Final Days in Jordan

As I mentioned yesterday, if you only have one day in Jordan, you must see the incredible ancient cave city of Petra. However, if you have a couple more days to play with, hire a Bedouin guide, visit Wadi Rum and go off-roading in the sand dunes. It's an experience you won't soon forget.

Our guide Salah was hilarious. He loves his country and it shows. I think he was slightly disappointed that Sarah and I were pregnant because it meant he couldn't go full-throttle while off-roading in the dunes. It was still plenty scary/thrilling for me, so I was very happy with the situation.

Our guide, Salah; photo by Sarah

I had never heard off this activity before we went, so I wasn't sure what to expect. It was crazy though. These dunes are huge and Salah drove very quickly up the sides of them and then hovered over the edge. Then, he pointed the wheels down and off we went! Had Sarah and I not been pregnant, there would have been no hovering...you get to the top and fly off. That's what 4-wheel drive is for, right?

Though we were in the middle of nowhere, Salah made us a great lunch in the Bedouin style. I really enjoyed the mint tea, which was flavored with around 2 pounds of sugar.

Photo by Sarah

We spent the afternoon doing some more off-roading through a dried wadi (valley). Apparently floods in Jordan are so severe that they can completely wash roads away in a matter of minutes. We saw the aftermath of these floods while attempting to navigate a canyon. Salah had to create several of his own roads in order for us to pass. Honestly, I don't think any of us (Salah included) thought we were going to make it. It was definitely an adventure!

Our "road"

We stopped at Little Petra, another ancient cave village. We made some friends along the way.

Little Petra was cool, mainly because Bedouin tribes still live on the property.

We were lucky enough to meet and have tea with some of the villagers.

Dan got to know the local kids

The next day we explored Wadi Rum, a gorgeous valley with huge red rock formations. 

It was very hot and my poor skin has adapted to British weather, i.e. no sun. Sarah and I took matters into our own hands while Salah prepared another great meal.

Hiding from the sun

After lunch we continued exploring. This huge arch was so cool, but there was no way Sarah and I could get up there. Dan and Kyle climbed the mountain though.

It was a fantastic few days in Jordan and I owe a lot of that to our wonderful guide Salah. Thanks for showing us such a great time!

And sadly, we've come to the end of my trip to Israel and Jordan. Don't worry though. We had time for one more kosher hamburger on the flight home. Thank goodness for Burger Ranch in the Tel Aviv airport :)

Read about our stops in Israel and Jordan:
Jerusalem, Israel
Tel Aviv, Israel
Northern Israel
Ein Gedi; Masada; Dead Sea, Israel
Eilat, Israel
Petra, Jordan

Crossing the Border to Petra

After an incredible time in Israel, we made our way across the border to Jordan. We decided to do a guided tour of Jordan since we only had a few days; didn't speak the language; and wanted to make sure we didn't miss anything. I think it was the right choice.

We got started right away with a visit to Petra. Previously, my main source of information about this ancient city was from Indiana Jones and the Lost Crusade. I had no idea that Petra is more than just the famous Treasury building. It is a whole city!

Petra's Treasury

Treasury; Photo by Sarah

Petra was built into the caves, which helped keep the ancient Nabateans cool during the summer and protected them from the floods in the winter. They carved intricate designs into the rock façades  but didn't bother painting them because nature did that for them. The striations in the rock were so dramatic.

Photo by Kyle

Photo by Sarah

We spent most of the day in Petra, and we still didn't see all of it. Lots of people recommended going to the monastery  but I heard it was a pretty steep hike. With both Sarah and I pregnant, we decided to skip it. The parts of town we saw were absolutely amazing though.

Photo by Sarah

If you only have one day in Jordan, definitely make time to see Petra. If you have more than one day though, hire a Bedouin guide to take you off-roading in the sand dunes. With three days at our disposal, that's exactly what we did. Stay tuned for pictures tomorrow! 

Read about our stops in Israel and Jordan:
Jerusalem, Israel
Tel Aviv, Israel
Northern Israel
Ein Gedi; Masada; Dead Sea, Israel
Eilat, Israel
Wadi Rum, Jordan

Sweet Tooth Traveler: Israel

I'm back on Trip Wolf chatting about Israel. This is probably my favorite sweet tooth adventure so far. Check it out!

The Sweet Tooth Traveler: Israel
The Bible describes Israel as the land of milk and honey. I would add cinnamon and chocolate to that description. I’m not sure if it is because I grew up with them, or if I just really love the flavor profile of Israeli sweets, but I was literally as happy as a kid in a candy shop in Israel. During my ten days traversing the country, I gorged myself on cinnamon buns, rugelach and ice cream…and I would do it all again in a heartbeat!

Click here to read the full post.

Read about my other Israel adventures:
Jerusalem, Israel
Tel Aviv, Israel
Northern Israel
Ein Gedi; Masada; Dead Sea, Israel

Last Stop in Israel: Eilat

Sadly, Eilat was our last stop in Israel before crossing the border to Jordan for a 3-day tour. We didn't have a lot of time in Eilat, but we managed to squeeze in a quick snorkel in the Red Sea.

Temperatures were a little less than ideal (read: freezing) and for some reason I had a weird reaction to the water and couldn't stay in very long. Nevertheless, the views were amazing! The water was incredibly clear and there were hundreds of fish all along the gorgeous corals. The corals themselves were bright and multi-colored and alive with the movement of the sea. Dan even made a friend; one medium-sized fish came right up to his face, sniffed around and then headed out.

We spent the evening relaxing on the beach, playing cards and drinking (juice).

Before we leave Israel and move on to Jordan though, I have to tell you about the food. I've mentioned a couple of things here and there, but now is the time to give you a run-down of how amazing the food in Israel really is. Funny story: Dan and I keep kosher, meaning we basically live a vegetarian lifestyle outside of our house. In fact, most of our friends in Harrogate count us as vegetarians since that's all they see us eat. At the end of this trip though, Kyle and Sarah were...impressed? disgusted? with the amount of meat we actually eat when given the choice. Here were some of my favorite meals.

Best Burger:

BurgersBar; Photo by Sarah

Sorry McDonald's, but BurgersBar, Jerusalem wins this hands down. This is a nation-wide chain and we ate there a few times. This burger we had on the first night was the best though.

Best Meat Fest:

Haari 8; Photo by Sarah

Yes, we had more than one meat fest from which to choose. Sorry again to my vegetarian friends. The clear winner is Haari 8 in Safad. That was easily the best pile of mixed meats I've ever had.

Papagaio; Photo by Sarah

Runner-up was Papagaio in Jerusalem. This is an all-you-can-eat Brazilian grill, similar to Fogo de Chão, but kosher! The food was plentiful, but for the price I'm not sure it was the best. The chicken wings were awesome, as was the London broil. But the entrecôte was a bit overcooked. It had nothing on Haari 8.

Best Chinese/En Flambé

Mr. Shai; Photo by Sarah

Mr. Shai, one of only three restaurants in Arad (near the Dead Sea), was a surprise hit. Kyle's meal of lemon chicken en flambe was the most impressive, but Dan's was the tastiest. He ordered a crispy goose with honey that was absolutely fantastic.

Best Thai:

Thailandi

We stumbled upon Thailandi in Jerusalem. It's not much to look at, but this pad thai was so tasty! I've never had it with beef and goose in it before! I loved it!

Best Mexican:

Ha'Mexicani

Ha'Mexicani (translation: the Mexican), was a fun find in Eilat. The freshly made tortillas were were stuffed to the brim with grilled meat, fresh guacamole and salsa. It was fantastic.

Best Sign:

Quick Meat: For Those Who Like Meat

Only Dan actually ate at Quick Meat in Eilat, but I have to give the restaurateur credit for a great sign. It's like he was speaking directly to me.

And sadly, that ends our time in Israel. Next up, adventures in Jordan!

Read about our stops in Israel and Jordan:
Jerusalem, Israel
Tel Aviv, Israel
Northern Israel
Ein Gedi; Masada; Dead Sea, Israel
Petra, Jordan
Wadi Rum, Jordan

Back to Nature: Ein Gedi, Masada and Dead Sea

We got very lucky with some gorgeous sunshine on our back-to-nature day. It was a very full day, but I'm so happy we saw Ein Gedi, Masada and the Dead Sea. Each was more spectacular than the last.

Photo by Sarah

Ein Gedi is a huge nature reserve most famous for its waterfalls and wildlife. Though it is the middle of winter, we still saw some cute critters, like the Rock Hyrex.

We spent a few hours hiking around the falls. It was a bit tough with two pregnant women (both of whom were around 5-6 months!), but it was fun.

Photo by Sarah

We skipped the trail for "fit hikers only;" Photo by Kyle

Next up was Masada, an ancient Roman fortress. King Herod built the huge, fortified palace for himself between 37 and 31 BCE. It is most famous for the Roman Siege that led to the mass suicide of more than 900 Jewish rebels. The story behind it is amazing. I really recommend you read more about it.

I accidentally left my camera in the car, so all the photos of Masada are courtesy of Sarah and Kyle.

Overlooking the Dead Sea

Pictures do not do it justice. This complex is huge and so sophisticated for ancient times. Herod built enormous storerooms to house dried meat, wine, fruit, oil and more. He also built traditional Roman Baths, which included a hot room, a cold room and dressing rooms. Some of the ancient tiles still remain.

Wall decorations

Storeroom

Tiles in the Baths

The whole site was really well-done. I loved the models and videos that showed what the fortress might have looked like in ancient times.

After Masada we made our way to the Dead Sea. I had been looking forward to capturing the must-have "floating" pictures for weeks, but I had a bit of a meltdown in the changing rooms when my bathing suit that I had just bought the week before no longer fit. Thankfully Dan talked me down from the ledge and I was able to enjoy the rest of the afternoon playing in the water.

Photo by Sarah

It's really amazing how easy it is to float, and how hard it is to try and sink! 

Two pregnant ladies

This is such a beautiful part of the country. There are definitely worse ways to spend a day.

Read about our stops in Israel and Jordan:
Jerusalem, Israel
Tel Aviv, Israel
Northern Israel
Eilat

Petra, Jordan
Wadi Rum, Jordan