Notes and photos from places around the world that have villages, ruins, and good food. And $35 hotels... Also, wilderness 4x4 camping and backpacking.

Monday, August 1, 2005

Jordan and Syria 2005

Bob and Sooz traveled to Jordan and Syria to see some of the best ruins in the world and eat excellent food. We traveled with Imaginative Traveler, the same company who took us around Tunisia in 2004.


Pigeons in a row, Amman Museum

Sponge Bob Square Pants, 4000 years ago


The Indian Chief, Wadi Rum

6000-year old sculpture


A hand surviving from a 30-foot Roman statue in the Citidel above Amman

Buying fruit in Amman


Frescoe in palace east of Amman


Datsun became Nissan in 1974...

Our guide, Mahmoud, ready for the desert


Wadi Rum

Wadi Rum

Wadi Rum


Dusk at Wadi Rum


Camels and tenders relax, Petra


The Hermitage in Petra, after a long hot hike


Aaron's mountain, near Petra


In Jarash, Jordanian bagpipe band co-opts one of our company


Waterwheel pump at Hana, on the road from Damascus to Aleppo

6,000-year old statue at the museum in Aleppo


What's left of Saint Simeon's pillar


The Syria crew at Saint Simeon's Basilica


Visiting a mosque in the prescribed costume

The women in the giant urn at Ugarit

The Theatre at Palmyra


Sunrise at Palmyra


Just before sunrise, the camel crew is already on duty

Doorframe through doorframe


Roman columns with the Citidel in the background

Roman construction, Palmyra

The Citidel overlooking Palmyra, built only 800 years ago


Syria keeps exceptional care of its cars. Here in Palmyra, the taxis formed a museum of Mercedes products from the 1960s.


Decorated 3-wheelers are common in Syria, as in Thailand.


Looking up to see Roman carvings in Palmyra, Temple of Bal


What we saw looking up...

The Bal Temple at Palmyra from the Citidel


Sooz made friends with the staff at the restaurant around the corner from our hotel in Palmyra and learned how to cook their Bedouin specialties.


Which way?


Special clothes for women not fully covered and men in shorts.


People rest in the mosque.


Ladies wear special rented garb in the mosque.