After our first correct day exploring the traditional misplaced Kingdom of Petra in Jordan (additionally see our second put up 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 the 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 unbelievable spots alongside the way in which.
To get round, we really employed a driver by way of our resort as that simply appeared like probably the most wise possibility.
The value was really fairly affordable and on prime of that, we had our buddy, Georgia, with us so it meant that prices can 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 Fortress, which isn’t too removed from Wadi Musa.
Wadi Musa, by the way in which, is the city the place Petra is.
Shobak Fortress can be known as Montreal and dates again to the yr 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, the town of Madaba.
The factor we had been searching for particularly in Madaba is a well-known mosaic map, aptly referred to as “The Madaba Map” which is situated within the church of Saint George.
The Madaba map depicts what’s now Jordan and the nations throughout it and is without doubt one of the oldest maps doing so.
It dates again to the yr 542 making it nearly 1,500 years outdated so understandably it displays what the realm would have seemed like again then and never what it appears like in current day.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 essential pilgrimage web site for Christians, Muslims and Jews from everywhere in the world.
On clear days you’ll be able to 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 without doubt one of the issues you’ll be able to miss out whenever you’re right here because it has these extremely historical mosaics adoring the church partitions.
This church is imagine to have existed way back to the yr 394 and once more is one other essential historic spot to go to in Jordan.
Carrying on from there we made our manner over to the Lifeless Sea and it’s really probably the most surreal feeling whenever you step foot within the water there.
For the uninitanted, the Lifeless Sea is without doubt one of the lowest level on earth and the working concept round its formation (in easy phrases) is that it was once a part of the ocean however ultimately obtained lower off on account of tectonic exercise.
Over time, it then evaporated making it an increasing number of salty (the water evaporates with none of the salt) and is now nearly 10 occasions as salty because the ocean.
This saltiness is why you’ll be able to 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 imagined to be actually good to your pores and skin and to be sincere, it does really feel like that whenever you use it.
Like your pores and skin feels noticeable softer.
Understandably, there’s now big 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 really arrived, travelling as a substitute this time, alongside the shore line of the Lifeless Sea.
The panorama down that route is totally 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 obtained much more particular because the solar set and earlier than lengthy, we had been again in Petra, able to lastly go to this historical misplaced metropolis at night time.
It’s actually referred to as Petra at night time and there’s an entire candlelit efficiency there and every little thing.
I’ll share all of that within the subsequent put up – together with our go to to the maybe lesser recognized ‘Little Petra’.