Tag: photography

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Jerash, Jordan

P1010148P1010155{Roman oval forum at Jerash}
Starting out early the next day our guide Oman knew of a place on the way to Jerash where you could get the best “falafel”, which were ground fava beans and chickpeas rolled into balls and then deep-fried, served with a container of a tahini-based sauce for dipping. As we continued our drive north I can honestly state this was one of the most delicious breakfast to eat as you viewed the scenery of the countryside of Jordan.

P1010176             {A photo of me walking with our guide Oman}

P1010218{Ruins of the Ancient City of Gerasa in Jerash, Jordan}
P1010204{Roman road}

We drove about 50 kilometers or 31 miles north of the capital of Amman traveling towards the Syrian border where one of the best-preserved Roman cities in the Middle East is located. Jerash also known, as “Gerasa” was originally a Hellenistic town that was expanded upon by the Roman Empire.

P1010170P1010185           {The southern theater that could seat more than 3,000 people}

P1010200 P1010201{Ruins of a Byzantine church with mosaics, located behind the pagan temple of Artemis}

Most of the modern excavation and restoration taking place have occurred since the 1920s, and the majority of the site’s existing ruins are Roman public buildings and monuments, as well as several Byzantine churches with intricately detailed mosaics.

According to our guide the site was abandoned after a powerful earthquake in 746, but in the 12th century, crusaders briefly reoccupied Gerasa/Jerash and converted the Temple of Artemis and other structures into forts.

Travel stylishly.
K

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Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan

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{Amman, Jordan}
{Roman ruins in Amman} {Roman theater in Amman}

After carefully reviewing a few travel-logs and perusing my notes on our journeys throughout the Kingdom of Jordan a rush of wonderfully vivid memories began flooding my mind in regards to this Middle Eastern state. So, I decided to continue the “silk road” series, and since our last write-up was about Dubai, will now move west as so many Nomadic tribes have done throughout the centuries, meandering the valleys and ruins left by past ancient civilizations.

We arrived in Amman around 5:05 pm and settled in at the Jordan Valley Marriott on the Dead Sea. Exploring the hotels spa-like compound was a fabulous experience and our first stop was to float … yes that is the correct verbiage {floating and not swimming} in the Dead Sea because of the extreme saltiness of the water. As we approached the sea, humidity levels rose sharply, and while dipping into the sea water it was very warm for early evening. Huge amounts of salt deposits lined the shore, which contained calcium; magnesium, bromine, sulfur and bitumen, and combined these properties are quite therapeutic for those who come to spa at the Dead Sea.

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{Canyon floor of Wadi Rum with camels}

Early the next day our guide took us on our first tour to Wadi Rum, which is located in the southern portion of the country. Our driver who was named Oman took us to a village outside of Aqaba where a family owned a quaint nut and spice shop. Oman always bought a few pounds of nuts for his son whenever he was in the area so; naturally I bought a 2-lb mixture of these fabulous tasting treats to have while we toured this open desert.

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{Rock carved drawings and ancient Thamudic inscriptions}

Wadi Rum is one of a sequence of parallel faults that form sandstone and granite rock valleys in the Shara Mountains. As we traveled into the canyon you could see a handful of modern villages dotted with tents and camels that belonged to semi-nomadic Bedouins.

As the sun began to set and our excursion ended for the day, the weather turned extremely cold so, our guide ushered us into a Bedouin tent at the bottom of a cliff for tea. Surprisingly the tent blocked the severe winds that whipped up across desert ravine. There was a fire that warmed us and the hot tea was absolutely delicious. You could taste cardamom, mint and sage leaves that were brewed to perfection. While warming up and sipping tea I realized this was a great beginning to a gorgeously beautiful country.

For additional adventures in traveling around the world, visit this YOAIR link:
TRAVEL GUIDE TO PHUKET, THAILAND: HISTORY AND CULTURE

Travel stylishly,
K