Our guide Fadi Wishahi treated us to something special our last evening in Jordan. (Our flight left at 8:30 p.m. on a Friday.)
We were invited to share in a dinner at his mother's home in Amman, Jordan, including Fadi's two brothers.
I'm not sure I can adequately express how special this was for us. To be invited into his childhood home, and so welcomed by his family. The few hours we shared were filled with delicious (and I mean delicious) food, and wonderful conversation.
The meal we shared is called mefseh. This is a dish that takes hours to prepare, and is one to share with guests. Tim and I were invited into the kitchen, to watch Fadi's brother Mohammed place the food on the large metal platter. First the rice, carefully and methodically spread out by hand, ensuring that every centimeter is covered evenly. The lamb that has been cooking in yogurt all day is placed in the middle, heaped high. And then the yogurt broth is poured onto the rice ... as this is all plated, and throughout the meal as we ate.
You eat with your hands. We were offered spoons, but both Tim and I wanted to try it this traditional way. When Fadi's mom Feryal (apology if I've spelled your name wrong!) started eating with a spoon, our reaction was "hay!" But we went on eating with our hands. Messy, but oh so yummy!
Thank you , Fadi, Feryal, Mohammed and Omar for a wonderful and special evening that we will never forget.
When planning our trip to Jordan, friends who had been there mentioned that we shouldn't miss seeing Jerash. I'm glad we took their advice ... wish we had allowed even more time for this fabulous site!
Hadrian's Gate, at the entrance:
Jerash is this wonderful large area of Roman north of the city of Amman, Jordan.
Archeologists (from France, I believe) are, steadfastly and with great care, putting the pieces back together. Before sharing a selection of photos, here's a little history as listed by the Jordan Tourism Board (http://www.visitjordan.com/default.aspx?tabid=65) ...
"A close second to Petra on the list of favourite destinations in Jordan is the ancient cith of Jerash, which boats and unbroken chain of human occupation dating back more than 6,500 years.
Jerash lies on a plain surrounded by hilly wooded areas and fertile basins. Conquered by General Pompey in 63 BC, it came under Roman rule and was one of the ten great Roman cities of the Decapolis League.
The city's golden age came under Roman rule, during which time it was known as Gerasa, and the site is now generally acknowledged to be one of the best-preserved Roman provincial towns in the world. Hidden for centuries in sand before being excavated and restored over the past 70 years, Jerash reveals a fine example of the grand, formal provincial Roman urbanism that is found throughout the Middle East, comprising paved and colonnaded streets, soaring hilltop temples, handsome theatres, spacious public squares and plazas, baths, fountains and city walls pierced by towers and gates."
Chariot ruts in the stone roads:
Ancient sewer cover.
Various photos of Jerash ...
The columns were built and set up to endure seismic activity. Imagine that. All those years ago. My battery was failing, so I didn't get video of this. The forks moves as the column moves, every so slightly and gently. You can place your finger in between as well, and feel the column move.
This marked the butcher's stall:
A few more photos ...
One thing I didn't expect was to hear bagpipes. I'll leave this post with a video of that.
During our trip to Jordan, we visited two different castles that were active during the time of the Crusades. So, a bit old :-)
One was Karak Castle, south of Amman, and off the road known as Kings Highway. From the Jordan Tourism Board's website, some information on Karak Castle.
"While the castle we see today essentially dates back to the 12th century, Karak has been a fortress since biblical times. The Bible relates how the King of Israel and his allies from Judah and Edom ravaged Moab and besieged its king Mesha in the fortress of Kir Heres, as Karak was then known. Centuries later, it took the Crusaders some twenty years to erect their vast castle." It was finished in 1161. (http://www.visitjordan.com/default.aspx?tabid=163).
If you've seen the film "Kingdom of Heaven", the story is set at Karak Castle. (The actual castle was not used in the filming.) The Jordan website notes that Karak is an example of "the Crusader's architectural military genius."
The other castle we visited was north of Amman, called AlJoun (or Aljun, in some publications). This one was built by the Ottomans, to defend against the Crusaders. Details about AlJoun, from the Jordan Tourism Board's website ...
"Aljun Castle (Qal'at Ar-Rabad) was built by one of Saladin's generals in 1184 AD to control the iron mines of Ajlun, and to deter the Franks from invading Ajlun. Ajlun Castle dominated the three main routes leading to the Jordan Valley and protected the trade and commercial routes between Jordan and Syria; it became an important link in the defensive chain against the Crusaders, who, unsuccessfully spent decades trying to catpure the castle and the nearby village." (http://www.visitjordan.com/default.aspx?tabid=169)
AlJoun is up on a mountain. The week before we visited, areas of Jordan experienced a snowfall of several feet. There was still snow on the ground in the higher elevations, including AlJoun.
Walking the grounds and around the crumbled walls of both of these castles, you could easily imagine knights and soldiers walking those same grounds and halls all those years ago; easily imagine the sounds of voices and armor and weapons, and the smells of smoking fires and the sight of eager lookouts and ardent battles to defend the massive buildings and surrounding cities.
Copy of a photo from Google, showing AlJoun castle up on the mountain. To get there, Fadi (our guide) had to drive several kilometers through winding mountain roads and small city streets.
The Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth. And the salt content ranges from 30%-40%. We stayed at the Dead Sea Spa Hotel. One in a small cluster of hotels, right on the Dead Sea.
We arrived in the evening, and before dinner we enjoyed the sunset.
It was a bit hazy, but the mountains you see in the photo are in Israel, and at this point we're pretty much looking toward Jerusalem.
The next morning, we opted to not submerge into the Dead Sea, but absolutely had to at least dip our toes into the water. The air was chilly, but the water was quite warm.
People in the water were covering up in the Dead Sea mud. We'll see if the store-bought products are a good substitute :-)
Not a place I had previously thought I'd ever get to visit ... like other places we visited, so glad the opportunity presented itself.
