Jordan: Mt Nebo 27 February, 2010

From the Bible, book of Deuteronomy, chapter 34:

The view over Moab from the top of Mt Nebo - Moses's last interview with the Lord on earth

Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There the LORD showed him the whole land—from Gilead to Dan, all of Naphtali, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the western sea, the Negev and the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar.  Then the LORD said to him, “This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it.”

Symbolic snake-on-a-pole erected by the Franciscans who bought up Mt Nebo

And Moses the servant of the LORD died there in Moab, as the LORD had said. He buried him in Moab, in the valley opposite Beth Peor, but to this day no one knows where his grave is. Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died, yet his eyes were not weak nor his strength gone.  The Israelites grieved for Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days, until the time of weeping and mourning was over.

He's out there somewhere; Moses's grave was never found

Jordan: Roman re-enactments 26 February, 2010

Not every tour you book in Jordan includes the Roman re-enactments that take place in the Roman remains at Jerash, but you really should see it. Especially if you have kids; in our case, our youngest is studying the Roman empire, so the hour we spent had educative effects.

Shielded; a miniature version of the Roman 'tortoise' (testudo), a moving fortress for use against arrows and during sieges

It takes place in the Hippodrome, a partly reconstructed horse racing stadium which would have seated the entire population of the city at what was probably the great mass sport of the Roman empire. Even slaves took an interest in the horse racing, because an adventurous slave might hope to ride a chariot and, if he did well for his master, earn his freedom.

Ben Hur and her and him

The re-enactment begins with some marching, training and fighting by a small unit of the Sixth Legion ‘ironsides’, demonstrating the maneouvres and equipment of the empire.

That is followed by gladiatorial combat, and plenty of opportunities to vote for the survival (or otherwise) of defeated participants – thumbs up to live, thumbs sideways (never down) for the killing blow. The audience we were part of was kind to two of the fighters, but decided to try the ultimate martial discipline on the the third, who died splendidly.

Finally, three chariots explode into the ring and start throwing up dust as they do several laps of Ben Hur style action. All great fun, made even better by the chance to get down into the ring and meet the 38 participants in the show. For a little tip you can even send your children off into peril in the chariot.

Let's play catch-the-flag ...

Jordan: Valentines in the Cave Bar 25 February, 2010

Valentine’s Day fell during our Jordan trip. It’s also Joel’s birthday but, after putting him to bed, Jane and I slipped out into Wadi Musa’s acclaimed watering hole, the Cave Bar.

This is a (roughly) 2,000 year old cave, before the Siq that leads into the fabled hidden kingdom of Petra, where caravans of traders with their cargo were examined by the Nabateans and were taxed before carrying on.

These days it’s been transformed into a bar. We thought it would be interesting to pop in for a drink, though with Jane a virtual tee-totaler, and neither of us being much in the way of pub- and club-goers, we weren’t under any illusions that it would be romantic or exciting.

Sure enough, after watching some overweight and less-than-sober tourists working hard to engage all the staff in Bedouin dancing, we decided we had soaked up the historic atmosphere to our hearts’ content, and headed back to the hotel.

For those looking for things of interest in Wadi Musa, we can also recommend Moses’s rock. Allegedly the very one the old prophet struck with his staff at God’s command, there is still a rock, and still a spring. Oddly, the whole arrangement is now housed in a concrete structure next door to a curio shop on one street in the town, looking for all the world like a deserted emporium or large shelter for people waiting for the bus.