Kingdoms of the Red Sea : Part 2 Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

Day 8 - Touring the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan.

After exiting KSA border we we entered the Jordan border control about 600 meters ahead.

The Jordanian immigration office at the border control operates in an unimpressive building. It looks like a makeshift shelter.

At the Jordan border, we changed some Jordanian dinars and got our local SIM phone card here. The shops operate in container buildings!

We arrived at our destination in the afternoon, at Luciana Hotel, Aqaba. It's a small boutique hotel where we are only staying for a night. Aqaba is a stopover for us as we do not want to travel extremely long distance in a day.

After a rest at the hotel, we walk around town to look for some snacks. We found this small outlet and ordered tea, bread, humus and some local food.. This simple snack at the sidewalk cost only JD 20.00 but in ringgit terms, that's RM125.00! It gives us a taste of what is in store. One Jordanian Dinar is equivalent to RM6.25, much higher than buying USD @ 4.40 to a ringgit. The JD is pegged to the USD at 40% higher. Everything is costly only because of the high exchange rate. 

After our snack, we took a stroll towards the seafront, which is the Red Sea tip at the Gulf of  Aqaba. This is the local favourite place of recreation and hangout area. At the background of our picture is the Israeli town of Eliat, located just adjacent to Aqaba. The border perimeter is within walking distance.

This is the view of the Red Sea from the balcony of my room in the evening. It's nice to enjoy the sunset from here.

The hotel receptionist recommended us this local seafood restaurant for dinner. It is a small restaurant and we have to wait a while for a table as it was pack with local diners. We noticed most of the other seafood restaurants we passed by were empty.  There are some variety of fish to choose and most diners here prefer to have their fish grilled.

Day 9 - Petra, the capital of the Nabatean Kingdom.

One of the highlight of coming to Jordan was to visit Petra. When we were at Al Ula KSA, we had seen several tombstones and settlements of the Nabateans. The Nabatean kingdom extended to modern day Jordan at Petra which was their capital city.

We had breakfast at the hotel before leaving for our next destination. The food spread was good, a mix of local and international fare.

Our driver came on time to pick us in the morning. The secondary road from Aqaba to Petra wind through the mountains, and that's the road our driver took.  When we were on the mountain road, the morning fog gets thicker enveloping the entire mountain top. We're glad that we had done a last minute switch from self drive to hiring Khaled, the same driver that took us across to Jordan. It is risky for foreigners driving in this foggy mountain without local knowledge. Upon arrival, Khaled dropped us at the parking lot near the Visitors Center entrance and told us to take our time and call him when we're done. 

From there, we had our pre purchased Jordan Pass stamped and walk towards the canyons passage.

The walk to the canyon entrance is about 500 meters and from there, the canyon passage is about one km long. There are buggy services and horse rides available but Kay Hong prefers to walk. He even told us to go ahead and will meet us at the Siq.

TRUE GRIT.

The canyon is cooling and more so during this time of the year.

For the observant, you could still see the partially eroded carvings on the rock surface of caravan merchants and water system along the entire passage.

At the end of the canyon, the view of the Treasury slowly came into view, and it is stunning. It's an awesome structure that was carved top down from the mountain side and it's position is meant to impress any visitor. As stunning as it is, the Siq is actually a Nabatean's tomb.

This has to be the most photographed 'building' in Petra.

This ancient city was the center of trade 2,000 years ago. It was the Nabatean capital and the Kingdom stretched to as far as modern day Hegra ( Madain Salih ) in Saudi Arabia where similar carvings were found. The Nabateans were the dominant Kingdom in this region from 400 BCE to 100 CE when it was overran by the Romans, the rising power from the West. 

The theater was built 2,000 years ago by the Nabateans. It was chiseled our of rock and was used for cultural performances and public events. 

When the Romans conquered the Nabatean Kingdom, they expanded the capacity and turned it into a Roman theater. Aside from performances, the Romans use the theater to assemble the populace to demonstrate their pomp and authority over the masses.

We did not explore further as our intention was only to sightsee the main interest area. 

The kids from the souvenir stalls were skilled at using the iphone features to take non conventional pictures. This is one of them.

Those kids are about 10 years old and these are the poses they asked to do.

This was our photographer, skilled at using our latest iphone camera.

We spent about 3 hours exploring the ruins at Petra before leaving. 

Our next itinerary is the Dead Sea a distance of 200 km. It would take at least 3 hours as we had to drive on the mountain road again upon exiting Petra.

Our driver was cautious when driving down the winding road. The slow drive allowed us to enjoy the unique landscape on the way out of Petra.

It was already 6.00 pm when we finally arrived at our Hotel.

Checking in was smooth as hotel already had our information.  We took a rest before meeting at the lobby to go for our dinner.

A short distance from our hotel is the Samarah Mall where there are some restaurants. It's a small two storey mall catering to tourists; shops, mini market, drinks and food outlets. However, this one attracts our attention. We have not drank any beer since arrival and boy, this would be a perfect place for dinner.

Looking at the menu, we felt that the most appetising food would be the seafood platter.

And of course, beer all round for our drinks.

See Leong could not join us as he was down with sore throat and slight flu and wanted a rest at the nice hotel room.

Day 10 - Touring the Biblical sites.

So far, we have visited the revered sites of Muslims and Jews, and today, we will be visiting some sacred Christian sites. Our interest is in the history and visiting those sacred places that was narrated in their holy scriptures.

We had a chance to look around our hotel this morning while waiting for our driver. Most of the attractive spot at the Dead Sea is owned by the hotel operators and if one wish to enjoy the private beach, it's best to stay in one of the hotels located here.

Al Maghtas; Bethany Beyond the Jordan.

In the place called Bethany beyond the Jordan, Jesus was baptised by John, but for centuries the site of Christ's baptism once celebrated as the birthplace of Christianity remained a mystery. The Bible names it as the place where the Israelites crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land and where Elijah ascended to heaven. That's where John the Baptist preached generations of pilgrims who once went there to walk in the footsteps of patriarchs to be baptised. The place where Christ himself began his ministry in the waters of the Jordan was lost to history until the late 19th century when a scholar from Jerusalem visited the ancient town of Madaba. There he chance upon a 6th Century mosaic map which had been covered under plaster in a church for centuries. It's the oldest cartographic depiction of the Holy Land, especially Jerusalem and many holy sites mentioned in the Bible are found on the map. Eventually, the discovery of the baptism site was depicted in that map as Aenon and Saphsaphas across the Jordan where Betha Bara was located on the modern day Israel. The discovery of this most holiest site of Christianity is as intriguing, coming in the midst of  the Arab Israeli war in the 60s and 70s when the area was militarised and heavily mined. The eventual reconciliation led to the reopening of the site in 2002 by Jordan. That was the year I first went to Jordan and had visited the site. Now 20 years later, I am at the same place but with very much improved facilities for pilgrims and tourists.

This is the Chevrolet Suburban that we rented and Abu Khaled is an excellent driver.

Upon reaching Al Maghtas Visitors Center, we were taken by a van to the site. From there we disembark and walk towards the Jordan River.

The path is near to Elijah's Hill but our tour is only for the baptism site.

This ancient stone structure are the remains of what used to the church of John the Baptist. The steps leading downwards was where once the Jordan River flows and is believed to be where Christ was baptised by John. Because of past earthquakes in the region, the river had shifted course and is now flowing 500 meters from this site.

Computer modelling of the church of John the Baptist and the steps leading to the baptism site.

The baptism site today is created 500 meters away from the actual baptism site. Pilgrims coming from both Israel and Jordan can renew their baptism in the same Jordan river.

We witness an initiation ceremony on the Israel side of the Jordan River.

Ai Hwa and Yvonne feeling the "holiness" from the font of water from the river.

The great significance of this place is 

1. Jesus baptism 2,000 years ago and 

2. It's the crossing site where Joshua led the Israelites into the Promised Land 3,500 years ago. 

3.It's where Elijah ascended to heaven and there are some ruins marking the place of importance.

This is the newly erected orthodox church of John the Baptist. The location of this holy site is situated in the wilderness, in the middle of nowhere. 

Mount Nebo ; where Moses was shown the Promised Land.

Our next important site is Mt Nebo, situated at the elevated highland of 800 meters above sea level 35 km from the baptism site. This is a continuation of our tour in KSA where where we had visited some sacred sites of Moses. It was at Mt Nebo where God showed Moses the Promised Land, but was forbidden to enter and died here in this land of the Moab. It was Joshua who eventually led the Israelites  to Canaan, the Promised Land by crossing the Jordan river that opened up for them, as in the Red Sea saga.. The crossing point was at the Baptism site we had just visited. 

On the way to Mt Nebo, our driver Abu Khaled stopped the car and showed us the scenic view from the hill vantage point.

The landscape is the same, arid and barren land.

The recently constructed Memorial Church of Moses is on the western peak of Siyagha. The circular slab at the foreground is an old rolling stone used as a door for the Monastery.

The stone slab bearing the signage of the holy ground of Moses.

At the courtyard outside the church is a sculpture of a brazen serpent on a cross called the Nehushtan. It represents a brown serpent on a pole which God told Moses to erect to protect his people from poisonous snakes.

On clear day, you could see the Dead Sea and beyond. 

The signage in the church gallery that says it all.

Moses probably stood here when god showed him the Promised Land.

Inside the Memorial church which is still run as a functional Monastery. It was first built in the 4th Century to commemorate the place of Moses' death. By the 16th century, it was abandoned until it's rediscovery in the mid 19th century using 5th to 6th century pilgrim's travelogues. It was renovated again between 2016 to 2019 incorporating elements of the Byzantine basilica.

Holy holy 😄

We stopped by Jasmine House for our lunch. It's standard  buffet fare, local food. The restaurant is a short distance from the monastery situated at, Al Quds Street, Mt Nebo.

Our next stop is at this ancient town of Madaba, a mere 10 km from Nebo. At first glance, the old town looks touristy with many shops and souvenir stalls catering to visitors. But the history of this city dates back to 4,000 years being controlled back and forth between Israel and Moab as deciphered from the Mersha Stele dated 840 BCE. Madaba is a well known city of ancient mosaics.

This is the church we came for, the Greek Orthodox Basilica of St George. The Church was only built in the 19th Century, but during it's construction, workers uncovered a stunning old relic hidden in plaster which came to be known as the Madaba Mosaic Map. Created by artisans in the 6th Century, the mosaic was once an intricate map of Holy Land sites of modern day Israel, and Jordan. The town Jerusalem was in the center with details of walls and gates. 

While the rest were outside taking photographs, I went in and took several photos of the mosaic map. When not in service, the carpets will be rolled back to allow visitors to have a view of the relic. It would be covered again when service is underway. Only a quarter of the entire map was salvaged which is now part of the church floor. Never have I seen a two thousand year old relic kept that way. 

This was the map that partly led to the discovery of the Bethany beyond the Jordan, albeit with an error. The baptism site which was indicated at Bethabara was actually the crossing site of  Israelites led by Joshua. Bethany beyond the Jordan is across the river at the translated name of Saphsaphas. That's where we went to this morning.

We later took a stroll to look at some souvenirs at the shops.

Shopping is not for this guy.

But it certainly is a favourite activity for the ladies. The guy here is only to pick up the tab.😆

Madaba was our last stop for the day and we got back to our hotel late in the evening.

We went back to Rover's Return Bistro again so that See Leong would not missed out on his liquid diet.

While dining and drinking, we were recounting our trip and is happy so far. And we gave cheers to Chiap Chan and Cynthia whom we missed very much in this trip.

Day 11 - Jerash

Our itinerary for the day was to visit Jerash, an ancient city once occupied by many foreigners over different period of time in the past. It's history dated back to the Neolithic age ( 7,500 - 5,500 BCE ) and was once an outpost of the Greco Roman and the Ottoman Empire.

The temperature this time of the year is cold. But that did not stop the ladies from doing what they came here for.

Come hell or high water, a dip in the Red Sea is what they look forward to. Jerash can wait.

As for me, I am content to sit and watch from the side.

An of course, the mud from the Dead Sea.

There you go, as black as charcoal.

There were few other hotel guests that came for a dip too, but they have the whole beach to themselves.

Ai Hwa enjoying the floating experience at the Dead Sea.

Semua sudah buat, dip in the Dead Sea, hotel infinity pool, mud spa and a certification too!

What a gimmick.

After the morning swim, we  left for Jerash, north of Amman, a journey of 100 km that will take us at least of one hour and half. We had a last minute switch of accommodation in Amman as there was a hiccup in our homestay reservation. 

The road journey from Amman to Jerash is interesting; the landscape is unique, towns and residences build over barren hills and valleys. 

Jerashs' civilisation dated back 10,000 years with the discovery of two human skulls from the Neolithic period. Ancient Greek inscriptions pointing to Alexander the Great settling the Macedonian soldiers in the city of Gerasa during the Hellenistic period. In 63 BCE, it fell to the Romans who subsequently absorbed the city into the province of Arabia. The city expanded 200 acres within the walls during the Byzantine rule in 530 CE. After the emergence of Islamic Civilisation, Jerash fell to the Rashidun Caliphate and flourished under the Umayyad Caliphate. The ruins of Jerash is a storehouse of remnants left behind by these past colonisers. 

The layout map of ancient Jerash is taken from the site signages.

The view the from Hippodrome built during the Roman Empire.

On the inside of the South Gate of the wall city.

Top left is the Arch of Hadrian built to honor the visit of Emperor Hadrian in 130 CE. The Hippodrome is on the top left and bottom images.

At the South Gate.

"Hercules" at his father's temple, the Temple of Zeus.😆

The Oval Forum was a Roman public square. It was a marketplace and there were shops and stalls where traders sold their wares.

Temple of Zeus.

The left hand bottom picture was the ancient main street in Jerash called the Cardo.

We only cover part of the old city which is probably about 2 to 3 km long from end to end. The roads built during those times is impressive in terms of size and durability. It is not hard to imagine that this city was the center of activities during it's time and could rival many modern cities. 

At the ruins above the Temple of Zeus, we were "entertained" by some Arab bagpipers. They played Scottish music but bagpipes had it's origin from the middle east.

On the way back to Amman, our driver recommended us to try the famous Shawarma in Amman, Reem Shawerma. It's marinated lamb grilled meat in wraps and sold as takeaway. From the queue, you know it's a popular outlet and we bought some back to our hotel. 

And yes, it was really good.👍

Day 12 - Amman Citadel and downtown.

We are coming to the end of our trip and today we are toning down our activity to only going to Amman, visiting the Citedal and exploring Al Balad downtown.

We woke up to another cold morning but when the sun appears in the afternoon, it would be ideal.

During the Hellenistic period, the Greek name this place Philadelphia, one of the cities of Decapolis. Before that, it was called Rabbath Ammon, the capital city of the Ammononites. It's the world's oldest and most consistently inhabited city for close to 10,000 years, since the Neolithic period.

Amman Citedal is a mere 15 mins drive from downtown and is one of the seven hills that originally made up Amman. The history of Amman is up on this hill where the Temple of Hercules still stand in  ruins, the Umayyad Palace and the Museum is a treasure trove. 

The temple of Hercules is still imposing despite only the pillars are standing.

"Hercules Tan" going airborne 😂

Many scenic spot for Instagram pics.

Hercules wannabe and their 'woman'. 😎

Artist painting the Umayyad palace.

The Umayyad palace is part of a larger complex  which comprised a mosque, souk, hammam spa, and residentials. It was destroyed in an earthquake in 749 CE and was rebuilt. 

The hill is a fantastic place even if one wish to come up here merely to enjoy a nice view far from the madding crowd.

A view of the "L" shaped hill and part of downtown Amman.

Amman Downtown.

Our sightseeing agenda ended at the Citadel. We took a cab to downtown and have our lunch at an Indian restaurant at Rainbow Street. 

After lunch, we took a walk towards, Al Balad, the old town more commonly referred to as Downtown.

This is the oldest section of the city and the locals comes here for everything.

There is a myriad of souq markets and independently owned business selling artisanal products, merchandise, coffee shops and restaurants. The vibes at this place is unbelievable, migrant workers, tourists and mostly local crowds everywhere.

The ladies were hunting for the "Tree of Life" silver pendant and finally found a shop selling it.

We took a break at a coffee stall to rest our weary legs. It's a long day and we finally decided to get back to our hotel. This is also our last stop as we are flying to Jeddah tomorrow for a night stopover enroute to Kuala Lumpur.

Day 13. - Amman to Jeddah.

Our flight back home was via Jeddah and we had planned to stay a night. 

At the Queen Alia International Airport where we board the Royal Jordanian Airlines. We spent every last Jordanian dinar at this ice cream booth.

The flight is a mere two hours to Jeddah and we had a driver to transfer us to our hotel downtown.

Our accommodation is Hyatt House, Sari Street at the same Al Salamah District as our earlier stay. After a short rest, we took a walk to a popular store selling dates.

This is Al Qaseem dates store, 500 meters from our hotel, recommended by our receptionist. There's a wide range of dates ranging from the normal to the expensive Madinah dates. We bought various grades to take home for friends and families. It's also good for us to clear our Saudi Riyals here.

We were yearning for Camel meat since we first tasted it at Tabuk. Because no restaurants in Amman sell such meat as there are no camels there, we have to wait until we came back to Jeddah for that. We now know how to do our own order.

And so our last dinner in Jeddah is the delectable tender and flavourful camel meat platter. 

Day 14 - Homeward bound.

Our flight was in the evening and so we had time to relax. 

The breakfast area of the hotel is stylish and inviting with adequate spread of international food. There's still time to do some last minute shopping before we leave for the airport in the afternoon.

Our chatty driver is a joker and was full of humourous conversation despite his very limited English. That's how we ended our holiday, with good impression of the extremely hospitable people, deep rooted culture and tradition, rich history, places of interest is out of this world and exotic middle eastern food. All of us have the same verdict, KSA and Jordan exceeded our expectation.