blogJordan

Imagine abseiling the cliffs of Wadi Manshalah, racing through the red sand dunes of Wadi Rum, or perhaps even going against the flow swimming upstream at Wadi Mujib. These are just some of the natural treasures off the beaten track in Jordan one can take-in while engaging in ecotourism in Jordan.

The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) defined ecotourism as:

Responsible travel to natural areas that conserves the environment and improves the well-being of local people.

While places like Petra and Madaba amaze and awe, they’re also a bit overrun tourists and tourist-related industries that can detract and distract one from drinking in the natural diversity offered from a country geographically divided by desert, the Jordan valley and the East Bank plateaus.

In fact I recall on my 2004 journey through Jordan, a running joke on the tour bus was spotting the numerous black plastic shopping bags floating by the roadside that our guide had sarcastically referred to as “the national flag” of the Jordanian highways.

So it was with refreshing contrast that I noted on my newly minted blogJordan-Google calendar an event offered today entitled Canyoning about Wadi Al Karak - an eco-tour package offered by Terhaal, whom describes themselves on their webpage as:

… an ecoadventure travel company that operates quality adventures that are enjoyable and environmentally friendly in a responsible manner. Terhaal runs a variety of adventures including canyoning, hiking, trekking, camping, cycling, camel riding and scuba diving.

And even though this writer is yet another year older today … ahem … I’m thinking that in a couple years, when I fulfill my promise to take my daughter to see Jordan, this might be the way to go so that along with Biblical and historic wonders we’d take in - we could and would also clip in our carabeiners and check out the country’s compelling vistas and lush landscapes.

I think the above experiences, combined with perhaps a stop at Habitat for Humanity in Jordan and we might have a trifecta there that both she and I would remember for a lifetime.

I’m also thinking this is something I’d want do to with good friend, former Army Ranger, and sometimes ‘extreme tour guide‘ Chuck Holton.

Tags: ecotourism, journeys, natural wonders, tour packages

Hotel managers in Jordan hold the keys to tourism in their hands. While compelled to make reasonable rate increases due to rising energy costs “… hoteliers must not increase their prices to the point where they kill the goose that lays the golden egg …” advises Munir Nassar, the former tourism minister and executive board member on the Jordan Inbound Tour Operators Association (JITOA).

In an article concurrently appearing in the May 12, 2008 edition of the Jordan Times and Zawya.com, Mr. Nassar warns that hotels may cause tourism in the Hashemite Kingdom to loose its price competitiveness in the world markets, pointing out:

“… while some hotels in Jordan have already raised their 2009 prices from 19 percent to 24.5 percent, a reasonable measure under the circumstances. However there are other hotel properties especially in the Dead Sea and Petra that belong to international chains, and have raised their rates by as much as 70 percent increasing to 100 percent in some cases.

Such hikes are not justified especially in view of the huge increase in occupancy, which increased by as much as 100 percent and 125 percent in many of the classified hotels in Amman, Wadi Musa, Aqaba and the Dead Sea in the first three months of 2008. This upward trend is expected to continue well into 2009 and beyond, according to the World Tourism Organization and the World Tourism and Travel Council.”

Considering that the tourism sector accounted for more than 13 percent, or $2.11 billion of Jordan’s gross domestic product 2007, losing shares to competitive destinations such as Egypt, Turkey, and even Syria could be as Munir Nassar asserts:

“… disastrous for Jordan’s national economy …

… that inbound tourism as an export industry generating hard currency from international visitors vital to the domestic economy will [also] be hurt.”

With a number of tour packages to Egypt and Turkey already selling at cheaper rates to similar Jordanian tour packages due to lower airfares, over-the-top increases in hotel prices are already generating some complaints from tour operators - recently when advised by the JITOA of the recent rate increases. So much so that Mr. Nassar points out along with said complaints:

“… major inbound tour operators, who account for up to 80 per cent of the tourism business …

are actively considering reducing the number of pages in their brochures dedicated to Jordan as a holiday destination, while still others are threatening to stop selling Jordan completely because they will cease to generate enough bookings to justify their marketing and administrative costs.”

This is in part due to to the pain inbound tour operators feel when forced to pay out-of-pocket for existing travel contracts due to some of the sudden price increases in hotel stays, as well as diesel fuel related rates imposed last February by the tourist transport companies.

And as Munir Nassar points out, it is not just inbound tour operators impacted by steep increases in hotel prices, but also a large number of Jordanians who directly or indirectly earn their living from inbound tourism - more so than any other economic activity in Jordan. This includes bus companies, restaurants, taxi drivers, souvenir shops, the 600+ licensed tour guides, and the 32,000 other individuals whom cumulatively have also contributed to the Hashemite Kingdom having already achieved its tourism receipts target three years sooner than planned; despite the overall slump in Arab and Gulf tourism as reported by ArabianBusiness.com.

As Mr. Nassar concludes:

Let us be very clear. We are not against hotels increasing their earnings. All we call for is a reasonable increase that will not inhibit growth in the number of visitors to Jordan. We also want to avoid being described as greedy and opportunistic.

Tags: hotels, Jordan, prices, tours, travel

Yeah I know what you’re thinking, my friend went to Jordan and all I got was a URL to his stinking Jordan tourism blog. All the more reason to go there yourself … but until then … here are 3 more persons blogging about the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, posting their experiences and sharing their photos so the rest of us can stew in our offices and live vicariously through their journeys:

Quit ‘Bugging’ me about Wadi Rum!

Blogging Brit Tim Nunn reports that while traveling through the Jordanian desert that is Wadi Rum, Mel was worried about this part of the trip and expected to see creepy crawly bugs, but instead they made it through the night without any bites!

I never thought about the bugs when I was in Wadi Rum, but Tim’s Flickr photo set of his Jordanian experience proves that they do indeed exist. And a fast moving one it looks like at that!

Perusing Petra faster than you can say Indiana Jones!

As part of a Ken McFarland tour, the Wandering Bruces (gad I love that title) blog about their Jordan, with of course much writing and photos about ancient lost city of Petra. I think this quote from their blog best sums up the experience many of us have:

“What a fantastic place! The sandstone has been carved into beautiful shapes and colors by the various elements over time, and the Nabateans who lived here carved temples, graves, and homes into that sandstone. “

You can visually experience the rest of their Journey that is Jordan over on their Petra, etcera Picasa photo gallery (say that 5 times fast!-).

Toto, I don’t think we’re in Amsterdam anymore

Last but not certainly least of today’s international trio of Jordan tourist blogs, an entry from Hielke en Marlieke writing to us in annotated and fun photos about their 1st week in Jordan.

Y’know, the normal fare:

• getting up early enough and getting into Petra before everyone else (the only way to get tourist-free photos of the Treasury);
• remembering to bring a book along to read while floating about the Dead Sea; and
• capturing an incriminating photo of one’s significant other enjoying a bit of “hubbly bubbly” before or after some beer (I’d think preferably before?-).

So what about you, got a Journey of Jordan you’ve recorded online? Send me a link-o-love and I’ll see what I can do about getting it reviewed.

Tags: dead sea, Jordan, petra, tourism, Wadi Rum

There are a lot of misconceptions about the Arab culture and the Middle East. In response, Queen Rania of Jordan is leveraging the popularity of YouTube by setting up her own video blog (vlog) page whose aim is to break down stereotypes and engage in an international dialog; or in her own words:

“In a world where it is so easy to connect with one another, we still remain disconnected. There is a whole world of wonder out there that we cannot appreciate with stereotypes. So it is important for all of us to join forces, come together and try to bring down those misconceptions. And I have been surprised by some of the questions I have been asked about the Arab world and the Middle East. Do all Arabs hate Americans? Can Arab women work? Are there any YouTubers in Jordan?”

For those whom may be surprised by the establishment of a royal vlogger, Queen Rania Al Abdullah is a major voice of the Hashemite Kingdom to the Jordanian and International community in establishing a greater undestanding and dialog between culture.

Which explains why she is using this channel to solicit questions about the Islamic and the Arabic world until August 12, 2008, where on International Youth Day Queen Rania will respond with answers that I personally think might surprise many U.S. readers.

Well actually, on a second visit to her video blog, I’m seeing she’s answering some of the questions right away - including video snips from some Americans  in Jordan.

Tags: culture, Queen Rania, video, YouTube

This is not a trick question: what does a Christian, Malaysian mother and homeschooler living in Thailand do on her first day experiencing the journey that is Jordan? Why visit the Jordan Archaeological Museum, Citadel Hill, and the Amman Amphitheater of course … and then blog about it with fun photos and everything.

At least the picture, well several pictures we read on the blog Journey of my Life whose post ‘Day 1 - Amman, Jordan: 10 April 2008, Thursday‘ included a morning tour of the:

1. Hill of the Citadel
2. Temple of Hercules
3. National Archaeological Museum of Jordan
4. The Roman Amphitheater in Amman
5. A tour of the city of Amman

All before heading out to Petra by way of the famous Karak castle via a King’s highway the authoress describes as:

After that we headed for lunch but first we have to pass the King’s Highway which was one of the most amazing scenery I have ever seen. It was just absolutely breathtaking and beautiful. Very similar to Grand Canyon in Las Vegas, USA.

It does sound like the new museum is yet to be opened as the writer describes her own archaeological find:

This small museum houses an excellent collection of antiquities ranging from prehistoric times to the 15th century. There is an exhibit of the Dead Sea Scrolls, a copy of the Mesha Stele and four rare Iron Age sarcophagi.

Still, not bad for the first day … and yet another great description of all there is to see and do just about any and everywhere in Jordan.

I definately will be checking back in on this blog to see how the rest of the story goes.

Tags: Amman, Archaeology, Citadel, Museum

“There are neighborhood mosques everywhere in Amman. That shouldn’t surprise anyone. Many of them are striking and quite beautiful. But there are also some cool churches. Here are some steeples with the Amman cityscape in the background. I found these towards the top of Jebel Ashrafiyeh within blocks of each other and also the Abu Darwish Mosque. I think these speak for themselves.” - Brian, Pilgrim Without a Shrine blog

I remember my 2004 trip to Amman, that after a tour of the King Abdullah I Mosque I spotted an Byzantine-fashioned cross adorning the building across the street.

Being raised Greek Orthodox I grabbed Chuck Holton and made a bee line across the street. It was indeed a Coptic Orthodox Church, its pews mostly filled with individuals of Egyptian descent - all engaged in worship during a presentation/practice of the divine liturgy.

Anyway, Brian’s post on Steeples in Amman reminded of that day - and of the diversity and respect this mostly Muslim country holds towards natural born Christians in Jordan.

I only wish I had more time to take more pictures. That said, it appears Brian McMorrow (not the same Brian as the blog post) has already done just that over on his photo gallery pages.

Tags: Christianity, Coptic Orthodox, Islam, Mosque, Muslim, Steeples

I have done many crazy things - but I would have to rate swimming in the dead sea as one of my highlights … I have seen on TV when I was a kid, people reading books as they float in the Dead Sea … but its crazy, you float so high in the water that one can easily sit there and read a book. - Scott Ragsdale, naseba CEO blog

What a great quote as reminded me of my own YouTube enhanced post entitled “Dean takes a dive in the dead sea that ‘rocks’” - where like the TV shows Scott Ragsdale describes - I take a ‘Nestea-like Plunge’ into the saline-saturated body of baby-oil-like brine known as the Dead Sea.

Only in my case with a 25 pound rock on my belly.

Even better, Mr. Ragsdale’s blog provides us with an easy-to-read and enjoy 1 post summary of all there is to see and do in Jordan as a tangent tour during a business trip to Dubai …

… as well as some interesting personal insights and experiences as an American traveling in the Middle East, including this one-of-a-kind, once-in-a-lifetime snippet:

When I came back to the hotel, I was standing in the elevator alone and just when the elevator doors are about to close … a rush of people came running up and opened the door just as they were closing -pushing a man along with them, and get in the elevator with me … suddenly I look up and see someone that I have recently, seen on TV very often, Al-Maliki, the Prime Minister of Iraq and 5 of his secret service people all who were obviously Americans … are now standing directly in front of me in the elevator.

That and along with some descriptions of wondrous sites like Petra and delicious dinners in Amman, Scott offers some intriguing political insights worth reading:

Before my plane left the next afternoon - I walked all around Amman again. I went into the empty back streets — as well as visited two crowded markets. Absolutely brilliant experience– but for me, what is most remarkable, after all the problems that America’s war on Iraq has caused this country and its people — not one single person was rude nor aggressive to me.

So if you got a moment or three, check out Ragsdale’s post entitled ‘Swimming in the Dead Sea’ as it is quite a bit more than just your typical touristy “lookie at me on a camel” post.

Tags: Amman, dead sea, Jordan, petra

Wow, what a great way to spend one’s retirement, seeing the world through a VW Camper with stops all through Jordan, including the city of mosaics known as Madaba. At least that’s the last known location of Gary and Joan who stopped to write and post a photo or three over on their blog Africa Overland 08.

I’m so jealous. They get to spend a few days in a city in which I’ve only been afforded a few hours.

Only 30 miles south of Amman, Madaba’s history dates back at least 3500 years, and perhaps into the Neolithic period. Madaba, which was known in the Bible as the Moabite town of Medaba, is mentioned in the Old Testament account of Moses and the Exodus (Numbers 21:30).

King David is also mentioned near this location in I Chronicles 19:7 as this where he vanquished an Ammonite and Aramean coalition.

Today, Madaba is most famous for its Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics, the most notable being that which adorns the floor of the Church of St. George in the middle of town. The church is open to the public every day 08:30-18:00, except for Friday and Sunday when it is open 10:30-18:00 (don’t forget to stop by a small wooden donation box to help out the poor and needy).

This Mosaic Map of Palestine represents the Holy Land and its surrounding regions. Clearly visible on the map are al-Quds (Jerusalem) and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Dead Sea, the Jordan River, Nablus, al-Khalil (Hebron), Ariha (Jericho), Egypt and the Nile River, Turkey and Lebanon.

The mosaic was made around 560 CE, originally composed of over 2.3 million pieces, and measured a staggering 25 by 5 meters. It is thought that 11,500 man-hours would have been required to lay the entire mosaic.

And while I’m guessing that Gary and Joan will likely blog next from Petra and Aqaba as they continue to journey towards South Africa, I should probably get busying getting online the many photos I have of the famous roped-off mosaic at the aforementioned Greek Orthodox church - some of which were taken from directly overhead as I extended a camera over it via an omni-pod.

Tags: greek orthodox, Jordan, madaba, mosaic, retirement, road trip

Getting married? Want to honeymoon someplace spectacularly more memorable than the Magic Kingdom for about the same price? Then how about a couple of weeks exploring the wonders Jordan has to offer? A point well made by a recent post entitled “Honeymooning Outside of the Box” on a blog entitled D.C. NearlyWeds.

As the authoress opines:

A lot of times people ask me out of all my travels what place did I like the most? What was the most impressive? Where would I return? Where do I recommend? All those typical honeymoon spots have their place…and really if you haven’t been you should go, but to tell you the truth none of them have been my favorite. So what’s my top pick? Are you ready? … It’s Jordan … Yep … Jordan.

Amen sister, preach it!

In fact, she goes on to enumerate 8 excellent reasons why you should consider a trip to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan over Niagra Falls or DollyWood, including:

1. The Dead Sea
2. Wadi Rum
3. Petra
4. Aqaba
5. Cause You Like Movies
6. Cause you like History or you like Religion
7. Cause it’s easy
8. Cause you shouldn’t be afraid

I can think of a few more, but I think ‘Miss Capitol Hill’ hits most of the pertinent nails on the head, driving in points I’ve made on this blog before.

But don’t take my word for it, read her explanations of her 7 pillars of wisdom (plus one) entitled “Honeymooning Outside of the Box” to see yet another voice encouraging you to experience the journey that is Jordan - well that and she’s got some neat pictures posted.

Heck, if nothing else, it sure beats slummin’ about Rockville!

Tags: honeymoon, Jordan, tourism, vacation

Jerash (Arabic:محافظة جرش) is considered one of the most important cities of the Roman Decapolis - as well as one of the best preserved. I should know, I have the pictures to prove it!

Located at +32° 16′ 54.83″, +35° 53′ 27.61“, Jerash is known for its wealth of ruins from the Roman Decapolis city of Gerasa (sometimes Garasa). Jerash also sometimes referred to as Antioch on the Golden River. It is sometimes misleadingly referred to as the “Pompeii of the Middle East or Asia”, referring to its size, extent of excavation and level of preservation (though Jerash was never buried by a volcano).

Recent excavations show that Jerash was inhabited during the Bronze Age and Iron Age (3200 BC - 1200 BC. After the Roman conquest in 63 BC, Jerash and the land surrounding it were annexed by the Roman province of Syria, and later joined the Decapolis cities.

The photo is of the areas well-known and well preserved amphitheater … where I took the opportunity to test the acoutsics by singing a little solo based on the 23 Psalm.

In AD 90, Jerash was absorbed into the Roman province of Arabia, which included the city of Philadelphia (modern day Amman). The Romans ensured security and peace in this area which enabled its people to devote their efforts and time to economic development and building activity.

In the second half of the first century AD, the city of Jerash achieved great prosperity. In AD 106, the Emperor Trajan constructed roads throughout the provinces and more trade came to Jerash - as seen in the city square pictured here.

The Emperor Hadrian visited Jerash in AD 129-130. A remarkable Latin inscription records a religious dedication set up by members of the imperial mounted bodyguard “wintering” there. The Triumphal Arch (or Arch of Hadrian) pictured here was built to celebrate his visit.

In fact travelers can get a taste of this culture through a nifty little Roman re-enactment held at the Hippodrome. It includes authentically dressed and drilled soldiers, a gladiator spectacle and a small but exciting chariot race. Here I am getting into the act … with less success than the modern movie’s Maximus.

For those into religious tourism, Jerash is long considered to be the chora ton Gerasenon or “country of the Gerasenes” mentioned to in Mark 5:1; Luke 8:26, and Luke 8:37, a large ecclesiastical complex exists within the city houses a fountain and a church where Byzantine citizens once annually celebrated Jesus’ miracle of turning water into wine.

Today, the “Fountain Court” within Jerash is a popular destination for modern pilgrims who want to commemorate the travels and teachings of Jesus in the most spectacular remains of a city of the Decapolis.

You can explore more details about this amazing city of the Decapolis on our wiki page on Jerash.