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 subsequent day exploring much more of Jordan by venturing up north in the direction of the Useless Sea.
Besides, as an alternative 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 lodge as that simply appeared like essentially the most smart possibility.
The worth was really fairly cheap and on prime of that, we had our buddy, Georgia, with us so it meant that prices could be shared between 3 and so even financially, it made extra sense than attempting to determine some other solution to get round.
We began off at Shobak Citadel, which isn’t too removed from Wadi Musa.
Wadi Musa, by the way in which, is the city the place Petra is.
Shobak Citadel can also be known as Montreal and dates again to the yr 1115 so it’s fairly an incredible historic spot to take a look at in Jordan.
We didn’t spend too lengthy there earlier than heading to our subsequent cease, town of Madaba.
The factor we have been searching for particularly in Madaba is a well-known mosaic map, aptly known 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 among the oldest maps doing so.
It dates again to the yr 542 making it virtually 1,500 years outdated so understandably it displays what the realm would have appeared like again then and never what it seems to be like in current day.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 also be the place Moses died, making this spot an necessary pilgrimage website for Christians, Muslims and Jews from everywhere in the world.
On clear days you may see proper into Israel and Palestine in addition to the Useless Sea from Mount Nebo.
Now, on the very prime of Mount Nebo, you’ll discover Syagha or Siyagha (relying on who you communicate to), which is house to the stays of a Byzantine church.
This is among the issues you may miss out whenever you’re right here because it has these extremely historic mosaics adoring the church partitions.
This church is consider to have existed way back to the yr 394 and once more is one other necessary historic spot to go to in Jordan.
Carrying on from there we made our manner over to the Useless Sea and it’s really essentially the most surreal feeling whenever you step foot within the water there.
For the uninitanted, the Useless Sea is among 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 reduce off resulting from tectonic exercise.
Over time, it then evaporated making it increasingly salty (the water evaporates with none of the salt) and is now virtually 10 occasions as salty because the ocean.
This saltiness is why you may float in right here with out making any effort.
Additionally, one other well-known factor right here is the mud you get from the Useless Sea.
It’s imagined to be actually good to your pores and skin and to be trustworthy, it does really feel like that whenever you use it.
Like your pores and skin feels noticeable softer.
Understandably, there’s now enormous demand for this mud everywhere in the world.
Leaving the Useless Sea, we began to make our manner again to Petra however in a unique path to the way in which we really arrived, travelling as an alternative this time, alongside the shore line of the Useless Sea.
The panorama down that route is completely 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 have been again in Petra, able to lastly go to this historic misplaced metropolis at evening.
It’s actually known as Petra at evening and there’s an entire candlelit efficiency there and the whole lot.
I’ll share all of that within the subsequent put up – together with our go to to the maybe lesser recognized ‘Little Petra’.