Diary Notes from Jordan
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| From India / Jordan |
Day 3
We left Amman today to head south. Our days in Jordan's capital city are remembered through a haze of nargileh (water pipe) smoke and falafel binges (total consumed so far: 21). We visited some of the Roman ruins scattered throughout the city, as well as a huge blue-domed mosque. Also enjoyed evenings in a rooftop cafe where the western atmosphere was matched by the menu prices. Looking forward to the sites of Petra.
Day 4
Falafels consumed: 27
Eero and I set a target to eat 80 falafels by the time he leaves in under 2 weeks. Consistency is key. If we keep going at our current rate there won't be any problem.
We spent the day walking around Petra, the ruins of a city carved into the stone faces of hills 2,000 years ago. It's just as mythical as it looks in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, and slightly surreal as some of the sandstone has eroded over time, making it seem as if the rock has melted. I walked around wondering how an ancient civilisation had managed to carve away such huge volumes of stone. I also wondered at the presence of a large Mövenpick resort just outside the gates. The connection between Swiss ice cream and a historical site in the middle east escapes me.
Day 5
Falafels consumed: 32
Eero is showing signs of falafel fatigue. He missed the day's goal by 1. I may have to think of a motivational remedy.
Another day spent walking around Petra. It's a surprisingly large area, and when you take things at the
In the afternoon we hiked through a narrow canyon full of twists and turns. It's not a hidden trail — it's even listed in the Lonely Planet — but it was virtually free of tourists. The walls were only a couple meters apart in some places and worn smooth. Absolutely stunning. Although it looks like it was formed by water, in actual fact it's due to tectonic plates ripping the rock apart. A highlight of the trip so far.
5 comments:
Are you trying to purge yourseves of any desire to eat falafels ever again?! Other than that, sounds like Petra is truly amazing - great shame to have a Mövenpik on its doorstep though.
l o l, Lindy
Actually they're surprisingly addictive. Best I've ever tasted. Not dry, good flavour, and come with cucumbers, tomatoes, and hummus. And a few french fries. Which doesn't sound like a good combo but works well.
You should wash it down with ice cream, from Movenpick. Maybe they sell Pingu?
I'm suspicious of your "geological" explanation. I think the canyons are formed by water. Flash floods are typical in the desert and they carve out the wadis and canyons. In additon, Petra is not on a plate boundary.
I may have been incorrect with the specific canyon we hiked through, but it branches off of the Siq, the canyon through which you enter Petra. I assumed both canyons were formed the same way. The Lonely Planet has this to say:
You approach Petra through an incredibly narrow 1.2km-long defile known as the Siq. This is not a canyon but rather one block that has been rent apart by tectonic forces.
It's a little odd if it's wrong since they call it out specifically. I'm more willing to trust your expertise however. They do also mention the fact that the canyons in the area can be dangerous due to flash floods if there has been recent rain.
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