Jordan Visit (March 10-12) & Last Day Israel

Jordan Day One (Friday, 3/10)
Off we went with the car packed with essential supplies like water, food, body pillow for Johnette, and music. Along our ride my favorite was the camel crossing sign, this one obviously was used as target practice. Our drive to Petra took us six hours, mostly uneventful although it took a bit getting through the Israeli customs stops as well as the Jordanian stops. Not many signs to help you on your way but we made it to the Movenpick hotel in Petra! YEAH! But, we were too late to head in to the Petra sight so instead we got a guide who took us to Little Petra as well as a good (but freezing) sunset point on the mountain.

Peter had us traveling in style staying at some lovely hotels for the weekend, I know he wanted to make sure Johnette was comfortable. Sweet husband! We all slept well after having a great dinner at the restaurant - ready to head to the Petra sight on Saturday.

Petra (Saturday, 3/11)
Breakfast to fortify us for our day visiting Petra (about 6 hours). We started to walk the path with locals trying to sell us rides to Al-Siq, but we knew it wasn't far so we headed on by foot. You enter through a narrow chasm or Siq. This walkway was said to be created by an earthquake and the rock on either side is so high it is overwhelming. Along the way there are a number of carvings in the rock.

"It is the legacy of the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled in southern Jordan more than 2000 years ago. Admired then for its refined culture, massive architecture and ingenious complex of dams and water channels, Petra is now a UNESCO world heritage site that enchants visitors from all corners of the globe." Petra was a flourishing town for about 400 years in the time of Rome and Christ. It was rediscovered in 1812 after being lost in the 16th century.

Finally, you come to an opening and see the Treasury (El-Khazneh), the facade intricately carved into the rock.

"The Petra basin boasts over 800 individual monuments, including buildings, tombs, baths, funerary halls, temples, arched gateways, and colonnaded streets, that were mostly carved from the kaleidoscopic sandstone by the technical and artistic genius of its inhabitants."

Up until 20 years ago, Bedouin people still lived in the caves of Petra. Now, the descendants of those people work in Petra as guides, giving donkey and horse rides, selling wares, etc.

The size of everything is so huge I couldn't even imagine people living here until you look at some of the homes cared out of the beautiful rock. It was gorgeous and amazing to think of people actually living here 20years ago. After our lunch we took burrows (donkeys) back to the Treasury, Johnette said I couldn't travel all over the world and not ride a donkey. Of course mine had quite a bit of spirit and started off on its own, but they gave me the rope to rein the dude in and stop from running over anyone. It was fun trying to keep my donkey on track and myself on the donkey at the same time.

We took awhile seeing all the sites although we didn't have time to head up the 900 steps to the monastery site. It was so worth the trip just to see all that we did but you could spend a couple days visiting everything. We have so many photos that it would take forever for me to load them all in here now.

Dead Sea - Jordan (March 11/12)
We arrived at the Movenpick Spa & Resort (Dead Sea) in time to hit the showers and catch some dinner. We even saw a short belly dancing performance in the bar afterwards. No photos, sorry guys! The resort here was also beautiful, thanks again to Pete & Johnette for letting me be the third!

Here is what Atlas Tours says about the Dead Sea: "It is the lowest body of water on earth, the lowest point on earth, and the world's richest source of natural salts, hiding wonderful treasures that accumulated throughout thousands of years." The Dead Sea has no life due to the high salt and mineral content which also give it curative and therapeutic powers as well as buoyancy. The salt content is four times that of the world's oceans, so you can literally sit back and read a book with no problem!

We each decided to do a spa treatment and I figured Dead Sea Body Mud Wrap was the way to go. Of course they had no female therapists but I decided, what the hell. First a steam, then cool shower, then slathered with mud (wearing only disposable undies they gave me). Next, I was wrapped up in a saran wrap type sheet, given a head and face massage, and left to soak up the mud! It was an experience worth trying. We also experienced the beautiful spa pools before heading to the beach. Here the staff who led us got some mud and slathered it on us, although I seemed to get more hands on attention then my married friends. Hmmm, he was very thorough.

So I'll share the photo of us all lathered up drying the mud and then hopping into the salty water to rinse off and sit in the sun for a bit. AHHHHH, this is relaxation. (Mike & Scott, there is a Marriott right next door. Maybe your next trip!).