Day 422: Allelujah! Don’t Bend! Ascend!

Amman – Mt. Nebo – Madaba – Karak – Amman, Jordan

Hi everyone! I am Elys’ guest-writer for today and travelling friend, Chris, and will write more on my Arab adventures in my short blog when I have the chance: http://arabautumn.blog.com/

Oct 1st, new month, and another early start to discover Jordan. No salt to swallow today, so we pass the Dead Sea and head straight to Mt. Nebo which is significant to Christians and Jews for being the claimed sight of Moses’ view of the promised land in the Bible and possibly something to do with Jeremiah in the Torah. Being Christian by name, but not by conviction, the site did not inspire awe or reverence for me, but was an opportunity to see some interesting mosaic drawings, sweeping views of the area (including the Dead Sea and Israel) and the imaginative symbolic serpent cross that sits atop it.

Next we went on to explore Madaba, a medium-size city (approx. 100 000) with a high percentage of current Christian population. The touristic highlights of the city are the mosaics in the various churches and particularly the 6th century detailed Map of Madaba found in St-George’s Church. Having paid the irritating entrance fee, we appreciated the meaningful mosaic, but rejoiced and revelled for the rest of the morning and early afternoon frolicking about the lively, yet subdued town.

Elys and I instinctively enjoyed the cultural immersion walking in the market and further into nondescript local roads and alleyways. We saw so many unoccupied shops and bored shop owners that we wondered how they are still in business. We saw busy hole-in-the-wall argileh hang outs, smiley and proud “Manager” of junk, friendly residents, a passersby who fell on the street corner looking at us, kids posing for a picture, other people minding their own business, a rare one enticing us two tourists to come in his store as we got closer to the core of the city and finally found our resting place (not like Moses in Mt Nebo!) to eat and enjoy interesting fusion food with a laid back atmosphere. Madaba thus became memorable to us in its everyday life and endearing people, although we understandably only got a glimpse through the peephole.

Back with our friendly and fateful driver, we headed to Al Karak, but not before a stop at an ancient fortification along the road. There time stopped as we managed to have a brief respite from groups of tourists and admire the winding scenery in peace.

Arriving rather late at Karak by the ancient trade route of the King’s Highway.  We head straight to Karak Castle from Crusader fame. The fortifications are still in fairly good shape and we happily explore its interior and the vistas of the modern city it offers. Elys runs into a nice Swiss-French friend she had met days earlier, share a few stories and we resume our journey into the past walking and talking in the hidden passages and bowels of this war-purposed architectural monster. We grab some grub to fend our hunger on a terrace as our driver sleeps in his car. We see the hustle and bustle of the slightly smaller city in rush hour as we leave to head back to Amman.

We shared some more laughs, perceptions and tales of travelling in the ride home before we parted ways for the day and I went to visit Amit at an Amman hospital to see how his surgery went.

Another exquisite day with Elys (and this is not the writer trying to embellish) !!

- Christian