On Saturday, I crossed 2 things off my bucket list!
The plan for the weekend was to go to Wadi Rum and Aqaba. The plan then changed to Wadi Rum and Petra. The plan changed again to Madaba. Essentially, we didn't really make plans until the very last minute, so we were in a bit of a pickle- we only have 3 weekends here and there is so much to do in so little time! Me being me, I felt a bit under the gun and did everything I could to make sure we went SOMEWHERE.
We didn't want to rush the whole Petra/Wadi Rum thing because they're a big deal. A huge deal, in fact. We decided not to do Aqaba at the time because there isn't much to do there other than sit and relax. We figured that going to Madaba would be our best bet since it's about 30 minutes to an hour away from Amman and we wouldn't need to worry about staying in a hotel. The only problem is that we had no idea how to get to Madaba on the cheap. So Stephanie, Nick, and I decided to get up early on Saturday and wing it.
The night before, Stephanie asked if she should pack a swimsuit in case we went to the Dead Sea (which isn't very far from Madaba). I almost said no, but changed my mind thinking that it was very possible that we could be going there. I texted Nick to pack one, as well.
We were very fortunate- on Saturday morning we flagged down a taxi, asked if he'd bring us to Madaba, and he said yes! He offered to bring us to Mt. Nebo afterwards. We also expressed an interest in going to the Dead Sea, and he agreed to that too- for the sole price of 50JD! ($70...that's a good deal).
Our cab driver's name was Adeeb. He was very helpful and kind. We're totally hiring him again!
So our first stop was Madaba, which is famous for its mosaics. We spent an hour there. We first went to St. George's Greek Orthodox Map Church. It was absolutely beautiful! There were so many icons and mosaics! It's called the Map Church because there is a mosaic map of the Holy Land on the floor.
The plan for the weekend was to go to Wadi Rum and Aqaba. The plan then changed to Wadi Rum and Petra. The plan changed again to Madaba. Essentially, we didn't really make plans until the very last minute, so we were in a bit of a pickle- we only have 3 weekends here and there is so much to do in so little time! Me being me, I felt a bit under the gun and did everything I could to make sure we went SOMEWHERE.
We didn't want to rush the whole Petra/Wadi Rum thing because they're a big deal. A huge deal, in fact. We decided not to do Aqaba at the time because there isn't much to do there other than sit and relax. We figured that going to Madaba would be our best bet since it's about 30 minutes to an hour away from Amman and we wouldn't need to worry about staying in a hotel. The only problem is that we had no idea how to get to Madaba on the cheap. So Stephanie, Nick, and I decided to get up early on Saturday and wing it.
The night before, Stephanie asked if she should pack a swimsuit in case we went to the Dead Sea (which isn't very far from Madaba). I almost said no, but changed my mind thinking that it was very possible that we could be going there. I texted Nick to pack one, as well.
We were very fortunate- on Saturday morning we flagged down a taxi, asked if he'd bring us to Madaba, and he said yes! He offered to bring us to Mt. Nebo afterwards. We also expressed an interest in going to the Dead Sea, and he agreed to that too- for the sole price of 50JD! ($70...that's a good deal).
Our cab driver's name was Adeeb. He was very helpful and kind. We're totally hiring him again!
So our first stop was Madaba, which is famous for its mosaics. We spent an hour there. We first went to St. George's Greek Orthodox Map Church. It was absolutely beautiful! There were so many icons and mosaics! It's called the Map Church because there is a mosaic map of the Holy Land on the floor.
Here is a clearer picture of the map:
Some mosaic icons and painted icons:
We then attempted to get to the burnt down palace, but we couldn't find it. So I bought myself a Jordanian Barbie instead :-)
After spending an hour in Madaba, Adeeb drove us to Mt. Nebo, the mountain upon which Moses stood to have a view of the Promised Land given to the Israelites by God. As such, Mt. Nebo looks out onto holy land!
Here is a map of what we were looking at:
And here is the view:
It was so beautiful that this picture doesn't even do it justice. It was absolutely incredible to actually see a place/places where so many religious and historical events happened.
And, of course, we got a picture of the 3 of us:
Cool fact about me: Moses is my favorite religious figure. He was such an awesome dude who did awesome things. I'm honored to have walked on the same ground upon which he walked! He is also said to have been buried by God Himself on this mountain.
After oo-ing and ah-ing at the wonders of the Promised Land, we got back in the cab and headed to the Dead Sea. I was very excited to go because I've wanted to swim in it since I was a kid. Bucket list item #1 of 2 of the day!
On the way to each of our 3 stops, we saw camels. I'm not the biggest animal lover, but I reallllllllllly like camels because they are cute and fuzzy! I was very excited to see them :-)
The camels in this photo are wild camels. Some we saw were owned by Bedouins.
Unfortunately, we had to pay 16JD each to get into the Dead Sea. It was a lot of money just to go swimming, but it was totally worth it. It was like a resort though- it had a massive pool and then the sea, so paying money made more sense. The majority of the people there just swam in the pool. Nick, Stephanie, and I changed into our swimsuits, lathered up in more sunscreen, and then booked it down to the sea.
Okay, so EVERYONE knows that the Dead Sea is VERY salty. Duh. So you know, but you don't really know until you are actually in it. When you go to the beach and you get salt water in your eyes or mouth, it's painful/gross. If Dead Sea water gets in your eyes or mouth, you beg for death. I didn't go underwater or anything, but I dipped my hair in the water (not really smart, but it was hot, so whatever). That plus sunscreen plus sweat (because it was really damn hot) equaled pain, so for a good 10 minutes, I kept my eyes sealed shut. I decided to grab a water bottle and I kept it in the water with me to dump on my eyes or mouth in case and salt water got into them. I imagined the Dead Sea to be a cool, refreshing temperature, but it was like bath water. I guess I should've known better since we were in the middle of the desert and whatnot.
Some tips for the Dead Sea:
1. Don't shave the day you decide to go. (Thankfully our friend Silvia warned us beforehand.)
2. Don't go in if you have any open cuts.
3. Don't go underwater.
4. Bring a bottle of fresh water in with you in case you get salt water in your eyes or mouth.
If you don't follow these tips, you're in for a rough time.
Floating in the Dead Sea was SO COOL! Stephanie and I determined that it is impossible to drown in it. If you do, you deserve it. You just bob there like a buoy. It is also impossible to touch the bottom once you get in past your waist. You can even sit in the water.
Ta Da! That's me floating!
We were in the water for quite a while. When we got out, we immediately rinsed off in the outdoor shower. I, then jumped in the pool to further rinse off/attempt to cool off. The pool water was really warm, too. So warm that it wasn't refreshing at all. However, the lack of salt in it was quite nice.
We then changed back into regular clothes and headed back to Amman. Along the way, we saw a man with a camel, and Adeeb stopped the car for us and invited us to ride it! Bucket list item #2 of 2!
I was so excited!!!!!!!
The standing up and sitting down experience was rather crazy because you lurch forward and backward until the camel is either standing or sitting. The saddle comes equipped with a stick-like thing to hold onto so that you don't fall off.
All in all, Saturday was a really awesome day full of fun and excitement! :-) This upcoming weekend, we are going to Wadi Rum and Petra!
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