Am I Blue?

We love our Hotel Blue in Eilat. It is small and quiet and the staff are wonderful.

We got up late, packed and set out to drive to Tel Aviv. We got a few feet when another guest sitting on the porch motioned to us that our tire was flat. And yes it was very flat. So we call the car rental and went round and round about them fixing the flat. Turns out they are closed all day for Shabbat and do not cover flat tires. Finally they agreed to send someone. In the meanwhile Jeff and Gabi, the hotel clerk, took out the spare tire and were amazed to find the jack handle, but no jack. Gabi actually had his girlfriend drive over with a jack, but the mechanic was on his way so we waited. When the guy got there he pulled all the plastic out of the trunk and found the jack tucked away. Who knew? Anyway the tire was changed and we will have to fight with the rental company when we get home if we are charged.

So now it is noon and we set off. The drive is fabulous as we head north along the Jordanian border and then head west driving through the Negev. Scenery is beautiful and kept changing. We saw several military installations with firing ranges for tank training and more. The road was full of hairpin turns and we climbed up mountains and went down the other side. About 2:00 we arrived at Mitzpeh Ramon, a huge crater we had visited in 1990. Since then the area has grown and become a popular tourist site. Many buildings have been added and a swanky hotel has rooms overlooking the canyon, each with a private swimming pool. We had lunch in a cafe overlooking the canyon and several adult ibexes walked past with their babies trailing behind.

I saw some neat birds.

We hung out for a while and then got back in the car. We passed by Avdat, an ancient city which is now a national park. It is actually on the Nabatean trade route and was the stop before Petra. We had explored there on our last trip. We did make a stop at Sde Boker. This kibbutz is where David Ben Gurion and his wife Paul retired to after so many years of public service. We visited their graves in a scenic park overlooking the desert.

Jeff and I did a selfie using the timer.

Back in the car again we drove north passing by Beer Sheba and finally to Tel Aviv. We are checked in to our hotel and walked to a nearby place for something to eat. We sat outside along the Mediterranean  and Jeff had pizza with corn on top which he is beginning to like. I had carrot cake with hot tea which was just perfect.

Wadi Rum

Wow! Today we awake in a most beautiful place, Wadi Rum. Famous scenery was used in the movie Lawrence of Arabia and the battles were fought here. I actually climbed a nine story sand dune that is in the movie. Now I will have to watch it.

Our accommodations were very comfortable and we are in shade this morning and quite chilly until the sun came over the mountain. I am probable the only person ever to sleep with a CPAP machine here. I schlepped it with me across the border with a battery pack. Funny that no one ever mentions it, except at the Savannah airport. So in the pitch dark I had my trusty little machine blowing air and giving me a good night's sleep.

I got washed in our modern bathroom building with rose colored tiles on the walls and flush toilets in large stalls with toilet paper until it ran out. A nice breakfast was set out with more Bedouin tea, pita, cheeses and jams. Afterwards the French group set off to the visitor center, a two hour walk and their luggage was taken by truck.

It is impossible to measure distance out here as it is so vast. I could see occasional walkers and Bedouins traveling by camel in the distance. I sat on a bench watching the incredible scenery and an occasional bird. There were tiny white flowers blooming in bunches scattered in the red dirt. The mountains and huge rock formations kept changing color as the sun moved across the sky.

We were alone now with the Egyptian cook and the owner of the camp.

We waiting until 10:30 when our guide arrived with a new tire on his truck and two benches set up in the back. A woman from our Petra tour group was with him and she had spent the night in a hotel in Aquaba. We set off on our tour. Jeff and I opted to sit in the back and get the full experience. It was amazing! Unfortunately there was little commentary, but the scenery made up for that.

We made a few stops. First we got to a tent with a parking area and other jeeps and trucks with tourists. We walked down to a cave created by erosion. We climbed up the stone steps and walked in a bit. From here we passed a mountain with a sandy slope on one side. The sands were in four distinct layers, each a different color. So beautiful! Next was the adventure phase as we got to this high sand dune set against a huge rock. I decided to climb it along with our other traveler.

The red sand was very soft and came right up over our shoes and inside. It was a steep incline and we moved to the edge of the rock where we could hold on and pull ourselves up. At the top it was cool with breezes blowing over the summit. The view was great. Jeff and the guide figure it was about nine stories or 30 meters. Across the valley was a huge mountain with a white top. It is the second highest mountain in  Jordan. Coming down was much easier than going up. You simply dug in your heels and let gravity do its thing.

Pouring the red sand out of my shoe.

Last stop was a spring that supplies drinking water and water for the sheep. There was a hose coming down from the spring which runs all year. A large stone trough was near the bottom for the sheep to drink. They get snow here in the winter and there is a steady, but small water supply. We did not climb up as the people coming down said it was not worth the effort. We did see a large tree which was a unique sight and much needed shade.

Now we went into the village where most of the workers live and a taxi picked us up to return us to the border. We were supposed to get a tour of Aquaba and it lasted about... Oh wait, we just drove through. Fine with us as we were anxious to leave. We walked through the Jordanian customs and to Eretz Israel. Felt so good to be back! The Israeli tour company arranged for a cab to take us to our hotel which was looking really good.

Walked to the schwarma/falafel place for a quick lunch before they closed for Shabbat. Then we took much needed showers and slept. My feet were red from the sand still inside my socks which are also red. At night we drove over to the Tayelet, promenade along the water. All the big tourist hotels are here and one is more overdone than the next.

We strolled and then stopped for a light dinner where we sat on sofas facing the beach. Jeff had a burger and I had a fish stick appetizer which was pretty good fresh fried fish. Jeff made a new best friend. A feral cat with a funny mustache.

We sat a long while enjoying the night air and feeling safe and secure in Israel.

Silent Night

It is about 6:00 pm and we have gotten off the bus and into a Toyota pickup with two Jordanians. They are taking us to the Bedouin camp and soon we pulled over with a flat tire. They had no spare, so they flagged down another truck who helped out. Luckily it was two guys from their area and they had a tire and a jack. It took a while using rocks and a metal pipe to dislodge the tire.

Finally we had a good tire and started out again, it was dusky now and the scenery defies words. Take Bryce Canyon and Yosemite and put them on steroids and that is a beginning. Rock formations and magnificent colors were all around us as we rode in the back seat.

We got to a tire place and left our flat there and then drove past an elaborate building complex welcoming us to Wadi Rum. Next we we stopped in a residential area to pick up some firewood. There our driver said his younger brother would drive us as he had to make arrangements about a new tire. It was getting darker now and the brother looked about 12, but said he was 17. He was a decent driver and kept eating sunflower seeds or something that took his attention away from driving. Now we were in the Wadi Rum and there are no roads. Just miles and miles of dirt with ruts. I asked how he know where he was going and he asked, "Do you know how to get to your house?"

We did see some other vehicles with tourists which made us feel a little better and it kept getting darker and darker. Finally he stopped at Camp 1 to drop off the wood. There was lots of luggage there, but no people as they were out on a tour. The cook gave me some Bedouin tea which is dark and very sweet.

He showed us a dorm style tent and we were prepared to stay there. But no, we had to go to Camp 2 which is more special. Now it is dark and other trucks had on headlights, but not us!

We rode and rode and, eureka, he finally pointed to a huge rock and in front of it was a large camp. As we pulled up we saw normal looking people milling around and even a family with children. We were so relieved. They have electricity and real toilets and I am so glad I didn't insist on staying in the other place. We were shown to a hard sided tent set up off the ground with twin beds and lots of room. The sides of the tents are black and white stripes. The black is sheep wool and the white is camel hair. They are woven by Bedouin women. Each bed had a pillow and heavy blanket. The walls and ceiling inside had blanket tapestries while the floor was covered with mats. It is dark now and cold. The bathroom building has lights on, but no lighting in the camp area. One side has all the accommodations and the other side has several large tents and a fire pit with seating. 

We settled in and met the family who are Jordanians living in England. Lovely people. There is also a group of French hikers here and so friendly. We all met to sit around the fire which is acacia wood, and then walked over to a covered pit where they had cooked our dinner underground all day.

It was delicious, tender chicken with grilled tomatoes and onions. Everything was set up in the large tent which had seating and tables all around the edges. The dinner was fabulous.

First we had tea and then lentil soup with lots of lemon. They had real plates and silverware, but no knives. The chicken was good with rice, salads, mashed potatoes, hummus and tehina with pita. They gave us water and everyone talked and enjoyed.

The sky is so dark here that the stars jump out at you. There is a crescent moon and we enjoy star gazing with the assistance of Jeff's Star App. We are so happy and have never been in such an exotic place. We had talked about this and decided that Mombasa, Kenya, was our most exotic adventure, but this may surpass that. 

Now we are in bed and set up using our flashlights. The French group is singing and clapping around the campfire and we can hear them clearly. There is also someone singing in Arabic. Tomorrow we will have breakfast at 7:30 and our driver is coming at 10:00 to take is on a jeep tour and then back to the border crossing. The movie Lawrence of Arabia is set in this area and was filmed here. We kept meaning to watch it and hope to do so when we get home.

This is one day we will never forget. 

Petra

We got up early and were at breakfast at 6:30 am. A mini bus picked us up at 7:15 and the driver, David, was a hoot. David said, " If you want to go there, go." We picked up other travelers and were dropped off at the Yitchak Rabin Border Crossing to Jordan.

We went through Israeli immigration and then on to the Jordanian side.

There we met our guide Ramzi. There were 14 in our group and we boarded a luxury motor coach with other folks. Then we started our drive to Petra. First we drove through Aquaba and then on the only four lane highway in Jordan. We passed Bedouin villages, tents and shepherds with their flocks of sheep and goats grazing.

Along the way we passed mountains of all colors. They call them chocolate because of the dark veins of lava running through. Off to the right we could see some strange rock formations and found out this is Wadi Rum where we will tour tomorrow.

We stopped for a break in a store that reminded us of Mexico and they had free bathrooms, but no toilet paper. Luckily we are well prepared for that emergency. The trip to Petra took over two hours and we got there and parked. Ramzi led us to the visitor reception area and gave us tickets.

We saw many horses and donkey carts carrying tourists. Our group walked with Ramzi to the beginning of the Siq. Nothing could have prepared me for this experience. Just the walk would be enough to satisfy anyone, but the treat at the end is mind blowing.

The Siq is a one kilometer downhill walk. It is an alley formed by erosion with incredible rock formations. The Nabateans discovered this area about 600 BCE. They carved many tombs in the Greek and Roman style. Along the way we dodged horses and donkey carts in the narrow passageway. We walked on some of the original cobblestones and some areas have been paved to make walking easier for the tourists. In the 1980's this became a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Everywhere you looked was an incredible formation of carving and later the remains of a huge sculpture depicting a camel caravan.

The walkway began to narrow and finally we came to a turn where we could see light through a crack ahead of us. There were smooth columns and we walked out into a huge plaza with The Treasury in front of us. Words cannot describe the beauty of this building carved into the mountain. The columns, sculptures and the whole thing is awesome. We took some photos and Ramzi gave us some history and then we walked downhill to explore the rest of this ancient city.

There is a bazaar, temples, colonnaded market, a monastery and the high place. Many of the buildings are tombs including The Treasury. I should mention the lovely people we met on the bus. A wonderful French gal, a guy from Holland, people from Denmark, Israel, the US and more. Such a melting pot.

Finally Jeff said he would walk no more so I went to the high place which involved lots of stone steps and a view of the lower valley.

Coming back we decided to use camels to take us uphill to the plaza in front of The Treasury. OMG! Such strange creatures and a really bumpy ride. First we had to bargain with the handler and then get seated on the kneeling beasts.

Then they stood and they are really tall so you are up really high. I had to hang on for dear life as we were on blankets with no stirrups. We did a lot of laughing and tried to take pictures of each other while riding.

Finally we reached our destination and the handler took some photos of us. Then came the ordeal of the camel kneeling and getting off.

We took some more photos in from of The Treasury and then hired a donkey cart to take us back through the Siq. What an incredible experience!

Back not the bus everyone was exhilarated and we stopped for lunch at about 4:00 pm. Ramzi took us to a lovely restaurant with a lavish buffet.there were several buses of tourists there.

After we ate we headed back towards Eilat. Now a few people were staying overnight in Petra so they could revisit in the evening and tomorrow. We were heading to a Bedouin camp for the night and one other woman was staying in Aquaba. So we rode and Jeff and I both fell asleep. When we got back to the Wadi Rum area Ramzi stopped the bus and said we had a ride to the camp for our overnight. The beginning of another adventure