Jordan, Summer 2012

After some 10 days in Lebanon, belarusian Sviatlana and I decided to travel to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for a week. We rented a car and went exploring this beautiful country of more than just desert and dead water. Jordan has so much to offer and a week is only enough if you want to check out the attractions. You could spent months or years or a whole life living with the beduins or diving in the Red Sea. We had only a week as Sviatlana had to go back to write her final assignment for the MBA at Oxford University.
Due to ramadan and islam as the predominantly religion, we almost ate nothing during daytime that week - forbidden to eat outside, even to drink. We drank inside our car but I have to admit: I carried flatbread in my pocket 24/7.

The Historical City of Petra

Info: Petra is an ancient city carved into solid rock by the ancient arab tribes The Nabataeans whose capital it later became. A rich kingdom who were specialists in caving and trading. It was a strategic area located on the ancient Arabic trade route linking China and India to the Mediterranean coastal cities and their ports. But 106 AD the inevitable happened and Petra became part of the great roman empire, as so many other tribes(!). And as the romans used a sea-based trade route, Petra declined rapidly. Year by year the city was destroyed by several earthquakes and it turned into a remote and dead place.
Thanks to a european traveler who rediscovered it 1812, Petra was excavated by archeologists and a danish scholar Dr. Ditlev in 1929. And so Petra survived.
I will recommend everyone, who has the chance, to go wander around Petra. It has lots to offer no matter if you are an archeologist, geologist, anthropologist, homeless, a musician, a food lover or even disabled. Petra invites everyone, impresses everyone. If you are getting tired on your stroll around the city: hire a donkey or a camel. Enjoy!

Walking through the beautiful sig on our way to The Treasury and "down town" Petra
Where: Petra, Jordan

Donkey fuck ...
Where: Petra, Jordan

Finally we reached the 40 m. tall Treasury
Where: Petra, Jordan

"Love is in the air"
Where: Petra, Jordan

Getting lost in the huge area. A beduin is helping finding the way out...
Where: Petra, Jordan

Looking down on Petra from a plateau of sacrificing on a mountain top
Where: Petra, Jordan

I met a canadian girl with whom I discovered the ancient town
Where: Petra, Jordan

The Treasury seen from above
Where: Petra, Jordan

A very narrow and charming sig
Where: Petra, Jordan

Jerash/Gerasa

First day we spent in another great ancient town of ruins, Gerasa.
Where: Jerash/Gerasa, Jordan

Time were on standby in Gerasa. Here we are enjoying the shadow underneath a small gate.
Where: Gerasa, Jordan

In the great amphitheatre I jammed with some local beduins.
Where: Gerasa, Jordan

Driving South and The Dead Sea

We had good fun driving along these challenging roads

Driving up to Mt. Nebo from where Moses once saw the Holy Land... And died... The sea you might spot here is totally dead.
Mt. Nebo, Jordan

Overlooking the Holy Land in direction Palestine.
Where: Mt. Nebo, Jordan

The Jordan River seen from the Jordanian side - you see the flag? That's Israel man!
In this water JESUS WAS BAPTIZED!
Where: on the border to Israel/Palestine, Jordan

And here we are at Jesus Baptism site AD 25-28. We look like tourists right (you have to join a tour to get here)?
Where: near Dead Sea and Israel 

Barbies for the kids...
Where: Small shop, Jerash, Jordan

Where: Dana Nature Reserve, Jordan

Grand Canyon of Jordan: Mujib Canyon.
Where: Just outside Madaba, Jordan

Where: Mujib Canyon, Jordan

The Dead Sea, Jordan, on a windy day ...

Overlooking the lowest point on earth. The dead seas surface and shore is 423 m. below sea level.
Where: The south shore of The Dead Sea

Posing in front of some very dead water.
Where: Dead Sea, Jordan

Floating around. Here you should be very unlucky to drown.
Where: The Dead Sea, Jordan

The South and Wadi Rum Desert 

This man has 15 children, 2 wifes in Jordan and one in America. Haha. They all seemed very happy.
Where: Dana Nature Reserve, Jordan

Muslim women are foot bathing in the Red Sea. With their clothes on of cause
Where: Aqaba, Jordan

Enjoying the sun. The last day on the beach.
Where: Aqaba, Jordan

A holy cave on our way back to Amman. Everything seems holy in Jordan.
Where: I really don't know!

52 degrees Celsius. Pretty HOT inside a parked car ...

A wall. A Car.

We tried to get to Saudi Arabia, but we were refused with a smile at the border control. Damn. It was so exciting.
Where: On an empty road on our way to the Saudi border, Jordan

In the desert with camels. We overnighted in tents out here.
Where: Wadi Rum, Jordan

Sunset
Where: Wadi Rum, Jordan

I was offered a cigaret in the taxi, but I don't smoke. We had a fun though.
Where: In a Jordanian Taxi

Walking alone along this road I felt so free and lonesome. The following night I booked a flight to Denmark.
Where: In the Desert of Jordan

The Jordanian Cuisine/Street food

I enjoy cinemas a lot when traveling. Firstly: to go to cinema in Denmark incl, popcorn (which is as important as the movie) will cost you roughly 20 USD.
Secondly: when away from home I am more sensitive and a movie can change my day and mood completely.
Thirdly: I LOVE TO EAT POPCORN IN THE DARK!
Where: this was actually in Lebanon.

Oh man, the look giant! They are as the size of... let's say four peas melted together (did that make any sense?). In the centre you'll find a peanut. Slightly sweet inside. Slightly salty on the outside. Me like.

Thanks to diet coke for giving me space for a cake or two more. Haha. NOT.
1. The orange baby is some kind of colored deep-fried/butter soaked dough-threads surrounding a vanilla-gel.
2. The ones to the right are same story without color and gel replaced by roasted almonds.
3. Down to the left my favorites: classic baklava filled with sugared pistachio nuts stuck between layers of butter penciled puff pastry.
4. The last one i really don't remember. My mouth was so sugared and the coke was empty so I couldn't clean it. I am sure it tasted ridiculously good and maybe she was the one who made me feel full for the rest of the day?

Oh no. This was from the day before. I can't help my addiction to sweets.
1. The one to the right is banana filled puff pastry drizzled with sugar syrup. Ouch!
2. The big square shaped darling is a sugar crusted piece of melted mozzarella. It showed me the door to heaven and made my stomach rumble (I am lactose intolerant!).
3. The orange one from the other picture

This one was fun: coconut bottom - peanut topping. Two so tasty ingredients can't go much wrong.  This was no exception.

Fattoush salad with crispy flatbread croutons to the right and to your left you've got my beloved hummus decorated with spicy grounded beef.

Went there again the next day - ooops! PS. in my opinion hummus is better like this (without any meat).

Same food again. But this time we have been joined by mr. Falafel. He is pretty juicy and crispy, vegetarian and he likes to be eaten in one large bite. With hummus. Or Baba Ghanoush (eggplant dip). I am in love with the middle eastern kitchen. PS.: I enjoy to eat a lot of starters for my main course. You get to taste so much more!

Date/fig-filled bread ate safely in the car were nobody can see I am sinning. Again.

So this one has a danish touch: The outside is like the famous danish butter cookies and the inside is a lovely mass of sweetened pistachio nuts. Bon appetite!

Overlooking Gernany. Going home to save appetite and lust for more adventures. 

I hope to inspire you. Feel free to contact me for any questions, critics or just a chat.

/T-spotter