Jordan and Egypt

We intended to fly into Amman Jordan a day early and take a day trip to the Dead Sea. Unfortuanately our flight from Dallas was delayed (9:15 PM flight took off at 11:30) a few hours and we didn't have enough time to make our connection at Heathrow. British Airways put us up for the night in the Renaissance Hotel. We actually landed in terminal for our next departure but they wouldn't let us go in. We had to get on a bus and go a long way to another terminal and queue to another bus that brought us back to where we basically started.

In the lobby of the Renaissance Hotel. 12:06.

In both Jordan and Egypt travel representatives had badges that allowed them to meet us soon after we got off the plane and before we got to baggage claim.

The view from our Hotel room soon after we got there at 1:30 in the morning. If you look closely you can see a Popeye's chicken restaurant.

The hotel had box lunches waiting for us at check-in. We didn't get into them right away. 8:54

Where Jordan sits in the Middle East.

We drive through a nice neighborhood in Amman and pass by the King Abdullah mosque. 10:15

We visit the Citadel which sits in the middle of Amman. 10:30

Water is always a scarce commodity in the whole area. 10:34

From the Citadel looking towards the Roman amphitheatre. Our tour was scheduled to visit the amphitheatre but our tour guide thought that going to the Jordan Museum was a better use of our time. He was right. 10:35

Hercules gate???. and parts of what is believed to be a statue of Hercules. 10:45

Remains of a Byzantine Church. 10:49

An ancient water tank. 10:56

Looking out over the city and its many apartments. Our tour leader, Issam, gets a water delivery to his 400 gallon tank weekly. 10:51

Before we go into the museum at the Citadel. 11:16.

Parts of what is believed to have been a very big statue of Hercules. 11:16.

A very very long history for this area. 11:19

The museum was opened in 1951 and seemed to not have been updated. 11:20

It was jam packed with a lot if information and artifacts streching over a very long time period. 11:24

Nabataeans. 11:27

Some ancient coffins. 11:32

Some ancient coffins.

Umayyad Architecture. So much history in the middle east. 11:35. There was a lot more at this museum.

An overall view of the main part of the museum. There were several side rooms with disp 11:36

The Byzantine Period. 11:36

An ancient mosaic. 11:38

We go to a local market. 12:04

Lots of different foods. 12:08

Lots of color here. 12:08

And then we have lunch. 12:39

And a desert at a small shop with a line of locals. 1:06

A look inside the shop.

We then go to the Jordan museum. A very modern facility with an old box car from British times out front. 1:28

Inside the Jordan Museum 1:31.

An old box that looked almost new. 1:34

A three thousand year old box. 1:34

An exhibition containing the dead sea scrolls. We weren't allowed to take pictures of the actual scrolls that were displayed. 1:47

More about Qumran. 1:47

Some more history. 1:49

Amoung the oldest large-scale statues in the world. Made of reed frames covered with plaster. Radiocarbon dating gives dates for these towards the eighth millennium BC. 1:53.

Another of the plaster statues. 1:55 .

Some info about the statues. 1:55 .

2:12 .

A bone needle. 2:10 .

More modern day Bedouin dress. 2:17.

Where did alphabets originate? 2:23 .

The size of the Nabataean Kingdom. 2:24.

Early trade routes. 2:25

Ancient Jordanian civilizations during the iron age. 2:10

That evening we had a lovely meal sitting outside at this restaurant. 7:15

It's Wednesday so later that evening we have a Martini at the hotel bar and listen to two female singers from Italy. 9:02.

We drive to this treasure north of Amman. The ancient city of Jerash. Here we approach through Hadrian's gate. 10:01

A look along the Cardo Maximus. 10:11

The hippodrome. 10:14

The South Gate. 10:27

The Oval Plaza or Oval Forum. 10:44 .

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Inside the Jerash Amphitheare 11:00.

Our guide brought his son, Mohammed, to also visit Jordanian history. 11:02 .

About the Temple of Artemis. 11:31

The Temple of Artemis. 11:31

Another view of the temple. 11:33.

The Nymphaeum where water poured into the basin. 11:59 .

The South Gate and City Wall explanation.

On the way back to Amman we stop by the Royal Automobile Museum. This is actually a replica of a Rolls Royce converted to an armored car for the TransJordan conflict. Lawrence of Arabia used these cars. 2:32

A 1936 Cord. There was a lot of automotive history here. 2:49

A 1952 Rolls-Royce.

The rover the Matt Damon's film "The Martian" which had a lot of outdoor scenes filmed in Wadi Rum. 3:00

Our home visit. Flipping the updside down chicken.

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Group shot of our family visit. The 16 year old Omar was very outgoing and accoumpied us in and out of the building. 7:41

On our way out of town we stop by a store and buy some spices. Issam said this was a good place to get containers of the seven spice combination used in Jordanian cooking. 9:11

We go to Mt. Nebo. This is the location where Moses got his look into the promised land. 10:00

We go to Mt. Nebo. This is the location where Moses got his look into the promised land. 10:19

10:10.

10:11.

A view looking north at an agricultural area. 10:12.

We are approaching the church and the overlook toward Israel. 10:15.

The cross and snake. 10:17

10:22.

Mosaic's inside the church. 10:23

The alter of the church. 10:29 .

More inside views of the church. 10:30

Another inside view 10:36.

Some background about the church. 10:36

In the nearby town of Madaba. She is building a mosaic.11:01

A tree of life mosaic we bought.

A depiction of a map of the area we will find inside the church in Madaba. 11:52

The actual mosaic. 11:56

The ceiling of the church. 11:54

The ceiling of the church. 11:57

A dam in Wadi Mujib. 1:56

Our room in Petra. 5:38

The dish the hotel chef made for us. 9:05.

Walking into the Petra historical site. 8:58.

9:07.

A water diversion tunnel built early in the history of Petra. It kept water from flooding down As-Sig .9:16.

9:17.

9:25.

9:28.

9:35.

A fish. 9:40.

No an elephant. 9:40.

9:51.

9:57.

First look at the Treasury. 10:00.

10:01.

9:21.

9:25.

10:25.

10:26.

9:28.

9:31.

9:38.

9:39.

First look at the Treasure - Fuji time off?? 10:00.

10:02.

In front of the "Treasury". 10:04

10:15.

10:28.

10:35.

The amphitheare. 10:46

Notes about the temple complex. 11:41.

12:00.

12:10.

1:10.

1:40.

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Flying over Jordan.

Our route from Amman to Cairo.