Our last 2 days in Damascus, Syria on saturday and sunday we (me, Tom and Neil) spend buying some souvenirs and going to a syrian bathhouse. This was quite an experience; for 400 syrian pounds about 7 euro we got a rough massage from a big arabic dude and a good scrub from another, and we sat in a big sauna which was pretty nice.
On sunday we bought our ticket out of Syria for a busride to Amman, Jordan. Left beautiful Damascus the next day pretty early for the 7:30 bus. After 2 hours we got to the border where we received a pretty cool visa for 10 JD (about 11 euro).
Made it to Amman few hours later and hassling allot with money hungry cabdrivers to get a ride to a cheap hostel. The same day we chartered a taxi to the dead sea, and took a dive. The temperature was over 40 degrees which felt insanely hot coming from an aircon cab. You can really float in the dead sea believe me, the photos will proof it. On thuesday after fighting with some annoying cabdrivers we made it to the minibus station to get a ride to Wadi Musa a small town close to Petra.
Checked in a cheap hostel (we thought) for 2,5 Jordanian Dinnar per person for a matress on the roof. The people in this hostel (Valentine Inn) were really rude and I can highly recommend not to stay in this hostel if you are ever planning to visit Petra.
In the morning we got up at 6:00 to be the first at the gate to the ruines. After walking to the Siq (a long passage between to cliffs) of about a kilometer we made it to the amazing Treasury (the first temple you see used in the Indiana Jones movie The last crusade); Amazing. That morning walked around the main temples and saw some stunning views over the mountains of Jordan and the dessert. Really an amazing experience. At the end of the Petra trip I called my good friend Dutch-formerly-known-as-Dennis the biggest Indiana Jones fan of Western Europe to tell him that I was standing at (for him) a holy site; the Treasury.
In the afternoon chilled at the hostel and booked a desert tour through Wadi Rum, a national park. The following day left by minibus to Wadi Rum with 4 others to do a 1 day 4wd trip.
That thursday saw some amazing locations in the desert of Wadi Rum and the beautifull mountains around it. Running down a big sanddune I destroyed my sandals (for the people who I've travelled with know that my sandals are holy for me) but one of the drivers fixed them with metal wires. Visited some Lawrence of Arabia sites (for the people who have seen the movie) and relaxed at our Beduan camp to see the nice sunset. The chicken in our dinner was specially prepared in a hole in the ground and grilled that way, which made it delicious. At night the sky was amazing, full of stars and you could see the milkyway very clear. Everybody slept outside and this night was one of my best nights of this trip. But before I went to bed did a bit of streaking into the desert; great feeling! 'one with nature'.
On sunday we bought our ticket out of Syria for a busride to Amman, Jordan. Left beautiful Damascus the next day pretty early for the 7:30 bus. After 2 hours we got to the border where we received a pretty cool visa for 10 JD (about 11 euro).
Made it to Amman few hours later and hassling allot with money hungry cabdrivers to get a ride to a cheap hostel. The same day we chartered a taxi to the dead sea, and took a dive. The temperature was over 40 degrees which felt insanely hot coming from an aircon cab. You can really float in the dead sea believe me, the photos will proof it. On thuesday after fighting with some annoying cabdrivers we made it to the minibus station to get a ride to Wadi Musa a small town close to Petra.
Checked in a cheap hostel (we thought) for 2,5 Jordanian Dinnar per person for a matress on the roof. The people in this hostel (Valentine Inn) were really rude and I can highly recommend not to stay in this hostel if you are ever planning to visit Petra.
In the morning we got up at 6:00 to be the first at the gate to the ruines. After walking to the Siq (a long passage between to cliffs) of about a kilometer we made it to the amazing Treasury (the first temple you see used in the Indiana Jones movie The last crusade); Amazing. That morning walked around the main temples and saw some stunning views over the mountains of Jordan and the dessert. Really an amazing experience. At the end of the Petra trip I called my good friend Dutch-formerly-known-as-Dennis the biggest Indiana Jones fan of Western Europe to tell him that I was standing at (for him) a holy site; the Treasury.
In the afternoon chilled at the hostel and booked a desert tour through Wadi Rum, a national park. The following day left by minibus to Wadi Rum with 4 others to do a 1 day 4wd trip.
That thursday saw some amazing locations in the desert of Wadi Rum and the beautifull mountains around it. Running down a big sanddune I destroyed my sandals (for the people who I've travelled with know that my sandals are holy for me) but one of the drivers fixed them with metal wires. Visited some Lawrence of Arabia sites (for the people who have seen the movie) and relaxed at our Beduan camp to see the nice sunset. The chicken in our dinner was specially prepared in a hole in the ground and grilled that way, which made it delicious. At night the sky was amazing, full of stars and you could see the milkyway very clear. Everybody slept outside and this night was one of my best nights of this trip. But before I went to bed did a bit of streaking into the desert; great feeling! 'one with nature'.
Left the next day after breakfest to the taxi in the village of Wadi Rum and to the border with Israel. After being scammed again in the Jordanian taxi we finally reached the promised land. Jordan never again! What a rats, everybody is after your money and we noticed it so clearly because we just came from Syria (one of the friendliest countries in the world) The Israely people working at the border were suprisely friendly, we still had to wait more then an hour for our stamp and were questioned about why we went to Syria, what's you grandpa's name, what is your email adress and have you met anyone in Syria and what are their names bla bla bla. But of us 5 waiting for our stamp I got my passport back first after being questioned last maybe because of the Lion of Zion tshirt I was wearing of the biggest Dub artist in Holland; SlimmahSound.
We finally entered the country and changed our busticket to an earlier time.
Back in the west; western prices, seeing drunken bums again and girls wearing only hotpants and tiny shirts comparing with the many burkas and scarved women you see in the 'real' middle east.
4 comments:
Stinkend jaloers, Joost, op al de “natural and cultural beauties” die je in het Midden-Oosten ziet. Ik eis en verwacht schitterende foto’s die je ervaringen illustreren.
Prop je voor mij straks ook een papiertje in de klaagmuur in Jerusalem met daarop aan Jahweh de beste wensen gevraagd voor de toekomst (iets heel profaans mag ook hoor zoiets als: leve Ajax, weg met Feijenoord).
Dad
Yo JC!!!
It has been awhile.
Waar blijven de foto's en mijn 7 uur ochtend rapport hahaha
Check je in NL
Alex Lee
genieten volop van je verslagen en houden op de kaart je reisverloop bij.
bij de klaagmuur geen Ajax, maar fc Heerenveen!!
goede thuisreis.
opa en oma
Denk aan jezelf bij de klaagmuur, tenzij je niets te klagen hebt. [Kan haast niet, wij zijn Hollanders die hebben altijd wel wat te zeuren]
Ik geniet van je verslag en zou graag een keer naar Petra gaan, maar wacht de foto's eerst maar eens af.
geniet met je maten!
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