Friday, July 9, 2010
Massada and Ein Gedi
This was always going to be a challenge – leaving the hotel by 7.30am after a late night, but we all managed to make it, if not by our by now ‘usual’ 10 minutes late. Avi explained on our drive down to Masada that it’s importance to the Jewish people is one of resistance and strength. Masada is a hilltop palace built by King Herod, right along side the Dead Sea (south of Jerusalem). It was surrounded in ancient times by the Romans against a group of rebels in the lead of Elazar Ben Yair. You can still see the many Roman army barracks, and their thick walls, completely surrounding Masada from the top of the mountain.
We went up by cable car (none of us was game enough to walk up the steep 813 steps in 36 degree heat), packed tightly in like sardines. Luckily the trip was only 2 ½ minutes long. Up the top of the mountain, we walked through all aspects of ‘Herod the Great’s’ palaces, including courtyards and entrance rooms with incredibly colourful and well-maintained stucco paintings.
NOTE: Despite it's cultural irrelevance, one French tourist must be mentioned. Dad was the first who noticed the man standing on top of Masada due to what he was wearing (or wasn't wearing to be more to the point). Black and white print board shorts, short caramel walking boots and a tiny enthic style embroided waistcoat. Thus began the debate as to whether this was an absolute fashion 'no'...or an incredibly daring fashion-forward and 'avant garde' stylish Frenchman. You can probably guess who was on each side of the argument...(sneaky photo taken on Henry's iphone to come...)
On the way back to Tel Aviv, we stopped at Ein Gedi, an oasis located west of the Dead Sea and very close to Masada. After walking up rocky stairs, climbing around boulders and not believing there could be any water around…we began to hear the rushing of waterfalls. It was beautiful to walk around one corner, where as far as you can see is dirt, sand, rock and mountains, and suddenly see lush greenery and an abundance of water. We went swimming for a while, with Henry in particular loving the water (which is spring fed all year round) as opposed to the salty water he has been used to swimming in lately, both at our hotel and in the Dead Sea (which is 33% salt!).
We sadly farewelled Avi on our return to the hotel. He proved to be the ‘rock’ of our trip, his calm demeanour and thinking ahead at each point of our journey is what has made our visit to Israel so well organised and enjoyable. He felt part of the family, and really fit in with us. Avi's website is - http://www.avi-ron.com/
We had Shabbat dinner at the hotel, which was quite the ‘scene’. We had prime seating, right at the entrance, so it ended up we could watch all the different characters walking into the dining area. Dad named one larger man humpty-dumpty (no need to elaborate), and the woman’s dress styles ranged from tight and short, to colourful and elegant. There was one boy, who couldn’t have been more than 9 years old, who wore the tightest skinny jeans any of us had ever seen (yes, even tighter then Henry’s!). At one point, two large tables of families seemed to be in competition as to who could sing the loudest…I’d call it a draw (or a ‘lose lose’, it depends how you look at it). Zac sang the Kiddush beautifully…and here ended our final Friday night Shabbat in Israel.
B & C
We went up by cable car (none of us was game enough to walk up the steep 813 steps in 36 degree heat), packed tightly in like sardines. Luckily the trip was only 2 ½ minutes long. Up the top of the mountain, we walked through all aspects of ‘Herod the Great’s’ palaces, including courtyards and entrance rooms with incredibly colourful and well-maintained stucco paintings.
NOTE: Despite it's cultural irrelevance, one French tourist must be mentioned. Dad was the first who noticed the man standing on top of Masada due to what he was wearing (or wasn't wearing to be more to the point). Black and white print board shorts, short caramel walking boots and a tiny enthic style embroided waistcoat. Thus began the debate as to whether this was an absolute fashion 'no'...or an incredibly daring fashion-forward and 'avant garde' stylish Frenchman. You can probably guess who was on each side of the argument...(sneaky photo taken on Henry's iphone to come...)
On the way back to Tel Aviv, we stopped at Ein Gedi, an oasis located west of the Dead Sea and very close to Masada. After walking up rocky stairs, climbing around boulders and not believing there could be any water around…we began to hear the rushing of waterfalls. It was beautiful to walk around one corner, where as far as you can see is dirt, sand, rock and mountains, and suddenly see lush greenery and an abundance of water. We went swimming for a while, with Henry in particular loving the water (which is spring fed all year round) as opposed to the salty water he has been used to swimming in lately, both at our hotel and in the Dead Sea (which is 33% salt!).
We sadly farewelled Avi on our return to the hotel. He proved to be the ‘rock’ of our trip, his calm demeanour and thinking ahead at each point of our journey is what has made our visit to Israel so well organised and enjoyable. He felt part of the family, and really fit in with us. Avi's website is - http://www.avi-ron.com/
We had Shabbat dinner at the hotel, which was quite the ‘scene’. We had prime seating, right at the entrance, so it ended up we could watch all the different characters walking into the dining area. Dad named one larger man humpty-dumpty (no need to elaborate), and the woman’s dress styles ranged from tight and short, to colourful and elegant. There was one boy, who couldn’t have been more than 9 years old, who wore the tightest skinny jeans any of us had ever seen (yes, even tighter then Henry’s!). At one point, two large tables of families seemed to be in competition as to who could sing the loudest…I’d call it a draw (or a ‘lose lose’, it depends how you look at it). Zac sang the Kiddush beautifully…and here ended our final Friday night Shabbat in Israel.
B & C
Palmach
Day eight in Israel was relatively light. We had a late start at 9am, with Henry still whinging (he’s starting to fade) and we headed directly to the Community Heritage Centre IICI where we were given a security briefing on terror related issues.
It was explained to us just how important the various secret agencies (which include the Mossad, Aman and Shin Bet) are to the Jewish people all over the world. Their work is not just done here in Israel, but aims to help Jews worldwide. We saw a very moving DVD about one mission that was carried out in Morocco over 50 years ago. We were then taken upstairs to some small rooms where some terrorist propaganda and weapons were displayed behind cabinets, including exploded handmade rockets, mobile phones smuggled in shoes and images of children as young a 2 years old strapped up in bombs. It is a constant battle in Israel, and yet the atmosphere here is very optimistic.
Next we travelled to the Palmach Museum for an incredible interactive display about the role of the Palmach (the underground army for the Jewish community during the British Mandate in Palestine) in Israel’s creation as a state. It must be one of the most creative museums in the world! You walk through about 8 different rooms, all very atmospherically designed to reflect the part of the ‘story’ being told, which could mean you’re sitting around a campsite with tents, or standing on a ship. It made the history scarily relatable, as you were being spoken to through the audio as a ‘new recruit’ within the Palmach. This experience seemed to really bring together a lot of things we have learned over the past 2 weeks, particularly in terms of how many people (and such young people at that) fought and gave their lives in what seemed a losing battle, in order to create a Jewish state accessible to all Jews throughout the world.
For lunch we went to the New Port area of Tel Aviv for hamburgers, and much needed thirst quenching.
We decided to give Avi a break from us for a few hours (he must be the most patient person alive!) and to reconvene at 6.30pm. As usual Avi was spot on time, and we were 10 minutes late. We went straight to Neve Tzedek, a beautiful suburb of TA where there are many small shops, galleries and narrow tree lined streets, much like Paddington in Sydney.
We ate with Avi in a restaurant he recommended and kept the food light, with no pulses (that includes hummous) as our stomachs are showing the signs of too much pulse, if you know what I mean!!! After dinner we walked to the old port town of Jaffa, and visited the night flea markets…bargaining galore for beads and bangles. There was dancing in the laneways, and people sitting having late suppers or dinners, it was all happening in Jaffa. Then home at the not too early hour of 11pm, considering that tomorrow was a big day – Masada.
NOTE: We had a VERY close call tonight when mum almost lost our digital camera…again after leaving it on the dinner table and walking away (last overseas trip we did as a family in 2007 has no ‘visual memories’ due to mum somehow losing the camera on our very last day in L.A.) . Luckily, someone handed it to Avi once we got up to leave. In the end, we managed to have a big laugh when Henry asked mum to take a photo of something about 5 minutes after we left the restaurant and we watched her panicked rummaging through her handbag. Mean, but lesson learned (I hope).
It was explained to us just how important the various secret agencies (which include the Mossad, Aman and Shin Bet) are to the Jewish people all over the world. Their work is not just done here in Israel, but aims to help Jews worldwide. We saw a very moving DVD about one mission that was carried out in Morocco over 50 years ago. We were then taken upstairs to some small rooms where some terrorist propaganda and weapons were displayed behind cabinets, including exploded handmade rockets, mobile phones smuggled in shoes and images of children as young a 2 years old strapped up in bombs. It is a constant battle in Israel, and yet the atmosphere here is very optimistic.
Next we travelled to the Palmach Museum for an incredible interactive display about the role of the Palmach (the underground army for the Jewish community during the British Mandate in Palestine) in Israel’s creation as a state. It must be one of the most creative museums in the world! You walk through about 8 different rooms, all very atmospherically designed to reflect the part of the ‘story’ being told, which could mean you’re sitting around a campsite with tents, or standing on a ship. It made the history scarily relatable, as you were being spoken to through the audio as a ‘new recruit’ within the Palmach. This experience seemed to really bring together a lot of things we have learned over the past 2 weeks, particularly in terms of how many people (and such young people at that) fought and gave their lives in what seemed a losing battle, in order to create a Jewish state accessible to all Jews throughout the world.
For lunch we went to the New Port area of Tel Aviv for hamburgers, and much needed thirst quenching.
We decided to give Avi a break from us for a few hours (he must be the most patient person alive!) and to reconvene at 6.30pm. As usual Avi was spot on time, and we were 10 minutes late. We went straight to Neve Tzedek, a beautiful suburb of TA where there are many small shops, galleries and narrow tree lined streets, much like Paddington in Sydney.
We ate with Avi in a restaurant he recommended and kept the food light, with no pulses (that includes hummous) as our stomachs are showing the signs of too much pulse, if you know what I mean!!! After dinner we walked to the old port town of Jaffa, and visited the night flea markets…bargaining galore for beads and bangles. There was dancing in the laneways, and people sitting having late suppers or dinners, it was all happening in Jaffa. Then home at the not too early hour of 11pm, considering that tomorrow was a big day – Masada.
NOTE: We had a VERY close call tonight when mum almost lost our digital camera…again after leaving it on the dinner table and walking away (last overseas trip we did as a family in 2007 has no ‘visual memories’ due to mum somehow losing the camera on our very last day in L.A.) . Luckily, someone handed it to Avi once we got up to leave. In the end, we managed to have a big laugh when Henry asked mum to take a photo of something about 5 minutes after we left the restaurant and we watched her panicked rummaging through her handbag. Mean, but lesson learned (I hope).
Israeli Airforce Base and the Negev
Despite now being based back in Tel Aviv, we continued our ‘tour of Israel’ heading toward the South, which is much less vegetated and lush than the North of Israel…but where the ‘real’ baron desert is – the Negev. Today was not just us and Avi, but a driver named Nissan, who was hilarious. Rather then using sunscreen, he had two blue cut off ‘sleeves’ in his glove box that he would just pull on to stop the sun burning his arms as he was driving. It was his birthday today, so when he kept making wrong turns on our way to places, he would just say “It’s my birthday, so I’ll do what I want”.
First we visited Susya, situated in the southeastern fringes of Mt Hebron. This is an archaeologically excavated site of an old Jewish town built during the ‘Talmudic’ times, illustrating the way in which Jewish settlements would have lived 1500 years ago. It is an important site, because it holds impressive evidence that there was a complex Jewish community, that existed and thrived on the fringes of the desert, after the destruction of the Second Temple. You could see the remains of roadways, and walls of the houses that formed the wall to the city. There was an underground olive press, made out of stone, which the boys attempted to turn using a long wooden handle. They managed about one or two turns of it…reasonable considering it used to be moved by donkeys (despite how similar there dispositions may be).
In order to access this site, we needed to go through the West Bank border. Leaving the state is obviously no problem, but getting back in to Israeli territory took a while. They wanted to check all of our passports, and were sort of flicking and fiddling with the covers like they were counterfeit. Avi said it’s not always so strict, but that they were excited by getting to see passports on a slow day…
We then had clearance to enter the Air Force base situated centrally in Israel, one of the largest in the country. We can’t tell you exactly where the base is, as it is not marked on any maps, but its size is larger than the size of Tel Aviv. No photographs were allowed once we were inside, and hearing the sound of jets constantly taking off from the runways was exciting. We were escorted by 3 young members of the air force (who were actually younger than me [Bec]) to be introduced to the ‘second in command’ of the Air Force. He went through the different types of aircraft they use, as well as the educative nature of this particular base, with students training here graduating with a BA after 3 years of study. However, it was interesting to hear how high the drop out rate is. In the group that graduated last week, 600 started out, with only 100 graduating…zero of which were girls. He was also saying how the air force get’s ‘first pick’ out of all the young people of age to enter the army (it’s compulsory) once they finish school. It sounds like a seriously tough few years. We had lunch in the deck hall (the officers dining room) with heaps of other members of the air force eating around us. The kitchens need to feed around 3600 people per day, apparently using humungous pots to cook all the food in, with a cleaning rotation for all the ‘new recruits’. There was one girl sitting at a table on the ‘buffet’ just constantly cutting vegetables and refilling bowls because they went through so much food. Oh, and we should mention the type of food they had, a large buffet of fried chicken schnitzels, salads, rice, beetroot salad, fresh bread… Finally, we got to walk up the top of one of the control towers, where boys and girls , Henry and my age sitting and controlling all the aircraft, both in the air and on ground.
Finally, we drove through the town Sderot and visited a viewing platform on the Gaza Strip, looking directly at (i.e. within 3 km) Hamas controlled buildings. I asked Avi the last time a rocket was shot here, expecting him to say years ago, but he replied saying “last week…actually it was just over there” and pointed about 1km to the left. I then asked what it sounds like when a rocket goes off, and Avi said that if you hear it (a whistling sound…), apparently it is too late. A siren is meant to go off 30 seconds before they are released, and if you can’t reach a bomb shelter (there are bomb proof bus stops next to the regular ones along the road), you should lie flat on the ground.
Our last stop for the day was at Beer Sheba – the Pratt Foundation Garden – which was a really touching place to end the day. The garden and playground area is specially built for handicapped children of all nationalities, and children come to visit the park from all over Israel.
B & C
First we visited Susya, situated in the southeastern fringes of Mt Hebron. This is an archaeologically excavated site of an old Jewish town built during the ‘Talmudic’ times, illustrating the way in which Jewish settlements would have lived 1500 years ago. It is an important site, because it holds impressive evidence that there was a complex Jewish community, that existed and thrived on the fringes of the desert, after the destruction of the Second Temple. You could see the remains of roadways, and walls of the houses that formed the wall to the city. There was an underground olive press, made out of stone, which the boys attempted to turn using a long wooden handle. They managed about one or two turns of it…reasonable considering it used to be moved by donkeys (despite how similar there dispositions may be).
In order to access this site, we needed to go through the West Bank border. Leaving the state is obviously no problem, but getting back in to Israeli territory took a while. They wanted to check all of our passports, and were sort of flicking and fiddling with the covers like they were counterfeit. Avi said it’s not always so strict, but that they were excited by getting to see passports on a slow day…
We then had clearance to enter the Air Force base situated centrally in Israel, one of the largest in the country. We can’t tell you exactly where the base is, as it is not marked on any maps, but its size is larger than the size of Tel Aviv. No photographs were allowed once we were inside, and hearing the sound of jets constantly taking off from the runways was exciting. We were escorted by 3 young members of the air force (who were actually younger than me [Bec]) to be introduced to the ‘second in command’ of the Air Force. He went through the different types of aircraft they use, as well as the educative nature of this particular base, with students training here graduating with a BA after 3 years of study. However, it was interesting to hear how high the drop out rate is. In the group that graduated last week, 600 started out, with only 100 graduating…zero of which were girls. He was also saying how the air force get’s ‘first pick’ out of all the young people of age to enter the army (it’s compulsory) once they finish school. It sounds like a seriously tough few years. We had lunch in the deck hall (the officers dining room) with heaps of other members of the air force eating around us. The kitchens need to feed around 3600 people per day, apparently using humungous pots to cook all the food in, with a cleaning rotation for all the ‘new recruits’. There was one girl sitting at a table on the ‘buffet’ just constantly cutting vegetables and refilling bowls because they went through so much food. Oh, and we should mention the type of food they had, a large buffet of fried chicken schnitzels, salads, rice, beetroot salad, fresh bread… Finally, we got to walk up the top of one of the control towers, where boys and girls , Henry and my age sitting and controlling all the aircraft, both in the air and on ground.
Finally, we drove through the town Sderot and visited a viewing platform on the Gaza Strip, looking directly at (i.e. within 3 km) Hamas controlled buildings. I asked Avi the last time a rocket was shot here, expecting him to say years ago, but he replied saying “last week…actually it was just over there” and pointed about 1km to the left. I then asked what it sounds like when a rocket goes off, and Avi said that if you hear it (a whistling sound…), apparently it is too late. A siren is meant to go off 30 seconds before they are released, and if you can’t reach a bomb shelter (there are bomb proof bus stops next to the regular ones along the road), you should lie flat on the ground.
Our last stop for the day was at Beer Sheba – the Pratt Foundation Garden – which was a really touching place to end the day. The garden and playground area is specially built for handicapped children of all nationalities, and children come to visit the park from all over Israel.
B & C
Jordan: 'The Crawfords' Meet the Bedouins'
Below is a summary of our three days in Jordan
After arriving at ‘Queen Alia’ airport in Amman, we went to line up for the immigration check. Mum had already been nagging us not to mention the words Israel/Jewish/Bar mitzvah (or any other Jew related words) whilst here, so when a security guard gestured for me to ‘come here’ before I had even opened my mouth, I had a mini freak out. It turns out he let us get to go in the ‘VIP’ line, and after having our eyes photographed we were free to collect our baggage and depart.
---
The drive to our hotel in the Hot Springs of Ma’in was absolutely breathtaking. The hotel we stayed at is situated 285mts below sea level and had many thermal waterfalls spilling over the cliff walls in the very rugged setting of dramatic cliff mountains. Andrew likened it to the Grand Canyon in the US. The springs/ waterfalls occur in Ma’in from thermal steam that is released from the core of the earth and form water – the pool we swam in was about 40 degrees warm – boiling, and definitely not the cool relief you expect it to be when sitting in actual 40-degree heat outside.
The hotel was beautiful…but had quite an eerie vibe not only due to its isolation, but because it was their off peak season…and the hotel was only at half capacity at that. I think we were the only family on our floor, and there were only 4 floors in the hotel. It was so empty that Henry and Zac had an entire floor to themselves and could (and did) play soccer down the halls. I know this is probably getting boring, but I need to mention the breakfast here. In particular, the pancake/crepe/french toast station where a man stands and cooks you them fresh, with an array of chocolate/caramel sauces available. Yes, Zac spent most of his time there.
On our first day in Jordan we had a very early start (yes, Henry actually made it again, after some serious whinging, at close to 7.30am) as we were driving to Petra 3 ¼ hours drive away (this was our reason for coming to Jordan) and we were all very excited. Our driver dropped us at the visitors centre in Petra and we were introduced to our guide, who we have nicknamed the ‘Godfather’ as he organised for us to get ripped off by the various Bedouin tribes that inhabit the track down to Petra, and inside the city of Petra. Luckily, after our first faux pas with the horses and the Bedouins (that took Andrew, Bec, Hen and Zac 300mts down the easiest part of the track!!) we wised up and didn’t accept any more offers of ‘Happy Hours’ or donkey rides…or even camel rides. …..oh! except that one of us couldn’t make it up the hill and had the last 300mt climb on horseback….guess whom that might be (the pancakes may have had something to do with this!).
The weather was hot, about 35 to 39 degrees at the bottom of Petra, however it was not unbearable. Petra is a Nabatean stone city, and as you enter the narrow, windy creviced pathway, around every turn you keep anticipating that Petra will open up before your eyes. And sure enough, after about 1600mts it does – you come face to face with the Treasury, a building that is carved into the rock face, very Indiana Jones/Tomb Raider-esque. It is very impressive and very large – we could only peer into the rooms as there was no access to the public. We continued down further into the city, and could visualise how up to 25,000 people could live in this unique place in caves built into the mountains. The walk back to the entrance was killer in the heat, particularly as it is completely up-hill. We all powered through, with only Zac accepting a horsey ride up the last few hundred metres. (Becca, you weren’t meant to mention who succumbed!).
Next on our agenda, on day two in Jordan, was a visit to the Dead Sea, only 30 minutes drive from our hotel. We were taken to the Holiday Inn and given access to their pool and beach area. We headed straight to the sea, which was beautifully refreshing – the five of us bopped around in the water – until Henry and Zac discovered the Dead Sea mud that the hotel had in a ceramic pot under an umbrella. We all started smothering ourselves until we were totally ‘black’ in the mud; I’m not sure who looked more ridiculous (…Dad). Henry actually slapped a handful of mud onto a man – ‘accidently’ thinking the man was Dad – it could have had dire consequences, but the man started laughing and took it very well.
For dinner on the last night, we got to eat in the 'wine cellar' of the hotel, which was amazing because it was the most air conditioned room there! We also had the head sommelier with us the entire meal, running us through each wine he matched with each course, many of which were made in Jordan and had very strange combinations of grapes (I am not really qualified to elaborate on this, will need to get dad to write an additional entry!). The sommelier was so lovely and passionate about wine. He kept giving Henry tips as to how to improve his ability to smell and differentiate the various 'notes' of wines. This was definitely our best night here.
The contrast between Jordan and Israel was very interesting to see. We could see Bedouin tribes populating many parts of the countryside in Jordan. Their trucks were on the road and they herded some large herds of goats and sheep. From what I could see they had a large presence in the country, and must be a major part of the population. The Bedouin’s are in Israel also, and you can see the occasional small settlement of black tents especially in the Negev desert and on the road to Masada in the Jordanian plateau, but there don’t seem to be as many settlements as in Jordan.
B & C
After arriving at ‘Queen Alia’ airport in Amman, we went to line up for the immigration check. Mum had already been nagging us not to mention the words Israel/Jewish/Bar mitzvah (or any other Jew related words) whilst here, so when a security guard gestured for me to ‘come here’ before I had even opened my mouth, I had a mini freak out. It turns out he let us get to go in the ‘VIP’ line, and after having our eyes photographed we were free to collect our baggage and depart.
---
The drive to our hotel in the Hot Springs of Ma’in was absolutely breathtaking. The hotel we stayed at is situated 285mts below sea level and had many thermal waterfalls spilling over the cliff walls in the very rugged setting of dramatic cliff mountains. Andrew likened it to the Grand Canyon in the US. The springs/ waterfalls occur in Ma’in from thermal steam that is released from the core of the earth and form water – the pool we swam in was about 40 degrees warm – boiling, and definitely not the cool relief you expect it to be when sitting in actual 40-degree heat outside.
The hotel was beautiful…but had quite an eerie vibe not only due to its isolation, but because it was their off peak season…and the hotel was only at half capacity at that. I think we were the only family on our floor, and there were only 4 floors in the hotel. It was so empty that Henry and Zac had an entire floor to themselves and could (and did) play soccer down the halls. I know this is probably getting boring, but I need to mention the breakfast here. In particular, the pancake/crepe/french toast station where a man stands and cooks you them fresh, with an array of chocolate/caramel sauces available. Yes, Zac spent most of his time there.
On our first day in Jordan we had a very early start (yes, Henry actually made it again, after some serious whinging, at close to 7.30am) as we were driving to Petra 3 ¼ hours drive away (this was our reason for coming to Jordan) and we were all very excited. Our driver dropped us at the visitors centre in Petra and we were introduced to our guide, who we have nicknamed the ‘Godfather’ as he organised for us to get ripped off by the various Bedouin tribes that inhabit the track down to Petra, and inside the city of Petra. Luckily, after our first faux pas with the horses and the Bedouins (that took Andrew, Bec, Hen and Zac 300mts down the easiest part of the track!!) we wised up and didn’t accept any more offers of ‘Happy Hours’ or donkey rides…or even camel rides. …..oh! except that one of us couldn’t make it up the hill and had the last 300mt climb on horseback….guess whom that might be (the pancakes may have had something to do with this!).
The weather was hot, about 35 to 39 degrees at the bottom of Petra, however it was not unbearable. Petra is a Nabatean stone city, and as you enter the narrow, windy creviced pathway, around every turn you keep anticipating that Petra will open up before your eyes. And sure enough, after about 1600mts it does – you come face to face with the Treasury, a building that is carved into the rock face, very Indiana Jones/Tomb Raider-esque. It is very impressive and very large – we could only peer into the rooms as there was no access to the public. We continued down further into the city, and could visualise how up to 25,000 people could live in this unique place in caves built into the mountains. The walk back to the entrance was killer in the heat, particularly as it is completely up-hill. We all powered through, with only Zac accepting a horsey ride up the last few hundred metres. (Becca, you weren’t meant to mention who succumbed!).
Next on our agenda, on day two in Jordan, was a visit to the Dead Sea, only 30 minutes drive from our hotel. We were taken to the Holiday Inn and given access to their pool and beach area. We headed straight to the sea, which was beautifully refreshing – the five of us bopped around in the water – until Henry and Zac discovered the Dead Sea mud that the hotel had in a ceramic pot under an umbrella. We all started smothering ourselves until we were totally ‘black’ in the mud; I’m not sure who looked more ridiculous (…Dad). Henry actually slapped a handful of mud onto a man – ‘accidently’ thinking the man was Dad – it could have had dire consequences, but the man started laughing and took it very well.
For dinner on the last night, we got to eat in the 'wine cellar' of the hotel, which was amazing because it was the most air conditioned room there! We also had the head sommelier with us the entire meal, running us through each wine he matched with each course, many of which were made in Jordan and had very strange combinations of grapes (I am not really qualified to elaborate on this, will need to get dad to write an additional entry!). The sommelier was so lovely and passionate about wine. He kept giving Henry tips as to how to improve his ability to smell and differentiate the various 'notes' of wines. This was definitely our best night here.
The contrast between Jordan and Israel was very interesting to see. We could see Bedouin tribes populating many parts of the countryside in Jordan. Their trucks were on the road and they herded some large herds of goats and sheep. From what I could see they had a large presence in the country, and must be a major part of the population. The Bedouin’s are in Israel also, and you can see the occasional small settlement of black tents especially in the Negev desert and on the road to Masada in the Jordanian plateau, but there don’t seem to be as many settlements as in Jordan.
B & C
Sunday, July 4, 2010
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