Jeez, why do holidays always seem to end too early?!? Just got back from a 2-week break back home (Malaysia). Now, I’ve gotta get my rusty brain and body working again. The jet lag is still bloody there. Meanwhile, what the heck, might as well send out a post while I’m recovering, hehehe.
Continuing on road trips (which is what we usually do on holidays), here’s a road completely different from the lush green (and friggin foggy) Grossglockner Road. Here’s the King’s Highway in Jordan. These are also from 2015, winter 2015 to be exact. 2015 turned out to be a really productive year for us in terms of holidays. If only every year were like that. If only…
The King’s Highway, Jordan – Mujib Viewpoint, Dec 2015
The first time we mentioned visiting Jordan to my parents, they were like… Are you crazy??? Aren’t there terrorists? What about ISIS?
Which brings me to my point. Why not Jordan? Now, when it’s calm and peaceful? Jordan is full of ancient ruins, Roman cities, Crusader castles, Petra, etc. But it lies at the friggin crossroads of civilization that has always been caught up in the wars of empires and powerful nations. For now, it is peaceful, and I hope it stays peaceful forever. But all around it, are crazy nutcases waiting to do something ‘great’ (I mean stupid), which Jordan would have no control over. (Just look at the mess across its borders in Syria, Iraq and Palestine! Syria used to be known as the friendliest place in the Middle East back in 2008 – 2010 and we would have visited back then if we had time, and see what a calamity it’s become now!)
Anyway, the King’s Highway is one of the 3 main roads which connect Amman, the capital which lies in the North of the country, to Petra and beyond in the south. Here're the photos.
View from the King’s Highway, between the towns of Madaba and Dhiban
Viewpoint of the Mujib Valley, King’s Highway, Jordan – this was where we stopped to eat our lunch we packed from a local restaurant teeming with people in Madaba – roasted chicken, good and cheap – There’re no trees or shade around, so you’ll have to live with being roasted yourself…
Hello honey! No luck with shelter, huh? …Luckily it’s winter
Local handicraft for sale, Mujib Viewpoint, King’s Highway, Jordan
The King’s Highway snaking down into the Wadi Al Mujib
Alright, we’re going up the other side now, looking back at the Mujib Valley
The Wadi (River) Al Mujib runs east to west cutting across the three north-south highways in Jordan. It empties into the Dead Sea.
Just for a contrast, this is the same Wadi Al Mujib on the downstream Dead Sea Highway side just before it flows into the Dead Sea. See how it’s narrowed down from a ginormous valley (above) into a narrow gorge?!?
The Kerak Castle, one of the many Crusader castles in Jordan. (The King's Highway can be seen far below the town and castle, to the left in the photo). The castle was featured in the movie, the Kingdom of Heaven. Like most of the Crusader castles here, it’s in ruins. What d’ya expect, with devastating wars between the Muslims and the Christians, and the land changing hands multiple times between empires? We made a short stop when passing thru
Incidentally, a year after our visit, i.e. in Dec 2016 (when we were in Isfahan, Iran), militants attacked Kerak, and hid in the castle. In the ensuing shootout, some locals and a tourist were killed. Just see how unstable the world has become, …scary, huh?
Here’s a nicer view of the Kerak Castle, ‘borrowed’ from Wikipedia, photo compliments of Berthold Werner
A view of the Dana Nature Reserve from the King’s Highway, photo taken on our way out of Petra, on a cloudy day – Nope, didn’t have time to visit
The bottom line is that Jordan is a nice place to visit and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Go, before it’s too late. That’s all for now folks! Gotta get some work done.
Continuing on road trips (which is what we usually do on holidays), here’s a road completely different from the lush green (and friggin foggy) Grossglockner Road. Here’s the King’s Highway in Jordan. These are also from 2015, winter 2015 to be exact. 2015 turned out to be a really productive year for us in terms of holidays. If only every year were like that. If only…
The King’s Highway, Jordan – Mujib Viewpoint, Dec 2015
The first time we mentioned visiting Jordan to my parents, they were like… Are you crazy??? Aren’t there terrorists? What about ISIS?
Which brings me to my point. Why not Jordan? Now, when it’s calm and peaceful? Jordan is full of ancient ruins, Roman cities, Crusader castles, Petra, etc. But it lies at the friggin crossroads of civilization that has always been caught up in the wars of empires and powerful nations. For now, it is peaceful, and I hope it stays peaceful forever. But all around it, are crazy nutcases waiting to do something ‘great’ (I mean stupid), which Jordan would have no control over. (Just look at the mess across its borders in Syria, Iraq and Palestine! Syria used to be known as the friendliest place in the Middle East back in 2008 – 2010 and we would have visited back then if we had time, and see what a calamity it’s become now!)
Anyway, the King’s Highway is one of the 3 main roads which connect Amman, the capital which lies in the North of the country, to Petra and beyond in the south. Here're the photos.
View from the King’s Highway, between the towns of Madaba and Dhiban
Viewpoint of the Mujib Valley, King’s Highway, Jordan – this was where we stopped to eat our lunch we packed from a local restaurant teeming with people in Madaba – roasted chicken, good and cheap – There’re no trees or shade around, so you’ll have to live with being roasted yourself…
Hello honey! No luck with shelter, huh? …Luckily it’s winter
Local handicraft for sale, Mujib Viewpoint, King’s Highway, Jordan
The King’s Highway snaking down into the Wadi Al Mujib
Alright, we’re going up the other side now, looking back at the Mujib Valley
The Wadi (River) Al Mujib runs east to west cutting across the three north-south highways in Jordan. It empties into the Dead Sea.
Just for a contrast, this is the same Wadi Al Mujib on the downstream Dead Sea Highway side just before it flows into the Dead Sea. See how it’s narrowed down from a ginormous valley (above) into a narrow gorge?!?
The Kerak Castle, one of the many Crusader castles in Jordan. (The King's Highway can be seen far below the town and castle, to the left in the photo). The castle was featured in the movie, the Kingdom of Heaven. Like most of the Crusader castles here, it’s in ruins. What d’ya expect, with devastating wars between the Muslims and the Christians, and the land changing hands multiple times between empires? We made a short stop when passing thru
Incidentally, a year after our visit, i.e. in Dec 2016 (when we were in Isfahan, Iran), militants attacked Kerak, and hid in the castle. In the ensuing shootout, some locals and a tourist were killed. Just see how unstable the world has become, …scary, huh?
Here’s a nicer view of the Kerak Castle, ‘borrowed’ from Wikipedia, photo compliments of Berthold Werner
A view of the Dana Nature Reserve from the King’s Highway, photo taken on our way out of Petra, on a cloudy day – Nope, didn’t have time to visit
The bottom line is that Jordan is a nice place to visit and we thoroughly enjoyed it. Go, before it’s too late. That’s all for now folks! Gotta get some work done.
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