The Desert & The Sea
(Jelajah Jordan Winter 2008)
I'll start with the desert. At the desert, we visited old cities and citadels that were build around the time of the Islamic empire. Also, we went to Wadi Rum. But, I'll get to Wadi Rum later. Among the old cities that we visited were Qasr Qatranah, Qasr Kharranah and Qasr Amraa. Each of them has their own story and their own unique role in history. The desert is an amazing creation because somehow, it is kind of like the sea. But, the only difference is that it is a sea of sand rather than a body of water (ha!). The first time I saw a desert (I think this was when my age was around twelve) it really intrigued me. Because no matter how long I look at it, I can never get tired of it. But, of course, as you grow older, these small things that amaze us when we were a child cease to amaze us no more. All in all, this is the second time I visited a desert during winter...and both times, it rained. So, you can say that I am very lucky because I get to experience 'desert rain' twice.
27th January 2008: Qasr Kharranah
'Kharranah' means desert rabbits. Yep, I did not know that there are desert rabbits, too! Qasr Kharranah is an inn with various functions which is located in Azraq. During the Umawiyan times, this qasr was built to be a meeting place and a resting place for travellers. However, this is no citadel or fortress. If you ever read Agatha Christie's Murder In Mesopotamia, then you will feel the same way that I did when I entered this building. Hehe...so now, instead of a 'movie set' feeling, I have a 'mystery book' feeling.
27th January 2008: Qasr Amraa
One word for Qasr Amraa: "woo~" hahaha. *clears throat* Qasr Amraa is established by UNESCO as one of the world's heritage. Why? Because the murals on the wall is so well-preserved that even people who are history-blind, like me, can make it out. Anyways, Qasr Amraa is a public bath-house. It has a sauna room, too! Really. I'm not lying. So, when you enter this place, you will be reminded of Yubaba in 'Spirited Away'. Haha...
29th January 2008: Qasr Qatranah
Dayah said to me, "Ko nak amek gamba pe? Baik ko amek gamba aku & Ipah. (what are you taking pictures of? I think it's better if you take pictures of Ipah & me)" So I fulfilled her request. Haha. Sorry, sorry. Qasr Qatranah is a fortress. It is protects the pilgrims making for Mecca. I did not take a lot of pictures here because the wind was blowing fiercely when we arrived. Dayah, Ipah & me were screaming when we tried to enter the citadel. Really, I'm not kidding. It felt as if we were going to be, literally, blown away. When we entered, we saw a couple of guys posing for pictures on the roof. My God, I was thinking, what if the wind suddenly caught them? They will surely be flying off to somewhere and end up in a distant land with desert scorpions and snakes. Heh. Childish, I know. But then, I am who I am.
***
30th January 2008: Wadi Rum
To tell you the truth, there are three places in JJ that I had high expectations for; and one of them is Wadi Rum. 'Wadi' means oasis. I am not going for the geological explanations about how the earth's plaque moved and everything. I don't really care. What I really cared about was the 'oh-so-amazing' scenery!!! The sand was 'oh-so-soft' and the air was 'oh-so-bitterly-cold' (why~ why~ I wanna have fun here!!). Visiting Wadi Rum during winter made me feel like I want to visit Jordan all over again during a warmer time. Seriously. I want to see Wadi Rum in all of its splendour and glory during spring or summer. Huh.
All in all, this is not a travel blog...so if you feel like you want to know more about Wadi Rum, you can go visit LonelyPlanet or some other travel website. We rode a jeep driven by a Badwi and the guy was kinda friendly and he was really caring. I cannot forget his concerned face when he was watching the other girls riding the open truck. It was windy and it was so damn cold...oooh~
^[ done by the Tsamud people, taken and edited by me ]^
^[ done by me, nothing to do with Tsamud ]^
***
^[ Dead Sea, Jordan ]^
I am going to quote Ipah on this one, "Macam buang anak!!" She kept repeating those words. Haha...you rock la Pah! So, we visited Dead Sea. But, it is not like you imagine. The bus suddenly stopped and we had to get off at the side of the road. Then, we had to climb down from the highway...to the sea. Look, I know this IS the lowest part of the earth..but did they really have to do that? Ha-ha-ha.
As for me, I did not want to get wet. I have gotten over playing at the sea when I was about fifteen or something like that. So, now, whenever I visit the beach, all I want to do is WATCH the waves and the sea shimmer under the sun. Nothing more, nothing less. I don't want to get wet. Enough said.
Everybody had fun doing facial and skin therapy using the water, especially Dayah, Yue & Ipah. In the end, everybody was crying because the water entered their eyes. It was painful...did I mention this is also the saltiest lake? Technically, Dead Sea is actually a lake. Haha...
Dead Sea was a fun experience. I really enjoyed taking lots and lots of pictures of the girls having fun under the sun and across Israel. Heh.
***
This song pictures a holiday perfectly:
Dido - Sand In My Shoes
(Jelajah Jordan Winter 2008)
I'll start with the desert. At the desert, we visited old cities and citadels that were build around the time of the Islamic empire. Also, we went to Wadi Rum. But, I'll get to Wadi Rum later. Among the old cities that we visited were Qasr Qatranah, Qasr Kharranah and Qasr Amraa. Each of them has their own story and their own unique role in history. The desert is an amazing creation because somehow, it is kind of like the sea. But, the only difference is that it is a sea of sand rather than a body of water (ha!). The first time I saw a desert (I think this was when my age was around twelve) it really intrigued me. Because no matter how long I look at it, I can never get tired of it. But, of course, as you grow older, these small things that amaze us when we were a child cease to amaze us no more. All in all, this is the second time I visited a desert during winter...and both times, it rained. So, you can say that I am very lucky because I get to experience 'desert rain' twice.
27th January 2008: Qasr Kharranah
'Kharranah' means desert rabbits. Yep, I did not know that there are desert rabbits, too! Qasr Kharranah is an inn with various functions which is located in Azraq. During the Umawiyan times, this qasr was built to be a meeting place and a resting place for travellers. However, this is no citadel or fortress. If you ever read Agatha Christie's Murder In Mesopotamia, then you will feel the same way that I did when I entered this building. Hehe...so now, instead of a 'movie set' feeling, I have a 'mystery book' feeling.
27th January 2008: Qasr Amraa
One word for Qasr Amraa: "woo~" hahaha. *clears throat* Qasr Amraa is established by UNESCO as one of the world's heritage. Why? Because the murals on the wall is so well-preserved that even people who are history-blind, like me, can make it out. Anyways, Qasr Amraa is a public bath-house. It has a sauna room, too! Really. I'm not lying. So, when you enter this place, you will be reminded of Yubaba in 'Spirited Away'. Haha...
29th January 2008: Qasr Qatranah
Dayah said to me, "Ko nak amek gamba pe? Baik ko amek gamba aku & Ipah. (what are you taking pictures of? I think it's better if you take pictures of Ipah & me)" So I fulfilled her request. Haha. Sorry, sorry. Qasr Qatranah is a fortress. It is protects the pilgrims making for Mecca. I did not take a lot of pictures here because the wind was blowing fiercely when we arrived. Dayah, Ipah & me were screaming when we tried to enter the citadel. Really, I'm not kidding. It felt as if we were going to be, literally, blown away. When we entered, we saw a couple of guys posing for pictures on the roof. My God, I was thinking, what if the wind suddenly caught them? They will surely be flying off to somewhere and end up in a distant land with desert scorpions and snakes. Heh. Childish, I know. But then, I am who I am.
***
30th January 2008: Wadi Rum
To tell you the truth, there are three places in JJ that I had high expectations for; and one of them is Wadi Rum. 'Wadi' means oasis. I am not going for the geological explanations about how the earth's plaque moved and everything. I don't really care. What I really cared about was the 'oh-so-amazing' scenery!!! The sand was 'oh-so-soft' and the air was 'oh-so-bitterly-cold' (why~ why~ I wanna have fun here!!). Visiting Wadi Rum during winter made me feel like I want to visit Jordan all over again during a warmer time. Seriously. I want to see Wadi Rum in all of its splendour and glory during spring or summer. Huh.
All in all, this is not a travel blog...so if you feel like you want to know more about Wadi Rum, you can go visit LonelyPlanet or some other travel website. We rode a jeep driven by a Badwi and the guy was kinda friendly and he was really caring. I cannot forget his concerned face when he was watching the other girls riding the open truck. It was windy and it was so damn cold...oooh~
^[ done by the Tsamud people, taken and edited by me ]^
^[ done by me, nothing to do with Tsamud ]^
***
^[ Dead Sea, Jordan ]^
I am going to quote Ipah on this one, "Macam buang anak!!" She kept repeating those words. Haha...you rock la Pah! So, we visited Dead Sea. But, it is not like you imagine. The bus suddenly stopped and we had to get off at the side of the road. Then, we had to climb down from the highway...to the sea. Look, I know this IS the lowest part of the earth..but did they really have to do that? Ha-ha-ha.
As for me, I did not want to get wet. I have gotten over playing at the sea when I was about fifteen or something like that. So, now, whenever I visit the beach, all I want to do is WATCH the waves and the sea shimmer under the sun. Nothing more, nothing less. I don't want to get wet. Enough said.
Everybody had fun doing facial and skin therapy using the water, especially Dayah, Yue & Ipah. In the end, everybody was crying because the water entered their eyes. It was painful...did I mention this is also the saltiest lake? Technically, Dead Sea is actually a lake. Haha...
Dead Sea was a fun experience. I really enjoyed taking lots and lots of pictures of the girls having fun under the sun and across Israel. Heh.
***
This song pictures a holiday perfectly:
Dido - Sand In My Shoes
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