Archives for 2011

Dog lovers beware.

This might be weird. I’m not sure. I’m just going to say it. My favorite part about visiting Jordan was… seeing all the cats. Seriously. The cats were so adorable. And cute. And friendly. And clean. You probably don’t believe that last one. (But it’s true!).

Here I’ve done my best to whittle down the 100+ cat photos taken by Molly, Caitlin, and myself.

Here are the non-orange cats. They were definitely the minority.

Molly and a friendly cat.

Tourist cats. These ones looked like they were there for the sights.

The climbers. Probably the most hilarious of cat encounters.

Caitlin and some climbers.

My day being made.

Model-like and not so friendly cats.

Cuddlesome cats.

Can you tell I miss having a cat around?

xo, jill

…made a Bedouin out of me.

Arriving in Azraq we felt a bit… uneasy. It was clear that the town is not a magnet for travelers. Our guidebook mentioned two hotels. One we couldn’t find. And the other…we couldn’t find. We eventually found one of the places and checked into an empty box of a building reminiscent of a hospital or dorm. Not very cozy, although the proprietor offered us a slew of dates. Next we headed back out to find food. After several passes down the main (and only) street we settled on a place that perhaps wasn’t accustomed to hosting women.

Back at the hotel things were feeling a bit fishy. Large trucks were out front loaded with canisters. More canisters were surrounding the walkway. Molly thought for certain they were smuggling illegal goods into Saudi. I guess we’ll never know…

The hotel didn’t offer heat or hot water, so we skedaddled pretty quickly the next morning. We decided to hit the desert castles on our drive back to Amman.

First up was Qasr Azraq. Nothing too extraordinary to see but it was the garrison used by T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) during the Great Arab Revolt.

Next, we visted Qasr Amra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The inside walls feature frescoes… some of which are quite bawdy (for Islam).

Amra is also where our guide decided to make me “a Bedouin woman.” I kept refusing to look up because he was so close I was just sure he was going to kiss me. Eep!

The last castle we visited was Qasr Kharanah.

I know this photo is blurry but it makes me laugh. It’s the perfect depiction of Molly and Caitlin on this trip. Caitlin was a pretty good sport about all of our teasing!

At this point we thought perhaps we might have a low tire. Better to get back to Amman for a bit of souvenir shopping before heading out the next day.

xo, jill

A private showing.

Between trips to Petra, we visited another less intact crusader castle. Molly and Caitlin had already explored it prior to my arrival in Jordan so they relaxed in the car as I checked the place out. It’s a little bit eerie to be the only person walking around ruins… especially when there are plenty of hidden corners.

Shobak was the first crusader castle in Jordan, however much of what remains dates back to a later period when Muslims gained control of the structure. Like these Quaranic inscriptions, for example.

It’s always amazing to me what remains from the past… and how so much of the world just lets you climb all over it.

xo, jill

Back for more.

We purchased a two day ticket for Petra because you really can’t see it all in one day. It was another chilly walk down the Siq to the Treasury.

The main sight on our list for the day was the Monastery. To reach the Monastery you have about a one hour hike ahead of you, and plenty of tauts trying to get you on a donkey. We opted out on the donkey ride which I think was a good idea.

The Monastery is the second most impressive structure at Petra after the Treasury. It’s not as decorated as the top billed attraction, but it’s quite a bit larger.

Molly and Caitlin climbed a bit higher to get another perspective while I chatted with another traveler and played with some kitties.

After the Monastery we took another little hike out towards the spring. We never found the water but we did enjoy a few snacks and a nice view.

We also saw the Coliseum before walking back out the Siq and getting back into the car.

Our next stop? A very unnerving hotel at a truck stop.

xo, jill

Cross it off the list.

And here’s the post I’ve been avoiding. Ever since I met Molly, she’s been talking about going to Petra. After she gave me just the briefest description, I was in. Having adopted Molly’s most desirable travel location as my own, it was only a matter of time. We both knew that before our time was up in Abu Dhabi, we had to go. You see? Visiting Petra was both a lifetime goal and a friendship goal… a simple blog post could never do it justice. But I’ll try.

We headed towards the entrance of Petra bright and early. It’s was windy and cold and just a bit miserable. Thank goodness we had the site of Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade to look forward to!

As you enter the ancient city, you walk down the Siq. Sandstone cliffs stand 150 meters above you. At times the opening between the rocks (created by a tectonic split in the rock) is only 2 meters wide. I’d imagine this would be a very special experience in the absence of other tourists and the stinky horse drawn carriages. As you near the end of the over 1 kilometer long entrance, you get a little glimpse of what lies ahead.

There she is, the Treasury. The Treasury is the most photographed and best preserved of all the monuments in Petra. It stands several stories high and was carved out of the rock.

The Treasury is impressive. However, I must admit… a lot of my personal excitement at this moment was due to this little guy:

Next up was a somewhat strenuous hike to the High Place of Sacrifice. The ancient Nabataeans performed important rituals here.

The hike back down led us past some other temples and sights that I suspect receive much less attention from visitors. Then we headed out to a few more popular ones.

We made it as far as the Colonnaded Street before feeling like we were ready to save the rest for the next day.

Would it be inappropriate to mention that at this point Molly had a bit of a love connection? I could barely pull her away from this guy:

After our first day exploring Petra, we deserved some fancy ice cream.

xo, jill

“Muslim???”

On our drive from the Dead Sea to Petra we stopped at Karak. The main feature of the town is the large crusader castle perched on the hill. In 7th grade my Word History teacher told us about a trip she took (was hoping to take?) that follows the Crusaders’ path from Europe into the Middle East. At the time, I thought that was a really weird trip to want to take. Follow in the footsteps of those who killed a whole lot of people? Now, having visited a crusader castle, I still think it’s a bit odd for a vacation.

From a historical perspective, it certainly is interesting to consider how the crusaders’ managed to get all the way to the Middle East… and with enough energy left over to build castles. But wanting to spend my holiday reenacting the trek (without the holy war, I presume)… not so much.

This is also where many local people mistook me for a Muslim. Prior to leaving the Dead Sea I wrapped my scarf around my head to protect from flies. It was still up when we parked in Karak in front of a local restaurant. (It’s kind of a fun style, ok?) The men sitting about took in my ankle length skirt, my wrist length cardigan, and the sheila covering my head. Of course they asked if I was a Muslim. Oh boy. Awkward. Then I felt like I had to keep it on. So I did. Later at the castle a group of teenage girls very excitedly called out, “Muslim??? Muslim?!” It’s a good thing I don’t speak English and couldn’t understand their question. Lesson learned.*

*Just to be clear, I don’t mind anyone thinking I might be Muslim. The embarrassment came from the possibility of people thinking I was trying to impersonate, or even worse, mock Muslim women.

xo, jill