Mount Nebo

Friday I finally got out of the city and went exploring some of the famous sites of Jordan. My guide, Abed, is the music teacher at one of the schools, his English is good and he is used to being around Americans. This may sound strange but makes a big difference because it makes it possible to relax and act 'normal' for me, which generally can cause some cultural confusion, so all in all we had a very fun and adventurous day, despite the heat and several wrong turns that resulted in some extra time exploring the mountains. As you can see, that was not a problem because it was gorgeous and apparently during the spring the entire valley region fills with greenery and flowers (and flash floods). It's hard to imagine when the entire landscape is drenched in sand and stone, but I guess I will just have to come back and see for myself!

We made our way down through the mountains to Madaba and Mt. Nebo, which is one of the alleged places Moses was buried. They say he climbed up the mountain and died there. I could see why if it's true, the view is amazing. It is quiet and on a clear day you can see across the to the Dead Sea, the West Bank and Jerusalem.



The vast landscape is overwhelming shades of sand, speckled with small villages, flocks of sheep and tents of the nomadic locals, and the occassional plot of planted trees in perfect grids. There is a small church that has been there since the 6th century, excavated in the 1930s and filled with hand-made mosaics.





I would love to tell you more about all of the sites and adventures, but it is now 3:00 and during Ramadan most places in Jordan close by around 2:00. This includes my office building, which locks the doors (with large padlocks) by 3:30-4:00 and I managed to get myself stranded INSIDE the building earlier this week. I'd rather avoid a repeat performance, so that is all for now!