We left Petra on Sat morning and drove to Wadi Rum (Lawrence of Arabia country). We deposited ourselves at a Bedouin camp and then headed off for a 2 hour jeep drive across amazing desert scenery. We saw the Seven Pillars of Wisdom and some spectacular rock formation and gorges.
Then headed back to the camp to while away the late afternoon before climbing up the nearby massif to see the sunset.
We were served a wonderful buffet dinner and entertained by gorgeous young arab males in traditional white dress doing some typical dancing.
Next morning we were dropped at the Jordan Israel border after a brief look at the Port of Aqaba and paddle in the Red Sea.
After all our fears we walked through the border in 15 mins without our baggage even being checked or subject to any security measures. So we arrived at Eilat airport 2 and half hours early for our flight to Tel Aviv which was lucky because it was a complete shambles and took us that long to check in. Bizarre and totally random security procedures.
Our friends collected us and drove us to Jerusalem to the YMCA building where we stayed. It is a beautiful Art Deco building from 1931 which was designed by the architect who did the Empire State Building. After a reviving drink they then took us up to a hill top view of the old city where a friend of theirs who is a professional tour guide pointed about all the sites and gave us an insightful potted history. This was the perfect introduction for us to the city. They then took us to a rooftop Kosher Italian restaurant for dinner where we could enjoy a view over the Old City.
On Monday we went up to Temple Mount first thing and saw the area of the Dome of the Rock (which we can't enter as non-Muslims). The exterior is very beautiful however and there was much else to see.
We then raced down to the Jaffa Gate to go on a 3 hour walking tour of all 4 quarters (Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Armenian) of the Old City. This included visiting the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Western Wall.
We then spent the rest of the day wandering around the Old City.
The next day we went up to the Mount of Olives where we had another great view of the Old City. Visited some of the churches there which are very significant to Christian pilgrims. Walked down to the city walls and had a delicious lunch of pita, falafel, hummmus and salad in the Muslim Quarter. The was followed by a walk through East Jerusalem to the iconic American Colony Hotel which though grandly colonial was quite welcoming.
For a complete change of scene we met our friend in Mea Sherim the ultra-orthodox suburb that resembles the shetls of Eastern Europe. This small group are intensely devout, eschew modern life, are almost anti-Zionist and have managed to arrange that they are exempted from taxes and army service.
Still on the go we visited the Israel Museum of which the highlight was the Dead Sea Scrolls.
On Wednesday we went to Yad Veshem the Holocaust museum. Obviously this was very moving but its purpose seems to be to inform, not to distress.
Next day was our last day and we just wandered around the Old City after visiting the Italian Synagogue and Art Museum. This has been recreated from the dismantled interior of some Baroque synagogues in Venice.
Here are some initial photos of our trip. Many more to come.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Travels in three countries
We had a lovely last day in Istanbul (including buying a new camera). Overwhelmed in the Grand Bazaar but escaped to the nearby Rustem Pasha Mosque which I had really liked the first time around. Then walked down to the water and over the Galatea Bridge up to the Galatea Tower and along to Istiklal street which was described in our guidebook as the most elegant in Istanbul. It was - full of Art Nouveau buildings and some very fashionable shops.
Finished up the day by meeting the rest of the group down by the bridge to say goodbye and then eating fish dinners off the boats on the water before heading off to the airport for our late night flight to Damascus.
Damascus exceeded expectations as the oldest continuously inhabited city. We stayed at the Beit al Mamlouka, a restored 17th century house of some wealthy family, built around an inner courtyard, all honey coloured limestone and dark basalt, fountain playing, orange trees, bougainvillea, curiously wrought copper lamps in niches, sprawling cushions on low divans, you know -- the kind of thing from Sindbad in the court of Harun al Raschid, on a slightly smaller scale, but just about as expensive. And elaborate breakfasts of fresh fruit, 3 kinds of olive, white and yellow cheese, cheese pastries, hard boiled egg, hot spicy eggplant, spiced yoghurt, bread and jam (choice of cherry, rose petal, apricot), slice of plum cake, petits fours, all washed down with good coffee.
Thus fortified, ventured into the entirely medieval streets, rather narrow, sometimes buildings meeting overhead, construction either in stone or pine posts in plaster, all of indeterminate age. Not too many cars, luckily, because you often need to press into doorways to let them pass. Suddenly noticed an archbishop in full golden regalia striding along leading a small procession of children. We followed them into the Maronite churchyard; it was a First Communion. and the children in robes were each carrying a lily, to the camera-snapping of proud parents. Thus our introduction to the Christian quarter of the city.
Continued south till we came to the Street Called Straight, or so it is described in the relevant epistle of St Paul, or is it Acts, where there is the account of him being struck down on the road to damascus, and taking refuge in a house of a friend in a side street here. Actually Straight Street was the Roman decumanus, or main east-west street. It was all being dug up, which meant dust and big machines, and rubble underfoot, but in the midst of the confusion there were a small group of Damascene archeologists scraping dirt off a pile of huge sections of ancient fluted columns which had been unearthed in the process or road building. The street was lined with the most fascinating little shops with silver jewellery, astrolabes, oil lamps predating Ali Baba, and so on. Thence by devious ways to the truly grand Ummayad Mosque, built from a former basilica in the early 700s by a sultan determined to put the new capital of the Caliphate on the world map.
The Souk was much better than that in Istanbul. David and Kathy joined us on the second day which was great. The food was even nicer than Turkey - interesting flavours and amazingly cheap.
We took a day trip to Palmyra on Tuesday -the ruins did not disappoint.
The next day wasn't been so good. A nice driver picked us up and we got over the Jordan border without too much hanging around. Our new driver is not so nice. But we had a good visit to Jerash (Roman ruins from 2nd century) and our guide there was excellent.We then went to Madaba which seems to be a bit of a hole - other than some Byzantine mosaics.
Thursday was much better. We went to Mt. Nebo where Moses espied the Promised Land which did not look to us to be to the land of milk and honey. But then we diverted to the Dead Sea which was very beautiful. Justin tested the waters and did indeed float. The landscape in this part of Jordan was much more interesting than we had seen the day before. We then came to Karak castle - a huge and solid Crusader Castle
built on top of a hill. We enjoyed exploring it.
Finally arrived in Wadi Musa which is the village near Petra.
Yesterday we spent the day at Petra. The weather was perfect - not hot with sunshine and a cool breeze which was lucky because we had to do so much walking.
Petra was magnificent. When we came upon the Treasury I almost wept. I realised that it was the best place I had ever seen in the world. It is impossible to do justice to it all by description. Hopefully the photos will tell the tale.
today we head off for a night in the desert at Wadi Rum.
Finished up the day by meeting the rest of the group down by the bridge to say goodbye and then eating fish dinners off the boats on the water before heading off to the airport for our late night flight to Damascus.
Damascus exceeded expectations as the oldest continuously inhabited city. We stayed at the Beit al Mamlouka, a restored 17th century house of some wealthy family, built around an inner courtyard, all honey coloured limestone and dark basalt, fountain playing, orange trees, bougainvillea, curiously wrought copper lamps in niches, sprawling cushions on low divans, you know -- the kind of thing from Sindbad in the court of Harun al Raschid, on a slightly smaller scale, but just about as expensive. And elaborate breakfasts of fresh fruit, 3 kinds of olive, white and yellow cheese, cheese pastries, hard boiled egg, hot spicy eggplant, spiced yoghurt, bread and jam (choice of cherry, rose petal, apricot), slice of plum cake, petits fours, all washed down with good coffee.
Thus fortified, ventured into the entirely medieval streets, rather narrow, sometimes buildings meeting overhead, construction either in stone or pine posts in plaster, all of indeterminate age. Not too many cars, luckily, because you often need to press into doorways to let them pass. Suddenly noticed an archbishop in full golden regalia striding along leading a small procession of children. We followed them into the Maronite churchyard; it was a First Communion. and the children in robes were each carrying a lily, to the camera-snapping of proud parents. Thus our introduction to the Christian quarter of the city.
Continued south till we came to the Street Called Straight, or so it is described in the relevant epistle of St Paul, or is it Acts, where there is the account of him being struck down on the road to damascus, and taking refuge in a house of a friend in a side street here. Actually Straight Street was the Roman decumanus, or main east-west street. It was all being dug up, which meant dust and big machines, and rubble underfoot, but in the midst of the confusion there were a small group of Damascene archeologists scraping dirt off a pile of huge sections of ancient fluted columns which had been unearthed in the process or road building. The street was lined with the most fascinating little shops with silver jewellery, astrolabes, oil lamps predating Ali Baba, and so on. Thence by devious ways to the truly grand Ummayad Mosque, built from a former basilica in the early 700s by a sultan determined to put the new capital of the Caliphate on the world map.
The Souk was much better than that in Istanbul. David and Kathy joined us on the second day which was great. The food was even nicer than Turkey - interesting flavours and amazingly cheap.
We took a day trip to Palmyra on Tuesday -the ruins did not disappoint.
The next day wasn't been so good. A nice driver picked us up and we got over the Jordan border without too much hanging around. Our new driver is not so nice. But we had a good visit to Jerash (Roman ruins from 2nd century) and our guide there was excellent.We then went to Madaba which seems to be a bit of a hole - other than some Byzantine mosaics.
Thursday was much better. We went to Mt. Nebo where Moses espied the Promised Land which did not look to us to be to the land of milk and honey. But then we diverted to the Dead Sea which was very beautiful. Justin tested the waters and did indeed float. The landscape in this part of Jordan was much more interesting than we had seen the day before. We then came to Karak castle - a huge and solid Crusader Castle
built on top of a hill. We enjoyed exploring it.
Finally arrived in Wadi Musa which is the village near Petra.
Yesterday we spent the day at Petra. The weather was perfect - not hot with sunshine and a cool breeze which was lucky because we had to do so much walking.
Petra was magnificent. When we came upon the Treasury I almost wept. I realised that it was the best place I had ever seen in the world. It is impossible to do justice to it all by description. Hopefully the photos will tell the tale.
today we head off for a night in the desert at Wadi Rum.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Cappadocia
I spent the rest of Tuesday afternoon wandering around the lake whıch was idyllic with its mountain backdrop. Meanwhile Justin and most of the rest of the group went on a bike ride which was later described by someone as the most dangerous thing that they had ever done. They had to come back on steep potholed roads in the dark, no helmets wıth thunder and lightning all around them!
On Wednesday we headed off early to travel to Cappadocia which has to be the most amazing landscape that İ have ever seen. Peaks and caves made of soft volcanic ash that people have hollowed out to build houses out of. İt ıs weird and white and ghostly - like landing on another planet. We stopped on the way to look at an underground city. There are 200 of these over Cappadocia and were first settled by the Hittites more than 2000 years ago. We went down 55 metres I think to see complete houses - they lived underground to hide from theır enemies.
We arrıved ın Göreme late afternoon. Our hotel was high up in this amazing village with wonderful views from our bedroom and the terrace.
Yesterday we visited the Open Air Museum which contained churches from the earliest days of Christianity which had been hollowed out of the rock, several with beautifully preserved frescoes. In the afternoon Justin went with the others on ATVs - 4 wheeled motor scooters, tearing around the slopes. And this was after he had begun the morning with a hot air balloon trip.
We all went to a Turkish Nights dinner in an another village - set up for tourists wıth folk dances and belly dancing. But it was fun abd we finished off the evening smoking water pipes at the Flintsones late night dive (built into a cave of course).
Today we go to Ankara to catch the night train to Istanbul. We shall be very sad to leave the rest of our group.
On Wednesday we headed off early to travel to Cappadocia which has to be the most amazing landscape that İ have ever seen. Peaks and caves made of soft volcanic ash that people have hollowed out to build houses out of. İt ıs weird and white and ghostly - like landing on another planet. We stopped on the way to look at an underground city. There are 200 of these over Cappadocia and were first settled by the Hittites more than 2000 years ago. We went down 55 metres I think to see complete houses - they lived underground to hide from theır enemies.
We arrıved ın Göreme late afternoon. Our hotel was high up in this amazing village with wonderful views from our bedroom and the terrace.
Yesterday we visited the Open Air Museum which contained churches from the earliest days of Christianity which had been hollowed out of the rock, several with beautifully preserved frescoes. In the afternoon Justin went with the others on ATVs - 4 wheeled motor scooters, tearing around the slopes. And this was after he had begun the morning with a hot air balloon trip.
We all went to a Turkish Nights dinner in an another village - set up for tourists wıth folk dances and belly dancing. But it was fun abd we finished off the evening smoking water pipes at the Flintsones late night dive (built into a cave of course).
Today we go to Ankara to catch the night train to Istanbul. We shall be very sad to leave the rest of our group.
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