Ma'a Salama Amman

I'm leaving Amman today.  I will meet up with my family in London (they left a couple of days ago). My time here in Jordan has gone so fast, and although I am eager to see family and friends at home in America, I am sad to say goodbye to all my new friends in Jordan.


My family and I are fortunate to have had the opportunity to come to Jordan.  I am extremely grateful to the ABA for giving me this opportunity and to Texas Wesleyan for providing me with the sabbatical that made this and my time in Germany possible. I greatly enjoyed my work in Jordan and got to visit fascinating places, but the highlight was, undoubtedly, the people I met.  The people I worked with, the professors and students at the universities that I visited, and the people I met living and traveling in Jordan were awesome and they made my time in Jordan a personally and professionally rewarding experience that I will always remember.


I hope to continue to write about my observations and experiences in Jordan because there is so much more to say about this amazing country and the wonderful people who live there.   And, while I say "ma'a salama Amman" today, I hope I will have an opportunity to return to Jordan in the future, insha'Allah.

Souvenir Shopping in Jordan

Shopping in Jordan is definitely a learning experience. I'm talking about shopping for traditional Jordanian or Middle Eastern items, not everyday grocery or mall shopping. To get an idea of the sorts of items that are popular Jordan souvenirs, take a look at this blog post.


We were first introduced to tourist shopping in Jordan by our tourist drivers. Whenever we go on an excursion outside of Amman, we hire a driver.  The routine is always the same. After being on the road for awhile, the driver stops at a tourist shop. These are large shops that carry all sorts of Jordan souvenirs. Many also serve light food, coffee, and snacks.  Each is sort of like a Stuckey's on steroids (do Stuckey's still exist?). There are sometimes a couple of busloads of tourists at these shops when we arrive.  But, always a salesperson attaches to us and leads us through a hard-sell exploration of all the "treasures" in the store.


At least that's what happened until we became slightly more savvy tourists. The problem with these big tourist shops is that the prices are much, much higher than they should be--sometimes as in as much as ten times what they should be. They tell you they are giving you a discount, and indeed they do take about 10% off the original price.  But, still the prices are significantly higher than they should be. One of the reasons for the high prices is that your driver gets a commission on all of your purchases in these stores.


It took us about two stops--and a couple of unfortunate purchases for which we paid too much--at these shops to figure out what was going on. We figured out that if we buy the same items at "local" stores (that is, stores where the local people shop) or at bazaars, the prices were not only far less, but we still got discounts and could negotiate to some extent for an even lower price. The local stores are smaller, so you might have to go to more shops to find the wide array of items. And, you still have to watch out, since most retailers set the price when they look you over and assess your ability to pay. But the starting price is almost always significantly less and the negotiating room is almost always significantly greater at local shops and bazaars.


At all the souvenir shops--the smaller, local ones or the giant tourist shops--you can always find a huge assortment of souvenirs: Arabian knives, ceramics, scarves, mosaics, hookahs, rugs, olive wood statuary, and much, much more. There is jewelry galore. However, you have to be careful. Some of the things are high quality, locally made, and beautiful; some are of poor quality and are not made in Jordan at all but are imported from places where they can be made and imported cheaply.


For example, I once made the mistake of buying a scarf without taking it out of the package to examine it.  The seller assured me that the scarf was handmade in Jordan and of the finest quality just like the display scarf.  But, when I got it home, I found that it wasn't like the display scarf at all.  Two of the four edges of the scarf (the two that were not showing in the package) were unfinished and fraying.  Plus, the scarf was much, much smaller than most scarves and was made of very unevenly woven polyester fabric. A tag said "made in China." Lesson learned: I now take everything out of the package to check it; even when I'm buying two identical items, both come out of the package for inspection.


How do you tell the difference between locally made things and cheap imports?  One way is to look for either a tag that says where the item was made or the remains of a tag that has been cut off.  Often, sellers will cut off the tag that says "made in China" so they can sell it as a genuine-made-in-Jordan item. I am almost positive that a scarf I bought in Egypt was not made in Egypt despite the seller's enthusiastic assurances that it was.  The tag was cut off and when I asked him why, he gave me some lame excuse and pretended not to speak enough English to explain it to me.  Yeah, yeah, yeah.  It doesn't matter because I really like the scarf and would have bought it anyway--in fact, I did buy it knowing full well that it probably wasn't made in Egypt.


Another way to determine if something is really locally made is to examine the item itself for signs that it was really hand made.  For instance, I found some red Wadi Rum sand inside some pillow covers that were purportedly hand made by Bedouin women in the desert.  The sandy dirt was certainly evidence that this was true. And, the pillow covers were all unique, another sign that they were hand made.


There are also some very upscale retailers of local goods, and it is easier to be assured that the items from these stores are handmade locally.  They are also of a much higher quality. For example, the Jordan River Foundation, which is chaired by Her Majesty Queen Rania, sells beautiful tapestries, hand-woven rugs, and other locally made items.  The mission of the JRF is to "empower society, especially women and children, and in turn, improve the quality of life to secure a better future for all Jordanians." Wild Jordan, the business unit of the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, operates stores that provide opportunities for local people to make and sell products using local resources and skills. Some of the items available at Wild Jordan stores include jewelry, olive oil and olive oil products (such as soaps), painted ostrich eggs (a traditional Jordanian art and a very popular, but expensive, item in souvenir shops), and organic jams and fruits. And, we must not forget Silsal, and other artist-owned galleries.  Of course, one pays more at these places, but the quality of the items is outstanding and you can be sure that the things you buy were made by Jordanian artists. 

Silsal

"Knowledge: the beginning of it is bitter to taste, 

but the end is sweeter than honey."

~Samarkand proverb

No question about it! My favorite shop in Amman is Silsal. It is a ceramics gallery, where artists make (and, of course, sell) the most beautiful ceramics pieces you can imagine. And, if they don't have what you are looking for or if you would like something very unique, you can work with the artists to custom design your own piece.


In dramatic contrast to the numerous tourist and souvenir shops around Amman and throughout Jordan, Silsal makes one-of-a-kind art pieces. Most of the pieces reflect traditional Arabic and Islamic art influences, but some are quite modern and abstract. Here's what Silsal's website says:

Silsal is a place for artists and artisans, and for all those who value the unique. Housed in two 1950s villas [in] Jordan’s capital, Amman, we’ve been making inspiring stoneware art pieces for over twenty years now. As for our designs, many reflect hundreds of years of Oriental heritage.What we produce is more than a product – a Silsal ceramic is a work of art. It’s the result of diligent research, skill, and just that little bit of magic.

Several weeks after we discovered Silsal (and after we had already made several visits to the gallery), Charlie started reading Queen Noor's book "Leap of Faith." We were so excited when he came across this excerpt:

I . . . encouraged two creative and enterprising sisters, Rula and Reem Attallah, who started a handmade ceramics business in Amman using designs and calligraphy from ancient Middle Eastern civilizations and Islamic dynasties.  We gave their beautiful glazed pieces, many painted with base-relief imagery, as personal and official gifts with great pride. One of my favorites from Silsal Ceramics was--and is--the "Health, Happiness, and Good Fortune" bowl, which uses the unique Islamic art form of Arabic script to promise blessings on its owner.  Another favorite . . . bears the very delicate lettering of an eleventh-century Samarkand proverb that translates to "Knowledge: the beginning of it is bitter to taste, but the end is sweeter than honey."

Imagine how smug we felt to have been validated by Queen Noor! We had come across Silsal before reading Queen Noor's book and we had the same reaction to the beautiful pieces that she did.  Indeed, two of our favorites were the ones she mentioned. The "knowledge plate," as we call it, immediately drew our attention and instantly became our favorite piece the first time we visited Silsal. (I say "our" because all four of us had the same reaction to the piece.) The one on display was huge--45 centimeters; it was stunning and dramatic due to its size, yet very elegant due to its simplicity. And, we really liked the message (it reminded me of law school!). It is inspired by a piece that is in the permanent collection at the Louvre, and the Silsal artists make the plate in many different color combinations.

Here are a couple examples of Silsal's knowledge plate:

And, this one is the original in the Louvre's collection:

So, if you are ever in Amman, don't miss Silsal, and if you aren't in Amman, visit Silsal online! 

Dinner at the Wild Jordan Cafe

Paul, Charlie and Maggie left Amman today and headed for London.  I am leaving on Tuesday and will meet up with them in London. We will spend about a week in London, then a couple of days in Madrid (long story), before we catch our flights back to the United States.

So, we chose our favorite Amman restaurant for dinner last night--well, it's my favorite anyway--Wild Jordan Cafe. Wild Jordan Cafe is a partnership with the Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature.  The RSCN operates several nature preserves in Jordan, including Azraq Nature Preserve and the Azraq Eco-Lodge, which we visited.

The food at Wild Jordan Cafe is delicious and organic, and the view is spectacular--especially at sunset, which is when we were there last night.  They also serve a great breakfast on Fridays and Saturdays; we went a few weeks ago and really enjoyed it.  Plus, you can get handmade jewelry and other locally made items in the gift shop.

It's a great place to spend an evening. Or a morning. Or an afternoon.

Spring Flowers

"Bread feeds the body, indeed, but flowers feed also the soul." 

~The Qur'an

Spring flowers are in full bloom in Amman.  The pictures show some of the beautiful flowers that I pass on my walk to work each day.

More on [NOT] Walking in Amman

The Jordan Times reports here on the ongoing issue of poor pedestrian conditions in Amman.  As I have mentioned previously in this blog, Amman is not a "walking city." Sidewalks, when they do exist, are often uneven, in disrepair, and covered with impediments, such as trees. People just don't walk much in Amman, and those who do often end up walking in the street, subjecting themselves to the constant annoyance of being honked at by passing cars.

According to the Jordan Times article, Jordan ranks second in the top five most "unwalkable" cities in the world. The article highlights the serious dangers of walking in Amman, such as being hit by a passing car or by falling debris from construction sites or the upper floors of buildings. The article suggests that the problem has many cuases, including a lack of enforcement of traffic laws regarding the safety of pedestrians, placing responsibility for sidewalk construction and maintenance with property owners rather than with the government, and urban expansion that has emphasized more room for automobile traffic and paid little attention to making space for pedestrians.

Oddly, even merchants in some areas of Amman resent pedestrian traffic on the sidewalk in front of their businesses; they view the sidewalks as private property and passersby as trespassers. Needless to say, there aren't a lot of "window shoppers" in Amman. The shopping culture here is completely different from the American shopping culture of walking along a shop-lined street, deciding whether to enter a shop based on what the shopkeeper displays in the window or near the front of the store.  Often, when my family and I go to an area with a lot of shops, we find ourselves to be the only pedestrians walking along the sidewalk (or in the street).

According to the Jordan Times article, Jordan has spent 15 million JDs (over $20 million) on sidewalk repair and construction in the last four years. Thousands of trees have been removed in order to make the sidewalks more passable. Yet, many people remain skeptical about whether there will be any significant progress in making Amman a more pedestrian-friendly city anytime soon.  There is simply too much working against the pedestrian: culture, history, and other economic priorities and challenges.

Getting Around in Amman

Remember I mentioned that no one walks in Amman?  We don't have a car here, so that means that whenever we need to go somewhere that's more than a couple of blocks, we take a taxi. But, there are some challenges in getting around  in taxis also.  Even though taxis are plentiful and cheap, it's just not that easy to get around, at least for foreigners like me. 

First challenge: Most of the taxi drivers speak very little or no English.  Thus, it is difficult to explain where you want to go.  I have directions to my house written in Arabic on a piece of paper that I show to taxi drivers, but still it is difficult.  Some can't read--either because they "forgot their glasses" or because they simply don't know how to read or refuse to read.  Those who can read have trouble with the directions due to challenge number two.

Second challenge: There aren't really addresses here.  Yes, there are street names, and yes, there are building numbers, but places don't seem to be identified by address the way we are used to in the U.S. and Europe. So, you have to explain to the driver where to go, usually by reference to the nearest of the eight circles (which are large round-a-bouts that sort of define the regions of the city).  This is difficult under any circumstances, but it is even more difficult when you don't speak Arabic and the driver doesn't speak English.

Third challenge: GPS?  Forget about it.  Taxis don't even have communcation radios, much less GPSs. And, remember challenge number two?  It would be tough to have GPS without addresses.

Fourth challenge: Drivers know some landmark places, but to a very limited extent.  If you want to go somewhere that is not a common taxi destination, such as an office or someone's home, then it is virtually impossible to explain to a taxi driver how to get there.  In fact, I live near a hotel, which should provide a good landmark for getting to my apartment.  However, it is extremely rare to find a taxi driver who actually knows where this hotel is.  I have to give directions, using hand signals instead of language (remember the first challenge!).  Forget it if I want to go somewhere to which I don't know the way (see fifth challenge).

Fifth challenge: If you are like me and bad with directions anyway, you can't even point out the route using hand signals because you really have no idea where you are going, but only know where you want to end up! Add to this directional-challenge the additional challenges of being in a relatively unfamiliar city with streets that do not seem to be laid out in a nice organized grid and of not being able to speak or write the language, and you have a real challenge getting around.

Sixth challenge:  Just being in a car is a frightening experience. Traffic is insane. There appear to be no traffic rules at all and, if there are, no one follows them.  I have actually seen stop signs, but I have never, ever, not one single time, seen any car stop at one. When cars come to a corner, they just keep going and sort of meet in the middle and whichever car can "take" the right of way, does. Also, lanes are meaningless; people drive on top of the lane line or anywhere else they want to. People change lanes without any sort of signal at all or any worry whether there is another car in the spot they are moving to.  Horns are honked constantly; a horn honk can apparently mean a plethora of different things: "watch out, I'm coming through," "go ahead, I'll wait but not for long," "what the heck are you doing pulling into the side of my car," "do you want a taxi?," or any number of other things.  I'm still trying to decode the intricate details of the horn honking language that exists among Amman drivers--it's almost as hard to learn as Arabic.

Despite all these challenges, I do seem to manage to get everywhere I want to go and then home again.  It always seems like a small miracle when I pull up to my destination.  It seems like a large miracle when the taxi meter says that the whole ride--which seemed to have taken me all around the world and back to get me to my destination--cost only 90 cents.

Advice for Wadi Rum Bedouin Camping

We stayed overnight at Bedouin Whispers Camp.  Above is a photo of the camp. The overnight experience includes a camel and/or Jeep tour, plus overnight accommodations and lunch, dinner, and breakfast.

It was very nice and orderly (I would say "clean" but really it was quite dusty). It had plumbing, including flush toilets, showers, and sinks.  However, the restroom was dark, wet, and unisex. There was no electricity (so don't plan on charging your cell phone or blowdrying your hair). It had an awesome dining tent with a fireplace in the middle. You can sleep under the tents or pull your mattress out and sleep under the stars.  But yes, there are scorpions in the desert and, yes, they do climb onto the beds of campers.

I like camping and I'm glad we did this, but this was not my favorite experience of all time.  On the downside was that I didn't pack properly (I did not bring a flashlight, for example) and I didn't get much sleep (due mainly to allergies and a headache, but also partly due to the snoring of other guests). The desert is simply exhausting; there is something about that dusty, dry air that just makes you want to go to sleep--but it's hard to really go to sleep because of the heat and dryness.

On the upside, the people at the camp--including our Bedouin guides as well as the other guests--were all friendly and nice. In addition to giving us a great tour of Wadi Rum, our guides watched out for us at the camp, made sure we knew where to go to watch the beautiful sunset, and cooked us a delicious dinner. Significantly, they "took care" of the scorpion that crawled into Maggie's bedroll.

There were two other families there at the same time we were: a German family and an Italian family. The Germans were from very close to where we lived in Germany--in Northern Bavaria--and we got to practice speaking our minimal German with them. The Italians brought special Italian Easter cake and shared it with everyone on Easter morning; it was delicious and the undisputed highlight of our Easter breakfast for sure!  The desert was really beautiful and we enjoyed the camel ride, hiking, and the Jeep tour.

Here is my advice for Bedouin camping in Wadi Rum:

1.  Most important: Bring a flashlight.  Once it gets dark, it is very dark. The stars are bright and beautiful, but it's tough to see enough to do things like taking out contact lenses and brushing your teeth.

2. Even more important: Bring your own sleep sack and warm sleep clothes.  The bedding is extremely dusty (as you would expect since it is the sandy desert after all) and not very clean.  Also, the blankets we were given to put under us on the plastic-covered mattress were wool; consequently, if you are allergic to wool, you might think twice before sleeping on the wool.  Apparently, I only thought once because I put the wool blanket under my nice cozy fleece sleep sack.  A dumb move since I'm allergic to wool.

3. Pack like you are going to camp in a tent because that is precisely what you are doing.  This means packing things like a flashlight and a sleep sack (see items 1 and 2 above), and it also means packing only what you need in a very accessible way. Don't bring make-up, for example. Bring your own soap and something to wash and dry your face and hands with (although a community towel is provided in the bathroom, all campers for who-knows-how-long have used that towel).

4. Drink plenty of water. And then drink some more.  I think a big part of my problem was that I didn't drink enough water. The camp provides all the bottled water you can drink, so take advantage of the opportunity to drink whenever you can.

5. If possible, wear your PJs under your clothes so you don't have to change.  There is no privacy at all. I ended up just sleeping in my clothes, which worked fine.

6.  Don't plan on taking a shower. Although showers are provided, it is not very convenient to use them for numerous reasons: (1) the showers are co-ed; (2) there is no dry place to put your stuff while you shower; (3) you are there for a limited amount of daylight time and you have no privacy from the other guests; (4) the showers are dark even during daylight and there is no way to distinguish your shampoo from your conditioner from your shower gel.  Just plan on not taking a shower and you will get along better. It's OK; the camels won't notice how bad you smell.

7. Be adventurous and sleep outside even though there are creepy bugs out there. The risk that you will actually be killed or seriously injured by a bug is minimal and it's much yuckier to sleep inside the tent than it is to sleep outside.

8. Although the dinner was delicious and the breakfast was sufficient (enhanced significantly by the Italian Easter cake--which won't be there the next time), the lunch left a bit to be desired and there were no snacks other than tea and water.  Bring your own snacks if you think you will be hungry (and you will be hungry after riding camels through the desert).  But, be careful not to bring sweets that will attract insects and other undesirables.

9. Bring allergy medicine, aspirin, bandaids, and any other supplies you might need.  There are NO shops out in Wadi Rum.  None. You will not be able to purchase anything once you leave Rum Village (and shopping in Rum Village leaves much to be desired--the only stores are small convenience stores).

10. Consider the luxury Bedouin camps if you don't like camping. We passed a "luxury" camp on our Jeep tour; it appeared to have electricity generators, more bathrooms, and private tents. I am not sure how much more luxurious this camp was, however, and so if you don't like camping at all, just drive on to Aqaba and stay in a nice hotel.

The Curse of the Wadi Rum Scorpion

We had been warned that when camping in a Wadi Rum Bedouin camp, one should be cautious about pulling one's bed out to sleep under the stars.  The small stone walls that encircle the tent-covered sleeping areas keep the scorpions out, while there is no such impediment when you are sleeping right on the desert sand under the stars.

But, our Bedouin guide assured us that they had not seen a scorpion in more than three years and we had nothing to worry about.  So, we pulled out our matresses, slept under the stars, woke up the next morning and went to breakfast.  When Maggie went back to her bed to pack up her sleeping bag, she found this in her bed:

Photo by Maggie Scudder

We joked that it must be a sign of good luck to have found it in the morning instead of being poisoned by it during the night. Perhaps it had provided protection from other intruders throughout the night.

But our bad luck had started setting in almost the minute we left our apartment--long before the scorpion wandered into Maggie's bedroll.  

It started with some driver problems. Without going into too much detail, we had arranged for two cars and two drivers because Paul's sister and her family were visiting from the United States. Our drivers seemed to agree on only one thing: that their primary goal was to slow down our trip to Wadi Rum enough to make us miss our camel ride reservation (presumably so they could make another reservation for us for which they would get commission). [The ins-and-outs of tourist drivers in Jordan is worthy of an entirely separate blog post.] The driver problems continued throughout the entirety of our trip to Wadi Rum and Aqaba. But, this was not the worst of the bad luck.

We finally made it to Wadi Rum, but almost as soon as I stepped foot onto the desert sand and climbed up onto my camel (which was awesome, by the way), I started getting a headache.  I'm not sure if it was the beautiful purple flowers that were blooming all over the place or the sand or the camel or the wool blanket that covered the camel or the one I later slept on, but I was pretty miserable with allergies and a headache the whole time we were there. (I had quit bringing migraine medicine along with me because my migraines have become so few and far between . . . but note to self: always pack the Imitrex!)  But, this was not the worst of the bad luck.

After sleeping under the stars at Bedouin Whispers Camp, we spent most of Easter day touring Wadi Rum.  Read about our spectacular experience in Charlie's blog post and watch his video featuring the Camel Cam. 

We cut short our time in Wadi Rum--partly because my headache continued to get worse and partly because just over 24 hours is PLENTY of time to spend in the desert (at least in my opinion).  The desert really was awesome--and I'm glad we went and glad we got to tour on camels and in a Jeep--but it's also dry (duh!) and hot and stark and exhausting.  The Italians who were in the Jeep next to us actually said out loud what I had been thinking all day: "this just isn't our kind of relaxing; we would like to get to Aqaba as soon as possible."

We got to Aqaba (the Red Sea) as soon as possible (which was longer than we had hoped due to ongoing driver problems). The water there is beautiful--the most amazing shades of blue I've ever seen. And clear!  You could see all the way to the bottom. Maggie commented that it looked like a swimming pool with a blue-painted bottom; she was right! As the water got deeper, the turquoise water got darker, but it was still clear and blue. We went out on a snorkeling/dive boat and the snorkeling was unbelievable--the coral was so colorful, as were the fish. I saw a lion fish, which was my primary fish-spotting goal. But our snorkeling trip was cursed by heavy winds. I mean hard, hard wind the whole day. It was just so windy that we called it quits too early and spent the rest of the day on the boat . . . with no snacks . . . and my headache was still hanging on.  But, that's not the worst of the bad luck.  

Then, when we got back from the boat, I had to rush to meet my driver (because the boat was late), so I couldn't even wash off the salt water.  I had to get back to Amman to go to work on Tuesday and the rest of our group would go on to Petra the next day.  I met my driver and we headed out for Amman.  My driver was the slowest driver in the history of driving, so the trip that should have taken only 3 1/2 hours took 5!  All the while, my headache was getting worse and worse. Miserable. But, that's not the worst of the bad luck. 

I brought home a lot of extra stuff besides my own stuff--the snorkeling gear and everyone's dirty clothes, etc. from the previous three days. So, the trunk was full of bags and stuff.  When I got back to my apartment in Amman, my building-guard/helper helped me get the bags out of the trunk and bring them in.  

And, here's when the worst of the bad luck occurred: Maggie's backpack was missed and was left all night on the sidewalk.  By the time I realized it was missing, I went out and searched for it and it was gone. Stolen. And, with it her journal which contained all her thoughts, souvenirs, letters, and everything else from our entire year away.  A lot of her clothes and things were in the bag too, but all that can be replaced.  The journal can't be replaced.  I am just sick about it and, of course, she is too. What a horrible thing to have happen when she has spent the entirety of our time abroad collecting all of her memories, not to mention the photos and letters she brought from home, in the journal. I'm pretty irritated at the driver for driving off knowing the bag was there (when we called to see if it was still in his car, he said he had left it on the sidewalk for the guard to pick up; it would have been helpful if he had told the guard or me that it was there), but I take responsibility for being careless and in a hurry to get inside after such a long drive. That was, by far, the best journal ever. She has been SO creative with it all year, including everything from original drawings to small souvenirs to photos and ticket stubs.  Tragic!

Photo by Maggie Scudder

Easter in The Holy Land

Mosaic at St. George's Greek Orthodox Church, Madaba, Jordan

"Since once again, Lord -- though this time not in the forests of the Aisne but in the Steppes of Asia -- I have neither bread, nor wine, nor altar, I will raise myself beyond these symbols, up to the pure majesty of the real itself; I will make the whole earth my altar and on it I will offer you all the labours and sufferings of the world."  ~Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

My sister sent that prayer to me after I commented on her blog post that, although we are here in the Holy Land at Easter, it doesn't seem much like Easter.  For one thing, unlike in the United States, here we are not inundated by commercial reminders of the season. There aren't endless aisles of chocolate bunnies and pre-filled, cellophane-wrapped Easter baskets. I haven't seen a single Peep!  I haven't even seen an Easter lily. There are small reminders here and there: small sections of Easter candy in remote corners of the grocery stores and a few linens decorated with bunnies and eggs in some of the linen stores. But Easter is just not "in your face" like it is in the U.S.  In addition, although there are churches here, we don't see them much; they don't stand out with tall steeples like in the U.S. and especially in Europe.

Moreover, instead of waking up on Easter morning to candy-filled Easter baskets and rushing to get ready to go to church to hear the Hallelujah Chorus, we are deep in the desert, at Wadi Rum, waking up after sleeping under the stars at a Bedouin camp.

But, I can't think of a better place to be. That prayer I quoted above seems perfect for this Easter morning. I have my iPod with my Easter playlist, which includes the "Hallelujah Chorus" and "Jesus Christ is Risen Today." I even have Starburst jelly beans (thanks to Paul's sister who is visiting from the U.S.) to get my early morning sugar rush. What more does one need to celebrate Easter in the Holy Land?!?!

I hope you have a peaceful Easter. In honor of the Day, here are few more pictures of Christian holy places:

The spot where John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River, Bethany Beyond The Jordan

A baptismal fountain, decorated with a beautiful mosaic,
near the spot where John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River.

Sculpture at the top of Mount Nebo, where Moses viewed the Promised Land

Shawarma Reem

Finally, we had the good sense to dine on the local culinary staple: shawarma. A shawarma sandwich is marinated, grilled meat (usually lamb), roasted on a spit and then shaved off and wrapped in a pita with tomatoes, onions, and tahini sauce.  It's very much like a Greek gyro or a Turkish döner.

We went to Shawarma Reem, a shawarma stand which sits on the Second Circle. It is the oldest--and arguably the most popular--shawarma place in Amman, having served customers since 1976. Many people swear that Shawarma Reem has the very best shawarma in all of the Middle East.

There are no tables at Reem.  People either eat in their cars, stand and eat, or take their sandwiches to go.  We went around the corner, found a nice rock suitable for sitting, and had an urban picnic with our shawarmas.

And, oh!, they were delicious! The owners--the sons of the original founder--say that the secret to their shawarma is in the marinade.  Only one person knows the recipe: the oldest son.  He doesn't cook at the stand anymore, but he mixes the marinade according the secret recipe that is kept only in his head.

To give you an idea of the popularity of Reem, here are a few stats:
Number of shawarma sandwiches served per day: about 5000;
Price per shawarma: less than 1 JD (about $1 US);
Pounds of meat consumed per day: more than 1000.

The New York Times even did an article about Reem.  But, far from being touristy, Sharama Reem is a popular place for locals. Everyone comes here--rich people, poor people, old people and young.  Although it was mostly men at the stand, there were some women there (I was there!) and there were many women waiting in cars. There were few English speakers there and we had to rely on the kindness of the other patrons to help us know when our number was called out in Arabic to signal that our order was ready.

Smoke Gets In Your Eyes

A lot of people smoke here.  It is strange to us Americans who have gotten used to living in a relatively smoke-free environment.  Here, hotel lobbies, restaurants, and even university buildings are smoke-filled.

When I walked through the halls at one of the university buildings recently, I felt like I had been transported back to 1978.  I remember sitting in my first college class ever watching the barefooted teacher smoking a cigarette as he told us about sociology.  What a difference 30 years makes! OK, so it's 32 years--but who's counting!

But, I digress . . .

Here in Jordan, in addition to the ordinary cigarette smoking, there is hookah smoking.  Hookah, also known as "hubbly bubbly" and "shisha" and "argeela" and "nargeela," is basically a water pipe through which flavored tobacco is smoked. Hookah is served in cafes and restaurants, and sometimes in special "hookah bars." This is a highly social activity, and seems to replace alcohol consumption as the thing many people do to socialize. Smokers each get their own new plastic mouthpiece (to avoid passing germs), but one hookah is commonly shared by two or more people at a table.

To give you an idea of how important hookah smoking is to the culture in the Middle East, consider what William Hickey wrote in his Memoirs upon arriving in India in 1775:

"The most highly-dressed and splendid hookah was prepared for me. I tried it, but did not like it. As after several trials I still found it disagreeable, I with much gravity requested to know whether it was indispensably necessary that I should become a smoker, which was answered with equal gravity, 'Undoubtedly it is, for you might as well be out of the world as out of the fashion. Here everybody uses a hookah, and it is impossible to get on without.' . . . [I] have frequently heard men declare they would much rather be deprived of their dinner than their hookah."

Hookahs range in appearance from the very ornate to the very plain. To operate a hookah, one simply fills the glass jar at the bottom with water. The bowl at the top is filled with flavored tobacco and then covered with aluminum foil with small holes poked into it (as if you were covering a jar containing lightening bugs). Then, a red hot charcoal is placed on top of the foil.  The heat from the charcoal begins to warm and evaporate the tobacco, which creates smoke that passes down and settles on top of the water in the water jar. When the smoker inhales through the long hose that attaches to the hookah, the water bubbles and pushes the smoke up into the neck and through the hose into the smoker's mouth and lungs. The smoker's inhalation through the hookah also pulls additional heat from the charcoal through the tobacco, making more smoke and repeating the process.

Unfortunately, despite popular belief to the contrary, the negative health effects from smoking tobacco from a hookah are the same as or worse than those from smoking cigarettes. In fact, the World Health Organization and the American Cancer Society report that hookah smokers consume 100 to 200 times more smoke and 70 times more nicotine in a one-hour hookah session than they do by smoking one cigarette. In addition, studies show that hookah smokers are five times more likely than non-smokers to get gum disease, and five times more likely than non-smokers to get lung cancer. As with cigarettes, health risks become greater with longer hookah sessions and more frequent hookah smoking.

Today's Forecast

You know you are in the desert when . . .

. . . your weather report includes an appeal to a Higher Power.

[Hat Tip: Paul Scudder]

Petra Part IV: Preserving The Delicate Treasure

At over 2000 years old, Petra is showing signs of age. The photo above shows a small portion of As-Siq that is in need of some structural support and repair.  In March 2009, a crack was discovered in the Siq wall, and one month later, a 150 Kilogram rock fell from the wall.  Luckily, no one was harmed because the incident occurred while the park was closed. In addition, in February 2010, a small burial chamber and facade collapsed, killing a young camel that was resting in the monument's shade.

These incidents have signaled a need to monitor the wear and tear on all of Petra, and reduce the stress put on the site's most fragile areas. In addition, these incidents underscore the difficult balance between preservation of the delicate site and encouraging tourism, the primary economic activity in the area.

Many things can cause the delicate structures of Petra to deteriorate: use by local Bedouins who work in and occupy parts of the site, use and misuse of the site by visitors, and ordinary weather and natural forces.

The Bedouins

The Jordanian government moved the local Bedouins out of the caves of Petra about 25 years ago. Homes were constructed for the Bedouin community on a hillside overlooking Petra. Yet, one man told us that he lives in a cave inside Petra, and there is evidence throughout the park that some Bedouins are still living in the park.

At minimum, many Bedouins spend their days in the park and earn their living by transacting business with tourists. It appears that the Bedouins have complete freedom to conduct economic activities inside the park during the day. They sell and guide the horseback rides, horse carriage rides, camel rides, and donkey rides, they sell jewelry and other souvenirs, and they operate snack bars.

Some of the Bedouins' activities are hard on the park.  For example, to the extent people are living inside Petra--permanently or on an occasional basis--their living activities cause wear and tear on the site. Also, several of the outdoor Bedouin shopping tents have small fires nearby; these fires, built for warmth and to make tea for themselves and tourists, can cause damage.  The horse carriages that go through the Siq at a high speeds cause vibrations in the Siq walls. The donkeys wear down the walkways and steps on which they tread.

The Tourists

As one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world, Petra is visited by over 700,000 tourists annually, with more than 116,000 people visiting in January and February of this year alone. The number of visitors has been steadily increasing in recent years.

The presence of all these people causes deterioration and erosion in all the areas where visitors are permitted.

For example, the theater has been closed due to deterioration resulting from so many people climbing and walking on the stone ledges and seats.

This photo shows erosion of the steps leading up to the Monastery 

caused by millions of footsteps and donkey hooves. 

Also, the pounding footsteps of visitors traveling through the Siq contribute to the vibration in the Siq walls. Visitors are no longer allowed to go inside the Treasury because the breath of so many visitors damaged the interior walls. Moreover, the misuse of the area by any tourist causes damage.  As we were leaving, I saw a man approach the Siq wall with a chisel and begin trying to help himself to an authentic rock souvenir.

Natural Effects

Natural effects also take a heavy toll on Petra.  Due to development in nearby Wadi Musa, and alteration of the ancient Nabataean water system, Petra is now prone to flooding and consequential water damage.  Rain water also gets into already-existing cracks in the rock surfaces and enlarges the cracks, leading to more damage.  In addition, seismic activity in the Jordan Rift Valley has resulted in some movement and is believed to have contributed to the recent burial chamber collapse.

Jordan has formed an emergency committee to assess the situation in Petra and make recommendations for how to proceed with preservation efforts while attempting to preserve the Bedouin way of life and continue to make the Petra experience accessible for tourists.  Read more about Jordan's efforts to preserve Petra here.

Petra Part III: Up, Up, Up to the Monastery and Then On Up to The End of the World

Ad-Deir (The Monastery)

Our approach to traveling this year has been relaxed. We decide where we are going to go and then we go there, without a lot of advance research and planning. When we get to a destination, we see what presents itself. There are downsides to this approach, of course.  The primary one is that we have probably missed some things that were right in front of our noses. On the other hand, there have been many upsides to this approach.  The most obvious is that we rarely argue about what we are going to do when we reach a destination because we all just go with the flow in exploring what we find. (Don't worry, we have plenty of other things to argue about) The other significant upside is that, since we arrive at most destinations without etched-in-stone expectations, we are never disappointed.  In fact, we usually go away saying "that was even better than I thought it would be."

At no time was this more true than on our visit to Petra. We got to Petra, made it to the Treasury, and then looked around for what we would do next. What presented itself was a donkey ride with Mohammed and his buddies. If I had known what was in store for me on the donkey ride up, up, up the mountain to the Monastery, I probably would not have gone.  If I had not gone, I would have missed out on a fabulous experience.

Mohammed told me that he and his buddies and their donkeys would take us up the 800 steps to the Monastery, which was the "best place in Petra."  Missing from his description of the trip were words like "treacherous," "dangerous," "hazardous," and "perilous," but all of these words accurately describe our journey up the narrow, worn, fragile, slippery, crowded steps on the donkeys' backs to the Monastery.  But, so could words like "awesome," "exciting," "thrilling," "breathtaking," "spectacular," and "magnificent."

So, I climbed onto  Shakira, who, my guide was quick to point out, was a "boy donkey," Obviously, he didn't want me to confuse Shakira The Boy Donkey for Shakira The Girl Singer.

Shakira The Boy Donkey and his owner, my Bedouin guide

I was very nervous at the beginning, but then relaxed and enjoyed the ride until we got to the base of the climb and I realized how far up we had to go and how steep the climb was.  Then, I got nervous again.  My guide just kept saying "relax, relax, relax."

I had two things working against me on the trek up the mountain:  (1) I'm not that crazy about heights. The top of the Empire State Building is not my favorite spot in New York.  My knees feel like jello when I get anywhere near the edge of a high place.  In fact, my knees feel like jello when I even see my kids get close to the edge of a high place. So, the higher we went, the less I was able to relax, relax, relax. (2) Being a lawyer, I had no trouble thinking of all the things that could possibly go wrong.  And, the ride was long enough that I could be very creative in imagining every possible horrifying, tragic scenario.

But, up we went.  Up, up, up.  And up some more.  They say there are about 800 steps.  If so, I would estimate that about 600 of them are "steps" in the ordinary sense.  The rest are rocky inclines that you simply hike up--or that the donkeys hike up while the riders hold on for dear life.

The donkey went fast.  It wasted no time getting up the mountain, which would have been fine except that all the walking people on the steps were practically being trampled by the donkeys.  It did not take me long to figure out that, as terrifying as it was going up the narrow stairs on Shakira with the edge of the steep cliff very close to my right side, it would have been even more terrifying to have been one of the pedestrians on the steps trying to get out of the way to avoid being knocked over or pushed off the cliff by the passing donkeys. The moral of the story: the climb is as treacherous for the people off the donkeys as it is for the people on the donkeys--maybe even more!

Photo by Charlie Scudder

Mohammad and his buddies really earned their money keeping up with the donkeys too.  My guide ran all the way up the steps close to Shakira, telling me to "relax, relax, relax" and trying to keep Shakira going the right direction (once Shakira turned completely around and started heading back down the steps).

The donkeys took us up as far as a plateau about 1/4 mile below the Monastery.  We climbed the rest of the way on foot.  As we came around the corner with the Monastery in view, I immediately knew that the harrowing trip had been completely worth it.

In the large open area in front of the Monastery, all sorts of things could be found.  For example, this photo shows some ancient column pieces.

And, there was a snack bar with cold water (almost frozen, actually), soft drinks, and snacks, and there were comfortable benches to rest on after the long ride and climb up the mountain.











Once we had enjoyed a short rest, we continued our upward journey on foot toward the End of the World.

The climb from the Monastery up to the top was not far and relatively easy compared to the steep climb up to the Monastery.

And, the view was spectacular.  (That person sitting on the edge of the cliff is Charlie.)

From up here, you can see the Rift Valley and all the way to the mountains in Israel.

No matter how high I climbed, Maggie climbed higher.  All day--even before the donkey ride up the mountain--every time I turned around, Maggie would be missing. But, I would just have to look up onto the rocky cliffs to find her. Sure enough, there she would be, up higher than everyone else.

Notice the carved out caves even up here at the very top of the mountain.

We walked most of the way down the mountain instead of riding.  As we made our way down, we passed numerous jewelry stands operated by Bedouin women.  They called out very special offers such as "look for free." On the way up, we were moving too fast on the donkeys to be the targets of the sales pitches, but we were not moving very fast on the way down.  Now we were dodging the donkeys and trying to avoid the gaze of the jewelry sellers.

We got back on our donkeys when were were near the bottom of the mountain, and had a relaxing ride back to the place we started. We were tired and sore, but we were all still alive and glad we made the journey up to the Monastery and the End of the World.

Petra Part II: Getting Around in Petra

There are all sorts of ways to get around inside Petra.  The obvious one is on foot.  The vast majority of visitors to Petra see it on foot. However, if you don't want to walk, there are plenty of animals to make your journey easier.

For starters, you can take a horseback ride from just past the Visitor's Center to the entrance to As-Siq. 

All non-residents of Jordan are required to buy a 33 JD ticket that includes one-day admission plus a horseback ride. So, almost everyone has already paid for this ride.  But, we saw very few people actually take this ride. The distance that the horse can go is not very far at all, and it is an easy downhill walk. Moreover, when you first get there, you are filled with excitement and energy and, therefore, do not feel the need to ride. The time you want the ride is back up the hill at the end of the day when you are tired and hot and hungry and feel like you can't take another step.  But, the horses aren't available then!

Once you get to the entrance of the Siq, you have the option to take a horse drawn carriage. The horse drawn carriages are quite beautiful; they are adorned with brightly colored blankets. 

They go really fast down the Siq, however, so if you take the ride, you miss out on all the beautiful scenery on your way.  And, the key word in that last sentence was "down."  The walk through the Siq into Petra is all downhill.  Therefore, it's a relatively easy walk.  The only obstacles are the uneven cobblestones that cover some parts of the path, and the only dangers are that you will trip while looking up at the amazing overhead views or get runover by a carriage which comes barreling down the narrow Siq at what seems like 150 miles per hour.

We walked and I'm glad we did.  We took our time and enjoyed the amazing natural and carved beauty of the Siq.  It was one of the highlights of our trip to Petra.

However, coming out is another story.  Coming out, the Siq is an uphill walk.  It comes at the end of your day when you are hot, tired, and hungry (as I mentioned above), and a ride would be nice at this point.  We still did not take the ride and I'm glad we walked out. It gave us another chance to enjoy the Siq, take some more pictures, and generally reflect on our awesome day.

Once we got inside Petra after coming through the Siq, we were bombarded with possibilities for camel rides.  There were camels everywhere!

The camels didn't seem to like me much.  Every time I got near one hoping to get my picture taken with it, it turned and indicated by a show of big, ugly teeth that it was about to bite me. One stuck out its tongue at me, which was one of the most disgusting gestures I have ever seen any animal make.  I wish I had had the wherewithall to take a picture, but I was in a slight state of shock at the gross display and could not decide whether to stand still or run.  The tongue looked like a giant internal organ--most likely a bladder, but I'm not sure exactly which organ it looked like.  Then, as the camel was moving the tongue around, a frothy foam covered the camel's tongue, lips, and face.  If it had been a dog, I would have thought for sure it was rabid.

Although the camels seemed to dislike me, they seemed to like Maggie quite a bit.  In fact, it almost seemed as if they swooned in her presence. 

Photo by Paul Scudder

As we made our way around the ancient city's first curve, we were again bombarded by offers for rides--this time on donkeys and mules.  There were donkeys galore, each with its own entreprenurial Bedouin who tried to convince us that his ride and his price is the best in all of Petra.

We ended up deciding on a donkey ride with Mohammed. Why Mohammed's donkeys? For one thing, he was very persistent.  He followed us up a hill with two donkeys. He was nice, and he described, in clearer detail than anyone else, what we would get for our money. I'll have more details about our wild donkey ride up to the Monastery and our journey on to the End of the World in Petra Part III.

Undoubtedly, the horses, camels, and donkeys and their Bedouin owners were part of the ambience of Petra and they are a big part of what makes a visit to Petra such a unique and memorable experience.