Ruins and Riches
Trip Start
Feb 24, 2008
1
3
14
Trip End
Mar 03, 2008
Amman,
Jordan
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Issa our guide and Said our driver were there as promised and, even though it was a foggy morning, we set off for the castles of the East Desert. We were going to visit 3 Desert Castles today, the route to them would take us to within 50 kilometres of Saudi Arabia and 250 kilometres of Iraq, close enough for us thanks:
Qasr Kharama - a squat, square block of between 35 and 39 meters square (measurements vary from book to guide) with 2 storeys of rooms used to house animals, travellers and Bedouin or Umayyad Rulers coming to meet each other. The flat roof gave views of the vast flat desert around it. One of the interesting features were the narrow windows. Rather than straight out they were slanted, apparently to allow for ventilation rather than providing defensive positions. After the tour we went and sat in the "authentic" Bedouin tent and drank tea;
Qusayr Amra - this Caravan Serai, baths and hunting lodge has the remains of an amazing bathhouse with walls covered in frescos ranging from hunting scenes to nude women and the star signs of the Zodiac. The water system was truly ingenious for its day; A donkey was attached to a wheel and walked in a circle, this pumped the water from the 25 to 36 metre deep well across the courtyard and either into the cold bath or, via the heating fires, into either the warm or hot baths.
East Desert Highway
The steam off the heated water was not wasted but channelled up through wooden slats into a room to create a sauna. Brilliant!Qasr Al-Azraq - this one was a real fort that has been occupied over the ages by Romans, Byzantines, Ottoman Turks and, most notably, Lawrence of Arabia. The fort is quite a ruin but still has one tower that is accessible as are a number of the rooms used for a variety of reasons including storage, residential, livestock and one even housed a well. There is also still the most impressive Basalt door that felt like it would have needed a garrison to open it!
Desert Castle tour over we were taken to the local "tourist trap" buffet restaurant which we declined and chose to wander around while Issa and Said ate their lunch. We found some ostriches and ducks to talk to and also a lady vet from Tunisia who, like us, had turned down the lunch offer.
As we had done our own city tour Issa took us on a tour of the wealthy suburbs. Wow, talk about ostentatious. These houses are clearly the new desert castles each one trying to outdo its neighbours. And as for the US Embassy, it looks like a small city guarded by a tank and various vehicle mounted machine guns and water cannons. A show of force or what?!
Our last stop was to see the cluster of buildings made up of the Jordanian Courts of Justice, Parliament building, the mosaic blue domed King Abdullah Mosque and a giant church that looks more like a mosque than a church.
A quick stop at the supermarket to fill up with water and get a restaurant recommendation for supper before we were dropped back at our hotel for the night. We were pleasantly surprised when Osama, our friendly receptionist, told us that supper was included in tonight's accommodation.
We spent some time on the hotel Internet PC before going down to the dining room for what turned out to be a delicious supper buffet.
Tomorrow we have an early start to drive to Aqaba so earlier to bed tonight. Goodnight :-)
