Days 10 - 12 (I think)

We last wrote in Petra...but not before our final night there, which was probably the best of our trip. A number of fellow travelers we met along the way told us of a restaurant that we had to try...Petra Kitchen. It is like a Jordanian cooking school. We got reservations and went on Monday evening. There was a Jordanian chef, assistant chef, and a few helpers. Along with 6 people on an Abercrombie and Kent tour, two guys from the US and Peru who were working in Darfur and two other Americans, we all prepared hot and cold mezze, as well as a main dish called Upside Down. We got recipes for all we did and had a great time.

The night wasn't over yet, though. We went to what they call Petra By Night, which is where you walk down the Siq, which is lit up by lumiaries (candles in brown paper bags). The moon was almost full and really gave moon shadows, which were beautiful. The light made the rocks look snow covered. It was peaceful and beautiful. When we got to the Treasury, the Bedouins (who also set up the lumiaries) had mats set up for all us to sit on. They served tea while we listened to them perform some traditional music.

The next morning we were on our way to the Dead Sea. Because Crazy George loves us so much, he took us by the King's Highway, the more scenic route. It's an ancient road, really from biblical times. Moses travelled it. On it, we only made one really stop, to Kerak Castle. It was our only stop without a guide this whole trip. But the real attraction was the ride itself, with panoramic views, rolling hills, deep valleys, and desert landscapes. We had lunch at a rest stop (where, of course, the owners knew George well) that allowed us to look out at everything. Our drive took us through Wadi Al-Mujib, which is Jordan's version of the Grand Canyon. We did fly-bys of St. George's Church and Mount Nebo, which is where Moses was denied entrances into the Promised Land and where they say he died (it's definitely a pilgrimage place). One of the best views was of sheep and a Bedouin female shephard on the steep mountain incline. George also took us to a couple of mosiac places, where we saw how they were made.

That brings us to the Dead Sea, our Nirvana, the Kempinski Ishtar, which really is the promised land at the end of our journey. Arriving to the beautiful views and peaceful surroundings, we understand why Moses loved it (although the accommodations probably weren't as good back then). After all our hectic days here, we have two and half days to float in the Dead Sea (don't open your eyes!), get mud treatments, enjoy the spa and relax. Last night, we even had dinner with two of our friends from Petra Kitchen who were staying at the resort next door.

So here are more things we've learned:

• It's possible to serve tea to 400 to 500 people in 10 minutes, as the Bedouins did at Petra.
• The national flower of Jordan is the black iris. The national bird must be the fly. We know flies aren't a bird, but these things are practically dive bombers that you can't avoid.
• Flies appear back within minutes of a rainfall. Moira thinks Jordan needs a No Fly zone.
• You can be a pogo stick in the Dead Sea, if you stand up straight and bob. And it's true...you become totally buoyant.
• When slathered in Dead Sea mud, we looked like a modern Dance Troupe. The mud is both detoxifying and slimming. Too bad it's only temporary.
• All our friends from the Petra Kitchen seem to be on the same pilgrimage as us, as we all ran into each other in the Dead Sea.
• Spaghetti Alla Arriabiata (sp?) means very mild, not spicy, in Jordan :)
• It's not easy to buy Jordanian honey in Jordan, althuogh Stephanie remains on a quest for it. But you can buy a skinned goat or a camel head at many meat shops in town - and you thought Chinatown was bad!
• Four people - meaning all of us - can read the same book. Thanks for the recommendation, Irene!
• We were sad to say good-bye to Crazy George, but now we know we have a brother in Jordan.

This will likely be our last entry while in Jordan, since we leave tomorrow to go to Bethany Beyond the Jordan and then home. It's been a great trip and has flown by, although it feels like we've been gone forever. We are already talking about how we will have to adjust to breakfasts of just cereal (as our breakfasts here are often two or three trips to the buffet), getting back to the gym, and planning our first meal when at home.