Petra

Petra

The passports  are getting filled up with places we never thought we would  see.  Some of the stamps might make getting into Israel problematic in the future.  Not sure what to talk about today, the fights on the two-hour bus ride to Petra  or Petra itself.  I think I will start with Petra and leave the obnoxious, fat, ugly Canadian tourist for the another blog.   Petra is phenomenal; an amazing sight.  We began our journey in Aqaba and lies at the end of the great rift valley so the geology is fantastic.  It is also right beside the city of Elat in Isreal.   Our guide told us of the land deals between Jordan, Israel and Saudi Arabia. So that Aqaba could get a port entrance they traded the oil filled land to the Saudis and with the Israelis it was land negotiated due to the war (if negotiate is the correct term.) But, back to the geology, you can see where the plates have lifted over time.  Aqaba tends to get a major earthquake every 33 years and the landscape reflects that.  The city is surrounded by mountains and you can see where past lava flows intruded through the older basaltic and granitic rock.  As we drive further in you see boulders strewn across the landscape of red sand.  Unique rock formations fill the landscape and as we proceed further we are reminded of the Grand Canyon, Zion National Park and Arches.   At one point our guide tells us to close our eyes and when the bus comes to a stop he tells us to open them and we see a beautiful canyon vista that contains the lost city of Petra.   The city Petra was developed by the Nabataeans more than 2000 years ago and constructed in sandstone.  Petra became the hub for the caravans which transported all the goods in the region.  The Nabataeans became rich exacting tolls and protecting caravans and used this wealth to fund the construction of the city.  In 106 AD they were annexed by the Romans and even though they flourished for a while, eventually Petra fell into ruins and was lost until a Swiss traveler Johann Burkhart rediscovered it in 1812.  It was initially lost due to an earthquake centuries ago that destroyed the dam and allowed the city to be repetitively flooded and, consequently, evacuated.  Walking through Petra, you see the influences over time from Graeco-Roman, Egyptian, Mesopotamian and local styles.  We passed by tombs and entered the As Siq which is a 1200m long and 80 metre high, very narrow gorge.  It reminded us of the slot canyons in Arizona, but much bigger.  Emerging from the narrow confines of the As Siq gorge, the vista opens suddenly to reveal one of the highlights of Petra: the treasury.  All the carvings were done from the top down and you can see the footholds that the artisans used going up hundreds of feet.  It is spectacular.  We also saw sacrificial areas, numerous tombs and the Theatre that looks like a Roman  amphitheater but was created before the Romans took over.  Initially it seated 3000 but was extended to seat 7000.   We hiked for hours and still could not see it all. We missed climbing the 1032 steps that led to a monastery so we have reason to return.   Much of ancient Petra remains unexcavated.  It is the most fantastic man-made place Cia has ever seen and she was happy that the temperature was in the mid twenties versus the usual high 30's or low 40's.  Among the numerous remarkable sights we have seen on this voyage, Petra is the highlight of the whole trip for Cia.   Tip: Be sure to see the lost city of Petra if you ever find yourself travelling in Jordan., and if Petra is not in your bucket list, add it!

Salalah Oman

 

We opted for a half day tour today.  Southern Oman  is a rocky desert with mountains surrounding the city of Salalah, which is located in the region of Dhofar.  The land is barren and the trees looked all dried out; but apparently in June the monsoons begin, which in this part of Oman is more like a continuous drizzle.  Then the scenery transforms into a green oasis.  It is hard to imagine given what we saw today.  After looking at a Frankincense tree which was covered by insects that are slowly killing it, we drove by the world heritage site which is a fenced off area of Frankincense trees.   Frankincense trees only grow in three countries, Oman, Yemen and Somalia and are decreasing in numbers.  At one time the value of frankincense was equal to gold but no more.   We next explored the blowholes at Mughsail beach.  It is a lovely looking beach about two miles long; however it is prone to strong rip currents and, apart from a few scattered picnic gazebos, there are no facilities.  The Marneef Cave lies above the blowholes which were not blowing much as it was not high tide.  It is not really a cave but rather an interesting rock formation.  The rock along the beach was interesting as it had the appearance of hundreds mini hoodoos about six inches in height.  Our next stop was at the Al-Husn souk, which contained many frankincense and perfume shops as well clothing shops, shoe shops and barbers.  The Cel  was asked a few times if he wanted a shave and haircut, but being the barber-starver that he is, he declined.  After the souk we went to the prophet Job's tomb, a small building on the top of a mountain.  Job is a major figure in all three religions, Islam, Christianity and Judaism so this is apparently a holy site.  Inside there was an area covered in cloth with what appeared to be a short covered headstone and foot-stone.  Apparently, Job was about 12 feet tall.  Outside was a well that supposedly had the footprint of Job on the bottom.  It would seem, from this supposed footprint that Job was also a Sasquatch.  Each "toe-pad" impression was about the size of a baseball, and at some point in his life, he must have lost a toe!  A very plain and frankly incredible site, but the view from the mountain is worth seeing. As we drove around we were constantly stopping to avoid the camels grazing along with cattle on the mountain slopes.  If you have an accident and collide with a camel, the insurance only pays for the loss of the camel.  Camels that wander all have owners and are branded.  They always wander home at night as they are fed by the owners morning and night as there just is not enough grass for them to survive in the desert.  In May and June Salalah beaches are filled with sardines so now a staple meal for camels and cattle include sardines.  

Cruise tip:  there really is not a lot to do here so a tour might be the best option.  We heard unpleasant tales of renting a cab with rip off schemes and poor english so we opted for the safe route.

Dubai

First snow in Beijing and then a sandstorm in Dubai.  As our ship docked, we could barely see the city due to the wind.  This worried us because we were scheduled to do our desert safari, which was four wheel driving on the dunes.  But at four o clock we headed into the desert with four other companions.  After a forty minute drive we arrived at the Lehbab desert.  It was stunning.  We started the drive at a nice pace and then began to attack the dunes more aggressively which was great fun until one of our companions, who informed us that she suffered from motion sickness, car sickness and sea sickness said stop.  Her two ginger pills had stopped working and she proceeded to hurl in the desert.   Nice.  She then begged the driver to go slow and asked if she could get out, which the Cel would have been happy to let her do in the middle of the desert with no chance of a return. After proceeding further she yelled out stop again and chucked some more.  So much for an exciting adventure.  We finally got to the campsite where one could partake of free camel rides, henna applications, dinner and watch belly dancing.  As we were still recovering from India we did not have the meal but many enjoyed it.  It would have been a great trip with better car mates.  
We woke up the next morning with the sandstorm still in place but we had our time booked for Burj Khalifa so off we went to the world's tallest building located by the world's largest mall.  The observation deck is on the 124 floor and the elevator travels at 10 meters per second.   We were surprised at the top that we could still see the city but it was not clear enough to see Palm Island or the World.  Our time that we were scheduled to enter was 10:30 but we did not get to the top until 11:05 which gives you an idea of the crowds and lineups.  It was well worth it, however.  We then wandered the mall, passed the ice rink and the aquarium which has the world's largest mall wall with all the fish floating by including sharks and sting rays.  We stayed for the fountain show which is similar to Bellagios in Vegas.  They only did one song but it was impressive. Given that it was a Friday, the main souks were closed so we headed back to the ship.   Dubai is a clean area but there is evidence that the boom times are over and it is definitely a dry town with no alcohol served or to purchase.  There are signs requesting conservative dress when entering the mall.  It was a nice to have seen, but not somewhere that I have a strong desire to return to. 

Cruise tip:  If you are planning to see the Burj Khalifa book your time in advance online.  Those on on ship who waited were unable to get in as it was fully booked.  When we went we also saved 300 dinars by booking in advance online.

Bahrain

Today we opted for a tour of the capital city of the Kingdom of Bahrain, Manama.  What a difference from India.  The air is clean, there is minimal trash and all the buildings are relatively new.  We did not see any signs of poverty that we had been inundated with in India.  Most of the buildings in the city were built in the last ten years.  The locals jokingly call their city Manamanhattan.  Those of us who remember that ridiculous song from about 1970 that came from the Laugh-in gang (?) called it Manamana (do-doo-di-do-do).  We saw the world trade towers consisting of twin towers with massive wind turbines on bridges spanning the gap between the two towers.  Bahrain has two seasons hot and hotter with temperature in the hotter periods being in the low 50's or 136 degrees F.  
In Bahrain gas is 40 cents a litre; less than water, which is 60 cents.  Bahrain grew because of oil which was discovered here in 1932, even before it was found in Saudi Arabia.  However, Bahrain is a relatively small country and its reserves are now drilled out.  However, pipelines run through the country from Saudi Arabia.  Bahrain refines the oil and gets to keep half the oil it refines.  The country has no natural  water and there are huge desalinization plants around the seashore.  With uncommon foresight, the country also diversified into aluminum production (importing bauxite from Australia) and the production of petrochemical products.  They do very well because the Bahrain dollar is equal to about $3 US and their is no individual income tax in the country.
The first place we went to was the fort which is estimated to be 2000 years old. Bahrain was a major trading center for the last 5000 years.  The fort is believed to have three cities.  The lower ones cannot be excavated due to the high probability of collapse.  The top part is mainly the remains of when the Portuguese were the occupiers of Bahrain and it was designed to keep the locals out.  
We visited the original home (Al Jasrah House) of the last king which was relatively plain as that was the time before oil was discovered. The current king lives in a palatial home. We visited a handicraft centre and a camel farm.  We drove by an area which is estimated to be 5000 years old and contains over 170,000 mounds of rock and sand which is believed to be the world's  oldest cemetery.  Each mound contains the body of one individual.  There is a great debate occurring in the city as to whether the land occupied by these mounds should remain devoted to the long dead or reclaimed for development by the living.
Bahrain is a nice country to live if you are a resident.  There is no tax, free education, subsidized housing and free health care.  Individuals are allowed to wear any type of clothing so long as it is not vulgar (nothing form fitting or low cut).  Tourism is one of the major sources of income for the country now with people from Saudi Arabia being the most frequent tourists as they can drink alcohol in Bahrain, have no dress restrictions and no restrictions of males and females being in groups together. When I asked the question about the unrest the guide believes it is originating outside the country  and possibly a result of the more open nature of Islam in Bahrain.  We had no safety concerns while we were there, it is a modern clean city.

Cruise tip: taxi drivers in Bahrain speak English so if you know what you want to see,  having them as your guide might be the best option versus a tour.

Pictures of Phuket and India

Jmes Bond Island, Phuket

Slums in Chennai

Five Rathas Temple, Mahabalipuram

Taj Mahal

Agra Streets

Bus load in India

Qutub Minar Tower, Delhi

Old Delhi

Mumbai Slums

Happy Easter, 2012

India

The only words I can think to describe India is "sensory overload."   It is a country full of sounds, smells and people and most of them are unpleasant.  It is a country of contrasts from extreme poverty to extreme wealth often side by side.  It is a country of brilliant colours with women in beautiful saris and colourful buildings but one where we did not see any natural beauty.  It is a country in transition and one facing all the challenges of modernization with poor infrastructure and demand outstripping supply.  It is a country where you find the goats, trucks, dogs, camels, horses, cars, water buffalo, scooters, tuktuks, elephants, busses, monkeys and cattle in the midst of modern cities all sharing the roadways.   In the large cities you will see modern stores in the background with an instant fresh produce and cloth market in front of the buildings all displayed on dilapidated wooden carts.  It is a country steeped in a long history of being conquered by various groups with many kings and emperors.  We started travelling in Chennai formerly called Madras, a very poor state in India off the Bay of Bengal.  We visited the Taj Mahal and it is an amazing piece of marble work and architecture.  We spent two hours walking the grounds and through the buildings.  Security is high and many items are prohibited from being brought in.    Agra fort was controlled by the same emperor who built the Taj and it is an amazing complex.  It was here that the Taj building emperor was imprisoned by his son who killed his three brothers to assume control.   From there to Delhi, the seat of power in India.  Over 70% of the people in Delhi are employed by the federal government, with one of the perks being housing for which you pay minimal costs but must vacate after quitting or retiring within six months. The size of the housing is dependent on your position. From there we travelled  to Mumbai formerly known as Bombay which appears to be a cleaner city than New Delhi but the slums are more extensive and there were warnings about the professional beggars. The Cel's enjoying the Indian food and Cia is loving the Nam bread.  The beer -not so good. Driving in India makes the Deerfoot a cakewalk and I can only imagine what a great business brake repair shops do, it is similar to Cairo.  India will be a place in our memory for a long time as we consider the complexity of India.  We are so lucky and blessed to live where we do and I am so glad that we are returning to the ship mainly so I can breathe fresh air again for a little while until the middle east.