I am back in Jordan. This time Amman to study Classical Arabic at Qasid.
You can follow my blogs this time at:
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Sunday, April 27, 2014
The return
I've been back for a while, almost two weeks.
The trip back was non eventful. Of course leaving Feynan is always somewhat tricky. I had to leave around 5 AM Monday morning to make it to the airport before 9 for an 11:00 am flight, which had been delayed to 11:20. Leaving Feynan at 5 is always challenging. I did not have a confirmed ride until about 9 PM on Sunday, even thought the search for a reliable driver started on Friday.
The driver did show up about five minutes early and we got off on time. As usual we ended up picking up a person going to Karak, and then one of the guides who was going to Amman. Even after hitting traffic and some confusion about which airport I was taking off from we made it to the right airport before nine.
The plane did not take off until after 12 and due to strong head winds arrived quite late in London. Fortunately I was allowed to go through the fast track line for security and made the connection as they were announcing last call for boarding.
So most people want to know if I would do this again, I guess that is the top level measure, and without hesitation I have responded Yes, to everyone who has asked. I think this is a unique experience and hard to match the life style around Feynan. Then people want to know what was great about it. The things that stand out are the people and I mean all the people. The locals are very welcoming and the guests, in most cases, are very interesting and some are doing wonderful things to help the world. The land itself has something about it that is harsh but calming at the same time. And finally the simplicity of life. While the lodge has many comforts, the mindset is still of simplicity because of the surrounding culture and the focus on Eco-friendly environment.
So how do you conclude such a great journey/experience. In most of my career I closed each major step by writing a poem, but in this case I have already written a dedication to the readers and have had no inspiration to write another poem. So I am picking a poem from my past and putting it here. I wrote this when I changed jobs many years ago. The poem has nothing to do with Feynan, but I think it is a good poem for a major transition.
The trip back was non eventful. Of course leaving Feynan is always somewhat tricky. I had to leave around 5 AM Monday morning to make it to the airport before 9 for an 11:00 am flight, which had been delayed to 11:20. Leaving Feynan at 5 is always challenging. I did not have a confirmed ride until about 9 PM on Sunday, even thought the search for a reliable driver started on Friday.
The driver did show up about five minutes early and we got off on time. As usual we ended up picking up a person going to Karak, and then one of the guides who was going to Amman. Even after hitting traffic and some confusion about which airport I was taking off from we made it to the right airport before nine.
The plane did not take off until after 12 and due to strong head winds arrived quite late in London. Fortunately I was allowed to go through the fast track line for security and made the connection as they were announcing last call for boarding.
So most people want to know if I would do this again, I guess that is the top level measure, and without hesitation I have responded Yes, to everyone who has asked. I think this is a unique experience and hard to match the life style around Feynan. Then people want to know what was great about it. The things that stand out are the people and I mean all the people. The locals are very welcoming and the guests, in most cases, are very interesting and some are doing wonderful things to help the world. The land itself has something about it that is harsh but calming at the same time. And finally the simplicity of life. While the lodge has many comforts, the mindset is still of simplicity because of the surrounding culture and the focus on Eco-friendly environment.
So how do you conclude such a great journey/experience. In most of my career I closed each major step by writing a poem, but in this case I have already written a dedication to the readers and have had no inspiration to write another poem. So I am picking a poem from my past and putting it here. I wrote this when I changed jobs many years ago. The poem has nothing to do with Feynan, but I think it is a good poem for a major transition.
Corporation
The beastly head of the cobra
The unnoticeable ripple of the dry sand
The unspoken stillness of the venom death
Mars the dry crusted skin of the desert
In it life flows, unseen abundant
Furtive movements, slight, unnoticed
In it flows death, seen abundant
Skeletons dry and crusted
It is here that I dwell among them
One shady spot no different than another
It is here that sand resembles sand
No differentiation among them
The stillness of the night chills the bones
The coldness of the night crawls through the stones
The day and night show uncanny resemblance
The sparkling mirages fill the imagination
The unending mirages give hope to the naive
But in mirages I do not believe.
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Hike to Dana and back
Dana reserve where the lodge is located is a protected area under the ownership of a NGO, Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature. The reserve is over 300 square km, about 115 square miles. It is the biggest reserve in Jordan. Currently there are 7 reserves, soon to be expanded to 12. The reserve was started to protect wild life, primarily Ibex. Of course other life is thriving as well. There are about 37 mammels, including wolfves, hyenas, jackels, and diffent types of wild cats. There are many types of birds as well. The most popular being the Palestinian song bird. A very tiny bird. The female is grey, but the mail has beautiful colors under the wings, to impress the female.
There are many types of plants depending on where you are in the reserve. What's unique about the reserve is that it contains four main biogeographical zones. These zones are: the Mediterranean bio-geographical zone, the Irano-Turanian biogeographical zone, the Sudanian biogeographical zone and the Suharo Arabian biogeographical zone. These zones extend in altitude from 100 meter (around 100 yards) below sea level up to 1,500 meter (around 1 mile) above sea level.
So I am starting my hike from about 330 meters above sea level and going to almost the top. It is very hot today. The forecast is for mid to high seventies with the real feel of mid to high eighties.
I've hiked the beginning of this valley a few times, so it is quite familiar. I even know some of the bedou along the way. There used to be a rough dirt road connecting the two villages, so I have the option to walk on the river bed or on the road. While the river bed is flat, it is sandy making walking quite difficult. In addition once the sand and the valley rocks get hot it feels like you are walking in an oven. The old road has a hard surface and possibly a breeze, although today it's quite calm, but it goes up and down and switches back and forth. I end up alternating between the dry river bed and the old road. I make good progress and cover about 5 miles in the first couple of hours. It's about 11 and I stop for water and to take some pictures and lunch, one apple.
I have trained myself to drink less. When I got here I was drinking about 12 OZ of water and about 6 OZ of tea on a four hour slow hike in moderate heat. Now I can do the same hike with no water, just 6 OZ of tea.
It is getting very hot and the sun is strong. I am starting to climb higher, the vegetation is changing. There are pistachio trees, no nuts in them yet. The terrain is rougher. Walking on the river bed is not really an option. The left bank on the river is off limits to human beings, fully protected. It rises up several hundred meters and is dotted with green vegetation. I stick to the road which now hugs the right bank. It's about noon and I have drunk about 20 OZ, much more than usual. It is getting hot. I have about a mile to go. The mountain is ahead of me and I can see the road snake up the mountain. As I start I can feel the steepness. Later I figure that the last mile or less is about a 1000 meter climb. Quite a tough hike. I have to stop several times to drink and take pictures. It is hard to tell where Dana Village is and I am getting quite tired. I stop to rest and have a sesame seed power bar. I've drunk most of the water, probably have 8 OZ left and feeling thirsty and dehydrated. Fortunately as the road winds I see the first buildings of the village above me. Dana is a very small village. About 3 hotels and a small grocery store and a mosque. I go directly to the store and get a large bottle of water. It is cold and feels good drinking it. I check into the hotel and take a shower. It feels good. I am ready for some food, but it's past 2 and the kitchen is closed. I am told dinner would be soon, but it's not. Due to many issues dinner is served at 8.
The hike down the next day is nowhere as tough as the hike up. Some people hire a local driver to take them up to Dana and then they hike down, or hike down and have a driver meet them at the bottom. While the hike is about nine miles, the drive is about 75 miles over partially unpaved road taking at least 2 hours or more.
The hike down is actually quite nice. It is about ten degrees cooler and there is a nice breeze. The views of the valley are great, and you can sort of see the dead sea. There is a bit of a haze so the distance is not 100% clear.
The big event hiking down is that I see a blue lizard.
There are many types of plants depending on where you are in the reserve. What's unique about the reserve is that it contains four main biogeographical zones. These zones are: the Mediterranean bio-geographical zone, the Irano-Turanian biogeographical zone, the Sudanian biogeographical zone and the Suharo Arabian biogeographical zone. These zones extend in altitude from 100 meter (around 100 yards) below sea level up to 1,500 meter (around 1 mile) above sea level.
So I am starting my hike from about 330 meters above sea level and going to almost the top. It is very hot today. The forecast is for mid to high seventies with the real feel of mid to high eighties.
I've hiked the beginning of this valley a few times, so it is quite familiar. I even know some of the bedou along the way. There used to be a rough dirt road connecting the two villages, so I have the option to walk on the river bed or on the road. While the river bed is flat, it is sandy making walking quite difficult. In addition once the sand and the valley rocks get hot it feels like you are walking in an oven. The old road has a hard surface and possibly a breeze, although today it's quite calm, but it goes up and down and switches back and forth. I end up alternating between the dry river bed and the old road. I make good progress and cover about 5 miles in the first couple of hours. It's about 11 and I stop for water and to take some pictures and lunch, one apple.
I have trained myself to drink less. When I got here I was drinking about 12 OZ of water and about 6 OZ of tea on a four hour slow hike in moderate heat. Now I can do the same hike with no water, just 6 OZ of tea.
It is getting very hot and the sun is strong. I am starting to climb higher, the vegetation is changing. There are pistachio trees, no nuts in them yet. The terrain is rougher. Walking on the river bed is not really an option. The left bank on the river is off limits to human beings, fully protected. It rises up several hundred meters and is dotted with green vegetation. I stick to the road which now hugs the right bank. It's about noon and I have drunk about 20 OZ, much more than usual. It is getting hot. I have about a mile to go. The mountain is ahead of me and I can see the road snake up the mountain. As I start I can feel the steepness. Later I figure that the last mile or less is about a 1000 meter climb. Quite a tough hike. I have to stop several times to drink and take pictures. It is hard to tell where Dana Village is and I am getting quite tired. I stop to rest and have a sesame seed power bar. I've drunk most of the water, probably have 8 OZ left and feeling thirsty and dehydrated. Fortunately as the road winds I see the first buildings of the village above me. Dana is a very small village. About 3 hotels and a small grocery store and a mosque. I go directly to the store and get a large bottle of water. It is cold and feels good drinking it. I check into the hotel and take a shower. It feels good. I am ready for some food, but it's past 2 and the kitchen is closed. I am told dinner would be soon, but it's not. Due to many issues dinner is served at 8.
The hike down the next day is nowhere as tough as the hike up. Some people hire a local driver to take them up to Dana and then they hike down, or hike down and have a driver meet them at the bottom. While the hike is about nine miles, the drive is about 75 miles over partially unpaved road taking at least 2 hours or more.
The hike down is actually quite nice. It is about ten degrees cooler and there is a nice breeze. The views of the valley are great, and you can sort of see the dead sea. There is a bit of a haze so the distance is not 100% clear.
The big event hiking down is that I see a blue lizard.
Friday, April 4, 2014
Wadi Guire hike
I've talked with some of the guides and let them know that I would like to do the wadi Guide hike. They tell me it is closed at this time because of the possibility of flash floods. It will open in May. But I won't be here in May. So I am contemplating of doing it by myself.
There are a couple of dangers. The worst being getting surprised by a flash when you are walking in the narrow part of the valley. The upper part of the valley is the narrow part, anywhere between four to twelve feet wide. The valley is carved out of the rock, which is quite high, 20 - 30 feet. So if you are hit by a flash flood, the force of the water is strong because it is concentrated in a narrow area and you have nowhere to go and nothing to hold onto. The other danger is that no one knows what the path is like. The pools are anywhere from 3 to 6 feet deep. Also since no one has done this hike since summer/fall no one knows if the path is clear. There could be big boulders in the way.
My plan is to start at the bottom and work my way up. If the path is blocked I can turn back. The danger in this case is the flash flood. While it can be sunny and clear at the bottom of the valley it can a different story at the top. This happened a couple of weeks ago. There was a small flash flood in wadi Dana and then it cleared up. We were sitting by the river watching the river bed dry up. Suddenly torrents of water came down. Later we found out that it was raining hard and snowing at the top of the mountains.
Some of the folks here have family members who live at the top of the mountain, so I can get current weather conditions, good for at least a few hours.
However there is another plan.
One of the guides I haven't talked to about this hike is preparing the activity schedule for the guests for the next day. A young couple from France who look fit wants to do a challenging hike. The guide asks them
"Do you have strong muscles?"
"Yes"
"Do you mid getting wet?"
"No"
"Do you know how to swim?"
"Yes"
"Ok, I have an option that we can discuss after I am done with the other guests."
I am pretty sure he is thinking about hiking wadi Guire.
I ask him that. He is thinking and does not say anything. I have to leave, so I tell him if he is planning to do wadi Guire I am in and leave.
Later he shows up at my room. He says once he described the details of the hike the French couple decided to do wadi Dana, but he is planning to do wadi Guide to see if it can be opened for hiking now instead of waiting till May. The French couple will start at the lodge and hike up. A driver will pick them up at the top and drive them back. He will catch a ride with the driver and hike down wadi Guide.
I am free to join him. He gives me the details. Basically, water will be cold. I've been in lakes where the edges were frozen. So I don't think this is a problem. We might have to swim, max 25 feet. Not a problem. The path condition is unknown. I knew that. I have to be ready at 8:30.
Next day I am ready early. I get a couple of plastic bags. These are to put our gear in in case we have to swim in one of the larger pools.
The driver who will be taking us, and bring back the French couple shows up. We drive down to the town. The guide is waiting for us. The driver and the guide are bothers.
We drive along the road to Petra, quite an experience as described earlier. Right before Petra we turn left and head up the mountain to Shaubek. It gets noticeably cooler as we climb up. Many people spend the summer in Shaubeck because it is cooler. The scenery is spectacular. We finally reach Shaubeck. The guide asks me if chicken is OK for lunch. I am fine with a cheese sandwich, but I say no problem. He takes a long time to get back. Later I find out that he wanted a fresh chicken, so he had one slaughtered and cleaned and that's why it took that long. He also gets some felafel and sweets. Finally we get some bread. We are all set. The guide tells me that he has no idea what the trail will look like. The flash floods can move huge bolders and tons of sand.
His brother drives us down the valley a bit to make the hike shorter. Even the road is pretty steep here, and the truck can only go up in first gear as his brother heads back, Half way down we start the hike; a steep drop to the river bed. It is about noon.
The water is not as cold as I thought, and in most places there are plenty of rocks to step on and avoid getting wet.
About an hour into the hike we stop and the guide marinates the chicken with spices and a can of tomatoes paste. We continue down the canyon which is getting deeper and narrower. We finally hit the deep pools. At first the water is about knee high, but then it gets to be waist high. The guide keeps saying it is very different than last year. There is a huge bolder blocking the way. This was not there last year the guide assures me. We find a way to get over it and have to slide down on the other side into a deep pool. The rocks underneath are slippery. We carefully make our way through the pool. There is a thick rope here that you can hold onto as you walk. Apparently this is the dangerous part and at times can be deep, as much as six feet. Today it's only waist high, maybe three and a half feet. We get through it fine. The guide tells me to look up. There is a huge bolder, the size of a small room precariously edged between the two walls of the canyon. It doesn't look like it should be there. Only a few inches on each side are touching the walls of the canyon. We hurry past it just in case it gets dislodged. Bit by bit the canyon starts opening up. We stop for the mid day prayer. Since we are travelling we combine the mid day and the afternoon prayers. Late in the afternoon we stop for lunch. The guide builds a fire, then puts a couple of stones on the sides and puts thick branches across the stones. One the branches catch fire he reduces the ground fire to coals and puts the chicken pieces on this. This forms an oven with heat on all sides. Originally I thought we would not be able to finish a whole chicken between the two of us. But we do. In addition we eat two small onions each also roasted in the fire and a loaf of bread. We clean up. The bones are left for the hyenas, the onion skins for the goats I think.
The guide tells me it should be easier now, but that proves to be false. While it's less dangerous because the valley has opened up and there are banks every now and then, the flash floods had the most impact here. The guide shows me a rock that is jetting out. It is less than three feet high from the sandy ground. The guide tells me that last year he was able to stand below the rock and could barely touch the rock with his hand raised. This means that the flash flood moved about five feet of sand into this area from somewhere else. We run into many unexpected pools, rocks blocking the way, and sand in unexpected places. Finally we get to the part where the water goes completely under ground. Guire means going underground, which is the name of this valley.
The guide heads straight to his home. I go right towards the lodge. As I come over the hill I see the sunset hike participants. I go to sunset point. Tea is ready. I have some tea. Talk to some of the guests and head back to the lodge.
Sorry, no pictures. My phone has the pictures. Unfortunately it got wet, caught a cold and now the touch screen does not work. Yes, I tried the rice. The kitchen staff looked at me real funny when I asked for rice. They thought I was hungry and showed me the pot with rice cooking. When I told them I needed dry rice to put my phone in it, they just nodded and got me the rice.
There are a couple of dangers. The worst being getting surprised by a flash when you are walking in the narrow part of the valley. The upper part of the valley is the narrow part, anywhere between four to twelve feet wide. The valley is carved out of the rock, which is quite high, 20 - 30 feet. So if you are hit by a flash flood, the force of the water is strong because it is concentrated in a narrow area and you have nowhere to go and nothing to hold onto. The other danger is that no one knows what the path is like. The pools are anywhere from 3 to 6 feet deep. Also since no one has done this hike since summer/fall no one knows if the path is clear. There could be big boulders in the way.
My plan is to start at the bottom and work my way up. If the path is blocked I can turn back. The danger in this case is the flash flood. While it can be sunny and clear at the bottom of the valley it can a different story at the top. This happened a couple of weeks ago. There was a small flash flood in wadi Dana and then it cleared up. We were sitting by the river watching the river bed dry up. Suddenly torrents of water came down. Later we found out that it was raining hard and snowing at the top of the mountains.
Some of the folks here have family members who live at the top of the mountain, so I can get current weather conditions, good for at least a few hours.
However there is another plan.
One of the guides I haven't talked to about this hike is preparing the activity schedule for the guests for the next day. A young couple from France who look fit wants to do a challenging hike. The guide asks them
"Do you have strong muscles?"
"Yes"
"Do you mid getting wet?"
"No"
"Do you know how to swim?"
"Yes"
"Ok, I have an option that we can discuss after I am done with the other guests."
I am pretty sure he is thinking about hiking wadi Guire.
I ask him that. He is thinking and does not say anything. I have to leave, so I tell him if he is planning to do wadi Guire I am in and leave.
Later he shows up at my room. He says once he described the details of the hike the French couple decided to do wadi Dana, but he is planning to do wadi Guide to see if it can be opened for hiking now instead of waiting till May. The French couple will start at the lodge and hike up. A driver will pick them up at the top and drive them back. He will catch a ride with the driver and hike down wadi Guide.
I am free to join him. He gives me the details. Basically, water will be cold. I've been in lakes where the edges were frozen. So I don't think this is a problem. We might have to swim, max 25 feet. Not a problem. The path condition is unknown. I knew that. I have to be ready at 8:30.
Next day I am ready early. I get a couple of plastic bags. These are to put our gear in in case we have to swim in one of the larger pools.
The driver who will be taking us, and bring back the French couple shows up. We drive down to the town. The guide is waiting for us. The driver and the guide are bothers.
We drive along the road to Petra, quite an experience as described earlier. Right before Petra we turn left and head up the mountain to Shaubek. It gets noticeably cooler as we climb up. Many people spend the summer in Shaubeck because it is cooler. The scenery is spectacular. We finally reach Shaubeck. The guide asks me if chicken is OK for lunch. I am fine with a cheese sandwich, but I say no problem. He takes a long time to get back. Later I find out that he wanted a fresh chicken, so he had one slaughtered and cleaned and that's why it took that long. He also gets some felafel and sweets. Finally we get some bread. We are all set. The guide tells me that he has no idea what the trail will look like. The flash floods can move huge bolders and tons of sand.
His brother drives us down the valley a bit to make the hike shorter. Even the road is pretty steep here, and the truck can only go up in first gear as his brother heads back, Half way down we start the hike; a steep drop to the river bed. It is about noon.
The water is not as cold as I thought, and in most places there are plenty of rocks to step on and avoid getting wet.
About an hour into the hike we stop and the guide marinates the chicken with spices and a can of tomatoes paste. We continue down the canyon which is getting deeper and narrower. We finally hit the deep pools. At first the water is about knee high, but then it gets to be waist high. The guide keeps saying it is very different than last year. There is a huge bolder blocking the way. This was not there last year the guide assures me. We find a way to get over it and have to slide down on the other side into a deep pool. The rocks underneath are slippery. We carefully make our way through the pool. There is a thick rope here that you can hold onto as you walk. Apparently this is the dangerous part and at times can be deep, as much as six feet. Today it's only waist high, maybe three and a half feet. We get through it fine. The guide tells me to look up. There is a huge bolder, the size of a small room precariously edged between the two walls of the canyon. It doesn't look like it should be there. Only a few inches on each side are touching the walls of the canyon. We hurry past it just in case it gets dislodged. Bit by bit the canyon starts opening up. We stop for the mid day prayer. Since we are travelling we combine the mid day and the afternoon prayers. Late in the afternoon we stop for lunch. The guide builds a fire, then puts a couple of stones on the sides and puts thick branches across the stones. One the branches catch fire he reduces the ground fire to coals and puts the chicken pieces on this. This forms an oven with heat on all sides. Originally I thought we would not be able to finish a whole chicken between the two of us. But we do. In addition we eat two small onions each also roasted in the fire and a loaf of bread. We clean up. The bones are left for the hyenas, the onion skins for the goats I think.
The guide tells me it should be easier now, but that proves to be false. While it's less dangerous because the valley has opened up and there are banks every now and then, the flash floods had the most impact here. The guide shows me a rock that is jetting out. It is less than three feet high from the sandy ground. The guide tells me that last year he was able to stand below the rock and could barely touch the rock with his hand raised. This means that the flash flood moved about five feet of sand into this area from somewhere else. We run into many unexpected pools, rocks blocking the way, and sand in unexpected places. Finally we get to the part where the water goes completely under ground. Guire means going underground, which is the name of this valley.
The guide heads straight to his home. I go right towards the lodge. As I come over the hill I see the sunset hike participants. I go to sunset point. Tea is ready. I have some tea. Talk to some of the guests and head back to the lodge.
Sorry, no pictures. My phone has the pictures. Unfortunately it got wet, caught a cold and now the touch screen does not work. Yes, I tried the rice. The kitchen staff looked at me real funny when I asked for rice. They thought I was hungry and showed me the pot with rice cooking. When I told them I needed dry rice to put my phone in it, they just nodded and got me the rice.
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
Petra and back
I go downstairs for breakfast the next day. I have breakfast with the Seattle/Holland couple. I know the lady is truly from Everette when we start talking about coffee and she brings up the cowgirl coffee stands. She has some nice stories. For those not familiar with cowgirl coffee stands; they are coffee drive through where the baristas are dressed in bikinis. The have different themes. They might dress up like police officers one day, meaning wearing a police hat and hanging a night club at the waist, or wearing firemen boots, ect. Of course I only know this through the news. Never been to one myself, but then again I don't live in Everette.
After breakfast we all take the shuttle to the entrance of Petra.
The couple decide to hire a guide. I decide to explore on my own. Petra is a big place. There are many things to see. I walk around quite a bit and get lost. Run into some English folks who are lost as well. I use the compass and we head into the right direction. I manage to climb almost to the top of Aaron's mount. Quit a hike. I also climb to the monastery, 800 steps up and guess what 800 steps down, at least that is what I am told. I run into some folks who I met in Feynan. We are all surprised to be meeting in Petra.
This takes up almost the entire day. I return to the hotel, have an early dinner and crash.
The drive back is not as exciting. The driver is very careful and drives slow.
After breakfast we all take the shuttle to the entrance of Petra.
The couple decide to hire a guide. I decide to explore on my own. Petra is a big place. There are many things to see. I walk around quite a bit and get lost. Run into some English folks who are lost as well. I use the compass and we head into the right direction. I manage to climb almost to the top of Aaron's mount. Quit a hike. I also climb to the monastery, 800 steps up and guess what 800 steps down, at least that is what I am told. I run into some folks who I met in Feynan. We are all surprised to be meeting in Petra.
This takes up almost the entire day. I return to the hotel, have an early dinner and crash.
The drive back is not as exciting. The driver is very careful and drives slow.
Monday, March 24, 2014
The cooking class
The lodge offers cooking classes. Today a newlywed couple from France has signed up for the class. The chef explains that the class includes making five dishes, but since they are newlyweds we will make seven dishes.
First is basil soup. I am not going to give the recipes here - they are secrets!
Then the newlyweds make dough for something called manakeesh, I believe. It's like pizza but you don't get to choose the toppings. The toppings are either basil mix or white goat cheese which is quite salty.
Then the make falafel. This is fun. First the soaked chick peas, peppers, onion, parsley, ect. are put through an old hand operated meat grinder. Half the mixture is ground a second time to get the right consistency. This is all mixed. A tool is used to make the falafel. The tool is a metal tube. The bottom of the tube has a thumb gizmo. When the gizmo is pulled up you can stuff the mixture into the tube. Then you use your thumb to push the formed falafel into the hot oil.
Next there is the salad that goes with the falafel. A mixture of tomatoes, cucumbers and tahini.
There are a couple of salads. Both have arugula as the base. One has white grapefruit and the other has some other fruits.
The last part is mint lemonade. This is fresh lemon juice with water, sugar, and mint put in a blender for a long while.
Lunch is ready in a couple of hours. The couple invite me to join them for lunch. It is very nice and well made.
The newlyweds cooking
First is basil soup. I am not going to give the recipes here - they are secrets!
Then the newlyweds make dough for something called manakeesh, I believe. It's like pizza but you don't get to choose the toppings. The toppings are either basil mix or white goat cheese which is quite salty.
Then the make falafel. This is fun. First the soaked chick peas, peppers, onion, parsley, ect. are put through an old hand operated meat grinder. Half the mixture is ground a second time to get the right consistency. This is all mixed. A tool is used to make the falafel. The tool is a metal tube. The bottom of the tube has a thumb gizmo. When the gizmo is pulled up you can stuff the mixture into the tube. Then you use your thumb to push the formed falafel into the hot oil.
Next there is the salad that goes with the falafel. A mixture of tomatoes, cucumbers and tahini.
There are a couple of salads. Both have arugula as the base. One has white grapefruit and the other has some other fruits.
The last part is mint lemonade. This is fresh lemon juice with water, sugar, and mint put in a blender for a long while.
Lunch is ready in a couple of hours. The couple invite me to join them for lunch. It is very nice and well made.
The newlyweds cooking
Petra first day, and Petra by night
I arrange for a local driver to take me to Petra. We leave early. I want to scope out the place and figure out what to see and when.
Outside the main town we pick up one of the guides. He needs a ride to Petra. Shortly after that we pick up a local hitch hiker. This is common here, to get a ride. I've done it myself a few times. The paved road ends and we are driving on gravel. We start climbing. The drop offs get deeper and deeper. At one point we are on a ridge, with nothing on either side. The danger is fishtailing on the gravel and slipping down a cliff. This can be avoided by going slowly. However this driver is going a bit faster than he should be, I think.
We finally make it through the mountains and are back on a paved road. We reach Petra. The driver drops me off at the hotel. It is about 11. We go through the routine of introductions, and the tea offer, drinking the tea, ect. After unpacking, I go downstairs and ask the hotel staff for a shuttle to the Petra entrance. I am dropped off there. One day pass is 50JD if you are spending the night in Petra. Two day pass is 55, and three day is 60. The fourth day is free. I get a three day pass just in case I am totally blown away.
It's actually a walk to get to the real entrance. There are folks offering horse rides, horse carriage rides, and claiming it is included in the ticket price. My plan is to walk for a couple of hours and take pictures, so tomorrow I can pick up where I left off without stopping on the way.
At the beginning, there are chambers dug in the stone. They are burial chambers. I finally get to the real entrance. This is basically a path carved through the mountain leading to the main square, called siq, and beyond. By the way it is the Nabateens who built this I think. I figure I will see first and do the research later.
This path is quite long and impressive. At some point there were carvings on the sides. There are remnants of ditches on the sides for water to flow. Here is a picture of the carving of a camel with a man standing in front of it.
A couple of pictures of the path
Also a picture of a tomb
I pretty much cover the main parts of Petra the first day, making it to the temple and the inner siq.
Back at the hotel I sign up for dinner at the hotel and the Petra by night show.
The hotel is actually really nice. It has been going through a total renovation and just opened this month, so everything is brand new.
After dinner I grab the shuttle with a couple. I get to talking to them. The guy is from Hong Kong originally, but born Holland. The lady is from Seattle, actually north of Seattle as I learn later. We chat on the way. We walk all the way to the outer siq. This is a little less than two miles. There are many people going there and the path is lit by candles, so we kind of lose each other. The front of the siq is lit with candles.
The siq at night
The show starts with a guy playing an instrument called rababa and singing. Apparently rababa is the original string instrument. It sounds like the blues bedou style.
Next there is a flute.
I recorded both of these, but just found out that Google has dropped ability to upload mp3 files to blogs.
Then there is some story telling. Of course they serve tea. After the show it is the walk back. Actually it's a pretty good experience, if your expectations have not been set too high by people. At about 10:30 I take the shuttle to the hotel.
Outside the main town we pick up one of the guides. He needs a ride to Petra. Shortly after that we pick up a local hitch hiker. This is common here, to get a ride. I've done it myself a few times. The paved road ends and we are driving on gravel. We start climbing. The drop offs get deeper and deeper. At one point we are on a ridge, with nothing on either side. The danger is fishtailing on the gravel and slipping down a cliff. This can be avoided by going slowly. However this driver is going a bit faster than he should be, I think.
We finally make it through the mountains and are back on a paved road. We reach Petra. The driver drops me off at the hotel. It is about 11. We go through the routine of introductions, and the tea offer, drinking the tea, ect. After unpacking, I go downstairs and ask the hotel staff for a shuttle to the Petra entrance. I am dropped off there. One day pass is 50JD if you are spending the night in Petra. Two day pass is 55, and three day is 60. The fourth day is free. I get a three day pass just in case I am totally blown away.
It's actually a walk to get to the real entrance. There are folks offering horse rides, horse carriage rides, and claiming it is included in the ticket price. My plan is to walk for a couple of hours and take pictures, so tomorrow I can pick up where I left off without stopping on the way.
At the beginning, there are chambers dug in the stone. They are burial chambers. I finally get to the real entrance. This is basically a path carved through the mountain leading to the main square, called siq, and beyond. By the way it is the Nabateens who built this I think. I figure I will see first and do the research later.
This path is quite long and impressive. At some point there were carvings on the sides. There are remnants of ditches on the sides for water to flow. Here is a picture of the carving of a camel with a man standing in front of it.
A couple of pictures of the path
Also a picture of a tomb
I pretty much cover the main parts of Petra the first day, making it to the temple and the inner siq.
Back at the hotel I sign up for dinner at the hotel and the Petra by night show.
The hotel is actually really nice. It has been going through a total renovation and just opened this month, so everything is brand new.
After dinner I grab the shuttle with a couple. I get to talking to them. The guy is from Hong Kong originally, but born Holland. The lady is from Seattle, actually north of Seattle as I learn later. We chat on the way. We walk all the way to the outer siq. This is a little less than two miles. There are many people going there and the path is lit by candles, so we kind of lose each other. The front of the siq is lit with candles.
The siq at night
The show starts with a guy playing an instrument called rababa and singing. Apparently rababa is the original string instrument. It sounds like the blues bedou style.
Next there is a flute.
I recorded both of these, but just found out that Google has dropped ability to upload mp3 files to blogs.
Then there is some story telling. Of course they serve tea. After the show it is the walk back. Actually it's a pretty good experience, if your expectations have not been set too high by people. At about 10:30 I take the shuttle to the hotel.
Sunday, March 23, 2014
To Petra, maybe!
I was a the reception parking lot earlier today, Monday. It's about 5 to 6 miles from the lodge over a rough road. Generally people park their cars there and hire a local with a truck to take them to the lodge. I missed the lodge driver who leaves around 8:30, so I catch a ride with three ladies who I met last night. They are all from NH and are thrilled to meet someone who's lived in NH. They all went to Exeder. One of them is currently working on her Phd at Oxford in Anthropology but living in Jordan. The other two are sisters living in NY and visiting their friend in Jordan.
Rather than waiting for a ride back or for the lodge driver, I decide to walk back to the lodge. It's a good hike. I walk about a mile when I see a herd of goats. There are some dogs guarding the goats. At first it seems that they don't notice me, but as I get to the other side of the goats they take notice. There are three of them, and like dogs they tr to circle me. I face them and walk backwards. They keep their distance and we depart without an incident. Apparently, dogs not bothering humans is not 100% true.
After another mile I see a kid in the fields. He is walking towards his truck. I hear him start the truck and a few miutes later he pulls up and opens the passenger door, offering me a ride. I want to do the hike but accept the offer and get in. It reminds me of the days when I used to go running in Morocco, and on the way back some of the mountain people noticing I looked tired would offer me a ride on their donkeys.
We get to chatting. We are going abour 5 miles per hour so it takes time. There is a tent about 70 yards from the road to our left. He tells me that is his home and invites me for tea. We go in the tent. The women on the other side of the divider start a fire to make tea. The tent floor is usually dirt with straw matts lined around a small fire pit. Guests are offered a foam matt and pillows to lean on. We chat some more. He speaks some English, so we switch back and forth between English and Arabic. The tea takes a while, but we finally have tea. I have a couple of cups. I thank him and leave for the lodge which is less than a mile away.
I make plans to go to Petra and book a hotel for three days. I read some forums online and people recommend at least two days in Petra. I am trying to line up a local driver when one of the guides tells me to wait. He will see if any of the guests are going to Petra and if I can go with them.
Later that afternoon the chef is glad to see me and tells me he is giving a cooking class tomorrow at 11 and it would be great if I can translate. He is dissapointed when I tell him I am going to Petra.
After dinner the guide who was arranging the schedules for guests finds an English couple who is going to Petra tomorrow and has arranged for me to go with them. I chat with the couple. They want to check with their driver and the tour company.
Tuesday morning I am all packed and ready. The English couple is expecting their driver to show up around 10. I go to the reception desk to say good morning. They are having problems with the computer. Someone has spilled sweet tea on the keyboard, apparently a common occurance, and some keys are stuck. They want to know if I can fix it, afterall I work with computers. There are a few other things going on, so I decide to push my trip to Petra out by a day, tell the duty manager to swap the keyboard with the other computer to get him going. I take care of the logistics of moving my trip to Petra, have breakfast and sit at a desk to pry the keys off the keyboard. I use alcohol and tissue to clean the keys. It works well and the duty manager is very happy. I head off to the kitchen for the cooking class.
Rather than waiting for a ride back or for the lodge driver, I decide to walk back to the lodge. It's a good hike. I walk about a mile when I see a herd of goats. There are some dogs guarding the goats. At first it seems that they don't notice me, but as I get to the other side of the goats they take notice. There are three of them, and like dogs they tr to circle me. I face them and walk backwards. They keep their distance and we depart without an incident. Apparently, dogs not bothering humans is not 100% true.
After another mile I see a kid in the fields. He is walking towards his truck. I hear him start the truck and a few miutes later he pulls up and opens the passenger door, offering me a ride. I want to do the hike but accept the offer and get in. It reminds me of the days when I used to go running in Morocco, and on the way back some of the mountain people noticing I looked tired would offer me a ride on their donkeys.
We get to chatting. We are going abour 5 miles per hour so it takes time. There is a tent about 70 yards from the road to our left. He tells me that is his home and invites me for tea. We go in the tent. The women on the other side of the divider start a fire to make tea. The tent floor is usually dirt with straw matts lined around a small fire pit. Guests are offered a foam matt and pillows to lean on. We chat some more. He speaks some English, so we switch back and forth between English and Arabic. The tea takes a while, but we finally have tea. I have a couple of cups. I thank him and leave for the lodge which is less than a mile away.
I make plans to go to Petra and book a hotel for three days. I read some forums online and people recommend at least two days in Petra. I am trying to line up a local driver when one of the guides tells me to wait. He will see if any of the guests are going to Petra and if I can go with them.
Later that afternoon the chef is glad to see me and tells me he is giving a cooking class tomorrow at 11 and it would be great if I can translate. He is dissapointed when I tell him I am going to Petra.
After dinner the guide who was arranging the schedules for guests finds an English couple who is going to Petra tomorrow and has arranged for me to go with them. I chat with the couple. They want to check with their driver and the tour company.
Tuesday morning I am all packed and ready. The English couple is expecting their driver to show up around 10. I go to the reception desk to say good morning. They are having problems with the computer. Someone has spilled sweet tea on the keyboard, apparently a common occurance, and some keys are stuck. They want to know if I can fix it, afterall I work with computers. There are a few other things going on, so I decide to push my trip to Petra out by a day, tell the duty manager to swap the keyboard with the other computer to get him going. I take care of the logistics of moving my trip to Petra, have breakfast and sit at a desk to pry the keys off the keyboard. I use alcohol and tissue to clean the keys. It works well and the duty manager is very happy. I head off to the kitchen for the cooking class.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
I have a nice wonderful and pleasant beard
I was talking to one of the staff. Don't exactly remember the topic because I was taken by surprise when it seemed out of the blue, the guy says: "By Allah (I swear by God), you have a nice beard. Well, I had not trimmed my beard for about a week and so it was not the best looking beard. I was pretty sure of that. So I thought maybe he means it in a more religious sense. Since the prophets had beards, maybe he means that since I am letting my beard grow, that is nice. But that was unlikely too since my beard is not long enough to be considered a resectable beard in that sense. I was going to complement him on his beard, but he was clean shaven, which made the conversation even more bizzar. He did not seem to care about beards, so I said thank you and changed the subject.
A couple of days go by and I am talking to another staff memeber. He says: "You have a wonderful beard." It was the same beard. So I am thinking jokingly that maybe this the fashion, and people have a hard time here growing scragly looking beards. Like people who have straight hair want curly hair and vice versa. I am also considering that this is an inside joke and they just have not let me in on it. So I wait, but the person looks quite sincere. So I thank the person. I need to find out what is going on. This does not seem to be a coincedance.
Later that evening I go to the rooftop with the rest of the visitors to look at the stars. Some people are huddled around the telescope taking turns to look at Jupiter, it's rings and moons. I am drinking a glass of sweet tea (there is no other kind.) I start talking to another staff memeber, and sure enough I find out that my beard is pleasant. Well I need to find out what is going on.
I see the guide who first informed me about the qualities of my beard. Since he started all this I decide to find out from him.
So I tell him that someone else just complimented me on my beard, and I need to know what is going on. He start laughing and asks "you don't know what that means."
"No I don't"
"Who said that" he asks.
"Several people have told me that"
He explains that when you want to tell someone that he is a nice person, or has a pleasant personality, ect., you pay the complement to the beard and not the person. So I ask him how do I respond, because I had notice people look at me strangely when I thanked them. He says the proper response is to say, best effort translation, I have nothing over you, meaning I am not better than you.
For the next few days some of the staff kept repeating this phrase when they saw me. Actually I think they were amused that I thought the complement was about my beard. Now I keep my beard trimmed but have not received any complements.
A couple of days go by and I am talking to another staff memeber. He says: "You have a wonderful beard." It was the same beard. So I am thinking jokingly that maybe this the fashion, and people have a hard time here growing scragly looking beards. Like people who have straight hair want curly hair and vice versa. I am also considering that this is an inside joke and they just have not let me in on it. So I wait, but the person looks quite sincere. So I thank the person. I need to find out what is going on. This does not seem to be a coincedance.
Later that evening I go to the rooftop with the rest of the visitors to look at the stars. Some people are huddled around the telescope taking turns to look at Jupiter, it's rings and moons. I am drinking a glass of sweet tea (there is no other kind.) I start talking to another staff memeber, and sure enough I find out that my beard is pleasant. Well I need to find out what is going on.
I see the guide who first informed me about the qualities of my beard. Since he started all this I decide to find out from him.
So I tell him that someone else just complimented me on my beard, and I need to know what is going on. He start laughing and asks "you don't know what that means."
"No I don't"
"Who said that" he asks.
"Several people have told me that"
He explains that when you want to tell someone that he is a nice person, or has a pleasant personality, ect., you pay the complement to the beard and not the person. So I ask him how do I respond, because I had notice people look at me strangely when I thanked them. He says the proper response is to say, best effort translation, I have nothing over you, meaning I am not better than you.
For the next few days some of the staff kept repeating this phrase when they saw me. Actually I think they were amused that I thought the complement was about my beard. Now I keep my beard trimmed but have not received any complements.
Sunday, March 16, 2014
Back at the lodge
This the last day of the workshop that started on Monday before I left. After dinner the workshop participants all gather in the sitting room and they have an oud player, oud is an old string instrument. There is singing and dancing. I retire to bed early. The cold and travel has made me quite tired.
It's Saturday. It's been raining for more than a day, and the river is flowing. It does not look like people wi. Leave anytime soon. I take some pictures of the river.
Yesterday I met a bunch of folks including a fellow alumnus from Dartmouth. We talked about new Hampshire and Dartmouth.
Around one, one of the staff members asks me if I want to see something unnatural. We go outside to the river. Looks like a flash flood. Apparent, it rained and snowed heavily on the mountains and all the water is now reaching the lower valleys. Here is a video.
strange thing is that if you sit by the river you can hear a bolder coming loose. It bounces up and down as it is being dislodges. Then you feel the ground shake as it bounces or hits other rocks. Then silence as it settles somewhere, or hits sand. Quite fascinating.
Strangely around 4 or 5 the rain has stopped and the river is emptying and everyone makes it out fine.
Around here you feel the weather. It becomes part of your life. Not in an abstract way, but in a real way.
The rain is much appreciated. There is slightly more grass. The goats look happy. They probably don't have to go as far as before for food. It is cold, but people are appreciative and smilling. My room is nearing 60 degrees F. Without sun for a couple of days the building gets cold. It is supposed to be sunny tomorrow.
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Aqaba and back
I've wanted to see Aqaba ever since watching Laurence of Arabia. It's nothing like the movie, no surprise there. It is kind of a strange city. Local life mixed in with tourist life. Many cities kind of have a separation between the proper city and where the hotels are located. I decide to find the hotel on my own from memory. I looked at the map a couple of days ago. The hotel name is My Hotel. I can see other hotels that are nearby, like the double tree inn. I actually walk about a block from the hotel, but end up quite far. I get a cab which takes me to the hotel. It is about nine. No rooms are available yet. I decide to go get my visa renewed. I ask taskperson at the desk where the police station is explaining that I need to renew my visa. People get concerned when you say you need to go to a police station without offering an explanation. I get the direction and proper wordiwording him. It's only a few blocks away. I get there but do not see any official buildings. I walk around a bit and ask. A guy points me towards a market. It does not look right, but I walk over there anyway. There is a booth with a couple of policemen sitting in it. I ask them. One does not know. The other says it's far away and I should take a cab. Now in the blogs and maps and according to the hotel, it's supposed to be right around here, so I am suspicious. So I explain that I was told that it was close by. He keeps saying just take a cab. I thank them and leave.
As I am walking back towards the post office, my point of reference, I see the guy who boughtme the coffee coming towards me. I ask him where I can extend my stay. He knows exactly where. We go to the next block up from where I was. It's accross the street from there. At the gait he explains that I need to extend my stay. The policeman says that has moved and I should take a cab.
The guys hails a cab, he knows the driver. He tells him where to take. Offers to go with me, but I assure him that I can manage.
The cab driver has the low down. I am from Morocco, living in the US, and staying in Feynan. So he starts practicing his English and asking how you say this or that in English. Noticing that I understand Arabic he switches to Arabic and says: "You know that Moroccans have knowledge about where the gold is and how to get it." I reply that yes that is what I have heard and that I did not know that until I came to Jordan. There is that Moroccan and gold connection again. He stops in front of the police station. He says the ride is on him. I insist that I pay, and finally he accepts.
I have my back pack on my back and suspect they will search it or put it through the metal detector. The policeman at the gate looks at my passport records something, asks me what I need and directs me to a building.
I find my way to the office where they extend stays. We speak in Arabic.
"So where are you staying?"
"In Feynan."
"No here in Aqaba"
"At MyHotel"
"Yes, it's your hotel, but which hotel"
"My hotel"
I start to think that this like "whose on first..." Skit.
So I say: "The name of the hotel is my Hotel" He turns to his partner who nods. But I don't think he is cconvinced. He thinks that I am just not understanding the question.
He asks me for a card with the hotel name on it. Then I remember that my phone still has the home page of the hotel on one of the tabs. I show him the home page which has a big sign in red MyHotel. He is satisfied.
I leave the station. I am feeling pretty tired having woken up at 4:30 and the cold is demanding its share of attention from my body. It is also getting hot. It was probably in the forties in Feynan. It is in the seventies in Aqabq and sunny. I drink some water and head in the direction of the hotel. I walk slowly to conserve energy. After about 10 minutes, I am debating if I should get a cab. I look up and the hotel is right there, but it is still early. I walk to the back of the hotel. There is burger king, Popeye, pizza hut. All the places you would like to eat at abroad. Past them I see a coffee shop, Gloria Jean Coffees. It looks like it has potential. The pastries do not look great, but they do have lattes.
I order a regular strong latte. I assume that translates to a double tall. The barrista makes a perfect leaf, quite impressive. The latte is pretty good. It's the first latte in Jordan. At around 11:30 I head back to the hotel. The room is ready.
The receptionist tells me that there is a sight seeing tour at 1:30 on a boat in the red sea. I tell him I will think about it. I try to rest, but can't sleep, so at around one I decide to check out the tour. It appears as if the tour was canceled. He calls other places. In the meantime I check out his brochure and it looks like these are snorkeling or diving boats. So I decline.
I find a nice Lebanese restaurant behind the hotel and have lunch, salad and chicken kabob. It is good. I feel much better. I go take a nap.
Later, I go out for a walk. On the north side of the hotel there are many restaurants, stores and shesha cafés. I am still tired, so I decide to try the hotel restaurant. I have fish. It is fillet of white fish with rice and vegetable curry. They do have grouper here, and this looks like grouper but I don't think it is grouper.
Dinner is OK. I decide to go to bed early. The bus does not leave till noon.
Next morning I get to the bus station a little after 11. There is no bus. Ia toldth driver might have gone shopping. At 11:50 the bus pulls in. As I am getting on the driver asks me where I am going. Tourists apparently don't ride this bus. I say Gregra, in the local accent. Gregra is the closest town to Feynan. He looks surprised but not convinced. So I say Feynan. Now he is convinced. I ask him if he can takeme to Feynan, about 3 miles from Gregra. He says no problem.
The bus drops people off at their door steps, so it takes a while to wind through Gregra. Finaly we are off to Feynan. The driver invites me to his house for dinner. This is the Islamic way. You should invite a traveller, and he has the right to stay for three days. I thank him and tell him people are waiting for me at the lodge. Fortunately he does not insist. I have seen invitation and declining the invitation process go on for a good fifteen minutes. I get off at the reception center and hire a local driver to take me to the lodge.
As I am walking back towards the post office, my point of reference, I see the guy who boughtme the coffee coming towards me. I ask him where I can extend my stay. He knows exactly where. We go to the next block up from where I was. It's accross the street from there. At the gait he explains that I need to extend my stay. The policeman says that has moved and I should take a cab.
The guys hails a cab, he knows the driver. He tells him where to take. Offers to go with me, but I assure him that I can manage.
The cab driver has the low down. I am from Morocco, living in the US, and staying in Feynan. So he starts practicing his English and asking how you say this or that in English. Noticing that I understand Arabic he switches to Arabic and says: "You know that Moroccans have knowledge about where the gold is and how to get it." I reply that yes that is what I have heard and that I did not know that until I came to Jordan. There is that Moroccan and gold connection again. He stops in front of the police station. He says the ride is on him. I insist that I pay, and finally he accepts.
I have my back pack on my back and suspect they will search it or put it through the metal detector. The policeman at the gate looks at my passport records something, asks me what I need and directs me to a building.
I find my way to the office where they extend stays. We speak in Arabic.
"So where are you staying?"
"In Feynan."
"No here in Aqaba"
"At MyHotel"
"Yes, it's your hotel, but which hotel"
"My hotel"
I start to think that this like "whose on first..." Skit.
So I say: "The name of the hotel is my Hotel" He turns to his partner who nods. But I don't think he is cconvinced. He thinks that I am just not understanding the question.
He asks me for a card with the hotel name on it. Then I remember that my phone still has the home page of the hotel on one of the tabs. I show him the home page which has a big sign in red MyHotel. He is satisfied.
I leave the station. I am feeling pretty tired having woken up at 4:30 and the cold is demanding its share of attention from my body. It is also getting hot. It was probably in the forties in Feynan. It is in the seventies in Aqabq and sunny. I drink some water and head in the direction of the hotel. I walk slowly to conserve energy. After about 10 minutes, I am debating if I should get a cab. I look up and the hotel is right there, but it is still early. I walk to the back of the hotel. There is burger king, Popeye, pizza hut. All the places you would like to eat at abroad. Past them I see a coffee shop, Gloria Jean Coffees. It looks like it has potential. The pastries do not look great, but they do have lattes.
I order a regular strong latte. I assume that translates to a double tall. The barrista makes a perfect leaf, quite impressive. The latte is pretty good. It's the first latte in Jordan. At around 11:30 I head back to the hotel. The room is ready.
The receptionist tells me that there is a sight seeing tour at 1:30 on a boat in the red sea. I tell him I will think about it. I try to rest, but can't sleep, so at around one I decide to check out the tour. It appears as if the tour was canceled. He calls other places. In the meantime I check out his brochure and it looks like these are snorkeling or diving boats. So I decline.
I find a nice Lebanese restaurant behind the hotel and have lunch, salad and chicken kabob. It is good. I feel much better. I go take a nap.
Later, I go out for a walk. On the north side of the hotel there are many restaurants, stores and shesha cafés. I am still tired, so I decide to try the hotel restaurant. I have fish. It is fillet of white fish with rice and vegetable curry. They do have grouper here, and this looks like grouper but I don't think it is grouper.
Dinner is OK. I decide to go to bed early. The bus does not leave till noon.
Next morning I get to the bus station a little after 11. There is no bus. Ia toldth driver might have gone shopping. At 11:50 the bus pulls in. As I am getting on the driver asks me where I am going. Tourists apparently don't ride this bus. I say Gregra, in the local accent. Gregra is the closest town to Feynan. He looks surprised but not convinced. So I say Feynan. Now he is convinced. I ask him if he can takeme to Feynan, about 3 miles from Gregra. He says no problem.
The bus drops people off at their door steps, so it takes a while to wind through Gregra. Finaly we are off to Feynan. The driver invites me to his house for dinner. This is the Islamic way. You should invite a traveller, and he has the right to stay for three days. I thank him and tell him people are waiting for me at the lodge. Fortunately he does not insist. I have seen invitation and declining the invitation process go on for a good fifteen minutes. I get off at the reception center and hire a local driver to take me to the lodge.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
To Aqaba
Saturday I did the Wadi Dana hike. This time we go further than what I have done in the past. The Wadi is completely dry. We cross from one side to the other a few times. There is an old gravel road here that is no longer mmaintained. The road connected Dana Village with Feynan Village.
It started with a big long rumble that continued for a few seconds. Looking out the window I saw dark skies. The rumbles continued mixed with intermittent lightening. It took sometime before the rain started, just a few showers on and off through out the day. Some people went for short hikes. I decided to stay put. It was still warm.
Later as I got ready to go to bed it started to rain. A steady rain, alternating between a soft and a hard rain. I openened a couple of windows so I could fall asleep to the sound of rain. I did fall asleep to the sound of rain and was woken up between one and two, by a much louder sound than rain makes. After listening to it for a while, I concluded that it must be a flash flood, with water gushing through the river.
In the morning when I woke up shortly after dawn, for the morning prayers, I looked out the window and could see the water running. My guess is that it was about three feet high in a river bed that has been dry for at least one month. The rain was subsiding. Some folks had gone down to the river at three AM and said it was quite high.
By eight the water was lower. I will post some pictures later.
I am supposed to go down to the reception center. It is nine and the driver is not here. I talk to the duty manager and he tells me the road has washed out and no vehicles can make it through. Actually, there is no road where the road has washed out. Vehicles cross the river bed at a point further down where the two valleys meet. The river bed shifts whenever there is sufficient rain, so the vehicle crossing gets washed out and a new one is created. This time the washout is bad enough to require a bulldozer. Plus there are a few guests who need to get out. Finally around 11 the traffic starts flowing again. It's too late for me to go to reception center, so I hang around.
I am supposed to go to Aqaba tomorrow to renew my visa. I made hotel reservations yesterday, but still need to get a driver to take me to the bus. I am told the bus leaves at 6.
Yesterday I started coming down with a cold. It is getting worst and I feel quite worn down. It is shaping up to be a nasty cold.
There is going to be a three day workshop at the lodge. Last night two moderators arrived. One is from Italy, the other from Norway. They both live in Beirut where the company is based. I think the workshop is about harasement in the work place. They are having problems with their computer and can't get the course ready. I help out and get the material ready on the computer.
The attendees start arriving in the afternoon. They have a late lunch. I learn later that dinner will be at 8:30 instead of 6:30 due to the late lunch. I need to go to bed. I am not feeling well and need to get up at 4:30.
It's almost 10 by the time I finish dinner. I ask the duty manager if my ride is all set for tomorrow. He has forgotten. He calls a driver and says I am all set for a 5:15 pickup.
I go outside around 5:05. At about 5:10 I see a light. It looks more like a single light instead of two headlights. In any case it stops moving. It looks like it's near the mosque, so it could be someone going to the mosque. Morning prayer these days is between 4:30 and 5:50.
Shortly after 5:15 the light starts moving again. About five minutes later I make out a truck with a single headlight coming over the hill. Another 5 minutes and the truck pulls up. I get in. Abu Isa is the driver. In general it is not polite to call people by their name especially if they are older, instead you call them as the father of so and so; generally their first son. Also it is not uncommon to name people after the prophets, such as Moses (Musa), Jesus (Isa), Mohammed, ect. (may peace be upon all of them.)
I've been given the nickname Abu Mohammed, not because I have a son named Mohammd, but because it is my father's name. The logic behind this was explained to me, but I failed to understand it. Other people call me Abu Zaid, after the famous Abu Zaid Al-Hilali, no relation.
So we set off down the hill. While the bulldozer has done a decent job, the road is still washed out in many places. It takes more than half hour to make it to the road, which has a lot of debris on it, so the going is slow. Also, I don't think this truck can go more than 30 miles per hour. Many of the trucks are very old and only the engine works. Many don't have seat belts and no one wears them anyway at low speeds. I think seat belt law here only applies when driving at high speeds. Of course the lack of seat belts poses a delima for parents with babies and baby seats.
We drive to the next town and finally make it to the main road that leads to the road connecting Amman and Aqaba. The driver stops the truck and we wait.
The bus shows up at 6:30. I get on the bus.
We are now south of the dead sea. There is more sand but not the large sand dunes. Also there is some kind of grass growing on the sand in many places, so there are patches of light green among the brownish sand. There are herds of camels here as well. On both sides there are mountains, but they seem to be different ranges, so this is not a valley. We stop at a roadside store. It's a clean store and the bathrooms are also clean compared to others. I decide to order a coffee. Of course there are many kinds, just like Seattle. I am not talking about double tall skinny latte, or regular mocha with no foam. Here it is turkish coffee with sugar, no sugar, nescafe (which I have now learned to enjoy), Arabic coffee ect. I only see pots for boiling turkish coffee so I order turkish coffee with no sugar. As I ask how much, a guy jumps in and pays for the coffee. He is related to a couple of people who work at the lodge and has seen me around. Now the rest of the folks on the bus are curious, so I tell them my story. There is a lot of welcoming.
We make it to Aqaba.
It started with a big long rumble that continued for a few seconds. Looking out the window I saw dark skies. The rumbles continued mixed with intermittent lightening. It took sometime before the rain started, just a few showers on and off through out the day. Some people went for short hikes. I decided to stay put. It was still warm.
Later as I got ready to go to bed it started to rain. A steady rain, alternating between a soft and a hard rain. I openened a couple of windows so I could fall asleep to the sound of rain. I did fall asleep to the sound of rain and was woken up between one and two, by a much louder sound than rain makes. After listening to it for a while, I concluded that it must be a flash flood, with water gushing through the river.
In the morning when I woke up shortly after dawn, for the morning prayers, I looked out the window and could see the water running. My guess is that it was about three feet high in a river bed that has been dry for at least one month. The rain was subsiding. Some folks had gone down to the river at three AM and said it was quite high.
By eight the water was lower. I will post some pictures later.
I am supposed to go down to the reception center. It is nine and the driver is not here. I talk to the duty manager and he tells me the road has washed out and no vehicles can make it through. Actually, there is no road where the road has washed out. Vehicles cross the river bed at a point further down where the two valleys meet. The river bed shifts whenever there is sufficient rain, so the vehicle crossing gets washed out and a new one is created. This time the washout is bad enough to require a bulldozer. Plus there are a few guests who need to get out. Finally around 11 the traffic starts flowing again. It's too late for me to go to reception center, so I hang around.
I am supposed to go to Aqaba tomorrow to renew my visa. I made hotel reservations yesterday, but still need to get a driver to take me to the bus. I am told the bus leaves at 6.
Yesterday I started coming down with a cold. It is getting worst and I feel quite worn down. It is shaping up to be a nasty cold.
There is going to be a three day workshop at the lodge. Last night two moderators arrived. One is from Italy, the other from Norway. They both live in Beirut where the company is based. I think the workshop is about harasement in the work place. They are having problems with their computer and can't get the course ready. I help out and get the material ready on the computer.
The attendees start arriving in the afternoon. They have a late lunch. I learn later that dinner will be at 8:30 instead of 6:30 due to the late lunch. I need to go to bed. I am not feeling well and need to get up at 4:30.
It's almost 10 by the time I finish dinner. I ask the duty manager if my ride is all set for tomorrow. He has forgotten. He calls a driver and says I am all set for a 5:15 pickup.
I go outside around 5:05. At about 5:10 I see a light. It looks more like a single light instead of two headlights. In any case it stops moving. It looks like it's near the mosque, so it could be someone going to the mosque. Morning prayer these days is between 4:30 and 5:50.
Shortly after 5:15 the light starts moving again. About five minutes later I make out a truck with a single headlight coming over the hill. Another 5 minutes and the truck pulls up. I get in. Abu Isa is the driver. In general it is not polite to call people by their name especially if they are older, instead you call them as the father of so and so; generally their first son. Also it is not uncommon to name people after the prophets, such as Moses (Musa), Jesus (Isa), Mohammed, ect. (may peace be upon all of them.)
I've been given the nickname Abu Mohammed, not because I have a son named Mohammd, but because it is my father's name. The logic behind this was explained to me, but I failed to understand it. Other people call me Abu Zaid, after the famous Abu Zaid Al-Hilali, no relation.
So we set off down the hill. While the bulldozer has done a decent job, the road is still washed out in many places. It takes more than half hour to make it to the road, which has a lot of debris on it, so the going is slow. Also, I don't think this truck can go more than 30 miles per hour. Many of the trucks are very old and only the engine works. Many don't have seat belts and no one wears them anyway at low speeds. I think seat belt law here only applies when driving at high speeds. Of course the lack of seat belts poses a delima for parents with babies and baby seats.
We drive to the next town and finally make it to the main road that leads to the road connecting Amman and Aqaba. The driver stops the truck and we wait.
The bus shows up at 6:30. I get on the bus.
We are now south of the dead sea. There is more sand but not the large sand dunes. Also there is some kind of grass growing on the sand in many places, so there are patches of light green among the brownish sand. There are herds of camels here as well. On both sides there are mountains, but they seem to be different ranges, so this is not a valley. We stop at a roadside store. It's a clean store and the bathrooms are also clean compared to others. I decide to order a coffee. Of course there are many kinds, just like Seattle. I am not talking about double tall skinny latte, or regular mocha with no foam. Here it is turkish coffee with sugar, no sugar, nescafe (which I have now learned to enjoy), Arabic coffee ect. I only see pots for boiling turkish coffee so I order turkish coffee with no sugar. As I ask how much, a guy jumps in and pays for the coffee. He is related to a couple of people who work at the lodge and has seen me around. Now the rest of the folks on the bus are curious, so I tell them my story. There is a lot of welcoming.
We make it to Aqaba.
Saturday, March 8, 2014
Wadi Guir hike and lunch
It's been a few days since the last post.
On Wednesday I was going to take out a mountain bike and see if I could make it to Feynan Village and back. However, in the morning as I was exploring this possibility some visitors asked me if I would like to join them for the half day guided tour into Wadi Guir. I decided to try it. The seven of us, the guide, a couple of ladies both archeologists, one from Ireland and one from England, and a family, th parents and their son, and myself, set off towards the south. Then crossed over into Wadi Guir, passing by some Roman ruins. There are quite a few of them here, but they have not been excavated and most of them are buried.
There is a lot of slag on these mountains. Slag is the stone after the copper has been extracted by heating the stone. It is black . Apparently nothing will grow where there is slag; another reason there is very little vegetation here.
Wadi Guir has water all year round from what I hear. Apparently it gets narrower and at some point you are walking in water with rock on both sides, but we did not get that far. I am told there is still a danger of flash floods and you don't want to get caught in the narrow part, so there are no hikes, I should say guided hikes until May. The hike is supposed to be really nice and since I am planning to leave mid April, I am trying to figure out a way to do this hike before I leave.
So we head up the valley walking on the river bed. Soon there is water running. There are irrigation pipes that take this water to the farms further down. It is hot but as we move further up the valley there is more water and the water is cool. The breeze picks up the coolness of the water and like a lazy air conditioner gently blows the air.
It is a pleasant walk. We talk about various things as we walk up the valley.
The water is flowing stronger now. We have crossed the river many times stepping over stones constantly looking for the dry bank to walk on. We finally stop. We collect wood build a fire and the guide makes tea. We drink the sweet tea and rest.
We head back. We do not turn right to head back to the lodge. We continue straight and there is a truck waiting for us. The family of three sit inside while the rest climb in the back. The two ladies sit. I let the guide sit. His back is bothering him. There is no more room so I stand. You can really feel the bumps standing in the back of the truck, and as a bonus you get to see where and how far down you will end up if the truck goes off the path or a bump sends you bouncing out of the back. It is a fun ride and cool back here. We get back to the lodge.
Thursday I stay at the lodge. A couple from Italy will be leaving today. I spent sometime with them the last three days. The guy is a professor at a university in Italy. The lady who is half Malaysian lives and works in Iraq in ER - and I thought Microsoft was stressful. We say good bys as they head out. They remind me of the Swiss couple who I had the pleasure to meet earlier. The lady worked for an ex-Microsoft director of research. She wanted to know why her boss acted in certain ways, describing common MS behaviors. The guy was finishing his PHD in art in Italy
Later one of the guides is frustrated. He is trying to do something in excel. I take a look. We get talking. Another guide joins us. I show them how to multiply two numbers and have the total appear magically. I show them how to anchor a cell. We go through summing up columns and a few other excersises.
Friday I am invited to the house of one of the guides for lunch. We will be having mansif. The guide lives in town, about 8 or 9 miles away. His father lives in a Bedou tent less than 10 minute walk from the lodge. I am supposed to catch a ride with his father.
The day starts around 9 AM and I am back by 4. Lunch takes a while here but the mansif is good.
On Wednesday I was going to take out a mountain bike and see if I could make it to Feynan Village and back. However, in the morning as I was exploring this possibility some visitors asked me if I would like to join them for the half day guided tour into Wadi Guir. I decided to try it. The seven of us, the guide, a couple of ladies both archeologists, one from Ireland and one from England, and a family, th parents and their son, and myself, set off towards the south. Then crossed over into Wadi Guir, passing by some Roman ruins. There are quite a few of them here, but they have not been excavated and most of them are buried.
There is a lot of slag on these mountains. Slag is the stone after the copper has been extracted by heating the stone. It is black . Apparently nothing will grow where there is slag; another reason there is very little vegetation here.
Wadi Guir has water all year round from what I hear. Apparently it gets narrower and at some point you are walking in water with rock on both sides, but we did not get that far. I am told there is still a danger of flash floods and you don't want to get caught in the narrow part, so there are no hikes, I should say guided hikes until May. The hike is supposed to be really nice and since I am planning to leave mid April, I am trying to figure out a way to do this hike before I leave.
So we head up the valley walking on the river bed. Soon there is water running. There are irrigation pipes that take this water to the farms further down. It is hot but as we move further up the valley there is more water and the water is cool. The breeze picks up the coolness of the water and like a lazy air conditioner gently blows the air.
It is a pleasant walk. We talk about various things as we walk up the valley.
The water is flowing stronger now. We have crossed the river many times stepping over stones constantly looking for the dry bank to walk on. We finally stop. We collect wood build a fire and the guide makes tea. We drink the sweet tea and rest.
We head back. We do not turn right to head back to the lodge. We continue straight and there is a truck waiting for us. The family of three sit inside while the rest climb in the back. The two ladies sit. I let the guide sit. His back is bothering him. There is no more room so I stand. You can really feel the bumps standing in the back of the truck, and as a bonus you get to see where and how far down you will end up if the truck goes off the path or a bump sends you bouncing out of the back. It is a fun ride and cool back here. We get back to the lodge.
Thursday I stay at the lodge. A couple from Italy will be leaving today. I spent sometime with them the last three days. The guy is a professor at a university in Italy. The lady who is half Malaysian lives and works in Iraq in ER - and I thought Microsoft was stressful. We say good bys as they head out. They remind me of the Swiss couple who I had the pleasure to meet earlier. The lady worked for an ex-Microsoft director of research. She wanted to know why her boss acted in certain ways, describing common MS behaviors. The guy was finishing his PHD in art in Italy
Later one of the guides is frustrated. He is trying to do something in excel. I take a look. We get talking. Another guide joins us. I show them how to multiply two numbers and have the total appear magically. I show them how to anchor a cell. We go through summing up columns and a few other excersises.
Friday I am invited to the house of one of the guides for lunch. We will be having mansif. The guide lives in town, about 8 or 9 miles away. His father lives in a Bedou tent less than 10 minute walk from the lodge. I am supposed to catch a ride with his father.
The day starts around 9 AM and I am back by 4. Lunch takes a while here but the mansif is good.
Monday, March 3, 2014
The copper mines
It's Saturday first of March. Yesterday I went on a hike by myself. I went to the other sunrise point. I was told this is a very nice walk because it follows the ridge of a few chains of mountains ending at a high peak. Of course I had no directions so I just set off towards the high peak. This ended up being quite a strenuous hike, with a lot of steep climbing, and many up and downs into and out of the valleys. I did Finally reach what appeared to be the top. Of course there were a few more tops beyond that. I almost turned back, but decided to go to the next top. From here I could see the ridge that people had mentioned. It looked beautiful, so I kept climbing until I was at sunrise point, marked by a mound of stones.
The climb down was a lot easier and much more pleasant. I followed the ridge, towards the north and then it turned north north west and back to the lodge. As I climbed down I saw a convoy of about five trucks headed towards the lodge. Later the dining room was full of guests.
A picture from the hike.
When I got back, one of the guides pulled me aside and asked in whisper, jokingly; "Did you locate the treasure." This has become a joke around here as well.
Today I decided to go on a guided hike to the copper mines. We have a party of six. The guide myself and two Italian couples. The guys work for an NGO. They work on water conservation, irrigation ect. One of the ladies used to do archeological work.
We head into the mountains. Along the path there are many dug up graves. People looking for gold. Apparently there are ancient graves everywhere in this area. Later the guide tells us that around 3500 slaves died and were burried here during the Roman period. Apparently Romans did not like religion so anyone practicing was enslaved and brought to the copper mines. It was mostly Christians during this period. The archaeologist lady comments that given most of the graves are of slaves, the chances of hitting gold are fairly slim. The guide explains that the rocks were heated up to around 1200 degrees C, around 2200 F, before the copper separated. Originally the Romans only used high winds to generate these temperatures. Later they supplemented the wind with bamboo tubes and had the slaves continuously stoking the fire with one group breathing in while the other group was blowing. Later they used leather bellows. I also heard that pollution from this site has been found in the ice in Antarctica. This place used to be a forest, but the Romans cut down the trees for fire. Now it is a desert.
Local mushrooms
So we make it to the mines. There are deep shafts for air, quite interesting.
We stop at one of the newer shafts, dug about 40 years ago to see how much copper is still left. The guide checks for prints at the entrance of the shaft. Then he goes to the other entrance to check there. I spot some prints, I don't recognize. The guide says they look like baby hyena. Most of them have been trampled over so they are not fresh. The danger is venturing into the shaft and finding that a pack of wolves, hyenas, act are resting there for the day. The guide claims there are tigers. I think he is referring to some other kind of large cat. It does not look like tiger territory.
This activity has spooked the ladies and they do not want to go in. Luckily the two entranced are connected at two places. One is just about ten feet into the shaft. The other is further down. The ladies take the first one and go back out. The men of course being men venture further. There is a crack above and is seems like a bat took off going further up. But this is not the bat habitat. There is another mine shaft where the bats live. The guide does not likebats so he tells me we won't be going there. The shaft ends and connects to the other entrance. No lion or tiger story here.
We go outside and the guide collects some dead branches and makes a fire. We have tea and talk about various things. The walk back is slow.
The climb down was a lot easier and much more pleasant. I followed the ridge, towards the north and then it turned north north west and back to the lodge. As I climbed down I saw a convoy of about five trucks headed towards the lodge. Later the dining room was full of guests.
A picture from the hike.
When I got back, one of the guides pulled me aside and asked in whisper, jokingly; "Did you locate the treasure." This has become a joke around here as well.
Today I decided to go on a guided hike to the copper mines. We have a party of six. The guide myself and two Italian couples. The guys work for an NGO. They work on water conservation, irrigation ect. One of the ladies used to do archeological work.
We head into the mountains. Along the path there are many dug up graves. People looking for gold. Apparently there are ancient graves everywhere in this area. Later the guide tells us that around 3500 slaves died and were burried here during the Roman period. Apparently Romans did not like religion so anyone practicing was enslaved and brought to the copper mines. It was mostly Christians during this period. The archaeologist lady comments that given most of the graves are of slaves, the chances of hitting gold are fairly slim. The guide explains that the rocks were heated up to around 1200 degrees C, around 2200 F, before the copper separated. Originally the Romans only used high winds to generate these temperatures. Later they supplemented the wind with bamboo tubes and had the slaves continuously stoking the fire with one group breathing in while the other group was blowing. Later they used leather bellows. I also heard that pollution from this site has been found in the ice in Antarctica. This place used to be a forest, but the Romans cut down the trees for fire. Now it is a desert.
Local mushrooms
So we make it to the mines. There are deep shafts for air, quite interesting.
We stop at one of the newer shafts, dug about 40 years ago to see how much copper is still left. The guide checks for prints at the entrance of the shaft. Then he goes to the other entrance to check there. I spot some prints, I don't recognize. The guide says they look like baby hyena. Most of them have been trampled over so they are not fresh. The danger is venturing into the shaft and finding that a pack of wolves, hyenas, act are resting there for the day. The guide claims there are tigers. I think he is referring to some other kind of large cat. It does not look like tiger territory.
This activity has spooked the ladies and they do not want to go in. Luckily the two entranced are connected at two places. One is just about ten feet into the shaft. The other is further down. The ladies take the first one and go back out. The men of course being men venture further. There is a crack above and is seems like a bat took off going further up. But this is not the bat habitat. There is another mine shaft where the bats live. The guide does not likebats so he tells me we won't be going there. The shaft ends and connects to the other entrance. No lion or tiger story here.
We go outside and the guide collects some dead branches and makes a fire. We have tea and talk about various things. The walk back is slow.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
A few slow days
A few slow days while working out some logistics. So just a couple of short notes.
First here is the local cat, Lucy. At least some people call her that - actually I am not sure if Lucy is a he or a she. Lucy likes to be petted and likes to snuggle, but some visitors don't like that so we have to keep her away from those visitors, since she is demanding.
Other stories. I've had several offers to help me settle in this valley. Offers include a tent and goats. Some offes included camels, and one offer included a wife as well. I am waiting to see if I get a better offer :-) .
I was at the school the other day with one of the guides. He pointed out at least 2 pairs of boys about the same age, maybe 8, where one was the uncle of the other. Apparently people continue to have children even when very old. Some female visitor quoted that men are very lucky here.
Last few days have been slow, not many guests. However it sounds like high season might be starting. I heard 50+ over the weekend.
I am starting to know the chef. He wants me to cook a tagine for the staff.
Generally I have Arabic coffee, but every once in a while I ask for Turkish coffee without sugar. It's a treat.
Before coming here I got a lot of materials about culture shock, dealing with locals ect. So far I have not experienced that shock. Also, I have not really missed any foods, luxeries ect., not even a good latte. People make do with what they have and I have learned the same. It is simple and nice. It's a good way to learn to accept the world as it is.
First here is the local cat, Lucy. At least some people call her that - actually I am not sure if Lucy is a he or a she. Lucy likes to be petted and likes to snuggle, but some visitors don't like that so we have to keep her away from those visitors, since she is demanding.
Other stories. I've had several offers to help me settle in this valley. Offers include a tent and goats. Some offes included camels, and one offer included a wife as well. I am waiting to see if I get a better offer :-) .
I was at the school the other day with one of the guides. He pointed out at least 2 pairs of boys about the same age, maybe 8, where one was the uncle of the other. Apparently people continue to have children even when very old. Some female visitor quoted that men are very lucky here.
Last few days have been slow, not many guests. However it sounds like high season might be starting. I heard 50+ over the weekend.
I am starting to know the chef. He wants me to cook a tagine for the staff.
Generally I have Arabic coffee, but every once in a while I ask for Turkish coffee without sugar. It's a treat.
Before coming here I got a lot of materials about culture shock, dealing with locals ect. So far I have not experienced that shock. Also, I have not really missed any foods, luxeries ect., not even a good latte. People make do with what they have and I have learned the same. It is simple and nice. It's a good way to learn to accept the world as it is.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
A dedication to the readers
Thought
The remnants of thought stuck in the edges
Flood the river of consciousness
Deceiving the trails formed by well constructed logic
Forming a science void of reasoning
It has come to my mind
To write down the meaning that surrounds us
Clear like the sun, in a sky void of moisture
Beaming rays in deep darkness
But what is puzzling, is the foundation of thought
Derived in places foreign to my existence
Yet a solid part of my being
Dragging with weight unbearable
I ponder this, I think
But is the I an I or a we
Forming a thought passed down through generations
And whose thought?
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Tales of Moroccans, treasures and jins
I am finally starting to get it, but it took a while. " What's your angle", or "What's in it for you" is what people wonder and so I've heard this bizzar theory that I did not fully understand the first few times, but now I know.
When I missed the bus or more correctly when the bus missed me and as I was waiting for the ride back to the lodge I had the following conversation with two guys sitting with me making sure I get my share of the morning nicotine that they are enjoying.
"Morrocans can find minerals" I don't quite understand the Arabic or the topic so I figure they are asking what minerals exist in Morocco. The word minerals here means gold, but I don't interpet it that way.
So I say, "Morocco produces phosphate"
They are not impressed and the other guy says "Morrocans are good at finding minerals ( meaning gold) but this is lost on me since I am thinking they mean minerals.
"I don't think there is any gold in Morocco, at least not a lot of it."
They move on and start asking if I paid for the ticket ect. Now I know where they are going. I have to concentrate on what they are saying so I forget about the significance of Morrocans and gold.
Next, while waiting for dinner with one of the locals out of the blue the father asks the same kind of question. And I reply "Phosphate." He is not satisfied and asks the question differently and the son who speaks some English says he means gold, but does not elaborate. There is that gold again. I start explaining that there is no gold in Morocco, but he says here, not in Morrocco. Now I am wondering who is really confused me or him. Finally he asks me in a somewhat clearer accent and words I can understand "Do you have a map that showes where to dig for gold."
"How in the world would I know where to dig for gold mines around here or even in Morocco." I am not sure why we are having this conversation but I kindly reply laughingly " No I have no maps that show gold locations" and then add "if I did I would go get the gold myself" - later as I understand things better I wonder if that might have been interpreted incorrecty.
A few days later one of the staff wants to sit down and chat. We are conversing in Arabic. As we chat he brings up the subject of Moroccans and gold. I just stay quite. I know by now that phosphate is the wrong answer. He tells me that Moroccans are known for being able to find gold. I find this to be a strange statement. So I ask " how is that." I figure this will also assure him that I don't have that ability. He is exited now and speaking faster in the bedou dialog, so it's a bit harder to understand. He explains that there used to be Moroccans passing through the area and since they could not carry the gold, they burried it and made a map of the location. So now I am starting to get the picture. Some people are thinking that I have a map ponting to some treasures. But this does not make sense because Moroccans did not venture this far in large numbers.
A few days latter another staff member asks me if I want to go for a walk. We are going to walk up Wadi Dana. The sun will be setting in less than 2 hours. It's still quite hot. The evening is starting to sip the brightness out of the scenery. The mountains are surrendering to the night. Soon the cool air will carry with it the heat burried in the ornamental rocks pinned to the surface of the mountains.
Rather than taking the river bed which is what most visitors do we head up away from the river bed. We get to a rugged path. This is easier to walk on instead of the sandy river bed. This is what the locals use. The path is also wide enough for a 4x4.
We pass a collection of bedou tents. There are many goats everywhere. There are a couple of dogs, one sitting right in the middle of of the path. I am told that the dogs will only chase other wild animals and don't bother people. It's time to test the theory. I pass close to the dog, almost stepping over him. He just sits there lazily yawning. We move on and pass a few more collection of tents. There are many goats. There are many tiny new born goats. It's a party. The young are calling their mothers, the mothers are answering, they are running towards each other, some are sucklin, some are eating, and there are the loners.
We are past the tents. In two seperate places there are the remains of big cement sewage pipes. Someone built bridges, that were quickly removed by flash floods. Now they look out of place. We are headed to the spring that supplies the water for the lodge. This is about a mile and a half from the lodge, about two and a half km. In this heat it is a treck. The guy says, we made a mistake, going out without water. I agree. We make it to the spring . it is covered. We chat for a while and then turn back.
There are some holes dug up in the ground. He stops and asks "you know what these are." I say "No."
"People digging for gold."
Sure enough the connection of Moroccans to gold comes up. So here is the story, at least the latest story.
Apparently there are believed to be treasures buried here. After all this area has seen armies and settlers for thousands of years, and there are graves from ancient times. Also, armies passing through after a conquest or individuals took the liberty of stashing gold and treasures they could not carry in caves or in the ground. It is also believed that some of these graves and caves have spells on them so if you enter them, you will die or bad things happen to you.
This is where the Moroccan connection comes in. People here believe that many Moroccans know how to communicate with the jin. So if you can find the right Moroccan, he can find out from the jin where the treasure is and then work with the jin to remove any spells and now you have pure gold.
A very short side note for those who don't know about jins. God created the angels from light, the jin from fire, and Adam from clay. So the jins do inhabit the earth, but cannot be seen my humans. Jins have abilities that humans do not have and vice versa.
So some people here apparently believe I have this ability and maybe I know where the gold is. This explains some reactions I have gotten when I said I went on a hike by myself.
So as we are heading back the guy says to me jokingly. I think people will think that we were off looking for gold.
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