المملكة الأردنية الهاشمية‎‎ / Jordan

Mother and Daughter Trekking and Travelling in Jordan

Hours, after the White Wood, the celebrations, the pacifists, the refugees, the speakers, the people, in the know, and the team, off, Aberdeen, London, Amman, BA, so fast, too fast, sim card, Deborah, taxi, B+B, Dar al Funun, mouttabal, Mona Deeb, NAbad gallery, meet Saddam, his wife, beautiful wife, bazaar, its aubergines, tomatoes, spices, coffee, the theatre, 2 girls, curious, students.

Off early, bus, past IKEA, to Madaba, and its mosaics, ancient, mosaic school, girls only, preparing for 100 years, celebration, Arab revolution, the 2 flags, Jordan/Palestine, Carpet city, some beauties, carpet seller, speaks German, lived in Cologne, when there was a war, here meet Ahmed, driver, gets us to Mount Nebo, 817m, above sea level, Moses, was granted a view, of the promised land, here, text, from Nick, Joanecke, left, to the promised land, wished I was home, help, with the celebrations, her life, the butterfly, we drive down, to the Dead Sea, 30% salt, 400m, or so, below sea level, shrinking, 1m, every year, see Israel, why?, empty spot, just us, floating, Ahmed, finds mud, muds us up, healing, they say, Swiss health Service, pays, for the Swiss, with skin problems, its disappearing, the Dead Sea, its going, potash, factory, drive up, up, up, to Dana, reserve, in the mountains, 2000m up, up, up, the view, the birds, the plant life, the camp, Al Nawatef, Mohammed, greets us, cooks, fire, singing, Mhairi’s wedding, Arabic, Die Gedanken sind frei.

The view, in the morning, over limestone, wind cut, at breakfast, with tea, and jam, we walk, with Mohammed, the day, through the caves, the ancient oaks, the beauty, BBQ on the way, evening, off to Petra, past little Petra, so unexpected, just there, with its stone carved doors, and steps, and on, to Petra, the city, the hotel, empty, only 20%, of the tourists, that once, before 2012, before Syria, but Jordan?, no matter, its all the same, for the people, in the west. Early rise, the price, its worth it, for sure, the horse, the Indiana Jones, the gate, and then the canyon, the long canyon, its red and ochre colours, so calm, in the morning rise, but then, the unexpected, the Al Khazneh, the Treasurey rises, the startling, unpredicted surprise, nothing prepares you, what those people, those Nabateans, have done, then, then long time ago, 300 years BC. The dug out city, its houses, its theatre, this temple, its monasteries, high up, on the peak, they are still digging, the day after we hear they found more, more, the Swiss diggers, the archaeologists. Few people here, good for us 20%, sad for the missing 80. The heat, exhausted, but full of wonders, swim, pick up to Wadi Rum. Past the camel herd, their babies, over a train track, a past one?, from Aqaba, the scenery, its colours, no wonder, Lawrence of Arabia, loved it here. Didn’t let go. The camp, the food, the company, a Jordanian, 2 men, film crew.

The landrover, over the desert, and its treks, inbetween, with the man, from Alexandria, past Lawrences house, mushroom hill scenery, Deborah, quick dune ski, the climb, bare feet, the sunset, with some Berliners, awesome, some would awe, the buried bbq, with its chicken, its veg, awesome, some would awe.

Off, to Aqaba, its beach, its heat, its sealife, snorkel, hot, hot, taxi to town, loose scarf, coke on beach, fish in town, women in cloaks, Taaba opposite, Elat next door, Saudi not far.

Off, to Amman, on the desert highway, speedy bus, young doctor’s company, assures us, the women, they like the cloaks, even in the heat, meet Ben, his mum, did not know, her vote, then, nice restaurant, cheap, tasty, colourful, company, coffee shop, spice shop, skirt, black, embroidered.

Last day, in Amman, artist Saddam Jumaily, his wife, his studio, his paintings, and drawings, her quilt, wants to go, to London, what happens if Australia? Artist Raed Ibrahim, worked in Switzerland, created Ismailia, a fictive country, why not?, made medicines, against phobias, Islamophobia, eternal virginity, etc, good laugh, should come, to us, if he can, meet Wadad Kawar, and her Palestinian costume collection, amazing, Joanneke, would have loved it, some with flags, embroidered, meet Noura, in her Spring Session, dinner again, get skirt, for Deborah, same as the queen, to bed, with view, of the theatre, the ancient, the antique, the steep in the history, the steep in the politics, the steep in the hospitality, the muezzin calls, from the minaret. Does it have to be a man? No, an artist made it once as a woman says Noura.

 

Thank you Deborah, for the idea, for the company, daughtership. Thank you.