Wadi Mukheris
We decided to get up early today and get stuck in to doing things. But as often happens we became delayed by breakfast. Not that breakfast is particularly complicated, it’s just somehow it took a lot longer than expected. Then just as I was thinking we were approaching a state of readiness to depart I was informed that all three ladies of the household required a shower. There was no way they could leave without having one.
This, obviously, took even more time out of the day. However, I was prepared, as a good husband and father should be, to wait.
So I did.
And waited.
And waited.
Eventually all were ready apart from it seems, myself. Why?
Because a) I had a small stain on the sleeve of my shirt that I hadn’t noticed, it was no bigger than a fingernail, so for this reason, plus b) the colour clashed with what they were wearing (note: Neither my wife or I were concerned about that but my teenage daughters were) I had to change it. Fortunately this took all of twenty five seconds so not much was lost by it. It would’ve taken longer to argue than to just change it.
So we set off. Initially we had to make a stop in a nearby town called Madaba. It is famous for a few things, notably the mosaics there. But they also do a nice selection of carpets. The silk/cotton ones are fine and the wool ones are usually cheaper but hard wearing. Three weeks ago we’d selected a pattern and organised to have a wool one made (2.50m x 1.80m, cost 150JD, about 150 Euros).
The shop had said it would take three weeks to make and be ready. But we received a phone call recently saying there was a problem. The pattern we wanted couldn’t be done in wool, only cotton or silk. So we had to visit to sort it out and select another, but similar, pattern.
By this time it was getting to be a late lunch time so we drove about half an hour down towards the Dead Sea to have a meal at the Panorama Complex. This is a visitor’s centre overlooking the Dead Sea and has a good choice of food at a reasonable price. Plus the view is very good from the terrace.
It looks like this. In the background is Israel across the water –
This, obviously, took even more time out of the day. However, I was prepared, as a good husband and father should be, to wait.
So I did.
And waited.
And waited.
Eventually all were ready apart from it seems, myself. Why?
Because a) I had a small stain on the sleeve of my shirt that I hadn’t noticed, it was no bigger than a fingernail, so for this reason, plus b) the colour clashed with what they were wearing (note: Neither my wife or I were concerned about that but my teenage daughters were) I had to change it. Fortunately this took all of twenty five seconds so not much was lost by it. It would’ve taken longer to argue than to just change it.
So we set off. Initially we had to make a stop in a nearby town called Madaba. It is famous for a few things, notably the mosaics there. But they also do a nice selection of carpets. The silk/cotton ones are fine and the wool ones are usually cheaper but hard wearing. Three weeks ago we’d selected a pattern and organised to have a wool one made (2.50m x 1.80m, cost 150JD, about 150 Euros).
The shop had said it would take three weeks to make and be ready. But we received a phone call recently saying there was a problem. The pattern we wanted couldn’t be done in wool, only cotton or silk. So we had to visit to sort it out and select another, but similar, pattern.
By this time it was getting to be a late lunch time so we drove about half an hour down towards the Dead Sea to have a meal at the Panorama Complex. This is a visitor’s centre overlooking the Dead Sea and has a good choice of food at a reasonable price. Plus the view is very good from the terrace.
It looks like this. In the background is Israel across the water –
Between us we had a couple of portions of French fries and chicken wings (for the teenagers I hasten to add), baba ganoush, fattoush salad, grilled halloumi, cheese sambosak (samosa) warm potato salad, tabbouleh, kibbeh (finely ground paste of bulgur, onions, and lamb or beef, which is formed into patties or balls, filled with coarsely ground, sweetly spiced meat, onions, and pine nuts, and deep-fried) and a load of Arabic bread. A dish of a red paste with fried onions was ‘compliments of the chef’ as well, though I’ve no idea what it was called. It tasted fine though.
This came quickly and was polished off with alacrity. Unfortunately a camera was pointed in my face just at the point where I was expressing displeasure at still being peckish as the waiter turned up. You can see a bowl with a number of olives pieces in it. None of us actually like them, which is unfortunate considering where we live, have lived and have a house in the biggest and best olive growing area of Spain –
This came quickly and was polished off with alacrity. Unfortunately a camera was pointed in my face just at the point where I was expressing displeasure at still being peckish as the waiter turned up. You can see a bowl with a number of olives pieces in it. None of us actually like them, which is unfortunate considering where we live, have lived and have a house in the biggest and best olive growing area of Spain –
So anyway, just down the hill to the sea and along it a few kilometres is a wadi we’d been meaning to walk along for some time. Information is that it would take us about six hours to get to a point where you can’t get any further and then return. This is only about 3.5km each way, but it is often more of a scramble than a walk.
By now, we had about two hours before we needed to start on our way back to Amman.
The wadi is directly opposite the entrance to the Mövenpick hotel, just across the road, so it’s handy for anyone staying there who fancies a bit of exercise. Though I very much doubt the guests know about it at all.
On parking up at the side of the road and getting our stuff together a disaster befell us.
In my haste to leave Amman I’d forgotten to pack the crisps and chocolate. All we had was the healthy option of apples and pears.
Bummer.
But, I girded my loins and with a stiff upper lip, carried on.
The wadi initially is quite wide -
By now, we had about two hours before we needed to start on our way back to Amman.
The wadi is directly opposite the entrance to the Mövenpick hotel, just across the road, so it’s handy for anyone staying there who fancies a bit of exercise. Though I very much doubt the guests know about it at all.
On parking up at the side of the road and getting our stuff together a disaster befell us.
In my haste to leave Amman I’d forgotten to pack the crisps and chocolate. All we had was the healthy option of apples and pears.
Bummer.
But, I girded my loins and with a stiff upper lip, carried on.
The wadi initially is quite wide -
Past the flood defences –
It begins to narrow down but for the first section there are a number of large water pipes feeding the water from the stream to who knows where but I think it is to the hotels nearby –
We begin to see the different strata and the minerals in the rocks –
That looks a bit of a blockage!
A scramble across it sees us right –
A scramble across it sees us right –
We carry on, following the stream –
Then another blockage appears but it soon dealt with after another scramble over the large rocks –
After that we see a route the water has taken to the right whilst in flood but also a number of nice little pools just waiting to be splashed in.
Just a note to say that today in Amman the temperature was 12 degrees C but down at the Dead Sea it was 22 degrees. A nice place to come in the winter –
Just a note to say that today in Amman the temperature was 12 degrees C but down at the Dead Sea it was 22 degrees. A nice place to come in the winter –
Still following the stream the wadi narrows down even more, with more pools –
A slightly weird rock is found. Looks like a mass of hardened silt inlaid with other rocks –
And a nice little red one all by itself –
Here we can see better the minerals in the walls (a little more on this later) –
My daughters shouting back to me, ‘stop taking photos and keep up!‘ –
It narrows down even more and we come to a point requiring another scramble. Time is passing, we’ve been walking about an hour, so we decide to do the rest of it another day. After a break of ten minutes or so in which a highly unsatisfactory Granny Smith’s apple was consumed, a poor substitute for a Snickers and a packet of salt and vinegar crisps, we made our way back.
The information says that at the end is a 20m waterfall. Hopefully we’ll get to that another day.
The information says that at the end is a 20m waterfall. Hopefully we’ll get to that another day.
The last couple of photos show more of the strata and minerals in the rocks –
See you next time.