Live from the Dead Sea

On our way out of Madaba, we stopped at Um ar Rasas, a World Heritage site containing ruins of Roman, Byzantine, and early Muslim occupation from the 3rd to 9th centuries. The centerpiece is the church of St. Stephen from 785 AD, with the largest mosaic floor in Jordan.









Towns in the area, including Madaba, are depicted.

















I'd always thought of Jordan as a barren desert, but this time of year, the north is green and dappled with wildflowers.

Not far away on this hilltop is Mukawer, a Roman fort built in the first century BC. It's said to be the place of the beheading of St John the Baptist. Don't tell the goats.

We stopped at a women's weaving cooperative, which produces some beautiful rugs.

In early afternoon we arrived at our destination, the Ma'in Hot Springs. We really went upscale here, mainly because there is only one hotel. From the hot pool, you have a view of a waterfall across the canyon.

We actually had more fun at the public hot springs just up the road. It has a waterfall too and a dazzlingly colorful steamy cave with very hot water. These Jordanian guys were really friendly and welcomed us in.

One must be creative while traveling. After the quietest night we'd had in Jordan (most of our other hotels were on the street), we were served an huge breakfast in our room--cheese, meats, hummus, beans, omelette, tea, juice, bread. We couldn't eat half of it, so decided to take some for lunch. But what to pack it in? No problem: Judy stuffed the pitas and dropped them in some "sanitary bags" from the bathroom.

It was all downhill to the Dead Sea, which sits nearly 1400 feet below sea level. A breath-holding contest could get some spectacular results in this dense air. On the way we stopped to hike up a wadi, through which runs an intermittent stream. We ran into an elderly Bedouin guy who was trying to tell us something, but communication was zero. After running into a group of camels browsing on tamarisk, we figured he was probably just letting us know his animals were ahead.

Ripples from an ancient beach were frozen in stone. 

A geologist could spend days in here.

After about an hour of rock hopping, the reward was a small waterfall hidden under a jumble of huge boulders. A nice place to cool off.

During her travel research, Judy found out about an isolated beach on the Dead Sea absent of the usual crowds and trash. Praise be to the internet!

Floating in this hypersaline water is a weird experience--you feel like a bobbing cork. People swimming face-down have drowned because they can't turn over, so you are cautioned to only float on your back. It's true: I tried a sidestroke and it just didn't work.








Salt crystals form on the rocks along the shore. Looks good enough to eat.

















Israeli scientists found that the water level is dropping one meter per year--about 140 feet since the 50s--due to reduced incoming flow from the Jordan River. It makes for a gorgeous shoreline though.

Small and large farms were visible everywhere along the highway. Our driver bought an overflowing 5-gallon bucket of tomatoes for his family for the equivalent of $1.50.

We headed back up into the hills again, and the last stop was Karak, where the Crusaders built an enormous castle in 1142. It was overtaken by Saladin about 50 years later, and used by the Ottomans until 1917.

The castle overlooks the valley below, which reminded me of Italy or Greece. Inside, it is very castle-like. Outside, the usual ubiquitous arugula and some pretty little iris.

Tomorrow we're off for more hiking and a stay in a Bedouin tent. Who knows what we'll discover?