Heat and Hijabs.

The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is located in the desert (of course) off the highway between Dubai and Abu Dhabi.  It's the largest in the United Arab Emirates and is absolutely amazing.   It's a functioning mosque - but also a tourist destination.   Women cannot enter through the first floor if their knees are showing... and all must wear traditional hijabs and head scarfs when entering the mosque (you can get one there or bring your own).   Men can wear traditional clothing - unless their knees are showing.. in which case they must wear a thobe (long, white dress gown).  

 

The light fixtures are EXTRAVAGANT! 

The left is the list of "Mosque Manners!".  Beautiful carpets - lush silk... and amazing architecture!   Great experience!

 

Extravagance, Opulence and Facade.

Dubai.  It oozes money, wealth, and over-the-top everything.   When you have so much money you don't know what to do... what do you build?  Islands in the ocean, ski hills in the desert and the tallest building in the world (sorry, Shanghai.. they've got ya beat).    The malls are filled with high-end stores with names that I've only heard of in "Sex in the City" (no Targets around here)... and women are draped in jewels, couture clothing and five-thousand dollar handbags  (of course, you can't see much of it underneath the hijab). 

But don't be fooled. 

Only 10% of the population of the Emirates (made up of seven "Emirates" or states) is actually Emirati.  The others are a global mash of citizens, either laborers or businessmen or educators... looking for a better life... better pay... or just a new experience. The 10% have everything paid for by the government... housing, health care, and a significant monthly stipend (thank you, oil).   The other 90% are expatriates (even if you are born in the Emirates, if you cannot prove Emirati heritage you won't receive the government benefits) who are working in a variety of businesses.

Today we visited the Dubai Ski Mall(!) and the tallest building in the world - the Burj Khalifa... a spectacular building rising from this big sandbox. This place is a bit like Vegas (minus the casinos) - showy fountains, shiny buildings, green grass - but all a bit fake.  Don't get me wrong - it's an exceptionally interesting oasis here... but it is still a desert.

The Dubai Ski Mall boasts a ski hill (albeit small) a luge, inner tubes and a clear, round plastic ball that you actually get inside of  - then roll down the hill.  The women wear ankle-length parkas.  It's all inside a huge mall.  Crazy.  The mall is the biggest I've ever seen.   The floors are marble..!

 We visited a great tea shop - inside some ritzy department store.  Great tea.  Expensive price!

And off to the tallest building in the world - The Burj Khalifa. 

 At the bottom of the Burj, there are extravagant fountains (ala Bellagio - but on a much grander scale, of course!).  The skyscrapers all around look small compared to the height of the Burj.   But looking down - you see they're all built on sand.   Crazy.

Next post soon - I've a flight to catch to Qatar!  Hope to hear from you soon!

Petra

The majority of Petra contains hundreds of tombs... in fact the most famous sight - Al-Khazneh (Treasury) as carved in the 1st century BC as a tomb of an important Nabataean king. 

Many interesting tombs contain chambers carved into the top of the sandstone cliffs.

 

 

There are miles of royal tombs, temples, a theater (which looks Roman, but is actually Nabataean) that holds 7000 (!), and an occasional coffee shop and gift store (really).   And, of course, many opportunities to ride camels...! 

 

 

The climate was warm - but not overwhelmingly hot.   The walk into Petra is mostly downhill - making for a hot and tiring trek out.  Although we could have ridden the donkeys or camels out - we decided to walk (actually, it was more of a slow jog as we were racing to get back to our driver to ensure we were back to Amman in time to work).  Needless to say, our legs were crazy tired the next day(s)!   It was a wonderful experience - highly recommended if you ever have the opportunity!   Now - it's off to Dubai!

 

  

Ancient Trails and Camel Dung

A four hour drive on the "International Desert Highway" led us from Amman to Wadi Musa  - to the Petra Guest House and to the gate of the ancient Nabatean city of Petra.   The drive was uneventful... hours of dry, brown desert with no trees and only a smattering of small, cinder-block housing complexes. The driver, "Steve", however, was quite intriguing.  A Jordanian who had lived in the USA (Nashville, of all places), he talked endlessly about his love for the USA, his former position as a body guard at the US Embassy in Amman  (where, he bragged, he worked with Hillary Clinton - "a long time ago, when she was pretty"), and his stint with the FBI (uh, don't think so, buddy).   He did actually provide great information about Jordan and it's history in the Middle East, his concerns about Syrian refugee camps on the border, and the oil routes from Akaber to Amman  (fuel, unlike other place in the Middle East, is very expensive in Jordan).   Although we had the conceirge at the Sheraton book the tour driver for us, in retrospect I think "Steve" could have just been one of his buddies who wanted to make some extra cash - and not a true tour operator.  Hmmm....

Steve dropped us at the Petra Guest House - a lovely little hotel with a "Cave Bar" built into the sandstone  (truthfully, this is why I picked the place). 

The staff were quite accustomed to dealing with tourists... but indicated that the number of American tourists had dropped considerably since the recent uprisings in the Middle East.  ( By the way - we felt very safe the entire time....).

The hotel boasted a great breakfast/lunch.... traditional breakfast of bread, hummus (best in the world), pickled veggies, lebnah (a type of creamy, sour cheese that was fried), beautiful fruit and STRONG coffee.  Yum!

PETRA.  Wow.  I remember sitting in the eat-in kitchen at the home of my Uncle John Loomis about 15 years ago when he pulled out this huge book detailing some pretty amazing places in the world.  To me,  he always seemed to have this mysterious knowlege of ancient cultures and places - I always found him so intruiguing.   I remember him showing me this picture of an enourmous building carved into a sandstone wall in some far-off Arabian country.  I was hooked. It immediately made it onto my "top ten" list of places I wanted to visit someday.  How fortunate that it was able to happen.

A brief history lesson.
According to my guidebook - the Nabateans were an ancient tribe who originally came from the Arabian Peninsula more than 2200 years ago.  Before they settled in southern Jordan, they lived for a considerable time in north-western Arabia in a strategic area that lay on the ancient "Silk Road" trade routes (linking to China and India and the Mediterranean coastal cities).  They became "masters of the regions trade routes" - levying tolls and protecting caravans carrying Arabian frankincense and myrrh, Indian spices and African ivory and animal hides.   Profits from the caravanning business enabled them to establish and organize a powerful kingdom - effectively ruling the greater part of Arabia (not easy considering the region was under the domination of Greeks and later Romans).   In 106 AD, the Nabatean Empire was annexed to the Roman Empire.   Petra thrived for many years until the sources of its riches decreased due to such factors as the shift in trade routes and lesser demand for frankincenses as Christianity replaced pagan religions.  Eventually, Petra fell to ruin.  After the 14th century it was completely lost to the West until a Swiss traveler rediscovered it in 1812 (what a find that must have been!). 


We purchased tickets from the small trailer at the entrance and proceeded to enter one of my "top ten places".   I was stoked. 

Then the smell hit.   Camels, donkeys, horses..... a fragrant aroma of dung.   There were "tour guides" constantly following us (animals in tow)... "You want to ride a donkey, lady?  A camel?  Cheap price.  I give you good deal".   ... or....  "Taxi?  Air conditioned!", followed by hysterical laughter. 

 

We proceeded through the As-Siq, the ancient main entrance to Petra.  It's an impressive 1200 meter long, deep and narrow gorge surrounded by soaring sandstone cliffs and bizarre geological formations.   It's quite amazing... especially when hearing the "clop-clop" of horses and donkeys from around each bend.

 

After a wonderful 30 minute hike - we round the bend to see the sight I've been waiting for....

 

The view from the Siq opens to one of the most famous sights of Petra - The Al-Khazneh (Treasury).  Emerging from the Siq, you come face to face with the Al-Khazneh - a magnificient sight (you may recall from Indiana Jones...).  You're also met with a plethora of children and old men trying to sell their wares.... oh, and more camel dung.

 



 

More to come in the next post!  Alsalam Alakam!

The Midnight Plane to Jordan

Saturday, September 22, 2012.   It's 1:12pm in Illinois.   It's 9:12pm in Amman.  After an hour plane ride to Chicago, a three hour layover, and a 12 hour flight.... I'm finally in Jordan and checked in to the hotel.   I don't know if I should be hungry or tired or awake or working or what!?  Actually, it's a combination of all of the above.

Met my travel buddy at the airport in Chicago and flew on the same Royal Jordanian flight to Amman.   Nice to have someone to arrive with, go through customs with, etc.   Received my first stamp in my new passport!  I'm not sure this one will be quite as filled as the last (nearly 40 countries stamped in the last 10 years).  We're starting off well, however...

Time for a drink.  And bed.   Photos to come tomorrow.