The first part of our venture to the south of Jordan (on July 16th and 17th) definitely ranks up there as one of the biggest highlights of this fellowship. Over the last couple of days, we have visited Karak, the Dana Nature Reserve, Shobak, and Petra.
Our first stop was to Karak, where we visited a 12th century "crusader castle" perched along a mountaintop. There are a total of 3 crusader castles whose remains can still be found throughout various parts of Jordan. The castle itself was fascinating and afforded spectacular views of the surrounding area.
Next, we went to the Dana Nature Reserve, an area that was designated with such status in the 1990s and considered a great achievement in preserving a beautiful natural environment while promoting low-impact ecotourism to this part of the country. Dana (pronounced as "donna"...but of course) translates as "natural defense" and the term is apropos in describing the local setting. Situated at nearly 4,000 feet in elevation, we stayed in an incredibly rustic village overlooking a grand and scenic wadi (and just wait until you see the wadi count at the end of this message - we've seen quite a few over the last couple days!) and situated on a cliffside promontory. Our group stayed overnight in the village, and I had an opportunity to sleep on the rooftop of a building in a traditional-style Bedouin tent. It was great, and there were an endless number of stars to admire in the clear evening sky.
Today, we visited another crusader castle in Shobak, which was similar in some respects to the one we saw in Karak, yet distinctively situated in yet another spectacular setting. Then, it was off to Petra, Jordan's famous "lost city" that is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and considered one of the new seven wonders of the world. Petra is an ancient Nabatean city (the Nabateans date back to at least 647 BC in this area) situated in a canyon setting reminscent of places like Sedona, Arizona. The most famous spot in Petra is the grand Treasury, carved right into the sandstone and just an incredible site to see.
However, Petra is so much more than the Treasury, as there was an entire community interspersed in the surrounding canyons. The Romans took over the area in 106 AD and there is a visible Roman imprint on this city, which is tucked away in a natural fault within the mountains.
I spent 8 memorable hours in Petra today, with the highlights including a tour of the "siq" (the narrow passage in the canyon that leads to the heart of the famous Treasury and heart of Petra), taking a camel ride, and talking for about an hour with a Bedouin family whose roots to the Petra area go back many generations.
Per tradition, I think today's installment should conclude with some talk of the wadis. We have seen six in the first part of this road trip to the south of Jordan (Wadi Karak, Wadi Hasa, Wadi Araba, Wadi Dana, Wadi Shobak, and Wadi Musa), bringing the official wadi count to 20 for the trip. I'll be back to talk more about the second half of our south Jordanian adventure soon...
Our first stop was to Karak, where we visited a 12th century "crusader castle" perched along a mountaintop. There are a total of 3 crusader castles whose remains can still be found throughout various parts of Jordan. The castle itself was fascinating and afforded spectacular views of the surrounding area.
Next, we went to the Dana Nature Reserve, an area that was designated with such status in the 1990s and considered a great achievement in preserving a beautiful natural environment while promoting low-impact ecotourism to this part of the country. Dana (pronounced as "donna"...but of course) translates as "natural defense" and the term is apropos in describing the local setting. Situated at nearly 4,000 feet in elevation, we stayed in an incredibly rustic village overlooking a grand and scenic wadi (and just wait until you see the wadi count at the end of this message - we've seen quite a few over the last couple days!) and situated on a cliffside promontory. Our group stayed overnight in the village, and I had an opportunity to sleep on the rooftop of a building in a traditional-style Bedouin tent. It was great, and there were an endless number of stars to admire in the clear evening sky.
Today, we visited another crusader castle in Shobak, which was similar in some respects to the one we saw in Karak, yet distinctively situated in yet another spectacular setting. Then, it was off to Petra, Jordan's famous "lost city" that is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and considered one of the new seven wonders of the world. Petra is an ancient Nabatean city (the Nabateans date back to at least 647 BC in this area) situated in a canyon setting reminscent of places like Sedona, Arizona. The most famous spot in Petra is the grand Treasury, carved right into the sandstone and just an incredible site to see.
However, Petra is so much more than the Treasury, as there was an entire community interspersed in the surrounding canyons. The Romans took over the area in 106 AD and there is a visible Roman imprint on this city, which is tucked away in a natural fault within the mountains.I spent 8 memorable hours in Petra today, with the highlights including a tour of the "siq" (the narrow passage in the canyon that leads to the heart of the famous Treasury and heart of Petra), taking a camel ride, and talking for about an hour with a Bedouin family whose roots to the Petra area go back many generations.
Per tradition, I think today's installment should conclude with some talk of the wadis. We have seen six in the first part of this road trip to the south of Jordan (Wadi Karak, Wadi Hasa, Wadi Araba, Wadi Dana, Wadi Shobak, and Wadi Musa), bringing the official wadi count to 20 for the trip. I'll be back to talk more about the second half of our south Jordanian adventure soon...
Three cheers for the floppy hat!
ReplyDeletePetra looks incredible!! (loved you on the camel, by the way). Whereas we generally read, in the everyday news, all that is bad and wrong with the world, your trip has reminded us of the beauty, and generous spirit of so many different cultures. Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteDad
Unbelievable adventure!!!
ReplyDelete