We met our guide, Moad, who taught us a few words in Arabic and gave us some history and modern facts about Jordan. Moad is a Beduin and he told us about some of the challenges the Beduin people have especially as global warming is challenging traditional lifestyles.
He also talked about the problem of Syrian refugees, maybe 500,000, who are fleeing the civil war. Jordan has seen it as their responsibility to bring them in, with US aid. But their future is unknown.
We passed through the city of Aqaba, the southernmost city of Jordan and the location of the only port and beach of the country.
We traveled north through stunning, rugged sandstone mountains we had glimpsed from the Israeli side, and through the wide expanse of Wadi Rom and into Wadi Mousa; the Wadi of Moses the Prophet. Like the Israelites we wander in this rugged land outside of Israel. It is a wild beauty.
It is a 2 hour ride until we come to Petra. What can we say about Petra? Words and pictures do not do justice. As we wander through the deep winding canyons we continually see massive and ancient Nabatian structures carved out of the striated sandstone. Awe inspiring is cliche. And accurate.
We spent the day walking and gazing. Some of us rode wildly riding horse-drawn carriages down the canyon. Others rode horses and camels throughout. The Jordanian people we met were beautiful and gracious. It was a great deal of hiking and riding in any case. We emerged hot and tired and proud of ourselves for our fortitude!
After a lovely buffet lunch/dinner in a Jordanian hotel (Silk Road) we returned for the 2 hour bus ride under a nearly full moon rising over the pink and brown Jordanian mountains. As the sun set we came back to Aqaba and the Israeli border.
Welcome home!
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