard enough time weatherproofing our windows over the summer, and that was using a proper ladder only 15 feet up. The Treasury stands 40m high!

IMG_3698.JPG

Walking on from the Treasury, we began to discover the rest of Petra. Behind us in the distance, you can see the entrance to the Monastery climb, which we did the next day.
IMG_3720.JPG


In the evening, we retraced our steps through the Siq to the Treasury by twilight. This time there were no camels, no horses, no talking even. The path was lit by hundreds of luminarias, and it felt like you could see every star in the universe. We sat in front of the Treasury, staving off the cold with Bedouin sage tea, watching the candles play inside the paper bags, and listening to traditional Bedouin music. It was my favorite part of the trip.

IMG_3732.JPG


The following morning, we walked through the Siq, past the Treasury, once more on our way to the Monastery. Inside the Siq, it was quite chillly but out in the exposed sunlight it was deliciously warm. Our climb took us further into the mountains, up a fairly steep donkey path.

IMG_3767.JPG

IMG_3771.JPG

We stopped for tea at the top of the mountain. Of all the possible animals that could roam feral around Jordan and Egypt, I was glad that the most ferocious creatures we encountered were kittens.
IMG_3786.JPG


From Petra, we drove out into Wadi Rum and the desert.

IMG_3829.JPG

IMG_3830.JPG

IMG_3834.JPG

After bumping through the desert in land rovers, the camels were a welcome relief!
IMG_3855.JPG

IMG_3869.JPG

While we were marveling about traveling through the desert by camel, the young guides couldn't switch off - this one was texting on his mobile. Incredible that he even had a signal!
IMG_3873.JPG

At the end of our ride, the guide offered to buy me for 10 camels. S said he wouldn't let me go for less than 20...
IMG_3884.JPG


Our evening in the desert was calm and peaceful.
STA_3889.JPG

We slept in a Bedouin tent and swapped stories over the camp fire. The only thing missing was the s'mores.
IMG_3902.JPG

IMG_3898.JPG


From the desert to the sea... We drove to the resort town of Aqaba, for a mellow farewell to Jordan.

IMG_3917.JPG

IMG_3925.JPG



We took the ferry from Aqaba to Nuweiba, entering Egypt for the first time, and drove to Dahab. I snorkeled while S explored the town. The coral reef was beautiful, but I was grateful for the wetsuit - the water was surprisingly cold.

IMG_3940.JPG

IMG_3941.JPG

IMG_3947.JPG

IMG_3953.JPG

This cheeky kitty snatched the last bit of our pizza lunch, and then proceeded to lick the plate clean.
IMG_3955.JPG


After a few relaxing days on the Red Sea, we headed inland to St Catherine's (equally spelled St Katherine's), at the base of Mt. Sinai, where Moses is said to have received the Ten Commandments. We had a 1 AM wake up call and began climbing an hour later. The path was a gradual 7km to the top; with an additional 750 steps to the peak. Between S's patient encouragement and my iPod, I made it to the top and we joined the group to watch the sunrise.

IMG_3968.JPG

IMG_3969.JPG

IMG_3971.JPG


After a quick look around St Catherine's Monastery, we had our longest drive: nearly eight hours across the Suez, into African Egypt, and finally to Cairo. In the morning, we visited the Pyramids in Giza. They truly are amazing. It was a bit sad that they are so overrun with tourists and vendors, but the pyramids do not appear to be suffering - testament to the fact that they were built to last.

IMG_3985.JPG

IMG_3994.JPG

IMG_4010.JPG

IMG_4022.JPG


Dinner was in Khan el-Khalili Market, right smack dab in the middle of the hustle and bustle. By the way, the food was great. In Jordan, we ate all the fresh veg and enjoyed mezze, pita and mixed grills. In Egypt, we avoided uncooked veggies, but still had lovely grilled meat and bread.

IMG_4026.JPG

IMG_4027.JPG


We took a side trip to Alexandria. Unfortunately we ended up driving about 3.5 hours each way only to spend about 3 hours in the town.

We zoomed around the Roman amphitheater...
IMG_4034.JPG

and saw the catacombs.
IMG_4046.JPG

I would have liked to roam around the market, but as it was, we saw it from the bus. Note that the vendors have to move their wares off the tram tracks to allow streetcars to pass!
IMG_4040.JPG

IMG_4041.JPG

Last, we wandered around Fort Qaitbey. The weather had been rainy in Alexandria and the Mediterranean Sea was wild, especially compared to the Dead Sea and Red Sea.
IMG_4050.JPG

IMG_4061.JPG


Back to Cairo for our final day. We did a whirlwind tour of Coptic and Islamic Cairo, visiting a church, synagogue and mosque in rapid succession.

The Hanging Church
IMG_4078.JPG

Ben Ezra Synagogue
IMG_4083.JPG

Muhammad Ali Mosque
IMG_4089.JPG

IMG_4088.JPG


The trip was over far too fast, but we have over 1,000 photos between us and tons of memories... We also have at least one reason to go back: we didn't see the Valley of the Kings. Next time!


IMG_4103.JPG