After our first correct day exploring the traditional misplaced Kingdom of Petra in Jordan (additionally see our second submit right here from after we visited the traditional Monastery in Petra), we determined to spend the following day exploring much more of Jordan by venturing up north in direction of the Lifeless Sea.
Besides, as a substitute of simply heading straight up there, we determined to take a little bit of a meandering route up there and cease off at some unimaginable spots alongside the way in which.
To get round, we truly employed a driver through our resort as that simply appeared like essentially the most smart possibility.
The value was truly fairly cheap and on prime of that, we had our good friend, Georgia, with us so it meant that prices could be shared between 3 and so even financially, it made extra sense than making an attempt to determine another technique to get round.
We began off at Shobak Fort, which isn’t too removed from Wadi Musa.
Wadi Musa, by the way in which, is the city the place Petra is.
Shobak Fort can be known as Montreal and dates again to the 12 months 1115 so it’s fairly a tremendous historic spot to take a look at in Jordan.
We didn’t spend too lengthy there earlier than heading to our subsequent cease, town of Madaba.
The factor we have been on the lookout for particularly in Madaba is a well-known mosaic map, aptly referred to as “The Madaba Map” which is positioned within the church of Saint George.
The Madaba map depicts what’s now Jordan and the nations throughout it and is among the oldest maps doing so.
It dates again to the 12 months 542 making it virtually 1,500 years previous so understandably it displays what the realm would have regarded like again then and never what it seems to be like in current day.
Leaving Madaba we headed additional north as much as Mount Nebo which is talked about within the Bible because the place the place Moses was proven the promised land.
Mount Nebo can be the place Moses died, making this spot an vital pilgrimage web site for Christians, Muslims and Jews from everywhere in the world.
On clear days you possibly can see proper into Israel and Palestine in addition to the Lifeless Sea from Mount Nebo.
Now, on the very prime of Mount Nebo, you’ll discover Syagha or Siyagha (relying on who you converse to), which is house to the stays of a Byzantine church.
This is among the issues you possibly can miss out while you’re right here because it has these extremely historic mosaics adoring the church partitions.
This church is imagine to have existed way back to the 12 months 394 and once more is one other vital historic spot to go to in Jordan.
Carrying on from there we made our manner over to the Lifeless Sea and it’s truly essentially the most surreal feeling while you step foot within the water there.
For the uninitanted, the Lifeless Sea is among the lowest level on earth and the working idea round its formation (in easy phrases) is that it was a part of the ocean however ultimately acquired lower off on account of tectonic exercise.
Over time, it then evaporated making it increasingly salty (the water evaporates with none of the salt) and is now virtually 10 occasions as salty because the ocean.
This saltiness is why you possibly can float in right here with out making any effort.
Additionally, one other well-known factor right here is the mud you get from the Lifeless Sea.
It’s alleged to be actually good in your pores and skin and to be trustworthy, it does really feel like that while you use it.
Like your pores and skin feels noticeable softer.
Understandably, there’s now large demand for this mud everywhere in the world.
Leaving the Lifeless Sea, we began to make our manner again to Petra however in a special path to the way in which we truly arrived, travelling as a substitute this time, alongside the shore line of the Lifeless Sea.
The panorama down that route is completely fascinating and we needed to get out of the automotive a number of occasions simply to cease and take all of it in correctly.
And the journey again simply acquired much more particular because the solar set and earlier than lengthy, we have been again in Petra, able to lastly go to this historic misplaced metropolis at night time.
It’s actually referred to as Petra at night time and there’s a complete candlelit efficiency there and the whole lot.
I’ll share all of that within the subsequent submit – together with our go to to the maybe lesser recognized ‘Little Petra’.