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.