Amman: 1.02.2006
Amman: 2.02.2006
Today started cloudy. And windy. And raindrops now and then. Though temperature was around 14 degC, it turned distinctly chilly. Our work ran from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm, after which we called it off and went for lunch at Pizza Hut. The beginning of our meal was slightly spoiled because our order of feta cheese and spinach rolls came to be served as barbecued chicken rolls and we were halfway through our meal before we realised it! The waiter, finding spinach short, had ‘upgraded’ us, expecting feverish thanks, but was faced with Manihar’s indignation instead!
.We visited upmarket Amman, ie the downtown area, and went to a shopping mall. Jordanians dress quite fashionably and well, and the branded shops did have one or two customers, unlike Muscat. The food court was roaring, with no place to sit. They did not allow photography inside, the twits!......
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This is the first time I am travelling to Middle Eastern countries – Jordan, Syria and Turkey (UAE is practically home). Mind you, the people of Jordan etc do not think of themselves as proper Arabs – more European, so to speak. They are all very fair and stylish and lot of them speak very good English, giving a valid gora effect overall.
.I spent last night on a couch in the Emirates Business Lounge, awaiting my 8.30 am connection to Amman, for which Manihar joined me at Dubai. The internet had predicted pretty cold weather – max 10 degC, min 0 degC. So I had bought a short woollen coat and a turtle-neck sweater at Muscat, and having packed it along with gloves and cap in a separate hand-baggage, which I decided not to let out of my possession come what may, I felt that I was adequately prepared. In fact, when we landed in Amman at 9.30 am, it was 7 degC, but quickly climbed to 12 degC.
.2 million out of Jordan’s 5 million population lives in Amman. It is a sprawling city, built on mountainous terrain, therefore full of climbing streets and sudden turning slopes. The traffic was heavy, but good-natured, the shops and arcades very Indian-ish. The people are friendly and most of them speak passable English. Mani speaks fluent Arabic anyway.
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As the day was already half-spent, we worked straight through to 5.30 pm, which is closing time in winter months here, meeting people and surveying the market. The temperature dropped quickly after sundown, hitting 8 degC by 6.00 pm. We went straight for dinner at an Indian restaurant and repaired to our hotel, a bit tired as it was the first day.
.I spent last night on a couch in the Emirates Business Lounge, awaiting my 8.30 am connection to Amman, for which Manihar joined me at Dubai. The internet had predicted pretty cold weather – max 10 degC, min 0 degC. So I had bought a short woollen coat and a turtle-neck sweater at Muscat, and having packed it along with gloves and cap in a separate hand-baggage, which I decided not to let out of my possession come what may, I felt that I was adequately prepared. In fact, when we landed in Amman at 9.30 am, it was 7 degC, but quickly climbed to 12 degC.
.2 million out of Jordan’s 5 million population lives in Amman. It is a sprawling city, built on mountainous terrain, therefore full of climbing streets and sudden turning slopes. The traffic was heavy, but good-natured, the shops and arcades very Indian-ish. The people are friendly and most of them speak passable English. Mani speaks fluent Arabic anyway.
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As the day was already half-spent, we worked straight through to 5.30 pm, which is closing time in winter months here, meeting people and surveying the market. The temperature dropped quickly after sundown, hitting 8 degC by 6.00 pm. We went straight for dinner at an Indian restaurant and repaired to our hotel, a bit tired as it was the first day.
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Four Seasons, where we were staying, was a very nice hotel. The rooms have DVD players as well and a choice of free movies at the reception. I chose “National Treasure” (Nicholas Cage) which I’ll try to watch after I write my journal entry for the day. Don’t think I’ll finish it – it’s 9.00 pm already.
Four Seasons, where we were staying, was a very nice hotel. The rooms have DVD players as well and a choice of free movies at the reception. I chose “National Treasure” (Nicholas Cage) which I’ll try to watch after I write my journal entry for the day. Don’t think I’ll finish it – it’s 9.00 pm already.
Amman: 2.02.2006
Today started cloudy. And windy. And raindrops now and then. Though temperature was around 14 degC, it turned distinctly chilly. Our work ran from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm, after which we called it off and went for lunch at Pizza Hut. The beginning of our meal was slightly spoiled because our order of feta cheese and spinach rolls came to be served as barbecued chicken rolls and we were halfway through our meal before we realised it! The waiter, finding spinach short, had ‘upgraded’ us, expecting feverish thanks, but was faced with Manihar’s indignation instead!
.We visited upmarket Amman, ie the downtown area, and went to a shopping mall. Jordanians dress quite fashionably and well, and the branded shops did have one or two customers, unlike Muscat. The food court was roaring, with no place to sit. They did not allow photography inside, the twits!......
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In all public places, including our hotel, checking and body-searches are quite common. Gun-toting military police are also seen in good numbers.
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We changed our stay plans slightly. Since we also had to visit the town of Aqaba down south (350 km) and the historic hidden city of Petra was on the way, we decided to check out of here tomorrow, go to Petra and stay there (being Friday) and continue to Aqaba next morning, work there and return to Amman at night.
In all public places, including our hotel, checking and body-searches are quite common. Gun-toting military police are also seen in good numbers.
.
We changed our stay plans slightly. Since we also had to visit the town of Aqaba down south (350 km) and the historic hidden city of Petra was on the way, we decided to check out of here tomorrow, go to Petra and stay there (being Friday) and continue to Aqaba next morning, work there and return to Amman at night.
Petra: 3.02.2006
Today was a sightseeing day, although our business purpose was served to the extent that in travelling to Petra, we covered more than half the distance to the southern city of Aqaba, where we have to meet customers tomorrow.
.Morning at Amman was tremendously foggy and very chilly. Ahmed, our driver, promised that Petra would be clearer and warmer. Amman being a hilly area, we were being subject to hilly weather.
.On the way to Petra, we took a diversion to the town of Kerak, which was a fully fortified city at one time, with the fortress at the top looking over rolling plains on three sides. The views were magnificent. The fort itself is quite primitive compared to, say, the citadel that we had seen in Alexandria. However, the position is very good, the city limits bounded by deep river gorges.
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.We reached Petra city (small hilly town, actually) around 2.00 pm. Since the hidden ancient city location closes at 5.00 pm, we straightaway went in, skipping lunch and delaying the check-in till we finished. We engaged a guide as well, as the history was a little fuzzy for us.
.The ancient city of Petra (not the currently inhabited part) actually resides inside a vast area surrounded by hills and limestone cliffs. The formal approach is along a 1.2 kilometre gorge, around 10-20 metres wide at the base and 40 metres high, along which people, horses, carriages, whatever had to travel along to reach the hidden city. It was built up between the 2nd century BC and the 5th century AD, mainly by the Nabataeans, a very gifted Arab tribe originally from north-west Arabia, who had their fingers on all the trade routes going through the region. Caravan control and management seemed to be their specialty. Later on, around 100 AD, the city was captured by the Romans.
.The approach is truly amazing. It was originally a natural gorge along which water used to flow, which the Nabataeans dried out, paved and made into their approach road. In fact, as we emerge from the final crack in the cliff, the Treasury building looms large right in front..
.The ancient city of Petra (not the currently inhabited part) actually resides inside a vast area surrounded by hills and limestone cliffs. The formal approach is along a 1.2 kilometre gorge, around 10-20 metres wide at the base and 40 metres high, along which people, horses, carriages, whatever had to travel along to reach the hidden city. It was built up between the 2nd century BC and the 5th century AD, mainly by the Nabataeans, a very gifted Arab tribe originally from north-west Arabia, who had their fingers on all the trade routes going through the region. Caravan control and management seemed to be their specialty. Later on, around 100 AD, the city was captured by the Romans.
.The approach is truly amazing. It was originally a natural gorge along which water used to flow, which the Nabataeans dried out, paved and made into their approach road. In fact, as we emerge from the final crack in the cliff, the Treasury building looms large right in front..
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.The rock formations are diverse and the variety of colours and designs in the rock really great. They had dug water channels all along the walls for feeding the city. During the Roman siege, the Romans simply stopped these channels and the city fell.
.To see Petra’s architecture fully, it would take at least two days, as the places inside the area are far apart. It seemed that most of the dwellings were cave-like and were quite simplistic, with poor natural lighting. Tombs were many, both inside the city area as well as outside the gorge.
.To see Petra’s architecture fully, it would take at least two days, as the places inside the area are far apart. It seemed that most of the dwellings were cave-like and were quite simplistic, with poor natural lighting. Tombs were many, both inside the city area as well as outside the gorge.
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.The rose-red stones and dust lend Petra its typical colour. In the sunlight, the buildings and pillars look positively pink!
.We have put up at the Crown Plaza. Finished our pizza dinner by 7.00 pm and trudged back, quite fagged out.
.We have put up at the Crown Plaza. Finished our pizza dinner by 7.00 pm and trudged back, quite fagged out.
Aqaba: 4.02.2006
Today I woke at 4.00 am (6.00 am in Muscat) and wished Panna ‘happy anniversary’.
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First view out of the window was the mountains of Petra as the sunlight slowly climbed down from the peaks.
.We took off after breakfast to the port city of Aqaba, on the coast of the Red Sea. A medium-sizes relaxed city of around 100,000 inhabitants. Our work was over in the morning, so we spent some time at the waterfront and looked upon the city of Eilat (Israel) across the Gulf of Aqaba.
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.[For those of you who have seen the classic “Lawrence of Arabia”, Aqaba was the strategically important port town that Lawrence attacked after crossing the uncrossable desert and routed the Ottoman forces.]
.After lunch, we went sightseeing to a natural reserve called Wadi Rum, around 30 km from Aqaba. It is a truly wonderful place, declared as a natural preserve. A tremendously wide wadi bordered by high limestone cliffs weathered for ages into intricate patterns. Our 17.5 year old driver packed us into a mud-spattered 4-wheel drive and took off full-speed across the bouncy grounds, smooth pink dunes and sometimes across rocky slopes. The views were simply fantastic and photos were grossly inadequate.......
.After lunch, we went sightseeing to a natural reserve called Wadi Rum, around 30 km from Aqaba. It is a truly wonderful place, declared as a natural preserve. A tremendously wide wadi bordered by high limestone cliffs weathered for ages into intricate patterns. Our 17.5 year old driver packed us into a mud-spattered 4-wheel drive and took off full-speed across the bouncy grounds, smooth pink dunes and sometimes across rocky slopes. The views were simply fantastic and photos were grossly inadequate.......
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Lawrence had made Wadi Rum also his playground. This was his headquarter during the time he was coordinating the Arab Revolt during WWI. In fact we were shown a dilapidated brick shelter which goes by the name of ‘Lawrence’s house’.
.Two days ago, it had rained in Wadi Rum like it had never rained for 15 years. Deep gullies had formed where there was soft soil. Yet there was hardly any trace of moisture today.
.While returning, we picked up a Canadian couple whose Jeep had run out of petrol! On introduction, we learnt that the man had “just finished starting off a couple of telecom companies” and the lady was an architect. Nice people. We stood together in Wadi Rum and watched the sunset.
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Lawrence had made Wadi Rum also his playground. This was his headquarter during the time he was coordinating the Arab Revolt during WWI. In fact we were shown a dilapidated brick shelter which goes by the name of ‘Lawrence’s house’.
.Two days ago, it had rained in Wadi Rum like it had never rained for 15 years. Deep gullies had formed where there was soft soil. Yet there was hardly any trace of moisture today.
.While returning, we picked up a Canadian couple whose Jeep had run out of petrol! On introduction, we learnt that the man had “just finished starting off a couple of telecom companies” and the lady was an architect. Nice people. We stood together in Wadi Rum and watched the sunset.
......
.We reached Amman around 9.00 pm and checked into the Royal Palace hotel this time.
Amman: 5.02.2006
After lunch, we were scheduled to travel to Damascus by road, but we were at a loose end in the morning as all the meetings in Amman were over. So we decided to visit the Dead Sea, which is a half-hour drive from Amman.
.Said to be the lowest sea-level in this part of the world, the Dead Sea is tremendously salty and heavy. Manihar had visited earlier, but I definitely looked forward to the ‘fffloating sensation”.
.The coastal drive to the sea was also picturesque, hugging the mountains. Standing on the beach, we could see Israel on the other side. We changed and waded into the water over very sharp and scratchy salt deposits that looked like corals. A single scratch would burn for a long time. Floating was quite nice (though the water felt very chilly to start with). Half the body practically remains out of the water..
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.The beach also has deposits of black volcanic mud (like I had seen in Kamchatka), which we rubbed all over ourselves and waited in the sun for it to dry – sort of like a pack treatment. In fact it is said to have therapeutic properties. Then we washed it off by another dip in the sea.
.Our driver Ahmed volunteered to take us to some hot springs 10 km away. There was even a hot waterfall that served to give a hot massage to our neck and back as we stood under it. The pools were also steaming hot and very relaxing. The surroundings were not cleanly maintained, though..
.Our driver Ahmed volunteered to take us to some hot springs 10 km away. There was even a hot waterfall that served to give a hot massage to our neck and back as we stood under it. The pools were also steaming hot and very relaxing. The surroundings were not cleanly maintained, though..
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.We drove back to the hotel, checked out and had lunch – you guessed it, Pizza Hut! I swear I would not be able to eat Pizza for a month or so!
.We said goodbye to a customer and got dropped to the Amman-Damascus taxi stand. Leaving at 5.00 pm, we reached Damascus by 8.30 pm, which was quite a decent hour. We checked into Sheraton, but we could make out that the standards in Syria were not as high as those in Jordan.
.We had dinner at the hotel of hummus, mutable, falafel and bread – heavenly!
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.We said goodbye to a customer and got dropped to the Amman-Damascus taxi stand. Leaving at 5.00 pm, we reached Damascus by 8.30 pm, which was quite a decent hour. We checked into Sheraton, but we could make out that the standards in Syria were not as high as those in Jordan.
.We had dinner at the hotel of hummus, mutable, falafel and bread – heavenly!
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