Travel Log Middle East

Aqaba Castle and back to Beirut

Fri, 1 May 2009 20:59:53 -0700

Next morning I visit Aqaba Castle. Yes this is the famous castle that features in the film of Lawrence of Arabia, although the film was shot at another location. For centuries it has served as khan for pilgrims to Mecca. Archeological excavations have found foundations of a khan from the late 13th or 14th century and from a newer one from 14th or 15th century. The little museum besides is also interesting. I do some write up of my notes and then it is time to head back to Amman, but then via the main highway, a smooth 320 kms drive to Amman.

A really old lorry. The Evergreen container is another odd transport, in the midst of the desert. And did you spot the Maersk container in the mirror image ?? A desolate bus stop in the desert. The visit at al-Qatrana Castle took me much longer than intended. But for the better, as my next stop at the Qasr Khan az-Zebib was useless. The Qasr/khan was in complete ruins, barely showing its foundations. This twister crossed the highway seconds later.

My hotel in Amman, really served only for overnight. The phone system still works, I got a call thru it, but it must be at least 20-30 years old, my guess. I had to wake up the receptionist 2 times: in the evening to let me in, and in the morning for an early check out.

That morning I left Amman by shared taxi, crossed the border into Syria, to Damascus, switched to another bus/taxi station, took another shared taxi, crossed the border into Lebanon, to Beirut, where I arrived by about 3pm. Another taxi took me to to the flats in Ain Mreisseh. And as usual plenty of action on the Corniche with bright blue skies, although climbing over the cols to drive down to Beirut there was thick and cold fog.

Allo ? Allo ?

Ciao to all of you
Love
Safe travels

T

On the road to Aqaba

Wed, 29 Apr 2009 20:57:13 -0700

After Petra, onwards to Aqaba the road is still
called King's Highway and obviously the Queen
can use it for landing her chopper. No kidding.
I had a cop who hitched a ride in the car with
me, again no kidding, and he told me the
Queen of Jordan was on a visit in Petra.

But I have more serious stuff to do and head
down via a side route down from the Jordan
Plateau thru the steep valleys to the Jordan
Valley Highway. From a text reference there
should be a khan in Gharandal, but it is nowhere
to be found and even the queue line of sheep
aren't of any help. So I head onward to Aqaba,
where I arrive just at dusk, in time to take a last
pix from Aqaba Bay and Port. And I check in at
the Moon Beach Hotel just in front of the
Aqaba Castle.

Take care

T

Petra

Tue, 28 Apr 2009 20:54:40 -0700

By midday I arrived in Petra, capital of the Nabataeans in the days that Rome was conquering the Middle East. This is the most important site to visit in Jordan. Titanic Snack Shop and Indiana Jones Coffee Shop are most evident names to do brisk business. But local dogs couldn't care less and prefer to take a nap in the heat of the day, no better place than in the shade of a car ...

It is quite an affair to descend along the pathway into the Siq. A number of tourists who slush the way up look pretty exhausted, except for the local boys of course. There are pretty amazing sights in Petra. Pictures are from the Siq (the narrow natural gorge), the Treasury (al-Khazneh), the Royal Tombs, from Siq al-Barid (Little Petra, one of the suburbs that caravans used for re-supply, coming/going in all directions: the Incense Road from southern Arabia, the Hejaz in northern Arabia, the Negev, the Sinai, Egyptian, Syrian and Palestinian territories), from Upper Temenos, from colonnaded street, and from a scenic view, and then, mom, it is time to go home ...

Cheers

T

Along King’s Highway to Petra

Mon, 27 Apr 2009 20:52:27 -0700

Madaba is a pleasant city, has an important Christian community, and is preparing for the Pope's visit in the first half of May. My Hotel Queen Ayola was also suffering from the street works. Ramzi sells wedding dresses and the girls look prettier by the day. Quite fashionable combinations can be spotted. Rules are rules, ... but you can bend them a little or a bit more ... Another odd transport rolls by.

So I leave for a detour to the Dead Sea, then to
reach King's highway again. It goes from Madaba
to Petra and follows roughly the cliffs of the
Jordan Plateau along the Dead Sea/Jordan River
Valley. The drive leads thru fertile lands, plenty of
villages, and steep valleys/wadis that need to be
crossed. Check out the daring color combinations
of a couple of real estate owners. There was
another bright orange one, but I missed taking
a good picture from it.

Here I cheated a little bit. I arrived at Dana Nature
Reserve, Tower Hotel only later at dark, one of the
reasons I had to content myself with an emergency solution consisting of a mattress on a brick bench. But next day I drove back a part of the road in clear daylight.

Safe travels

T

In the N of Jordan and its Desert Castles

Sun, 26 Apr 2009 20:49:58 -0700

I left my hotel early morning and the wedding chair was still empty waiting for a next occasion. A stop at the Utopia hospital was not yet needed, so I drove over hills and plateaus, till a coffee break and some road mapping and notes taking. Once East of the Damascus-Amman corridor, it is desert landscape again.

And so I start my 2 days trip of desert castles:
Qasr al-Azraq, famous for another Lawrence
of Arabia episode, the magnificent Qasr Tuba,
to be reached only after a long drive along
Desert Highway, a side road and then another
5 km desert track, good fun, just wanted to
make sure to be back on the road before dark...

Qasr al-Amra, is a bit of a tacky tourist destination,
but the Ummayad era frivolous paintings, more
than 1000 yrs old, are an eye opener in a Muslim
culture. Maybe some comparison with Khajurahoo
in India ?

Qasr al-Kharaneh is impressive but I could not resist and shot some pictures with a good laod of "visual pollution"... Qasr al-Mushatta was the last castle I did, it sits right at the limits of the airport of Amman. By then, it was only a short drive to Madaba, S of Amman, where I stayed overnight.

The sunset was from the previous evening on my way back from Qasr Tuba to Azraq.

Kisses to all

T