Road Trip: Viva Las Jordan, Part III

My favorite #1: Beach Day

In Jordanian culture, women are fully covered from head to toe.  Even women tourists are emphatically encouraged to be very careful with their dress and be mostly covered (clothing with knees fully covered and with upper arms, shoulders and neck completely covered, no tank tops).  This even rings true for swimwear! So, when planning to go to the beach, things can get a bit tricky.  We were staying in Aqaba.  It is on the border of Israel and right next to the Red Sea.  The water looks glorious and almost harkens to you to dive in. The color of the water is teal and aqua.  There are many public beaches, but because of our American swimsuits, it would feel very uncomfortable to swim there. Thankfully, we had our helpful "personal chauffer"! Yassar took us to a great beach in Jordan!  It was more like a private beach, where tourist can swim freely without disrespecting the lifestyle of the Jordanian people.  Below are some pictures of muslim/islamic appropriate swimwear. The one on the Jet Ski makes me laugh...she and the Jet Ski aren't even wet! I bet it isn't even in the water!

The experience of swimming in the Red Sea was very special, for so many reasons.  It was mostly special because I got to swim in a body of water that I've read so much about, but never thought I'd see in person. While floating in the water, I could see four countries at one time; Egypt, Israel, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.  I was surrounded by rock mountains of different colors and sizes, two different ranges on each side of the Red Sea.  The grandiose setting, accompanied by the reality of that moment in time, continue to keep me in a place of thankfulness.  I am so grateful.

The beach we went to had the most fabulous snorkeling.  I almost couldn't believe my eyes when I put the snorkel mask on and dipped my head into the water.  The colors of the coral were bold and vibrant.  The visibility in the water was like fine crystal, casting natural light all the way to the sandy bottom.  The coral was like none I had ever experienced before; lime green, chartreuse, magenta, creamy beige, sky blue, and burnt orange.  I felt like I was in a giant aquarium.  The fish were not afraid of us intruding into their home.  I was able to see a Lion Fish, Parrot Fish and Snowflake Eel/Moray up close!

 My favorite #1: Wadi Rum

And the amazement continues....on our last day before departing Jordan, to begin the SECOND part of the road trip (wait, there's more? Pinch me.), we travelled to Wadi Rum.  Wad Rum means "Moon Valley" or "Valley of the Moon".  I can liken it to no other experience.  The landscape is breathtaking and the mountainous rock formations are exquisite.  The area is inhabited by the Bedouin people, who are predominately part of a desert-dwelling Arabian ethnic group. Bedouin mean, "no-life, desert, nomad, wanderer, or plain". We travelled through Wadi Rum by rented Bedouin guide and his vehicle!  With most of the crew, including Yassar, in the bed of his truck, we bumped along while inhaling more than our fair share of the dusty sand.  The sand was fine, like cornstarch and the rocks were like the color of rusty-red fall leaves.  Our guide prepared a traditional Bedouin meal for us as well.  He cooked it in the ground!  It was fantastic. The black tents in the pictures are Bedouin tents.

Standing next to the rocks reminded me of how small I am in this big world.  The mighty and unique handy-work of God continues to baffle and keep me in a place of humility.  Everyday, I remind myself to live each moment, knowing that my time here on earth is very short. Every experience is a gift.

 

The Action Shot