Baptismal Site

Our poor, exhausted and tired legs made the last push to the River Jordan, where Jesus and John the Baptist were baptized. (Or so they say).

Behind me you can see the Israeli side. I am not sure why there weren't men outside with machine guns. Borders in this area are always tightly secured. Maybe they figure if you have enough gumption to swim in that gross, murky water you deserve to be in Israel.

This boy is ready to get dunked this fall. I am tempted to bring him back here. He can not only tell his friends that he was baptized in the Jordan River, but also a chocolate milk stream.

Aqaba and the best kind of traveling....

We made a quick stop at Aqaba before heading north to the Dead Sea. We were all tempted to forego our Dead Sea plans so we could stay there a bit longer. Once Jason and Axel saw the sea, they just had to see what was below its surface. I think Megan and I would have indulged our husbands but the rooms were booked and we had to keep moving. We stayed long enough to take a glass boat ride over the Red Sea to view Eilat, Israel and Taba, Egypt, and Aqaba all in one sitting.

Truth be told we didn't really see many fish. I am not sure if it was because it was so picked over or if the 'glass bottom boat' needed a real Windex clean. Fish or no fish the kids were so happy to be on a boat and with each other.

It took 10 minutes before the shoes were off and the jeans were soaked.

Only a couple hours later we piled in the cars and headed north. The drive was so spectacular. So many colors and different landscapes. There was a mixture of huge black rock and bright red sand. I found myself ohhhing and ahhhing over and over again. By hour 3 the kids were sick of hearing it. But tough. God made a beautiful world and I've gotta tell my kids often. "Now put down the iPad and stare out the window, its beautiful damn it."

I have thought about this trip and wondered why it was such an amazing success--especially with so many little kids. I realized that the company was the best part. I am entirely convinced that the best way to travel is with another family that you love. The kids stated over and over again that the best part of Jordan was Jack and Maddie. Sedona and Asa have not stopped talking about them. The odd time Asa will cry and say, 'I wanna go home. To Jack and Maddie's home.' My heart melts.

You know you have awesome friends when they can see your family tired, annoyed, and hungry and they still like you. That is the true test of a good friendship. However, if you could have the real friendship without testing it, that would also be nice. We have already planned our trips for when the kids are grown and less maintenance. No more proving needed.

Looks like a cheesy bereavement card, doesn't it? It is the 'dead' sea after all. How's that for cheese?

Wadi Rum

Also known as the Valley of the Moon.

If you made it through the first hour of Lawrence of Arabia without falling asleep you might be interested to know it was filmed in Wadi Rum. It is glorious, and you can almost fool yourself into thinking that you are on another planet. It is desolate, but gorgeous.

We rented a jeep and cruised around the landscape. Our tin can rental barely made it out of Amman, let alone through the desert hills. Please note: Jordanian rental cars are not held to the same standards as other rentals throughout the world. The bad news is you feel you must cross yourself before you go anywhere. The good news is the company will never notice if you scrape the exterior, rip the interior or destroy the engine. It is hard to leave it worse than you received it.

The canyon was my favorite place to explore save the narrow edges and slippery rock. It wasn't very toddler friendly, but they all sucked it up and scaled the walls well.

The petrogyphs were entertaining to look at. This one depicts a woman giving birth and the man next to her is shrugging his shoulders in confusion. It is the ancient picture of a Jerry Springer moment, 'That baby ain't mine.'

It is amazing how many shades of red/orange/grey you can see on one rock. I want a necklace.

...and 10 old ladies just had a heart attack.

Many people come to Wadi Rum to camp. If we had the time, we would have tried it out. It is the perfect place to feel like you are having an authentic Middle Eastern bedouin experience. That is, with cell phone and wifi coverage.

I love the fact that Megan (a fabulous photographer) just happened to take several family photos for us. I know her camera holds golden photos of our trip together. Two cameras are always better than one, especially if one of those cameras is Megan's.

The sandpit was also a favorite for adults and children alike. The classic scenes were watching children lose their footing and face plant in the hot, grainy sand. Is bad if I laugh instead of run to assist my son as he gets a mouth full sand? Don't tell me.

Jack finally spotted the first caught lizard. Axel's trip can be complete.

Merchants trying to sell 4 year olds oud and soap. It was a tough sell, but their cute faces should have been exchange enough.

After visiting Wadi Rum, it makes me want to stay awake for the full 3.5 hours of Lawrence of Arabia, just to relive the beauty all over again.

Petra

The fun really began when we got to explore Jordan with the Pettys. The kids were so happy to reunite with Jack and Maddie. Sedona said that she wished their home was hers. After we were there for a few days, I had to agree. One of the worst parts of living overseas is the fact that people leave. When the Pettys left Qatar just shortly after we finally moved into their compound, it was devastating. That is why our reunion was so delightful.

Some of my favorite people

Our first stop was Petra. You know, Indiana Jones and the Temple of the Sun? Yeah, the facade exists but there are no holy grails or 20 foot rolling rocks. Instead, it is a small room where most people use as a urinal (as the smell indicates).

The wind at this particular corner was less like the breath of God and more like a cold and penetrating current from hell. It was great there was so much walking so all the little bodies following us had their blood flowing. I was impressed with how much they walked and how little they complained. Xavier said his favorite part of the entire Jordan trip was walking through Petra holding Jack's hand. He thought it was fantastic that Jack admired him, even down to fearlessly following him on high rocks and cliffs.

Heavah was quite happy collecting pottery with her dad for an extended period of time. I am sure the relic pieces are worth millions. Sotheby's, call me. She insisted on keeping every piece regardless of the fact that it weighed an extra 10 pounds in daddy's pocket.

One of my favorite Petra shots

The kids followed the water conduits the whole way through, which was at least a mile in and a mile out. The other tourists weren't used to seeing a bunch of rambunctious children wreaking havoc on a famous archaeological site. There are certain tourist sites in the world that most people aren't crazy enough to bring kids. Petra is one of them. We were just a whole bunch of crazy walking through with 6 small ones.

Petra was established around 6 century BC and was a caravan trading center for the Nabataeans. The narrow, towering rocks show movement of wind and rain. It reminds me of Page, Arizona, with taller, and more jagged rocks, and fewer Mormons.

The picture below shows ancient marketing efforts. To the left you can see a Nabataean and his caravan following behind (the camel's belly is over Heavah's head). It is like a 'Welcome--First Five Customers are Free!' sign to all the arriving caravans.

Heavah's favorite part of the entire trip was riding the horses in and out of Petra. After continuous walking for hours, 10 dollars for 4 horses? Done.

There is a reason why Petra is considered one of the modern 7 wonders of the world. Plan your trip and go!

Jordan Countryside and Jerash

As soon as we arrived in Jordan we ran for the hills. The air was crisp, and the flowers were blooming. So. not. Qatar.

Axel talked about the Jordanian lizards more than anything else. He had already been to Jordan and caught a chameleon the last time he was there. Who cares about the dead sea when you can catch cold blooded creatures with dental floss and a stick?

Shepherds and heads

A real Arabian horse grazing? The car must stop!

Nut and raisins anyone?

On our way back to Amman we stopped over at Jerash, a city that dates back to 3200 BC. The major development of the city took place during 90 AD when the Romans built up the city by creating roads and further economic development. At its prime, the city was over 80,000 square meters and thrived until the Persian invasion in 614 AD. The remains of the city were impressive and easily rivaled any ruin in Greece, which says a lot for a Roman ruin in the Middle East. Most everything turns to dust.

The walls were perfect for the kids to run, hide, slide, and run off of. It was an exciting place to explore. Plus, the blonde hair made us one of the feature attractions of Jerash. I do believe there are at least 30 camera phones possessing Asa's dimpled smile.