Male Physical Examination

Travel Journal 8: Jordan

Day 23 - "Amazing Petra - Amman - Petra - Aqaba - Wadi Rum. 450 kms.




I returned to the streets of Amman to bag luggage and with a lump in the throat to see if the bike would continue where I left off. Indeed, there she was waiting all blooming. I appreciated the attention to the policeman who was on duty and without a visit to Amman (and it would make the trip), I went as soon as possible to Petra which was about 300 kms.
. Snack
police he gave her a visual to my bike at night.



old Amman Center.



Routing.





Again the road to Iraq to your doorstep.



I caught

Highway (Kings Highway) and the toll the boy to see the bike is not charging anything I wanted (and sometimes has happened to me) and so I walked miles until I stopped a police check. Practically did not speak English. I thought I had stopped for speeding because I said "Exceed" and I drew a circle of prohibition, but something was not clear. It turned out that what I said was "exiiit," meaning he had to leave the motorway at the next exit (exit), and the reason was that the signals from access to the highway (those that I drew) was forbidden access to this and all Bikes the nation's highways as the bikes or tractors. I had never been anything like it. I tried to explain that the local small motorbikes or scooters that could impede the movement had little to do with the 100 horsepower that fits my bike, but concluded that he had to leave the motorway. Well then, I did so without problems.

I finally reached Wadi Musa and Petra at about 10 am, and thus could play another great goal: to see what has been officially named as one of the seven new wonders of the world.




The visit to Petra lasted more than 5 hours was, of course, under a blazing sun. There is an unwritten rule in Petra and is to be carried a large bottle of water per person and yet you fall short. However, inside there are several restaurants and "tents" with refreshments available to the many tourists that invade the ruins.

a ramp was down approach in which there are several monuments and excavated in the rocks, as the tomb of the obelisks,




truly remarkable first thing that crosses the gorge of the Siq, as Indiana Jones in "The Last Crusade." The Siq is the Wadi Musa riverbed during the rainy season. He has over a mile and walls over 200 meters.






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the end of the Siq, and with the same emotion he felt when Johann Ludwig Burckhardt rediscovered Petra after more than a thousand years overlooked (deceived guide posing as an Arab who wanted to make an offering ), the heart leaps when you crack the pass between the cut you see the silhouette Al-Khazneh (Treasury), the facade is carved in the rock of the Temple of the Treasury that it was the tomb of the Nabataean king Aretha IV, something absolutely spectacular.








Pseudo-Nabataean troops.


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Urn (Tholos) that the soldiers fired because it contained the fabled treasure according to legend.





Referral for blood sacrifices.






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The remains clears a huge area and there are plenty of cracks, temples, tombs, and caves all hewn in the rock, and everything in a shade of pink marble that makes a precious waters. It's amazing what the tribe of the Nabataeans built this building in the small water tanks but torrential rains that came down the Siq gorge (throughout the gorge there is a trickle of water pipe on the side).

A bucolic image.




Street facades















The amphitheater from one of the caves.





The Pink City.









Nabataean village.




If you decide to walk up to the Ad-Deir Monastery awaits 800 steps, is guaranteed 25 minutes of sweat (that's a good pace), but the top is mounted a fantastic tent with sofas to small shadow to lie down with a drink in hand and contemplating this beauty.






Trail through the Valley Monastery Wadi ad-Deir.


goats
here to seek shade ...





There is much to see and visit.

Qasr al-Bint Firaun (Castle of the King's sister).




The background Roman road and the royal tombs


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scenes caravans passing through these walls are repeated for millennia.




Before leaving, another view of the Treasury now in the shade (note that all tourists are there to escape the scorching sun, except the camel which brings hove ...).




After this dream I went to Aqaba, Jordan's only port and makes the border with Israel (Eilat is 3 kms), Saudi Arabia, and almost with Egypt. About 15 kms before Aqaba there is even an office to be port I think special tax territory (everything was cheaper as a dutty free at airports). This city is famous for diving in the Red Sea in the Gulf of Aqaba and there are many foreigners looking for the best dive. Sheep


dangerous ...




The heat was very oppressive, 45/46 degrees again. I spent a good time to give me a dip in the sea, though the water was very hot. Striking that there were kids on the beach walking quietly on a camel.





20 kilometers from Saudi Arabia.




The Black Panther has reached the Red Sea.




same thing happened in the city center. After many weeks when I saw a McDonalds could not resist the temptation and be able to order exactly what you eat and know the taste of advance was a luxury for many days I could not afford.

Parked on the sidewalk in front of McDonalds were my bike and two camels, and the exotic as it sounds.




the end of the evening, I went into the desert of Wadi Rum, where I arrived after dark. Once inside the national park there are several areas equipped for camping.
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DAY 24: "Lawrence of Arabia, crappy version-salchichera" Wadi Rum - DEAD SEA - AMMAN. 450 kms.





I woke up early to watch the sun rise in the Wadi Rum (also known as the Valley of the Moon) and instead of waiting to begin the shift of the Land Rovers offer guide services in the park, I took the plunge and decided to go into the desert on foot and be part of the trekking route is planned in the map that will provide input.

This is what I saw from my shop.



The desert of Wadi Rum's strange. It is a kind of wide canyons between mountains where it is impossible to miss, but where the distances are much greater than they seem. I walked almost two hours even in the shadow of mountains to get to bed (Kazali) seemed to be always there, but that never came.











Upon arriving inside a small canyon, nothing special ...












Then, as under full sun, I walked an hour to reach a stone bridge (Little Bridge, as there are well over a larger away).










It took a sweaty spectacular Wadi Rum. There are some stretches more distant resorts that were no longer in my power to not have rented a vehicle with a guide, but in exchange I can say I know first hand and I could feel as in his day felt Lawrence of Arabia when he was out there making the rounds.


This is Lawrence of Arabia-salchichera crappy version ...




As you see the sun was punishing the truth and decided to take the path back, which I was busy walking the fine sand burning two hours and ended with my water supply.


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only the middle of nowhere.





Entrance to Wadi Rum.




I took a shower in the essential services of a camping area and headed next and finally north. Now beginning to return home, as each mile closer to me geographically.





circulating
I walked along a straight road to get bored and I did drink me up a can of soda. Total, one hand to drive me superfluous ... In so far was when a cop gives me high. Suddenly I ran up the task and did not know what to do with the half-drunk can not find a place to endure. The left between the tank and my crotch as he went down and braking to where it was the police, but when I reached his side and under the leg to set foot on the floor, the can began to fall and I tried to catch the fly, and the can was falling and my foot rested on gravel loose and slipped, and nearly 400 kilos of bike and me we fell to the right, in front of police. A triumphant arrival! It is the third fall of the trip, and all at a standstill.

I even had to help the agent to lift the bike, and I think then, as I said I had missed a radar speeding, the guy inside was not laughing. At the end I apologized and the man let me go without being able to guess to laugh like the stupidity of this poor wretched foreigner.
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this road is where I pasted it. Certainly not that they gave me opportunities to screw it up ...




When I reached the highway I thought that was forbidden to motorcycles. I thought a few seconds and decided to get the Swede, total as much as it would make me go out again. This time I could see that there really are signs forbidding the entry as I had been insured. Again the man no toll warned me nothing and paid nothing. I spent several roadblocks but this time none stop me.

A road was cut without notice was a detour of 50 kms, but nevertheless managed to reach the Dead Sea that serves as the border between Jordan, Palestine and Israel, whose territory can see perfectly all the time on the other side. It is thought that around him were among other cities of Sodom and Gomorrah (for that to turn all lustful salt that says the Bible.) But if ever there were traces of lust, frenzy and carnal sin what is clear is that now unfortunately there is nothing left of it ...

We have reached the Dead Sea.





As the sea dries, it is expected that may have disappeared by 2050. It has ten times more salt than other seas and plenty of minerals (magnesium, sodium, potassium, bromine, etc.).

Sal on the banks.




Making a remarkable economic effort went into a Hotel / Spa luxury to give me my regulatory dip in the Dead Sea, the huge lake is 400 meters below sea level (point bottom of the earth, so the water coming can not escape it anywhere and evaporated), and where the salinity is so high that fleets in it and you can not sink. It feels very strange not even let you swim.







stones by the sea are completely covered with salt and when you get so much salt is very annoying for the eyes (you have to swim with goggles to prevent splashing) and for mouth (just have to drink water, you offered the employees of the Spa), to open wounds that sting to death.





Spa guests are given therapeutic mud baths.



After a shower it is best to relax for a couple of hours in the luxurious hotel facilities and swimming pool as all a potentate.









Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River.





mid-afternoon I headed back to Amman, but this time I managed to get even by day. Now I could see that what to me seemed a suburb the other day in fact it was the center of Amman (the old part, though, and remember that Amman is one of the oldest cities in the world). You can search more quiet for a hotel and parking for the bike, and given the short supply at the end I decided to stretch a little and stay at the Palace Hotel had its own garage in the building.

A waste exchange took the tub to put the laundry to soak and went to investigate the street for dinner and connect to a cyber.






piltra
then to the bike in the parking metidita.
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DAY 25: "The day I arrived in Beirut." Amman - Jerash - ((DAMASCUS - (SYRIA)) - BEIRUT (LEBANON). 400 kms.





had spent two nights in Amman and had not yet met the city, meaning that when I got up I started to visit.

As I said Amman is one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world, so this is somewhat old part ugly in my opinion, even more authentic.










The most remarkable part is the old Roman theater, but frankly it is far from the spectacle of others I saw later.







in a central square is the mosque of King Housein.





When you get up one of the many hills to the new part of Amman and understand a bit how they work their "circles" (numbered consecutive roundabouts used in Amman to stand), then finally find a modern city , banks, hotels, universities and restaurants, but then of course lose its authenticity. Here at the top stands the mosque of Abdullah









The traffic policemen wear pith helmets blue Amman.






north toward the Syrian border is the city of Jerash which has another spectacular room full of Roman remains (Jerash). It also requires several hours to walk through the "cardo maximus" discovering the diverse and splendid buildings, facades, columns, doorways, etc.. Maybe theaters include North and South, the temples of Zeus and Artemis (especially the entrance staircase), the Hadrian's triumphal arch, and what is more characteristic of Jerash, colonnade of the forum in the oval plaza.

Triumphal Arch of Hadrian.




View of ruins from the Church of San Teodoro.




North Theatre.




North Theatre facade




Colonnade at the Cardo Maximus.




The famous Plaza Oval Forum and its columns.






South Theater.




Temple of Zeus.

Propylaea Facade entrance and stairway to the temple of Artemis.

Temple of Artemis

The unmistakable Acanthus leaves of Corinthian capitals.

already en route to blow me pursuing a police car with lights and siren. I stop immediately and an officer asks me pouting passport, review, and will return it all, simply, without even a "there you rot." It was weird so unusual as usual has been very correct treatment even in the many cases where there was no human way of understanding.

I arrived at the Jordanian border where it also pays a fee to get out, and then login again to Syria (with the GPS well hidden this time). Once in Syria

I go directly to Lebanon via Damascus. Before entering the border experience prepared advisable to leave the issue of passports and papers of motorcycle hand, hide what you have to hide (cover included with some GPS support) and to prepare the portfolio with all tickets we are small (mostly dollars).

I got out the Syrian border, paid the fee again to get out, and the border of Lebanon itself, small and poorly organized where do you take advantage and underwrite insurance for the bike a full year (50 dollars a joke I remember). Another customs officer was out there I wanted to let me bum but I was firm and told him that I no longer had money, he would sleep at a friend's house and in the morning to the bank for a transfer (another filthy lie ...)

little while later I'm running through Lebanon, a challenge given the political situation always "peculiar" and that about a month and a half were on the brink of civil war.

The road from the border to Beirut first passes through the Anti-Lebanon mountain range and then the Mountains Lebanon, and then becomes a steady decline, sustained and sometimes very pronounced, that as you approach the capital combined with heavy traffic and several checkpoints. Also, asphalt curves usually scraped post to ensure traction even with the rigors of winter, but these scratches are very annoying for stability when riding a motorcycle.

entire descent to Beirut coincided with a languid, blinding sunset, as it leads in a westerly direction. Upon reaching the capital and traffic circle with a notable and evening and it took a bit to find a street that could identify in the background. I did find the mosque Muhammad Al Amin.

Finally I found the central Hamra Street, parked the bike and changed money, and you could walk to find a hotel that was not too expensive from among the many that are easily found in the area.

In Lebanon Western typography is most of the time, and not only is easy to communicate in English, but even more in French, Gallo was a protectorate before independence.

parked the bike just three meters from a mosque because it occurred to me that there are Islamic radicals would not dare to wear a pump. I stayed in the hotel opposite, the Papillon I think, very shabby and not change very cheap compared to the standard of Syria, but Lebanon is not cheap ...

Went for a tour of Beirut and dinner, and what I found was a very Western city, I would say that very posh. Many people dressed to the last dinner or having some drinks at expensive restaurants in large hotels.

For my part I sat on the outdoor terrace of a bar on shawarmas. Occasionally a car parked in front and I worried something I remembered the TV news images every time in Beirut a car bomb explodes.

However, after a while (and the full stomach) and paranoia had happened and walked me around with the same confidence that I would in my neighborhood. Cyber \u200b\u200band I found a piece of news to the family.