Jordan

Thursday, November 14, 2019

We are up early this morning to catch the short flight from Cairo to Amman departing at 7:25am. Upon arrival, one of our bags didn’t make it bringing with it a strong sense of déjà vu. As it turns out, the missing bag was deliberately held by airport security due to it containing a pair of binoculars. Apparently, binoculars are restricted items in Jordan. There were several of us crammed into a small room, adjacent to baggage claim, all for possession of binoculars. After nearly 30 minutes, the person in charge announced that we would need to follow him to another airport location for final judgment from the “binocular expert”. Ours were not particularly useful binoculars as one of the two eye pieces had come loose, but I didn’t think telling them they could keep them would have fared well for our treatment or the amount of wasted time before I got my bag back, so off to the “expert” we went. This involved a walk of about ten minutes before we found ourselves in yet another small, crowded room. The “expert” methodically reviewed each pair of glasses and then handed them back to their owner and sent us on our way. Time well spent. Welcome to Jordan.

We were met at the airport by our guide, Samer, who would take us through the Jordan portion of our Wilderness Travel trip over the next six days. Like our other guides, Samer speaks perfect English, has been guiding for many years and easily becomes a fast-friend.

Background

Jordan is a country in the Near East bordered by Israel, Syria, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia which was part of the Land of Canaan in ancient times. The country is named for the River Jordan which flows between modern-day Jordan and Israel and whose name means "to descend" or "flow downwards". The region has a long history as an important trade center for every major empire from the ancient world to the present age and numerous sites in the country are mentioned throughout the Bible.

The region of modern-day Jordan is mentioned a number of times in the Bible's Old Testament as part of the narratives which make up the books of Genesis, Exodus, Deuteronomy, Numbers, Joshua, and others concerning the land of the Israelites, their enslavement in Egypt, and their deliverance to a promised land which then must be conquered. The events related are thought to have occurred during the latter part of the Bronze Age (2000-1200 BC).

Mount Nebo in Jordan is the spot where Moses is said to have been allowed a glimpse of the Promised Land before he died and Jordan was the land of the Midianites where Moses took refuge after his flight from Egypt in Exodus and the region in which he encountered the burning bush which sent him back on his mission to free his people from bondage. He is said to be buried on Mount Nebo, originally a site sacred to the Moabites and their gods.

Alexander the Great (336-323 BC) founded cities in the region (such as Jerash) and the Nabateans carved their capital city of Petra there from sandstone cliffs. Early in its history the area attracted and inspired traders, artists, philosophers, craftsmen and, inevitably, conquerors all of whom have left their mark on the history of the modern-day country.

"The Treasury" in Petra

Jordan has been an independent nation since 1946 after thousands of years as a vassal state of foreign empires and European powers and has developed into one of the most stable and resourceful nations in the Near East. Its capital city, Amman, is considered one of the most prosperous in the world and a popular destination for tourists. The history of the region is vast, going back more than 8,000 years, and encompassing the tale of the rise and fall of empires and the evolution of the modern state.

Jerash

Our first stop is the ancient Roman city of Jerash about 30 miles north of Amman. Jerash is an archaeological masterpiece framed by the hills of Gilead. It was founded by the soldiers of Alexander the Great during the 4th century BC. The city was organized along a grid of wide, colonnaded streets. These expanded at the two major intersections to form small, circular piazzas that contain four-pillar monuments and, at the south gate, a large oval forum. Other monuments of this prosperous Roman city—considered one of the best-preserved provincial cities of the Roman Empire— include a triumphal arch, a stadium, a monumental fountain, and temples. Jerash’s main ruins were identified in 1806 by German traveler Ulrich Seetzen. Restoration began in 1925 under the British Mandate.

The entrance gate to the city of Jerash

An interior gate to the city

The Oval Plaza and main intersection in Jerash

The colonnaded walkway towards the northern gate

A view towards the northern gate

The Nymphaeum

The Temple of Artemis

We spent several hours walking through Jerash, climbing the hills, strolling the promenade, climbing the stairs of the stadium and amphitheater and exploring the temple and other ruins. It was impressive to see the size and scale of this city built nearly 2400 years ago.

The Northern Theatre

The Southern Theatre

The Southern Theatre (again)

After Jerash, we drove quite a distance to a remote village where we stopped at the home of a middle-aged couple and their two children. They had prepared an elaborate meal complete with the traditional and ancient Jordanian Maqluba made from chicken, rice, and fried vegetables placed in a pot which is flipped upside down when served, hence the name maqluba, which translates literally as "upside-down." Their modest home is perched on a hillside with beautiful views of the valley below. It was a bit strange to travel all of this distance for lunch, but the food, the view and, most importantly, the warmth of our hosts, made the trip totally worth it.

Our lunch with homemade maqluba

Our hosts for this delicious lunch

Amman

After lunch, we drove a couple of hours back to Amman and checked into the Intercontinental Hotel. Tonight, we will be joining our Salt Lake City friends for dinner at Fakhrdeen Restaurant. We had met them during the Egypt portion of our Wilderness Travel tour and our paths have now crossed again in Amman. The restaurant was highly recommended by both our tour guide as well as the hotel as some of the best Lebanese food in Amman. We took an Uber to the restaurant and joined our fellow travelers – Marilee, Ken, Kathleen and Marv – for what turned out to be a fantastic dining experience. The variety of food as well as the quantity is amazing, if not overwhelming. We experience this everywhere in Jordan as our guide points out that it is considered rude for a hostess to run out of food. Running out of food was never possible anywhere that we ate, not even close.

Friday, November 15, 2019

Mount Nebo

After breakfast at the hotel, we check out and join our guide, Samer, for the 45-minute drive south to Mount Nebo, the place where it is believed Moses caught his first glimpse of the Promised Land after leading the Israelites through the wilderness for the previous 40 years. As the Bible tells it, Moses was prevented from entering the Promised Land himself – that honor would be left for others. And it was here, at Mount Nebo, that Moses gazed out over the valley that would become the home for his people and it is also believed that he is buried there on Mount Nebo.

The view of the Promised Land from Mount Nebo - must have been more "promising" in Moses' time

A monument to Moses - his staff intertwined with a serpent

In 1933, the remains of a Byzantine Church were discovered at Mount Nebo. The church, now called the Church of Moses, was constructed in the 2nd half of the 4th century AD with renovations added through the late 6th century. Visitors are permitted to enter the remains of the church which include several examples of beautiful mosaics.

Saint George’s Church and the Madaba Map

We then took a short drive to Saint George’s Church in Madaba. The church was originally constructed in 542 AD and then re-discovered in 1884. The restoration work found that the floor was covered with a mosaic map, now called the Madaba Mosaic Map, which originally measured 70 x 23 ft. The map depicts what was then known as the Promised Land, with a particular focus on Jerusalem. It has been used by archaeologists to explore and discover older sections of the city of Jerusalem and enabled them to find buildings, roads and other structures exactly where the map indicated.

The portion of the Madaba Map describing the ancient City of Jerusalem

Shobak Castle

We left St George’s to begin the three-hour drive south to Petra. Two hours into our drive, we stop at Shobak Castle (aka Montreal Castle). The castle was built in 1115 by Baldwin I of Jerusalem during his expedition to the area where he captured Aqaba on the Red Sea. The castle is located on a round hilltop site and looks over the plateau of Edom. The Edom plain was a relatively fertile location, which made the site highly desirable. The castle was strategically important due to the fact that it also dominated the main passage from Egypt to Syria. This allowed whoever held the castle to tax not only traders, but also those who were on pilgrimages to Mecca and Medina.

Shobak Castle from a distance

The exterior wall to Shobak Castle

From inside the castle

Another interior view

Shobak Castle is one of six castles in Jordan built during the period of the crusades. The crusades were a series of religious wars in western Asia and Europe initiated, supported and sometimes directed by the Catholic Church between the 11th and the 15th century. In 1095, Pope Urban II proclaimed the First Crusade at the Council of Clermont for the purpose of recapturing Jerusalem and placing it in Christian hands after it had fallen under Muslim control 500 hundred years earlier. To support this war effort and its supply lines, over 100 castles were built along the route from Rome to Jerusalem including Cyprus, Egypt, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and, of course, Israel. In all, there were nine crusades during this 500-year period with an estimate of 1 to 3 million people killed and at its end, the Holy Land was still under the control of the Muslims. Only the First Crusade succeeded in briefly recapturing Jerusalem for Christians.

The entrance to the Mamluk Passageway connecting the inner and outer ring wall of the castle

The remains of an arch within the castle walls

One of the four corners of Shobak Castle

The castle ruins are extraordinary and well worth a visit.

We finished up at the castle and then drove the remaining hour to Petra where we checked into our hotel, ate dinner and then went to sleep.

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Petra

We got an early start this morning, 7 AM, at Samer’s recommendation to beat the crowds. Our hotel is strategically located directly across from the entrance to Petra so we left on foot. For the first hour, we walked on the canyon floor with red, sandstone cliffs ascending hundreds of feet skyward on both sides creating a narrow passageway shared by walkers, like us, as well as people on horseback. Along the way, we encounter beautiful burial sites and other sculptures carved directly into the canyon walls. There was also evidence of manmade aqueducts carved into the stone to harvest rainwater and direct it into the city. This is one of the more beautiful walks I have ever been on – serene, majestic and natural (mostly). The following pictures are from our walk into Petra.

After an hour, we round a corner and get our first glimpse of an amazing carved structure known as the Treasury. Your first encounter with this structure is literally breathtaking. The Treasury is one of the most elaborate temples in Petra, a city of the Nabatean Kingdom, inhabited by the Arabs in ancient times. It rises over 130 ft from the valley floor and is believed to have been the mausoleum of the Nabatean King Aretas IV in the 1st century AD. Many of the building's architectural details have eroded away during the two thousand years since it was carved and sculpted from the cliff, but what remains is absolutely stunning. The sculptures are thought to be those of various mythological figures associated with the afterlife. On top are figures of four eagles that would carry away the souls. The figures on the upper level are dancing Amazons with double-axes. The entrance is flanked by statues of the twins Castor and Pollux who lived partly on Olympus and partly in the underworld.

Our first glimpse of "The Treasury"

The Treasury has appeared in many Hollywood movies, gaining particular fame after being featured in climactic scenes in the popular 1989 film Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, in which its facade is represented as the entrance to the final resting place of the Holy Grail.

The Treasury - 130 ft tall carved out of the canyon walls

The detailed carvings at the top of The Treasury

The Nabataeans were one among several nomadic tribes who roamed the Arabian Desert, moving with their herds to wherever they could find pasture and water. These nomads became familiar with their area as seasons passed, and they struggled to survive during bad years when seasonal rainfall diminished. During the 1st century BC, these nomads settled in Petra where they built elaborate rainwater capturing systems. For the next nearly 200 years, the Nabateans flourished taking advantage of their strategic location along an important trade route to the Far East where traders were charged fees for safe passage and goods were exchanged among the settlers and the traders. At its height, Petra was a city with 20,000 inhabitants. Near the end of the 1st century AD, Petra and the Nabateans fell under Roman rule and the city continued to flourish.

By the end of the 5th century, Arab invaders had arrived and the Nabateans were largely scattered becoming peasants and nomads once again. It is believed that a series of earthquakes and droughts also contributed to the demise of the Nabateans and the subsequent abandonment of Petra.

It wasn’t until 1812 that the ancient city of Petra was re-discovered by the Swiss traveler Johann Burckhardt. Born into a wealthy family of silk merchants, Burckhardt was enthralled with travel and the east. He studied Arabic at Cambridge University and, at the age of 25, left England for Syria. Once there, he adopted a local persona and began to study local languages and dialects to hide his European identity. Burckhardt had heard rumors of an ancient city carved into the canyons which was supposedly the burial place of Aaron, the brother of Moses. Telling his guide that he wished to sacrifice a goat to Aaron, he was led through the narrow valley where on August 22, 1812, he became the first modern European to lay eyes on the ancient Nabataean city of Petra. And here is how he described his first view of the Treasury-

An excavated mausoleum came in view, the situation and beauty of which are calculated to make an extraordinary impression upon the traveler. The natives call this monument Kaszr Faraoun, or Pharaoh's castle; and pretend that it was the residence of a prince. But it was rather the sepulcher of a prince, and great must have been the opulence of a city, which could dedicate such monuments to the memory of its rulers.

The Treasury (again)

And yet again, because it is that amazing

And for those of us visiting Petra today, the Treasury is only the beginning. Having emerged from the narrow canyon into the courtyard directly in front of the Treasury, we then turn to the right and continue our walk down a much wider canyon with additional elaborate burial sites carved into the canyon walls. Eventually, we reach the city center where there are several temples/churches, an amphitheater, a palace, the Grand Temple and evidence of housing.

Visitors can ride donkeys into Petra. In the background are other carved mausoleums.

The Urn Tomb

The Palace Tomb

Today, Petra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the Treasury is listed as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Visitors to Petra reached 1.1 million in 2019.

The Great Temple in the city center

The walls of the Great Temple

A view of the Nabatean Theatre

The Nabatean Theatre up close

The former residents of Petra have been relocated to a hillside a couple of miles beyond the ancient city center. They are the only ones allowed to set up stalls and sell merchandise within the formal Petra area and we purchased numerous handicrafts from them which made unique gifts for my large and growing family.

Former dwelling places carved into the rock

More dwelling places

Bedouin residents from whom we purchased numerous handmade items 

We spent most of the day in Petra until retracing our steps back to the hotel where we visited the museum before briefly collapsing in our hotel room. Both Liz and I were astonished and surprised by Petra. It is a unique combination of natural beauty and ancient architecture that really blew us away. We immediately declared it the single most impressive thing we have seen during our seven-month adventure.  If you have an opportunity to go, you should.

That night, we had dinner at the Cave Bar where we met up with our Salt Lake City friends again.  They had just arrived in Petra after a day of touring that traced our steps from the day before. Tomorrow they would be walking into Petra. I was jealous as I could easily do the same all over again.

Dinner in the Cave Bar with our friends from Salt Lake City: (l to r) Marilee, Ken, Marv, Kathleen and Liz

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Wadi Rum

This morning we drive further south for a couple of hours to Wadi Rum where we say good-bye to our guide, Samer, who had a family emergency to attend to. Until tomorrow, we will be in the hands of Wadi Rum desert guides.

Wadi Rum has been inhabited by many human cultures since prehistoric times, with many cultures–including the Nabataeans–leaving their mark in the form of rock paintings, graffiti, and temples.

The landscape of Wadi Rum, with its immensity, ever-changing palette of colors, and awe-inspiring rock spires, creates an otherworldly atmosphere. This extraordinary canyon (wadi means canyon) was the headquarters of Prince Feisal bin Hussein and T. E. Lawrence during World War I as they fought the Arab Revolt against the Turkish Ottoman Empire. Parts of the film Lawrence of Arabia were staged here, and Lawrence’s famous book, The Seven Pillars of Wisdom, was named after Wadi Rum’s natural landmark of seven jagged rock columns. Wadi Rum is known for its good springs, and the Bedouin frequently pitched their tents here. Today, it is still home to a number of Bedouin families, who welcome visitors with hospitality and generosity.

Wadi Rum

Liz traveling as a local in Wadi Rum

Liz and Malcolm enjoying the desert

We arrive for lunch in the desert

We traveled the desert canyons in the back of a pick-up truck as we drove past the amazing, colorful rock spires. At one point we stopped on a sand dune and walked to its top where we had great 360° views of this beautiful landscape. That was followed by a 45-minute camel ride through the desert after which we were picked up by another truck which escorted us to our desert tent campsite.

Our desert camel ride begins

And Liz leads the way

Camel Shadows

We say good-bye to our camel. He was heartbroken.

While this was billed as a “luxury” camp site, about the only two things that approximated “luxury” were the tent accommodations and the exquisite landscape as the camp sits at the foot of these towering red rock formations. The kitchen facilities and the food took me back to my Boys Scout days. It didn’t taste very good then and is certainly worse today. With that said, we didn’t come here for the food. We came to witness the desert beauty, the sunset and the stars at night – each of which didn’t disappoint.

We arrive at our tent camp

Liz outside of our tent

A view of the other tents

The mountain backdrop to our campsite

The sun begins to set

The entire day including cruising in the truck, the camel ride and our stay at Wadi Rum Night Camp were all amazing. The beauty of the desert is undeniable.

Monday, November 18, 2019

The Dead Sea

This morning we are driven back to the Wadi Rum visitors center where we meet up with our new guide, Fadi. Fadi turns out to be another exceptional guide and, while we will miss Samer, we don’t skip a beat in terms of our Jordanian experience.

From the visitors center we drive yet further south to the city of Aqaba – the southern most part of Jordan at the northern tip of the Gulf of Aqaba which descends yet further south to the Red Sea. Aqaba is also the intersection of Jordan, Israel, Egypt and Saudi Arabia and a strategic port for the entire Arabian peninsula and beyond given its close proximity to the Arabian Sea (southeast), the Suez Canal and the Mediterranean Sea (northwest).

From Aqaba, we turn north where our destination is the northern tip of the Dead Sea – total driving time: four hours. And it is a beautiful drive, primarily through desert, along Jordan’s western border with Israel.

As we approach the southern end of the Dead Sea, we begin a steady and steep descent until we eventually reach the banks of the Dead Sea at over 1400 ft below sea level – the lowest place on Earth on land. And it is getting lower every year. Due to water diversion of the Jordan River – the sole tributary feeding the Dead Sea – the surface has dropped over 150 ft since 1930 and, today, is dropping 6 ft every year. The surface area of the Dead Sea has also declined by over 40% and today the southern section is actually detached from the larger, northern section. Jordan has plans for a major project to halt the decline in water and is seeking funding to get underway. If nothing is done, the Dead Sea will simply disappear.

My altimeter records our altitude or lack thereof

Eventually, we arrive at our hotel at the north end, the Movenpick Resort & Spa which is a beautiful property. We quickly change into our bathing suits and head for the Dead Sea where we bathe ourselves in mud and then float effortlessly in the water. We are carefully instructed to not allow any of the water into our mouths as the salinization concentration is dangerously high for almost every living thing. The proper technique is to wade in to about thigh-high water and then slowly allow yourself to fall backwards whereupon you immediately float. Definitely worth doing.

Our hotel property with the Dead Sea in the background

Malcolm performs "The Dead Sea Float" to perfection

The sun sets over the Dead Sea

Following our Dead Sea float, Liz and I treat ourselves to salt scrub, mud treatments and massages at the spa which felt oh so decadent, but also totally worth it.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

John the Baptist and Amman

This morning we take another float in the Dead Sea before Fadi picks us up to head back to Amman. However, on the way back we take a detour to the baptismal site where John the Baptist baptized Jesus in the Jordan River – only a 30-minute drive from our hotel.

The baptismal site comprises a large area. It is believed to be the place where Elijah traveled from Jericho with Elisha, crossed the Jordan River and was swept up into Heaven in a chariot of fire. Due to its importance, John the Baptist often used a cave in this place to dwell in and it is said that Jesus often visited with him there. It was during one such visit, that John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River and many consider this to be the event that started the Christian religion. Five different Christian churches have been built in the area between the 5th and 12th centuries as memorials to Jesus’ baptism.

After touring several of these churches, we then proceeded down to the banks of the Jordan River and were surprised by what we saw there. The Jordan River is the border between Jordan and Israel and, at this point, due to the water diversion described earlier that is draining the Dead Sea, the river is only about 30 ft wide while it is estimated to have been 1 km wide at the time of Jesus.

As this is the border, on both sides of the river there are guards armed with machine guns. There is also a float line that runs down the center of the river that defines the border. On the Jordan side, there were only a few visitors, but on the Israel side, it was packed with over a hundred seekers dressed in white robes and descending into the river for their personal baptism. Quite an extraordinary thing to witness. We were thankful for the diversion.

The Jordan River: looking across the border from Jordan to Israel

Christian pilgrims being baptized at the site where John the Baptist baptized Jesus

The Citadel of Amman

Then, we were back in the van and heading to Amman, about an hour’s drive. Our first stop in Amman was the Citadel. The Citadel is built at the top of one of Amman’s seven hills and has a long history. Evidence of occupation since the pottery Neolithic period has been found and the hill was fortified during the Bronze Age (1800 BC). The hill became the capital of the Kingdom of Ammon sometime after 1200 BC. It was later occupied by various empires that of the Assyrians (8th century BC), Babylonians (6th century BC), the Ptolemies, the Seleucids (3rd century BC), Romans (1st century BC), Byzantines (3rd century AD) and the Umayyads (7th century AD). After the Umayyads came a period of decline and for much of the time until 1878 as the former city became an abandoned pile of ruins only sporadically used by Bedouins and seasonal farmers. Despite this gap, the Citadel of Amman is considered to be among the world's oldest continuously inhabited places.

Two of the key features today are the Temple of Hercules built during the Roman period in the 2nd century AD and the Umayyad Palace built during the 7th century AD. Another totally worth it tour.

The Umayyad Palace

The Temple of Hercules

The Temple of Hercules

The Roman Theatre

Amman's Roman Theatre is a 6,000-seat, 2nd-century Roman theatre. A famous landmark in the Jordanian capital, it dates back to the Roman period when the city was known as Philadelphia. During our travels, we have visited many theatre’s built by the Romans. It is impressive to see their commitment to providing entertainment to the populations of cities throughout the Roman Empire. They were master builders and the acoustics of their theatres allowed attendees perfect listening while the actors used only their voices with no further amplification. Even today, many of these ancient theatres are still used for theatrical and musical performances, as is this one in Amman.

The Roman Theatre in Amman

The Roman Theatre

The Roman Theatre from the nosebleed seats

Dinner with a Former Bentley Colleague

During our time in Jordan, I had reached out to a former colleague of mine who lives in Amman, Baraq Hadi, with the hopes that we could get together for a bite to eat. Baraq responded that he was in Qatar and not scheduled to return until after we had left Jordan, but would see if he could arrange coming back to Amman earlier which he was able to do. So, for our last night in Amman, Liz and I joined Baraq and his wife, Sireen, for dinner back at Fakhreldin Restaurant for one of the best meals we had ever had. In addition to a wide assortment of Lebanese culinary dishes we also enjoyed Arak, a traditional Jordanian liqueur made from anise, and a hookah pipe with your personal choice of flavored tobacco. And even better than the food was the company. Liz and I had previously enjoyed a meal with Baraq and Sireen in San Francisco a couple of years ago and, of course, I have known Baraq from work for almost 20 years, so getting back together, reminiscing and catching up was very special. A perfect way to end our week in Jordan and, oh, what an unforgettable week it was.

Musings…

Well, to be perfectly honest, it’s been 6 weeks since we returned home (yea!) and the trip seems like ages ago. I had to read Malcolm’s blog and review the notes I kept of our daily activities so I could share my perspectives on Jordan. Time is a very weird thing and so is my aging brain;).

Jordan was great. Definitely worth a trip - so fascinating, the ancient remains feel unworldly. It’s nicer than Egypt, parts of it still feel very third world (mostly because of the garbage and trash everywhere, especially in the rural areas) but Amman is a cool city. And Malcolm was not kidding about the amount of food they serve. It’s bizarre - for a party of 4 they serve enough food for 12 people. I was full after the first course and there was always so much more to come. And it’s delicious. I just hope they give the leftovers to those less fortunate, and to the thousands of stray cats that are literally everywhere.

The main sites - Jerash, Shobak, Dead Sea and Wadi Rum are all amazing. The desert is right out of a movie - it never ends. Literally no end can be seen when you are driving through it. Surreal is the word that came to mind when we stood atop the sand dune, nothing but mountains of sand in every direction. Breathtaking. And floating (I’m pretty sure it’s impossible to drown) in the Dead Sea was great.

That said, Petra beats them all. Walking through the first pathway, a corridor of sorts, through the most spectacular colors on the towering rocks above is beautiful. And then you turn the corner to see this fantastic Treasury building - built 2,000+ years ago with the most unsophisticated tools. Amazing. Loved seeing it and climbing around the various caves and buildings. So wonderful that they are doing their best to maintain it and share with the world. And I was very happy to learn the Bedouin people still benefit financially from all the tourists.

But the craziest thing was the baptism scene at the Jordan River - what the heck?! There was at least 100 people, all in white ropes, being baptized or baptizing themselves on the Israeli side (they go to that side because there is no charge - Jordan charges for the experience).  Now, you need to understand the river at this point is only 30 feet wide so you could take ten strokes and be on the other side. Of course there are heavily armed guards on both sides dissuading you from attempting that swim. But the river is sooooo dirty and gross, that’s all I could think about watching these folks. I think someone should open a tetanus shot stand at the exit - they definitely need it (okay maybe I’m jaded and lost sight of what they might be searching for, but I’ll let you jump in first and report back).

Jordan is definitely another place I highly recommend to put on your bucket list, it’s very special and unusual. You’ll love it. Oh yea…leave your binoculars at home;).

Cheers till our next posting (only a couple more to go and I know you’re waiting with bated breath!).