From Madaba we headed to the Dead Sea. It’s a quick and well marked drive of less than an hour. So, we decided to check out Mt. Nebo before heading over.
Mt. Nebo is mentioned in the Bible as the place where Moses was granted his first view of a Promised Land he would never enter. It’s believed by those that believe that he was later buried in the area. Several houses of worship have stood on this land from at least the 4th century AD.
For six centuries a church, later developed into a basilica, was part of a monastery and focus point of pilgrimage. For reasons my Google fu was unable to unearth this site, sacred to three major world religions, was abandoned in the latter half of the 16th century and allowed to fall into disrepair. Finally, in 1993, the area was bought by the Franciscans. Today Mount Nebo is once again an active monastery.
During the restoration elements of the Byzantine Basilica were incorporated into the elegantly modern church building now known as the Memorial Church of Moses. This includes 1400 year old mosaic flooring and even older animal mosaics. Other bits from centuries past are spread over the site as well as more modern pieces of art. One of the most arresting is the Brazen Serpent Monument, a bronze serpentine cross created by Italian artist Giovanni Fantoni.
Mt. Nebo was not quite scintillating enough to occupy our 3yo and we had to check out the sights in turn while allowing her to play in the dirt. But honestly, even for someone who isn’t a strong believer of biblical Christianity, or Islam or Judaism for that matter, the realization that I was looking over the same incredible views written about in the Bible was humbling.
Then on to the Dead Sea where we spent our time in the resort the Dead Sea Spa Hotel.
It was August and it was hot. The Dead Sea is quite low so the area was hot all day and all night. The tiles and concrete around the pools were hot. The sandy rocky beach of the Dead Sea was hot. The water, everywhere, was warm. It is worth it to invest in shoes that can go from land to water to back again. LB in her water socks was definitely the most comfy. As for the hotel itself:
The good
We were upgraded to a clean and spacious room facing the sea. It had a large bathroom with a bathtub that delighted our 3yo. Don’t worry, they are also eco friendly. Among other things, they have water filtration and recycling in place.
There are at least four pools, three of which are in the family zone. Another adult pool, which we did not frequent, is on a whole different level. The kiddie pools range from a glorified splash pad (not a bad thing at all) to a wading pool to a deeper pool for actual swimming and all have water slides. Lifeguards are on duty.
Which is a good thing because my threeteen year old looked me dead in the eye as I told her no and jumped into the deeper pool. Fortunately, if embarrassingly, our stand off was observed by many and all dived into action. Even though I was in right after her, LB was already halfway out of the pool by the time I got there, rescued by a good samaritan whom I never thanked (and could never thank), properly.
The resort is on the sea so it is fairly straight forward to head down to the water. Mud and showers are provided. Note: it is a very good idea to bring goggles for everyone but especially young children. Floating in the Dead Sea is, I imagine, similar to walking on the moon. It takes a moment to adjust to the buoyancy. There are no lifeguards on duty by the sea.
There are a few restaurants, cafes, and bars on the property. We ended up at the Crystal Restaurant and Terrace. You can order off the menu or go for the dinner buffet. Both the dinner and breakfast spreads are served here and both were generous with a wide variety and a high standard. Breakfast was included in our room rate. (Ain’t no such thing as a free lunch, or breakfast as the case may be)
The bad
The in room toiletries. It’s a spa hotel on the Dead Sea! There is a spa and a medical center. I was expecting, at the very least, Dead Sea themed toiletries if not actual samples of the items on sale at the spa and in the gift shop in order to tempt a trapped customer base to add a little more to our tabs. But noooo.
These toiletries were basic, y’all. Shampoo and body wash. No conditioner. No lotion. Not even good shampoo and body wash. This was truck stop quality – basic cleansing only. Yes, this may be petty but this is a four star hotel and I expected better.
The ugly
This is a region where access to water has always been a thing. Here, as in too much of the world, population growth is outstripping resources, or at least the way we use our resources. Population growth has increased usage of fresh water from the Jordan River meaning more is being taken out before it reaches the Dead Sea.
Add this to the affects of climate change and the result is a water level that has dropped at the rate of approximately a meter a year for the past FOUR DECADES. Over just the past twenty years the Dead Sea has shrunk by 30%.
The hotel was originally built on the edge of the sea. Unfortunately, since 2005 the shoreline of the Dead Sea has receded at least the length of a football (whichever kind you prefer) pitch. It now takes a good five to ten minutes to walk from the hotel to the shoreline.
The way things are going before the next decade is finished they will have to put in a shuttle service.
Our next stop was Wadi Musa, where Petra is located. Petra is a long post. It’s a couple of few hours between Madaba and Wadi Musa so we decided to stop at Karak Castle on the way. Parking for Karak is right outside of the castle walls. We ate at a restaurant opposite the parking lot. Indifferent falafel and fantastic hummus.
The Crusaders began building the fortress of Karak Castle on a hill in 1142. It would go on to become one of the biggest crusader castles ever to be built. Upon its completion, it became the center of power for the rulers of the time.
Reynald of Chatillon, one of the leading military figures of the Crusades and eventual prince of Antioch, arrived in the Holy Land in 1147 on the Second Crusade. His ineptitude was balanced by his wanton cruelty and complete lack of scruples. Ensconced in Karak, he began a reign characterized by casual viciousness. His behavior brought forth many a siege all of which Karak withstood. Until the Battle of Hattin in 1187. The victorious Salah ad-Din spared the king and the Crusader lords. Except for Reynald. Him he personally decapitated.
The castle has seven levels, several of which are buried deep inside the hill. The lovely thing is that they are cool, but they are also quite dark and are not maintained. Though the dim rooms and gloomy vaulted passageways are quite atmospheric they aren’t fabulous for an impulsive almost 4yo. Up on the ramparts we allowed LB to do a little wandering but she quickly wilted under the heat and ended up in the carrier. Don’t even bother with a stroller.
Somehow, upon leaving Karak, we ended up on the King’s Highway. But that is an adventure for the next post.
Correction: In my last post I said the Jordanian dinar was strong. I should have said it was inflated. According to the World Bank (which I freely acknowledge to be a problematic institution), “Jordan’s economy remains in a low-growth scenario with GDP expected to increase by 2.4% in 2018 and 2.5% in 2019 from 2.1% in 2017. … Poverty is likely to rise in Jordan given rising inflation, unemployment and sluggish growth.”