Journey to Jordan

Jordan has been on the bucket list since our early twenties, and then, of course, Indiana Jones just clinched the deal - Petra was a must see . And here we are, living in the Middle East, and a five day Eid national holiday in hand - the timing was perfect.

We touched down in Amman after a three and a half hour flight on Royal Jordanian Airline. The flight itself was interesting - it was the last day of Ramadan, but considered an international flight. Therefore, a meal was served and we energetically tucked into the delicious offerings (it really was good). The unfortunate pax sitting beside us was decidely Muslim, decked out in his traditional dress. I thought the poor man would pass out - body language spoke volumes -he gave a little groan, closed his eyes and gripped his prayer beads harder. Feeling quite guilty, I gobbled up as quickly as I could, tried to be as surreptitious as I could drinking the water (taking quick slugs when his eyes were closed), and covered the leftovers with my napkin. I think he sighed with relief when we refused drinks. Ahh well, I am sure his self-discipline will be rewarded. Mine, on the other hand, registers very low and I just could not pass up on that meal!

Back to the adventure: We were met at the airport by our guide, Saleh, who was our constant companion on the trip. He handled all the driving, gave us a running commentary on all the sights to see, suggested great dining experiences, battled his way through lineups to buy entrance tickets, and generally "parted the seas" with his Arabic and local knowledge.

Amman is a treat - it is known as the "white city" as all the buildings are constructed from limestone. In the old days, it was built on seven hills, but has now sprawled out over 22; with bragging rights on the tallest freestanding flagpole in the world. There are lots of trees and shrubs, and miles of olive groves and fruit orchards on the outskirts. Jordan receives much more rain than Qatar and we were overjoyed to be caught in the first rainfall of the year - and a real deluge it was (not like the pity drizzle we receive in Doha - all 5mm of it annually).

We managed two days of sightseeing in the city: spent a wonderful morning walking the Citadel, situated on the highest hill in Amman and built by the Ummayyad Arabs in AD 720. The Romans left their mark with the Temple of Hercules and there is even a Byzantine Basilica. There were some real treasures in the National Archeological Museum with some examples of the Dead Sea Scrolls. In the valley below the Citadel, we explored the Roman Theatre - man, are those seats steep! - there was a nosebleed section even then.

Later, we drove to Jerash, to an ancient Roman decapolis with some of the best preserved ruins in the world. It comes complete with Hadrian's Arch, built in AD129. Walking the same ancient, colonnaded cobblestone streets traversed so long ago by trading caravans, and Roman carriages just takes your breathe away. Standing quietly in the hippodrome seems to bring back whispers of a bygone era. And who knew there was a Jordanian Scottish pipe band belting it out in the Roman Theatre to demonstrate the amazing acoustics.

On our third day, we began the drive down the King's Highway - a significant roadway that has carried traffic for 3000 years starting with the Israelites journey to the Promised Land. Since then there have been Nabateans, Romans, Crusaders, as well as more modern day Muslim pilgrims heading for Mecca. It is a really picturesque route including the Wadi Mujib valley and the Dana Nature Reserve. As the travel book says: "It's a veritable ride through the centuries, along the spine of history".

Along the way we stopped at Madaba, a city best known for its Byzantine mosaics. We found St. George's Church, built over a Byzantine church, where a mosaic map of the Holy Land was unearthed in 1884 that dates back to AD 560. We even went to the Mosaic School, and watched as artisans skillfully pieced together beautiful pictures from tiny pieces of rock. Just outside Madaba is Mt. Nebo where Moses is said to have seen the Promised Land. From there, we were able to see sweeping views of Gilead, Judah, Jericho and the Negev.

We continued our journey south, crossing over to the Dead Sea Highway, viewing some spectacular landscapes along the way, until we finally dropped down to the coast and our first view of the Dead Sea. It is the lowest point on earth at 408m below sea level. And yes - the Dead Sea is truly dead. With a 30% salt content, the only living things are the tourists bobbing on the surface. It's more of a lake, about 65km long and 6to 18km wide, with the Jordan river as its water source. Israel is just across the water and the views are fabulous. Swimming in the Dead Sea is a unique experience - no matter what you try to do, your shoulders are always high above the waterline. Floating on your back is the only way to stay comfortable and even then you feel like a cork trying to burst out of a bottle. May be a good place to learn to swim .... you certainly can't drown here.

We reluctantly left the Dead Sea behind us, crossing desertscapes and tall mountains to arrive at Shobak Castle, built by the Crusader King Baldwin I in AD 1115, and later occupied by the Mamluks in the 14th century. It's built on a hilltop in a wild, remote part of the land, surrounded by caves carved out of the hillsides where families of old used to live. Quite imposing and worth the visit.

Our last stop of the day was the town of Petra, where we stayed at the Movenpick Hotel and ate at Bedouin restaurants. Love the local food - can never get enough hummus, fatoush, and moutabal and some great walks at night around the tourist area. Petra deserves its own blog - suffice to say it was the highlight of our trip.

Our final destination was Wadi Rum, not far from Aqaba on the coast (next on our list). Wadi Rum is of Laurence of Arabia fame. This is in Jordan's far south, peppered with deserts and the Bedouin. It marks the beginning of the Rift Valley that wends its way far down into Africa. Here we saw some of the most extraordinary desert scenery ever - dramatic colours ranging from fiery red, fine sand rippled from the wind, to tall black granite mountains called jebels, and yellow desert hills in between. The angle of the sun, the rise of red sand, and some of the highest peaks in Jordan made this a hauntingly beautiful place. Combined with a mood of almost sublime serenity, as if you are caught between times; and suspended in a quiet peaceful ethereal world, we felt like we were the only people there. Highlight of the day: being treated to Bedouin hospitality - local tea served from an open fire in a Bedouin tent. Of course, there was another side to this site - just over the hill 4x4's gunning themselves up a hill, a camel race in one of the valleys, and camel rides available for tourists.

Last words to Laurence of Arabia: "No man can live this life and emerge unchanged. He will carry the imprint of the desert..." He described Wadi Rum as "vast, echoing and God-like."

Our trip to Jordan was a resounding success - if we can...we will be back!

Singing Sand Dunes

We have joined both the Canadians in Qatar and the South Africans in Qatar ex-pat groups. They provide get-togethers that help all of us keep in touch with "back home" and get comfortable in our foreign environment.

Last Friday we tagged along with a group of about 150 South Africans for a braai (bbq) at the Singing Sand Dunes. Intrigued by the name we decided we couldn't miss the opportunity. There is nothing like meeting with people who are in much the same position as ourselves and with so much background in common. We made new friends, sang old songs, watched kids ...and others, slog up the dunes and toboggan down, caught up on stories.

We started off in the car park of a local mall and then drove in convoy into the desert. Our caravan snaked along in a record 44 vehicle train. Thank goodness for gps as there are no signposts, and the frontline cars were using latitude and longitude co-ordinates to get there. We have had a 4x4 for the past few weeks which was just as well, as we could not have attempted the bone-jarring, joltingly bumpy off road adventure using a sedate Honda.

When we arrived at this natural amphitheatre we parked all the cars alongside each other and then set about forming a laager (circle) of camp chairs. We sat around a great big campfire that sent flames shooting straight up into a clear night sky. The flickering firelight provided enough light for children to still scoot down the dunes on cardboard. Someone set up a stereo and we heard the nostalgic sounds of South Africa: Ladysmith Black Mambaso, acapelle, boeremusiek, folk .... anybody remember Des and Dawn? We tucked into picnic boxes and lit up bbq's for the ever present SA boerewors.

The dunes themselves are beautiful to look at - high hills of pure sand that have formed over eons of time due to wind, geography and geology. The sand is so fine and the granules so circular - perfectly sculpted to create the phenomenon of singing sand, in approximately 30 locations around the world. There is still some controversy over why the dunes sing: scientists reckon that the grains of sand must be round and between 0.1 and 0.5 mm in diameter, must contain silica, and needs to be a specific humidity. Then a combination of wind and the exuberance of climbers causing sandslides produces the "singing". An eerily haunting percussion that echos around the amphitheatre sounding somewhat like a combination of the roaring of a lion and the hum of a didgeridoo. A deep base boom that Bedouins of bygone times attributed to "djinns" - evil spirits.

A truly great experience and a big thank you to SAinQ for an organization feat!!
Ons het lekker gekuier!

Ramadan in an Arabian country.

I think I will take the opportunity of talking about Ramadan, given that we are in the unusual position of being residents in the Middle East in a Muslim country during this most auspicious time. Who knows, it may be my only Ramadan experience.

According to my research and reading of the local newspapers The Peninsula and Gulf Times; Ramadan is the month in which the first verses of the Qu'ran were revealed to the Prophet Mohammed. It is, therefore, considered a very holy and important time. It involves a month of fasting. This year it started on August 22 and ended on September 20. All good Muslims refrain from eating, drinking, smoking, sex, and anything considered to be in excess or ill-natured from dawn to sunset. Fasting is meant to teach the Muslim patience, modesty and spirituality, and is an attempt to purify oneself through self-restraint and good deeds. It is a time of reflection and reading of the Qu'ran.

As a non-Muslim ex-pat, Ramadan has been a revelation. It feels somewhat like being a fish out of water, much the same as Muslims might feel when we celebrate Christmas in the West - consider all those decorations and lights in every mall, on every street, and in nearly every home. The festivity of Christmas all around for weeks on end, culminating in a day of celebration where all retail and business close their doors for 24 hours, whilst family and friends connect over a turkey dinner and gift giving (except those poor souls relegated to the Christmas shift at fast food outlets or working in emergency services).

Over here in the Middle East, Ramadan is in some ways just like that....except it continues for 30 days, but is very definitely a spiritual and religious period, leaving no room for the avid commercialism and consumerism that has overtaken in the West. There is sharing of food with friends, some quiet gift-giving at the end of fasting, and a set of new clothes to greet the new year. I admit, however, some amazement - I am not sure I could ever fast for approximately fifteen hours a day for 30 days, rise before sunrise (which is about 3.30am in these parts right now), eat a big meal, then off to the mosque to pray. Afterwards, join the traffic snarl, and get myself to work where not even a drop of water will pass my lips, and be able to hold off until prayer at sunset (about 6pm) before having my next meal.

As ex-pats we are included under the umbrella of fasting because all restaurants, fast-food chains, and coffee shops are closed down during Ramadan between sunrise and sunset so we can't have meals away from home. Those who go to work each day must quietly and surreptitiously eat their lunch behind closed doors, making sure no thai or curry flavours or tuna aromas waft enticingly into hallways. We have also been exhorted by our various embassies to respect the rules, so that means no drinking in public, including no visible water bottles on your person or in your car, also no gum chewing. And remember the temperatures are soaring into the late 40's and above! (For those of you wondering, the only liquor store in the country shuts down for the entire month. Only those with a valid liquor licence are able to purchase alcohol here, and all were eagerly lined up in the week before Ramadan with loads of the stuff, as people made sure they had their full quota of alcohol to tide them over the dry month.)

After sunset prayers and dinner, Muslims gear up to celebrate with friends and family - restaurants become lively beehives and the streets are jampacked with celebrants. Partying goes on all night in some cases, leaving no room for sleep as the day starts at about 2.30am anyway. Concessions are made - the work day is shortened to about 2 to 4 hours per day, but even then participants may take a quick snooze or nap at the desk. Plans are scaled down, meetings cancelled, and deadlines postponed. Business grinds to a halt. Retail stores are open between 10am and 12 if you're lucky, and then again from 8pm to 1am. Ex-pats can be seen scurrying into malls, frantically checking watches to beat the rush or slip in just in time. Most of us have been caught at some point uselessly peering into darkened and locked stores. And the number of times I passed by coffee shops just salivating to be let in.... On the plus side, traffic is a breeze during the day. On the negative, grocery shelves fail to serve up your favourite overseas brands as the container sits patiently dockside.

At the end of 30 days, Eid marks the end of Ramadan, known as the Festival of Breaking the Fast. It lasts for a period of 4 or 5 days when Muslims will donate to the poor, visit relatives and wear their new clothes, and generally celebrate the end of fasting.

The day after Eid, the world returns to normal and regular activities resume for another 11 months. Everyone shifts into their busy mode and life picks up a routine again. Ramadan certainly provides a jolt to the equilibrium and the scheduling for those of us observing from the sidelines.

Another experience for my treasure chest of memories.

Ramadan Mubarak!

Respite in South Africa.

Three blissful weeks have passed, spelling an end to our sojourn in South Africa. As always, our homeland grabs our hearts and squeezes tight.

The scenery is breathtaking, and we are once again spellbound by:

spectacular sunsets,

the wildest of animals on a dry, winter bushveld plain in Limpopo province,

shadows flickering from firelight cast from an open fire pit on a warm winter evening,

pounding surf rolling onto a perfectly soft, white beach,

starlight in a clear nightsky and moonlight to walk by,

clouds draped over Table Mountain,

rich carpets of wild flowers blooming in the dunes of the Western Cape coastline,

whale watching at Cape Point, the southern most tip of Africa, a hot latte in hand at a restaurant perched over a turquoise blue ocean .

Our moments were measured by magical encounters with:

Family members gathered to welcome us reminding us of the ties that bind,

comfortable conversations that bridge the time apart instantly,

and those special shoulders to lean on.

Reuniting with friends, and family who are friends,

taking up conversations again as if continents do not separate us,

laughter and catch-up stories shared over wine from neighbouring farms.

'Sisters' who provide sumptuous feasts,

and open their homes like wide open arms wrapped around us.

Mothers who want every minute to count.

Niece and nephews who seem to have grown up in no time at all.

Watching brothers watching rugby,

beer and biltong inevitably in abundance.

And Africa moments to live by:

Warthogs trying to climb on your porch

looking for delicacies you may be so kind as to throw their way.

An elephant having a blissful time in his own mud spa, and another one who flapped his ears and moved menacingly towards us - we were on his territory after all.

Monkeys finding their way into the cottage at Mabula through a bathroom window (jammer hoor) and reeking havoc inside - no fruit or cookies left in their wake.

Eating! prawns at every opportunity - baked, grilled and bbq'd,

steaks that melted in your mouth, garden fresh salads,

and mounds of avocados, mint crisps, and mangos.

Standing on the edge of the ocean watching a sunset on the horizon.

Perfection and heaven sent as a fleeting gift wrapped up in a holiday back home.