Date Line Jordan - Tuesday, April
something or another
So once again I write to you of our
latest adventures.
It is 5pm ish and we are in a charming hotel right
outside of Petra, I believe the town is Wadi Moussa (Moses, as
you probably recall).
Our hotel is built into the steep hillside - perhaps
mountainside is more apt, as everything here is about the
incredibly steep countryside. We routinely move from
5000 feet to 2500 feet above sea level. Occasionally we make a
transition of 4000 vertical feet in a matter of only 2 hours
or so - it's not only breath-taking, it's ear-popping!. Our hotel is
constructed of stone, and surrounds remnants of an ancient
village, grinding wheels, millstones, foundations of houses
and shops, and gardens of roses and honeysuckle and rosemary
shrubs, not to mention water fountains that echo between the
walls as the water runs beneath the stone bridges under your
feet.
Each night we enter our rooms,
wherever we might be, and insert our keycard into the wall
fixture which enables our electricity. When you leave your
room and take your key, your power goes off - a very clever
energy saving concept.
Speaking of power, we are all recharging our many
electrical devices on an as available basis - we check for
outlets, usually unplugging lights or TVs, or moving major
pieces of furniture seeking more outlets, and then insert our
3 prong converters and/or our transformers, then perhaps add
the little jacks that allow you to plug in 2 or 3 devises all
at once. In the
end there is about 6 inches of electrical language translating
devices between the wall and the rechargeable camera! But praise the Lord,
these things work!
Last night however was an exception
as we didn't each have rooms in a regular hotel and we didn't
have access to electricity in any language - rather we shared
raised tents in a Bedouin camp, which we had all to
ourselves. It is
not possible to describe our setting, but nevertheless I shall
try. Four wheel
drive vehicles conveyed us and our overnight luggage to our
camp at the foot of one of the countless vertical leviathan
cliffs which erupt 1000 feet and more out of the desert
floor. The
desert floor itself is at times undulating deep sand, or
shale, or stony surface, and there are small sage-like ground
plants with lavender flowers everywhere - our guide says he
has never seen so many flowers, but it was a wet spring and
this is the result.
In the sun it is perhaps 75 but there is a gentle
breeze and a jacket feels good. We walk 20 minutes
away to see the sun set over a ridgeline and abruptly the wind
picks up and the temperature falls, eventually to perhaps
45. We head back
to our gathering spot, for dinner by a fire in a partially
tented structure that blocks the wind and allows for views of
spectacular stars.
After dinner of chicken and vegetables cooked in a
firepit (delicious), we retire to our tents, blow out the
candles in our room and in the deepest darkness I have ever
experienced we fall asleep to the noise of a strong wind
pelting the tent sides with sand - like the sound of falling
rain. What a
wonderful night!
The morning began with Orion's voice
calling out an especially vibrant 'Good Morning' as we were
'encouraged' to get up for the sunrise, and to feel the
returning warmth of the sun. The desert now has a
far larger imagery in my mind than before and I can feel the
draw it exerts on some.
Such a setting inspires contemplation - I can
understand one spending 40 days and nights doing just that.
So tomorrow we enter Petra! Meanwhile, Bill
Kibildis, our sonneteer, has offered the following sonnet for
your enjoyment!
Jordan
Pilgrimage
Our spiritual pilgrimage to
Jordan
Lore of the Torah, Bible and
Quran.
Jews, Christians and Moslems are all
the same,
But hellish interpretations
inflame.
Our ministry to brotherhood to
sow,
For mutual understanding to
grow.
Religious radicalism must be
fought,
So that peace and harmony can be
sought.
Mankind's religions are a
paradox,
For God's unity is not
orthodox.
Good night and God
bless.
Ross, your
scribe
