Below is a pleasant and short video from the WorldNomad’s blog aptly entitled ‘Travel Safety Tip - Riding a camel!‘:

Too bad the gang I traveled with back in ‘07 didnt’ see this one first. I wasn’t with them at the time, but the account goes via Diana Scimone is that at the saddle broke on the lead of three … at Petra they tether together trains of camels lead by 10 to 15 year-old boys.

What makes the account even funnier is that the two ladies on the loosed camels were ‘automagically’ led back to the Treasury at Petra by said, unattended animals … whom then refused to let them down until the young owner could get back to them and extract payment on the agreed-upon price.

Good for them as I’ve heard some other accounts where even with the guide along the way, the price negotiated to get on isn’t the same as the price to get off - which is why you agree up-front for such rides on the getting on AND off price!-)

p.s. - thanks Diana for the hat-tip via my Twitter account.

The first day started off with a three hour camel ride in Lawrence’s old stomping grounds, Wadi Rum. Yes, camel riding is the iconic Middle Eastern experience (not to mention Lawrence’s preferred method of transportation) but believe you me, we could have lived without the angry, farting camels and all the leg and back pain associated with being perched atop them for three hours.

The above description come courtesy of a couple of best friends studying the Arabic language - who took some time off to visit the desert T.E. Lawrence described in his famed ‘7 Pillars of Wisdom‘ as ‘Vast and echoing and god-like.‘

A landscape whose plains are challenging by camel as its numerous jagged and jutting rock structures are for rappelling and ‘trad climbing‘ . The latter explained by Ben Heason in his RockRun.com post entitled ‘Tales from Wadi Rum:’

Whilst the climbing is often of a serious nature, there remains an air of convenience when climbing in Wadi Rum. More akin to alpine climbing than UK cragging, Wadi Rum offers some long and memorable outings, of all grades, but without the arduous approaches, slogging up long steep hills so often associated with alpine climbs…

… After a couple of days familiarising ourselves with the climbing style, which is often of a slightly crumbly nature, repeating delightful classic shorter routes such as Inferno (E2 5c) and The Beauty (E2 5b, 5 pitches) we decided to go for our first big route of the trip – Inshallah Factor …

After repeating the super classics of Merlin’s Wand (E1 5b, 5 pitches), Star of Abu Judaidah (E2 5b, 7 pitches), Les Rumeurs De La Pluie (E2 5c, 3 pitches) and the less traveled, run-out and technical Neige Dans Le Desert (E5 5c/6a, 7 pitches) my appetite for a return trip to Barrah Canyon had been sufficiently whetted.

…  I have rarely had such a feeling whilst climbing, of elation and fear combined, and for such a lengthy period. For almost the entire day I remained petrified, yet in my element at the same time, thriving on the experience.

Of course one not need be an expert climber to enjoy some if the heights and sights offered in this amazing landscape.  An experience nicely described by this GW student of Arabic and history:

The above picture of the Rock Bridge is one of the famous sites at Wadi Rum because it forms a natural bridge. To climb up it, we had to scale the face of the rock to the right of it, which was an exercise in conquering your fear. The nearly vertical climb up was not for the faint of heart, and I would be lying if I said it was easy. Once atop, I quickly walked across the bridge and descended (which was even more difficult) to the safety of the ground below. On the way down, as I’m slowly making my way, some Bedouin tour guide is calmly and confidently walking down the rock face as if it’s nothing. It was a pretty funny sight: I’m doing a crab walk next to someone walking normally.

Uncomfortable with climbing? Not a problem, there’s always camping:

We stayed the night in the Bedouin camp and traveled to Petra the next morning. What a spectacular place. Words don’t do justice to treasure trove of amazingly preserved - Beholding the World

And while the ‘tent’ accommodations may not be entirely authentic Bedouin, it certainly makes for an entertaining experience:

Moving along in the afternoon we went to a “Bedouin camp” in Wadi Rum. Obviously most people visiting Wadi Rum want to spend the night in a “Bedouin tent” are not the authentic homes of the Bedouin, but are erected for the tourists. It is nevertheless a special experience to sleep out in the desert, several of them have “amenities” like toilets and showers.

… I sleep with socks, gloves and my jacket and hood on. The bed is just full of sand, as we had to change tents last minute due to the kerosene spillage…it was quite cold and the bed very uncomfortable but it beats sleeping on the ground. Thank god i only had to walk once to the bathroom before going to bed, but it was a pain to have to walk the distance through sand … - Judie’s Travels

Sure it gets a bit chilly at night, but there’s nothing like seeing Wadi Rum for the moonscape that it is … by way of full lunar illumination:

Last weekend I went to Wadi Rum and Aqaba for a conference sponsored by the Rotaract of Amman-West. It was incredible! Wadi Rum is a desert canyon area, and Aqaba is the little bit of coast that Jordan has with the Red Sea. We got down to Wadi Rum after the sunset unfortunately (it is supposed to be spectacular), but it was close to a full moon which was also incredible. We stayed at a camp called “Beit Ali” and went up to the top of the hill for a breathtaking view of the moonlit desert.  - Greg Sheppard’s Blog

Personally, I’m conflicted - as I found myself more impressed with Wadi Rum than Petra after my first visit to Jordan in my post: Wadi Rum: vast and echoing and god-like, magically haunted.

One of the most frustrating disadvantages to group travel is that when there are 20+ people traveling in a group, it means that there are 20+ egos, temper tantrums, ignorant outbursts, and selfish behavioral characteristics to take into consideration…

…There were those who were notoriously late for group gatherings, those who constantly made special requests … and also those who clearly needed a lesson (or many) on respecting all aspects of a foreign culture …

… In my opinion, the worst offenders were those who were ignorant enough to make certain assumptions about Egypt and Jordan, and especially the people of these countries … I guess my expectations were too high for some participants and they often reminded me of my inaccuracy.

If you’re like me, the above ‘Post-Vacation Thoughts‘ offered by Brett Mickelson beg the question “are any other similar acts of bloggery detailing the disadvantages of group travel in Jordan and in general?”

I’m glad I asked …

Dean 'negotiating' with some of his more 'emotional' travel mates in Jerash.

… funny photo aside, along with managing well-optimized egos are those members of a group whom grate on others. For example, in this kvetch-a-thon we read of some nerves rubbed somewhat raw:

Dinner time arriving, Faisel took us for an orientation walk of the town. Nerves growing thin, I wasn’t the only one wanting to bite the head off of one of the two “louder” members of our group …

Goodbyes MERCIFULLY done, the group went back up into the main town and found a “Mystic Pizza” (safe enough). A glare that possibly scorched her eyebrows later, one of the girls swapped me away from the louder member of the group who had been slowly plucking my every last remaining nerve…

Following one of the other Australians (who also confessed a desire to break every piece of furniture in the place), we made our way back to the hotel while trying to stay in close enough proximity to the girls so they wouldn’t be hassled.

Here’s another example from TravelBlog where a couple of younger tourists were grouped with mostly older ladies - the latter of from which a few could be classified as Olympic-class shoppers. Not a problem until the poor tour guide finds themselves engaged in ‘cat herding‘ before they can get everyone on the bus and go somewhere else.

At Madaba we first discovered that some members of our tour liked to shop. In particular two ladies called Patti and Allie. Patti and Allie had come on the trip with another friend

Caroline and these three ladies were exactly like the ladies from Ab Fab. Allie was Patsy, Caroline was Eddie and Patti was Saffy. We ended up having many good laughs with these ladies, but at this stage of the journey we were most dismayed to discover that Patti and Allie could spend in excess of 20 minutes shopping while the rest of us waited for them. It reminded me very much of my darling mother.

Of course, sometimes it’s not the other travelers, but the travel agency or tour guide that turns the group into a mob, as we read in this ‘tense’ account:

Our last day in Jordan was spent driving northward, with some stops, towards our overnight stay in the town called Madaba which was Moab in the bible. It was an overall tense day in our group. Khaleid was not happy with us that we questioned him to the agency and we were not happy with him that we had to do it in the first place. The tension mixed with the fact that the trip was winding down really made for a quiet day. I think that almost everyone was looking forward to wrapping up the trip or moving onward to their next destination. Despite all of this, I enjoyed the day.

Perhaps one solution is to go it alone with compatible friends, and a competent taxi driver.

Then there’s always the temptation of striking out on one’s own:

Not that life here is all that demanding or stressful: all I really do is Arabic; but being part of the group, along with all its little rules and requirements, can be a bit taxing and at times frustrating - like this past week: I had a little run-in with a lady from BYU who had come to evaluate the program here - it was like talking to a wall; but at least I think I made her feel uncomfortable. And so… the thought of striking out on my own again proved too tempting.

I just happened to have a pamphlet of Jerash and its Roman ruins at the house …

Though sometimes getting away from the group is more the fault of a careless tour guide than the intentions of the individual … especially when that individual is a female who stumbles into a male only area:

We walked down a staircase past a small group of men, and I followed Hilda through an archway before quickly realizing that I had just walked into a section of the complex that was restricted to women. I apologized to the two muhajabaat sitting there and backed out, to find that Waleed and our guide had disappeared, and that I was left alone with the group of strange men.

Another alternative is to trade one set of problems for another, traveling with family. Here’s one such blogger whom along with making it through Jordan with 25 family members - did so while feeding their Scrapping or Scrap book hobby.

Here is group shot of our tour group while in Egypt. There were a bunch of us. And what was really cool was that over 25 of us were FAMILY!! I love scrapping and reliving the memories of this trip. I’m so thankful to have experienced it–not just the tours and the history, but being with my familiy to experience it.

…Then we went to Jordan. It was really amusing seeing Jordan’s name everywhere. I totally got a kick out it!! He was so proud! These were taken at the airport. Joey wanted to pull Jordan’s bag..LOL..what a silly!

Of course, some times you’re group is just fine … it’s the other groups touring Jordan that may offer one or more interesting events, such as this nearly unfortunate incident detailed in Jordan Journals by someone whom forgot the ‘safety in numbers‘ rule:

When we approached the deck above the Jordan River and the Baptism font, our eyes were treated to the rather full body of a young woman clad in the briefest of white bikinis, thong and all! A group of women were to the side, in various stages of undress, having just climbed out of the river. And, the crowning glory, a woman of probably 55-60 years of age still in the water, clothed, or rather unclothed, in a soaking wet black negligee-style dress, which left nothing to the imagination.

The majority of our group were truly offended, particularly an Arab nun accompanied by younger relatives; and a couple of German ladies, one resident in Jordan, and one visiting. They verbally attacked our guide, who explained that this was a recent occurrence amongst Russian tourists, and when he had expressed his reservations on previous occasions, had been told by the “bathers” that to submerge themselves in the holy waters was part of their culture. The independent guide, i.e. not of the Baptism Site, said that the tourists were entitled to behave as they wished.

That last account reminds me of my first trip Jordan, when enjoying some ice cream at the adjoining Mövenpick Resort, we were beset first by a belly dancer, then a gaggle of drunk Russian women whom compelled us on stage to join them (at the risk of pulling our arms clean out of their sockets mind you).

Chuck Holton and Dean Peters boogie like its 1999

The next day, we spotted the same group solemly visiting the banks of the Baptismal site. That said, I found the time spent with my own group that day spiritually moving and motivating as expressed in my post “Walking in the steps of Jesus along the banks of Bethany Beyond the Jordan.”

Oh I could go on, just as I’m sure those who’ve traveled with me could do likewise. The point being, when it comes to travel mates and tour groups, the aphororism “your mileage may vary” most certainly applies.

Put another way via some recent Jordanian blog posts regarding human interaction, please take “No offense …” to the question “Are You a Highly Sensitive Person?” … as it is all part of the travel package.

A few other fun things we did include visit the Karak Castle and shopping… The castle is the same as the movie Kingdom of Heaven is based off of (for anyone who has watched it)… it was built by the crusaders and is an amazing place to climb around! There are tons of pictures coming from this place! Really, there were very few limitations to where we could go – only areas with obviously crumbling rocks had bars or fences around them… It was very, very fun to be free as we looked over the top of VERY high walls!! Some of them 200+ feet straight down!

The above is a small snippet from a very chatty and fun to read blog post from Heather’s “9 month journal of life while at school in Israel.”

And the castle she is describing is the 12th century Karak Castle that still stands today as it did some 800+ years ago. Moreover, unlike some tourist destinations such as Athens or Rome - and as Heather points out in her post - one can see, feel and experience “hands-on” as one walk through the winding passages of this excellent example of Crusader-erea construction and architecture …

… as depicted in this inspiring YouTube video …

… described here in some detail at the blogJordan Wiki:

The most notable Crusader architectural feature surviving is the north wall, into which are built immense arched halls on two levels. These were used for living quarters and stables, but also served as a fighting gallery overlooking the castle approach and for shelter against missiles from siege engines.

In AD 1263, the Mamluk ruler, Baybars, enlarged and built a tower on the north-west corner. In AD 1840, Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt captured the castle and destroyed much of its fortifications.

The castle extends over the southern part of the plateau. It is a notable example of Crusader architecture, a mixture of European, Byzantine, and Arab designs. Its walls are strenghthened with rectangular projecting towers, long stone vaulted galleries are lighted only by narrow slits, and a contains a deep moat from the west which completely isolates the site.

In the lower court of the castle, there is Karak Archaeological Museum, which was newly opened in 2004 after renovation work. It introduces local history and archaeology of Karak region- the land of Moab- from the prehistoric period until the Islamic era. History of the Crusader and uslims at Karak castle and town is introduced in detail

Along with her account of the Kerak Castle, Heather offers some observations on the Jordanian economy and its relevance in terms of both tourists and local residents where she writes:

Tourist simply have more money than Jordanians.

Jordan is a place where people live off of very low incomes. It is strange because the Jordanian Dinar (JD) is worth about $1.40 but the average living wage is only about 200 JDs a month, the wealthier families have about 500 JDs a month. That’s the equivalent of about $300-$700 a month! So all of the prices are directly relative to the income of the people, but to us as Americans the prices were very, very cheap. I bought a ½ a kilo (about a pound) of cinnamon for 2 JDs = about $3. That is SO cheap to me as an American, but to the Jordanian people it is expensive. They only have 200 JDs to live off of each month, so spending 2 whole JDs on cinnamon would be ridiculous.

Indeed, I myself purchased and additional suitcase my last trip to Aqaba - for even though the Dollar-pegged Jordanian Dinar (JD) has created some controversy for its inflationary impact on Jordanians - there are still deals on otherwise expensive commodities for Euro-wary US travelers.

Heather’s post also describes some of the fun, and not-so-fun aspects of the taxi ride to and from Israel and Jordan. Nothing bad, just some things to consider for those planning on traveling to both “Holy Lands” in a single trip on their own.

Here are some other cool links about Kerak:

• Karak Castle-Jordan October 2008 - Flickr; Nasriyyeh Hall
• 360 East - From Amman to Karak on the Kings Highway
• Photo Of The Day, by the Karak Castle - 7iber Dot Com
• Natashatynes.org - Karak, a 28 Picture Castle Tour
• Kingdom of Heaven’ and the city of Karak - Mental Mayhem
• VisitJordan.org - A maze of stone-vaulted halls & endless passageways
• Military Orders: The Templars - blogJordan.com

How about you? Got an experience in Karak you want to share? If so, don’t be shy, leave a comment.

Next it was off to the black basalt columns of Umm Qais, but not, of course, without a bit of a run-around first. After happening upon a bus to the awful, awful city of Irbid, we intended to catch another bus to our hostel in Umm Qais. Instead, an opportunistic Jordanian man attempted to drive us to Ajlun. Perhaps Jordanian taxi drivers think that shouting a city’s name about twenty times equates to a different city entirely, but I’m more inclined to think that this particular man was simply rather daft. Well, anyway, we did make it there eventually. So take a gander.

The quote above is from the blog ‘Travel to Saturn,’ painting a verbal picture the potential thrills and spills of striking out on one’s own in Jordan.

That said, while checking out what some other recent Umm Qais related bloggery, I came across these two images of the dark basalt stonework over at Flickr:

The contrast between antiquity & modern - by Puri

I might have taken the same shot, except our tour guide was immutably parked there this past November.

Only For the Royal Family - by Faris Madi

This latter image from taken from the last row of seats lining the ancient Umm Qais Greco-Roman theater. As the photographer, Faris Madi nicely puts it:

As you can see they made it from rocks in a curvy way…perfect

And finally this word image (followed by some huge .jpg photos)  from Lauren’s Live Journal of what many experience their first day out of Amman on a guided tour:

First stop - Umm Qais. Umm Qais is in the North West of Jordan, and is home to the ruins of the Roman city of Gadara. My guidebook says you can see Syria, Israel and the Palestinian Territories from Umm Qais, and there were terrific views there, but with my shoddy sense of direction I had no idea what I was looking at. The scenery was nice, whichever country it was.

One of the things I really loved about Jordan (it was also the case, to a lesser extent, in Turkey) was that the Roman ruins aren’t ‘fenced off‘ the same way they are in Italy (and the way Greek ruins are, in Greece). There were no guards, no ‘keep out’ signs, really nothing from stopping you from getting up close to the ruins. Umm Qais was really quiet - there was our party of four, and a couple of other small groups, and that was it.

Emphasismine … as I was quite disappointed this past summer while touring the Acropolis … having to pay to take photos from several yards away of historic locations obscured by ugly chain link fences.

Not so in Jordan, there you can still see, feel and touch the Biblical and ancient history - especially at Umm Qais.

The Quarryscapes project started in 2005 and is now almost finished … The project is basically an effort to study and raise awareness about ancient quarries in the eastern Mediterranean area. In this context, we in Jordan studied ancient Bronze aged quarries in the Jafr area, Nabatean quarries in Petra and Roman quarries in Jerash. In the upcoming meeting, I will present some of our work in Jerash.

How cool is that?! And how can I get in on such action the next time I tour Jordan?

Until then, I suppose I’ll just have to live vicariously through posts like the one above by Nizar over at the Jordan science and engineering blog …

… and project websites such as “Quarryscapes” that offer ancient imagery of:

• Al Jafr - whose formation begins as massive thickness of chalky limestone or marl, then repeated the sequence by chert and chalky limestone, chalk or hard limestone.
• Jerasa - where  visit to the site will reveal that stone was brought to the site from many sources. Remarkably, large granite columns are present, apparently brought all the way from Egypt.
• Petra - The stone is extracted from the Cambrian Um Ishrin formation. This is a well indurated fluviatile quartz arenite. The lower section consists of reddish sandstone and the upper is whitish.

Like I said … where do I sign up to see some awesome archaeological sites like these?

As a follow up to my September 8 post ‘Pavarotti to be remembered at Petra by Elton John, Bono, Celine Dion, Joe Cocker and Sting‘ - and as a once aspiring opera singer myself - it is thrilling to see that the two surviving members of the musical trio simply known as “the Three Tenors” celebrating the late maestro’s ambition to perform at one of the World’s Seven New Wonders.

As this event continues to gain in excitement and momentum, the list of singers now also includes opera stars Roberto Alagna, Angela Gheorghiu and Andrea Bocelli, all conducted by Maestro Eugene Kohn according to the Epoch Times.

The Hashemite Kingdom of late, becoming a popular backdrop to the “big singing” as just this past summer, Placido Domingo, Julia Migenes, and jazz singer Diana Krall were the highlight acts at this year’s Jordan Festival.

A number of noted non-singing celebrities will also be among the exclusive guest list of 500, including Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, the billionaire ruler of Dubai who is married to Princess Haya - daughter of the late Hussein bin Talal, King of Jordan (may his name be blessed).

As Reuters reports:

The tribute is the brainchild of Nicoletta Mantovani, Pavarotti’s widow and HRH Princess Haya, a fellow UN Messenger of Peace and daughter of Jordan’s late King Hussein. “A concert in Petra was a dream once shared by the late King Hussein of Jordan and Luciano,” said Mantovani. “I am so grateful to Her Royal Highness Princess Haya, for making it possible to turn this dream into a reality.”

The proceeds of the concert will support joint projects in Afghanistan by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP).  A local charity supporting disabled children in Petra will also benefit from the concert. More information about the UNHCR-WFP Pavarotti Tribute Project can be found on their ReliefWeb page that includes contacts information.

Also, as reported on blogJordan last month, websites providing tour packages can also be found at:

• thepavarottitribute.com
• eventsbyappointment.com

Below is a list of some other blogs writing about this exciting event.

• Gheorghiu Tribute In Petra, Jordan: Luciano Who?
• Cynthia Lawrence Headlines Pavarotti Tribute
• Concerto a Petra (English translation)

Finally, here’s a few articles enumerating my own experiences in the ‘Rose Red City:’

• The Petra Treasury Indiana Jones didn’t show you
• Best Online Photo Gallery of Petra Ever!
• Petra: 10 miles + 2 mountains of world wonder

Oh what this bass-baritone wouldn’t give to be there (again)!

It could have just as easily been me had my wife not reminded - around this time last year - that it takes a week or two for one’s body to completely absorb and build antibodies in response to a flu shot.

It was good advice, so on the first weekend of October of 2007, I paid my $20 and took my shot at not having to host a ride for the influenza virus to the Hashemite Kingdom a month later.  Nor perchance pick it up as a hitch hiker taking advantage of the close proximity and recycled air that comes with a “comfy” coach seat on Royal Jordanian - despite the best efforts of the crew to kill it with their cigarette smoke wafting out of their cabin.

Latter sarcasm aside, if you’ve traveled in coach, then you know how unavoidable contact is … which is something to consider along with this quote from this ‘International Travel Vaccines and Advice‘ from Passport Health:

“Influenza is spread when people work closely together or touch infected surfaces, …

Oh sure I cried like a baby when I got stuck like a pin cushion by the nice nurse lady … and was a bit put out I didn’t get a lollipop for my effort … but I also didn’t suffer the discomfort of cold sweats, chills, incredible headache and bodily aches while trying to climb the 900+ stairs to the Monastery at Petra, nor hike about the ruins at Umm Qais and Jerash.

Not convinced? Here are some more articles on the topic:

• Washington Post - Flu shot season begins with ample supply coming
• 86% of Americans Told to Get Flu Shot - WaPo again
• Maxim - Find-a-Flu Shot Locator (US only)
• Key Facts About Seasonal Flu Vaccine - Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
• Medical Facilities and Health Information - Travel.State.Gov

Update - 06Oct08 - Just got this nice note from Katie at PassportHealthUSA.com.

Right you are about the importance of the flu shot!  I did want to bring to your attention one thing.  The link to our Passport Health blog is incorrect.  The correct blog address is http://internationaltravelvaccines.blogspot.com/ … Enjoy your travels and stay healthy!

Food channel cook and author Michael Smith gets a taste of Jordan’s desert hospitality during this first episode of Chef at Large, Season VI, on the cable Food Channel. With the help of the Petra Kitchen - a cooking school/restaurant in Petra - Smith enjoys the creation and consumption of mansaf, a meal traditionally made for guests … one of whom will be Prince Mired Al Hussein of Jordan.

This according to an online article in TheStar.com which also informs us that:

Later, Smith and the prince travel by camel through the desert to Wadi Rum where a Bedouin tribe welcomes them with a meal of goat cooked in a barrel under the sand.

This is not the first time The Petra Kitchen has been featured on a cable network, as the Travel Channel also featured this fun respite last year as described in this online synopsis that includes both some video - and more importantly recipes - for how to make some of the yummy Arabic cuisine one learns to make there, hands on:

This month on TRAVEL 2007 we visit the PETRA KITCHEN, which gives visitors a great opportunity to learn more about Jordanian food. It’s a very hands on approach - you eat what you’ve prepared. Wendy Botham, the owner, was kind enough to pass on some of the most popular recipes to us …

Some of those recipes include (note, links open a new window):

• Shourbat Freekeh - Green Wheat Soup
• Fatoush - Cucumber and Tomato Salad
• Salatat Khyar - Cucumber and Yoghurt Salad
• Magloubet - Upside-Down

Here are what some other blogs are saying about the Petra Kitchen:

• Jordan Jubilee - the Petra Kitchen is now open.
• Great idea, but poor execution - TravelAdvisor
• Egypt Magic - how I could barely stop laughing …
• Off The Beaten Path: Petra Kitchen  - VirtualTourist

When I went, I was incredibly tired and footsore from a day climbing all over Petra - so I didn’t get as “hands on” as other members in the group. That said, I wasn’t so fatigued that I didn’t enjoy the soup, mezza, salad, and Levant - nor the furnishings and the tableware which all crafted in Jordan and produced by the Iraq al Amir Women’s Cooperative (via the Queen Noor Al Hussein Foundation) and the aprons and table linens all hand-embroidered by the Jordan River Foundation (a Queen Rania Al-Abdullah initiative).

The regular price of JD 30/person includes the cuisine course, meal and all non-alcoholic beverages as well as take-home recipes for all dishes prepared that evening. For more information or to book your evening at The Petra Kitchen, contact:

• The Petra Kitchen
  P O Box 40
  Petra, Jordan
  tel/fax +962-3-215-7900
  email: kitchen

As follow-up to my September 12 post entitled ‘Some tips to touring Jordan during Ramadan,’ I thought it might be an interesting cultural lesson to those traveling in the Hashemite Kindom during this “festival” (Eid) celebrating the “break of the fast” (ul-Fitr).

Starting out with how-to-know when Ramadan is ending - a process nicely described via the VOA Newsire:

The three-day Eid al Fitr holiday begins Tuesday in nine Arab states, with the exception of Egypt and Syria, after Muslim scholars sighted the crescent moon, overnight, bringing an end to the month of Ramadan, according to Islam’s lunar calendar.

The APF news service adds this interesting tidbit and twist to the process:

Religious authorities in Saudi Arabia, home to Islam’s holiest shrines, said the new moon had been sighted and that Ramadan would end on Monday with the feast to follow the next day. Lebanon and Jordan made similar announcements.

The Islamic calendar is a lunar one, and most Muslim countries set the beginning of Eid al-Fitr by the sighting of the new moon.

But Libya — where the feast also begins on Tuesday — uses astronomical calculations.

With when out of the way, we wander over to the WikiPedia Eid al-Fitr page to learn what and how; including this media-driven, modern practice:

The end of Ramadan is announced via e-mail, postings on websites, or chain phone calls to all members of a Muslim community.

And it is with that last noteable quotable  I thought it might be fun to list some snippets from a few Jordanian bloggers announcing EID - starting with this marvelous poster via Chocoholic MADNESS:

The author adding:

… Its EID! Woo hoo! I love waking up early on EID! (only on EID i would rather sleep any other day). So we go to EID prayer then ofcourse we go to have BREAKFAST! i miss having a big yummy breakfast! Pancakes! Fried Eggs with Toast and Croissant & jam!

Degrees of Freedom writes - Fitr Mubarak for you:

if you wanna feel something fuzzy about Eid, check this blog post entry, southern muslimah shows how people are celebrating Eid around the world

Kinzi (My Treasure) - A Blessed Eid, Dear Readers

Mabruuk, mabruuk, mabruuk!!!

HeiseHeise.com - Eid ul-Fitr; Ramadan’s end

Today marked the end of Ramadan, which means that a collective sigh of relief seemed to go up all over this side of the world last night when the sun’s last rosy edge dropped below the horizon for the final night of Ramadan. On my way to and from the school, the streets were jam-packed in the morning … But in the afternoon, all was eerily quiet along the main roads - I’ve been told that today is the Eid ul-Fitr, the Festival of Breaking the Fast, and it’s an Islamic tradition to travel great distances to see old friends to have the festival together. Even some of my American teacher friends, none of them Muslim, are joining in with the idea …

Rob Ganim-Live from Amman - Weekend with the Bedouins

The arrival of Eid and the end of Ramadan cut my weekend with the Bedouins short last night, as our group was piled into a late night bus that took us back to Amman, arriving at about 12:30 am. Despite this, I had another great experience here in Jordan. I spent my weekend with a Bedouin family in the village of Naifa on the Baghdad Road, which, not surprisingly, goes to Baghdad.

Jordanian Drift - EID MUBARAK!!!

So, today (Tuesday) happened to be declared Eid in Jordan. Al-hamdoulillah. I went visiting last night and as it turned out wound up with less than 2 hours sleep by the time I rolled out of bed at fajr and had to start getting ready for the Eid prayer. The masjid was full, but not packed which was nice, and EVERYONE (locals, foreigners, visitors, residents etc) went around giving salams, kissing each other, spearding the “Eid love” -

So happy and blessed Eid to all the wonderful people I’ve met in Jordan - I look forward to seeing you again at some point in the future; though when I can’t tell (years?-).