If It Was Today...

The Last Sunset

Posted on April 30, 2013 by If It Was Today

One of the more stunning things about Jordan is the sunsets. Sometimes the camera just can’t capture the colors, but sometimes it works. This picture from our last evening in Jordan comes close.

I’m back home now, but I plan to continue posting additional entries covering some of the highlights from the trip. The next entry will deal with food, which is definitely another wonderful thing about Jordan, and something that I am passionate about. Specifically, I will be discussing Shankleesh, but you will have to wait until the next post to learn more.

Posted in Jordan, Photography, Travel | Tagged Amman, Sunset | 4 Comments

Sippy Cup Central

Posted on April 29, 2013 by If It Was Today

The origins of traditions are often shrouded in mystery. That is certainly true in this case. But the way traditions become firmly established is far more transparent. It takes repetition, pure and simple. So this weekend we did our bit to cement the sippy cup tradition.

It’s pretty simple really. Take a sippy cup, add wine, find a desert and some camels. When you put them all together and you get something like this.

I’m sure the tradition will continue to evolve over time. For one thing, I think it may eventually involve a proper wine sippy cup – if you can accept that there is such a thing as a “proper wine sippy cup”. But having come this far, I think it could work.

Of course, after a hard day riding camels – or even a soft five minutes – what better thing to do than share a cold beverage on the arch while enjoying the stunning scenery in Wadi Rum.

A small campfire at sunset completed the day.

Well, it almost completed the day. The perfect finishing touch was driving through the desert after dark, listening to Abba’s Dancing Queen. But I’ll save that one for another post.

Posted in Desert, Jordan, Photography, Wadi Rum, Wine | Tagged Camel, Wine Sippy Cup | 2 Comments

The End Is Near

Posted on April 28, 2013 by If It Was Today

… the end of the day, of course. What did you think I meant?

After a very full day in Petra (we covered 20 km on foot) we headed back to the hotel for a sauna and a cold beverage on the terrace. The sunset had been impressive the previous night, but this night was even better, though it did have a rather ominous look to it. Just to the left of the sun you can see the Tomb of Aaron. The whole effect is rather other-worldly.

Posted in Jordan, Petra, Photography | Tagged Tomb of Aaron | Leave a comment

Amazing But True

Posted on April 28, 2013 by If It Was Today

We saw some fascinating rock carvings in Siq Burrah in Wadi Rum, and came across this one. It looks a lot like a carving of a Brontosaurus. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions about the implications.

Posted in Desert, Jordan, Travel, Wadi Rum | Tagged Petroglyph, Wadi Rum | Leave a comment

Barter For Dummies

Posted on April 28, 2013 by If It Was Today

I could use a book like that, because when it comes to bartering, I definitely qualify as a dummy. But I get the sense that it could be a lot worse, so maybe I shouldn’t complain.

We took a taxi from our hotel to the gates at Petra. Before we left we asked how much the fare would be, and were told six Dinar each way. I suspect the rate given by the hotel was at the upper end of the official range. I was thinking that it might even have been the most that you could ask for with a straight face. Was I ever wrong on that one.

The taxi ride to the gates went without a hitch. I gave the driver six Dinar, plus a tip, and we were on our way. The return trip was a different story. We were tired and dusty after a long, but enjoyable, day in Petra, so we decided to take a taxi rather than wait for the free hotel shuttle.

Before we got into the taxi, I asked what the fare would be. He started to say ten, caught himself, and said twelve Dinar. I guess he figured we were tired enough to pay a premium. All I could do was raise my eyebrows and ask “seriously?” When that didn’t work, I explained that I had just paid six Dinar a few hours earlier. In the end, I held firm and we agreed on seven Dinar, including the tip. But I felt that perhaps I had been a bit too harsh. Until the driver started asking where we were going next, and offered to take us all the way to Aqaba (about an hour and a half drive) for only 40 Dinar. And that was his opening bid. I think he did quite well on the fare to the hotel.

I don’t have a picture of the barter session, but I do have one of me high on the hills around Petra, enjoying the view. It is a place you really should see. But be prepared to barter for your taxi ride.

Posted in Jordan, Petra, Photography, Travel | Tagged Barter, Jordan, Travel | 2 Comments

Another Piece of the Puzzle

Posted on April 23, 2013 by If It Was Today

At the Place of High Sacrifice in Petra, there are two obelisks on the top of a mountain. Apparently the obelisks were not erected on top of the mountain; the mountain was carved away to create the obelisks. Very impressive. But there was still a mystery. The rock around the obelisks had a series of narrow channels carved into it. Often channels carved into the rock in Petra were designed to control the flow of water, but that was clearly not the case here. It seemed a mystery, until today. The missing clue came from our visit to Um er-Rasas last weekend. While exploring there, we discovered an abandoned quarry, with blocks half carved out. You could clearly see how narrow channels were chiseled into the rock to create stone blocks. When I saw the narrow channels in the rock at Petra today, it suddenly hit me; this was a quarry. They didn’t carve away the mountain just to create the obelisks. They used the mountain as a convenient quarry for the Place of High Sacrifice, and quarried the stones in a way that left the Obelisks in place.

I’m not 100% sure this explanation is correct, but I’m pretty confident about it. But the most fascinating thing to me is that visiting archeological sites in Jordan gives you the opportunity to explore, to touch, and to investigate. It is a rare opportunity. Here are pictures of the obelisks, and the channels carved into the rock.

Posted in Jordan, Petra, Photography, Travel | Tagged Jordan, Petra | 1 Comment

Petra

Posted on April 23, 2013 by If It Was Today

Too many pictures of Petra to share today, so I’ll continue with the stairs theme. Coming down from the Place of High Sacrifice, the stairs are rather steep, without railings even though there is a steep drop on one side. I love them. This picture gives you a small sense of what you will experience there.

We learned today that in some cases there are very good reasons for not bothering with railings and other safety features. You often see stairs cut into the side of the hill, appearing to go nowhere in particular. These looked very strange, until we were told they were provided for the Gods to come down and take the spirits up to Heaven. Here is a good example.

Posted in Jordan, Petra, Photography, Travel | Tagged Jordan, Petra | 3 Comments

Azraq

Posted on April 22, 2013 by If It Was Today

One of the things that annoys me about western society is the tendency to protect people from their own stupidity. Or at least to try to. It usually wastes everyone’s time, and doesn’t really have any effect on the people who probably need it. I’m thinking here of the warning signs you see, with deeply insightful messages like “hot beverages may be hot”. Duh.

This is something you are unlikely to see in Jordan, and I’m very happy about that. It means that you can experience things, and walk in among the ruins. It also means that you could, if you were so inclined, go places that you really shouldn’t go. I took this picture at Azraq, showing a very clever set of “stairs” built into the wall of a building. There was nothing to suggest that you really shouldn’t use these stairs. I like that.

Tomorrow we are off to Petra, where there are many equally interesting stairs, except in this case you are fully expected to use them. It makes for a fascinating day. I’ll try to provide a few photos of those tomorrow.

Posted in Jordan, Travel | Tagged Azraq | Leave a comment

Being There

Posted on April 21, 2013 by If It Was Today

There are many things I love about visiting archeological sites in Jordan; the quality, the quantity, the variety. But most of all, I love the fact that you have the opportunity to go right in among the ruins and look, touch, and try to figure things out for yourself. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you can start your own private dig, but very few places are out of bounds. And while useful information is provided at most sites, there is so much more that you can try to figure out for yourself. Don’t get me wrong – I love visiting important sites in Europe, but the reality is that the most you can do is look at them from a distance, safely behind the ropes and barricades. It is almost like watching a movie about it. On the other hand, when in Jordan, you can actually be there, and fully experience it with all your senses.

Let me illustrate with an example. I’ve often noticed strange black basalt shapes among the ruins, about the size and shape of a tire rim. With a bit of research, we figured out that these were part of a flour grinder, and we could see roughly how the pieces fit together. More or less. Then yesterday, while wandering around the Roman fort in Um er-Rasas, we came across a complete specimen. It was sitting beside a wall in the fort, with nothing to indicate its significance. No sign, no explanation, nothing. If we had not already been investigating, we wouldn’t have known what it was. But as soon as we spotted it, everything came together, and we understood exactly how they made flour. We could touch it, feel how the pieces fit together, see where the grain was poured in, and where the flour came out. I know that I am probably sounding like a total geek, but it completely made our day. Here is a picture that hopefully gives you an idea of how it works.

Posted in Jordan, Travel | Tagged Archeology, Jordan, Um er-Rasas | Leave a comment

Um er-Rasas

Posted on April 20, 2013 by If It Was Today

Another day of touring in Jordan. Another day of stunning archeological sites. Another day of having it all to ourselves. One of the things that I love about Jordan’s history is the fact that we can actually go in and touch it; experience history. One tiny example. We visited a tower built by the stylite monks; one of only two remaining in the world. These monks built stone towers where they could spend up to two years contemplating the divine in peace and solitude. We experienced similar solitude on our visit, having the site entirely to ourselves, in spite of the fact that it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.