Today was a very full day. We had lots of fun things on our agenda. First up was a trip into some biblical history. Of course this entire area in the Middle East abounds with biblical history. You can’t get away from it 🙂
However, today we were going to see just a small piece of history at Bethany Beyond the Jordan. This is thought to be the actual baptism site of Jesus. I had seen it before when Doug and I came almost 8 years ago. It had changed a bit since then. One of the changes was rather shocking. But wait, I’m getting ahead of myself in this story of progress!
This morning at breakfast (no pretty cappuccinos here :-() we found out that our group going on the optional trip to Amman this afternoon is going to be split up because we were the smallest group. Nader had told us last night that might happen but he was going to try to keep us together. However, the Powers-That-Be decreed otherwise. He was staying at the Dead Sea and we were being divided up between the three other groups.
Now it wasn’t a huge deal but our group really gets along well. We all like each other so this was not a happy thing to find out but, hey, you make do and make the best of it. At least Nader would have a break from us 🙂
I have to admit that even though I was working on less than 4 hours sleep, the sun shining made my spirits soar! It was a beautiful day with a bright blue sky, not too hot, not too cold, and we were in Jordan, one of my most favorite places in the world. I was with a fabulous mother-in-law, had a great group to travel with, and we were off on adventures. The only thing that could have made the day better was having my husband and daughter (and dogs!) with me 🙂
Bethany Beyond the Jordan is just a hop, skip, and a jump from the Dead Sea. We were there in no time. We got a great view of the desert area the Jordan River flows through and a first-hand look at how the river has shrunk. That was frightening. Originally the river was so wide that ferries were used to cross it. This is depicted in the mosaic map in Madaba. The river wasn’t huge when I was there before. Now it barely exists in some spots. However, the moisture still brings life to the desert. Dense acacia trees line the river and create a jungle of growth.
As we drove Nader explained that we were heading into an archeological site that they have only been able to excavate since 1994 when the Wadi Araba Treaty was signed. Before then you risked life and limb because the area was salted with land mines. Nader said both sides had to claim responsibility for that. I don’t remember being told about the land mines before. That was a bit nerve racking but I knew it had to be safe now. Too many tourist come through here, however, you never know if something has been missed. It added some spice to the adventure.
It was much more pleasant walking down to the river this time. When Doug and I were here before, it was the heart of the summer. Temperatures and humidity soared. It was a lot like Florida in the summer :-). Daoud our driver really suffered. He was sweating to beat the band. Today, however, was perfect. We weren’t cold for a change but weren’t hot either. It made the mile-long journey a pleasure.
They do have a covering of sorts on the walkway to protect people form the sun in the summer. I don’t remember that from before but it could have been there. My memory is hazy on those details. The path wasn’t wide but it was relatively smooth and easy to walk. As we made our way through the acacia and bushes, we eventually came to the baptismal site. What a shocker. The baptismal site was dry as a bone. In 2010 there wasn’t a great deal of water but at least there was some. Today it was all dirt and rock. I had to double-check to make sure we were in the correct spot. It was really sad. I’m sure it is a direct result of the river shrinking. Also since ancient times the river had shifted and doesn’t follow the same exact course. It was thought the site was on a small branch of the river. That obviously doesn’t exist any more.
Still the site was fascinating. From ancient pilgrim accounts, archeologists are fairly certain that this is the correct spot for Jesus’ baptism. Descriptions of the location from the river and descriptions of the churches match what archeologists have discovered. If memory serves, there are the remains of five churches in the area but don’t quote me on that.
Off to the side was a beautiful mosaic that shows what they think the baptismal site originally looked like. That gave you a nice sense of perspective and helped you imagine what it must have been like when John the Baptist was busy baptizing. There was also a beautiful mosaic of the royal family with the Pope when he visited in the early 2000s.
Just past the baptismal site was a covered area being excavated. We could see remains of at least three different styles of flooring from the different layers of civilizations. The bottom most was a plain floor with the stones in geometric shapes. The higher up the more decorative the mosaic pattern. It was interesting to see the differences. As in most dig sites, civilizations built on top of each other. To see the bottom layer, you have to dig through the top layers, destroying them. The question is how to get to the bottom layer without destroying the artifacts on top. I think that is one of the reasons that archeologists are such meticulous record keepers.
From the archeological dig we made our way through the scrub to the river. There was an entire platform area so you could stand and look at the river. There were even a few steps built onto the platform so that you could get down to the water. When you walked down, you could stop at a huge stone basin and dip your hands into water from the Jordan River that was cleaner than what was actually flowing between the banks in front of you.
I don’t remember the stone basin from my previous visit but I do remember the platform and being able to look across the river and see the large facility on the West Bank. Doug and I thought it was Israel as the Israeli flag was flown. However, it is actually part of the Palestinian area. I guess they are not allowed to fly their flag since Israel basically controls the West Bank.
We all walked down to the water and not only splashed ourself with water from the basin but dipped our fingers into the actual river. Across the way we could see a baptism. They used a bottle to get water to use in the ritual. Last time Doug and I saw a man actually swim in the river. I’m not sure I would want to do that. Doug was sorry he hadn’t thought of it.
From the river we made our way to the Greek Orthodox Church. Although there are many churches in the area this is the one closest to the river. I believe it isn’t the original church but was built on the site of a former church. It was also there in 2010. Inside it was painted a deep blue with religious scenes. Even the ceiling was painted. A box close to the alter contained bones but it didn’t say who they belonged to. It also had some nice mosaic flooring. I particularly enjoyed the exterior as I loved the limestone mixed with the bright gold domes. You could see them gleaming even in the distance.
We finished our walk circling back to the entrance. This is where our happy yellow group got split up. Those going back to the hotel got on our bus. We were relegated to the green bus. The other two buses got a head start on us as we had to wait a bit. I’m not sure why but we did. Our program director for our jaunt to Amman was Mo, short for Mohammad. He was a nice young man and very knowledgeable. He made us feel right at home with his group.
Before we got too far on our drive, we made a fast stop at the site where the Pope came and spoke in 2000. It was at Elijah’s Hill. This is where Elijah was suppose to have gone to heaven in a flaming chariot. Now there is a memorial arch in the location. It was a bit tough to see in the distance as it really blended in. Plus we were on the main road so we weren’t close at all. Still it was a nice photo stop. Zoom on a camera is a wonderful thing!
Back on the road we high-tailed it to Amman, about an hour away. As we drove, Mo discussed the economy of Jordan which was actually a bit scary. Rather it scared me for the people of Jordan. I hadn’t realized that things were so dire for them. Jordan doesn’t have a great deal of industry to fuel their economy. According to Mo, they depend a good deal on support from other countries like the U.S. and Saudi Arabia. However, that may all dry up. The Trump administration has made it plain that if Jordan doesn’t support the move of Israel’s capital to Jerusalem, that no more U.S. support will be forthcoming. Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries have told them that if they don’t vote against it, they will provide no more support. Jordan is caught between a rock and a hard spot. Damned if you do and damned it you don’t.
Of course Jordan itself isn’t happy about the proposed moved itself. The treaty signed with Israel specified that the Hashemite dynasty would control the Christian and Muslim monuments in Jerusalem. I assume they feel that Jerusalem becoming the capital of Israel will take away that control. I’m sure they feel it is a breach of the treaty. Jerusalem is just a difficult question, there are no two ways about it. I don’t know what the right answer is.
Anyway, Mo feels like the country needs to build up its industrial base and make industry private instead of government run. Hopefully tourism will increase and bring more money into the country. I would really hate to see Jordan struggle. They are already doing so much for the refugees that have flooded the country. Not only do they still have large numbers of Palestinian refugees, but now they have 1.5+ million Syrian refugees that they are trying to help. With limited resources, it is amazing how much they have managed to accomplish.
As for Amman, the city has around 4 million people. The cost of living is quite high. In fact if you make $1100/month or less, you live below the poverty line. In the country the poverty line is closer to $600. Amman is the most expensive Arab capital. Trying to afford a house is next to impossible. One of the reasons is the rich Iraqis who fled to Amman bringing their wealth with them. They could afford high prices so of course prices rose to high levels beyond what the Jordanians could afford.
As we drove we noticed rebar sticking out of the roofs of most houses making them appear unfinished. There was a simple answer for that. First, if the owners of the house decided to add on another level later on, it was easier and cheaper if the basics were already in place. Secondly, home owners are taxed when the house is completed. As a result people don’t finish them saving themselves from having to pay the tax.
Amman is known as the City of Seven Hills although these days it has grown to cover more hills than that. In the city as you walk along the streets, you can actually see buildings towering above you on stony hills. It is very interesting. Amman is definitely not a flat city.
Because it has 4 million people, traffic is horrible. Public transportation consists of buses which are unreliable and inconsistent. Unlike India where we saw most people riding motorcycles, here we saw very few. Both motorcycles and cars are highly taxed so they are quite expensive to own. In fact if you buy what is considered to be a luxury car, taxes basically doubles what the vehicle costs. So when people buy, they generally by the Korean cars like Hyundai.
Once in Amman we navigated our way to the Blue Mosque or the King Abdullah I mosque which they started building in 1982. It was under renovation three years ago when Joyce and I were here. The bright blue dome drew your eye as did the minaret reaching up into the blue sky. It was a beautiful day in Amman that reflected the beauty of the mosque. I had to chuckle to myself though because the visitor entrance was through a shop. It reminded me of the rides in Disney world where all rides end at a shop that you have to walk through 🙂
However, going in we didn’t have time for shopping. The ladies all had to put on robes before entering the mosque. Most had hoods but mine didn’t so I was glad I had brought my scarf with me. Inside the mosque was simple but lovely. The carpet was nice and cushy. I know that was a blessing for all who had to kneel on it. Other mosques have not had such soft carpet.
Mo was great and explained the five prayers for us and the process of doing them. It was very interesting. I knew that there were calls to prayer five times a day and that a muezzin called them out from the minaret. Actually these days it is recorded and the speakers are on the minaret. I love hearing it, especially first thing in the morning. There is just something beautiful about it. I haven’t heard it yet on this trip but hopefully I will in Petra.
Anyway, Mo did a great job explaining it to us and how at proscribed times during the prayer you have to kneel and then times you kneel and touch your head to the floor. Even if you are in a wheelchair or are handicapped, you are still expected to do these actions. You just do them in your mind. I thought that was interesting.
Only a few men were in doing their prayers while we were there. We were careful not to disturb them. One of the ladies asked if she could look at one of the Korans sitting on the stands. He said she could. However, he did say that if women are on their period, they are not allowed to touch the book. I think that is typical for the ultra Orthodox Jews as well.
Once out of the mosque we returned to the store and disrobed. Many got sidetracked in the store. They did have some very nice painted ostrich eggs. They also treated us to cookies and hot tea. Mo had the patience of a saint waiting on the shoppers.
From the mosque we headed downtown to an old restaurant in Amman to eat falafel, hummus, and fuul (a paste made out of fava beans). It is called Hashem and it was great! There was nothing fancy about this place but the food was fantastic, especially if you like the three above mentioned items. They do serve other things but these are the crowd favorites. And you eat it in the traditional manner. First they cover the tables in plastic and then the food starts coming out. You don’t have plates; you eat from the serving bowls. You grabbed a chunk of pita bread, made a scoop with it and scooped up hummus or fuul and popped it into your mouth for a tastebuds treat. And the falafel comes out of the fryer hot and delicious. My resolution to not stuff myself silly on this trip went right out the door.
I had never had fuul before that I remembered, but I really enjoyed its garlic deliciousness. And to round it out, we had pickled veggies, French fries, and tomatoes and onion. We all ate until we couldn’t eat any more and barely put a dent in the food on the table. The place was a definite hit with our table!
We waddled out of Hashem’s and down the street to the oldest bakery for dessert, like we needed it! At least we walked a bit first. Habibah’s makes kunafah which is actually a dessert that originated in Nablus in Palestine. It is cheese soaked in a sweet syrup and then coated with a pastry made from something like couscous. The cheese is coated with the pastry and then cooked sprinkled with crushed nuts. Ours had pistachios. The kunafah was hot off the cooker and the cheese all warm and gooey. I think ours was made with a combo of goat and cottage cheeses. Two people could have happily shared one piece especially since we were all stuffed. I couldn’t come close to eating all of mine. I liked it but it definitely had a different taste to it. The pastry top was actually on the crunchy side, not like a true pastry. It was good, just different. From what Mo said, people line up in huge lines to get kunafah from this place, like Mike’s Pastry in Boston. The line wasn’t fifty people long when we were there, but the alleyway was choked with people savoring their treat. I enjoyed it as I hadn’t had it before and I felt like I was getting an authentic piece of Amman. I liked that. I’d much rather do things like this than have swanky meals at tourist places.
After pigging out we walked the streets of downtown Amman enjoying seeing the world go by. It was fun. I enjoy seeing life in various places and imagining what it must be like to live there. I had worried that today would be a repeat of what I had already seen in Amman but it wasn’t. We saw things off of the beaten tourist path. I really enjoyed going to the pigeon market after our dessert stop. I hadn’t realized that pigeons were such a big deal but they are a popular sport. Prize pigeons can go for several thousand dollars. There is even a pigeon mafia! How crazy is that?
The market we went into had big rooms full of pigeons in cages. In other rooms the pigeons were free to fly all around. They were beautiful. I have never seen so many different types. These weren’t the typical pigeons you see all over. Some of these were expensive pigeons. One was strutting his stuff. It was funny watching his macho walk. Two others had their chests all puffed out in a show of male dominance.
From the pigeon market we walked down to the amphitheater. I have been there twice already but I just love it. The acoustics are phenomenal. Unfortunately today we didn’t get to go inside. We had to be satisfied with looking at it from outside. I think it closes early in the winter. That was a shame for everybody who hadn’t gotten to experience it before. Plus it broke my roll of going to the amphitheater and being serenaded by a Jordanian playing the bagpipes! That is always great. It is the last place you expect to hear bagpipes. Still I enjoyed seeing what we could of it. It is preserved so well that you can actually attend concerts and performances there. You probably should take a seat cushion however, when you attend an event there. The seats are literally hard as rock 🙂
Speaking about the acoustics, they rival those of the theater in Epidaurus, Greece. And those acoustics are crazy good. At the Amman amphitheater, the bottom portion before the seats start is solid but there are concave circles in the base. If people on opposite sides of the theater speak in the divots, they can hear each other when they put their ear near the concave section. Doug and I did that. It was amazing.
The amphitheater ended out afternoon jaunt to Amman. The sun was starting to go down. We had to head back to the Dead Sea. I wasn’t ready to leave but we had other adventures to prepare for. It was a quiet bus ride back. I think we were all tired. We did have one quick stop at a place selling Dead Sea products. I didn’t buy anything but Joyce got a few things. It was expensive stuff but was buy one and get one free so that dropped the price a bit. I walked around the store just so I could stay awake. By this point, I was exhausted. Too little sleep was doing me in.
The shop was close to the hotel so once the bus got rolling again, we were soon at our temporary home. Joyce, Sharon, and I dropped off our things in our rooms and then headed down to the bar for Happy Hour. We enjoyed a really expensive beer. Fortunately again, Happy Hour was buy one, get one free so I enjoyed an Amstel and Joyce enjoyed my free one. We sat out on the patio that my swimsuit top had fallen onto and enjoyed the evening. It was a little cool but pleasant. Night had fallen so we really couldn’t see the Sea which was a shame. We enjoyed just sitting there in the peaceful atmosphere.
Tomorrow we head to Mt. Nebo, Madaba, and Petra. I’ve been to those places twice before but I always manage to find something new to enjoy. It will be interesting to see what new things I see tomorrow. Since I love Jordan I’m just happy to be here 🙂
Tales from the Trail 