While Yuri is being ushered in by one of the many men at the border, I am waiting in the van. I’m the only woman who is currently making the crossing and therefore get quite a lot of attention. I also look a bit too cheerfully dressed for the occasion, but at least they’ve something to share when they get home.
The Armenian border
And so do we.
Let’s start at the beginning. The beginning; the Armenian border. And I write that while there is a lot of shouting behind me, men trying to show off their masculinity I pressume. It’s a border for trucks, that’s for sure. Thus, we stand out. Dutch people in a much too old van with much too cheerful clothes who don’t speak Russian or Farsi. That doesn’t happen everyday.
Anyways the start. So Armenia. The end actually, of a very long and happy time in a very beautiful country. And Armenia knows how to say goodbye, with the most beautiful peaks and greenest valley. But, all good things come to an end.
So, the first check. Passport, carregistration certificate, medical insurance, vaccination, PCR test. We have everything ready and think it’s easy to get through. Wrong. It also takes extra long because everyone starts a conversation with us. “Where do you come from?” “America?” “No Holland!” And immediately we make friends. The Netherlands is a very popular country it seems.
Preparing for a border crossing
To cross a border, even with a Dutch passport, is always a hassle. In Europe we aren’t well prepared for borders and try our luck because we don’t need visa’s. We do need PCR tests (before being fully vaccinated) and sometimes borders are so small only locals are allowed to use them. But outside of Europe it’s better to be prepared. So, we always check what type of documents we need and arrange everything beforehand. Insurances, visa, Covid-19 regulations, car papers and so on. What do you need? Contact the countries embassy and you’ll always have the right information.
A deserted customs
We drive on, another check. Again the same papers are requested and again we have everything ready. Still no stamp in the passport. I am asked to continue walking through some kind of border control, while Yuri can go back to the van. I end up in a hall whithout a single soul present. The border post is deserted, so I guess no stamp for me here. I walk around a bit in search of someone but no one is present. After a few minutes a young man walks in, in his jeans and simple T-shirt he takes a seat in a booth and asks for my passport with a smile. He blows some puffs of smoke through the cigarette that is still slanting in his mouth, the ash falls on my papers. He wipes it away like it doesn’t matter. And I think of all those people who have a passport that takes them nowhere and this passport with the coat of arms of the Netherlands at the front that takes me everywhere I want to go. And he’s so casual about it.
He looks at me again, smiles and gestures for me to continue walking. Meanwhile, Yuri has to empty almost the entire van and run it through a scanner. I wait for him for a moment and then Yuri and Alexine come through the gate. We are out of Armenia! At least we think so.
Out of Armenia
Well, we have one more check to go. Will we get a stamp this time? Yes! Again we hand over all the papers and bam, a stamp. Finally! Whoops, wrong stamp in my passport and so the officer places another stamp on top. It looks a bit like a drunken officer loving to stamp got a hold of my passport but whatever, we’re out of Armenia. Then we are checked again.
“Do you have alcohol? pork? Old money?” We answer no to everything. Not that they check anything. “You are from Holland, it’s okay” he says. What a privilege. Because we come from the Netherlands you can apparently trust us. Of course there are no bad people living in beautiful flat Holland. Right?
Anyway, we are out of Armenia. We’re half way through. Now, we’ve got the Iranian customs to go through.
I put the headscarf a little tighter around my head, make sure I wear long sleeves and we’re ready.
And into Iran
Here we go. On the bridge crossing the natural border between Armenia and Iran, we are stopped again for a check. Oncoming traffic shouts happily at us “welcome to Iran” and take a picture of the van. That is of course not allowed but not that anyone really cares.
We are not yet in Iran, we still have a lot of stops to go, but we don’t know that yet. We drive onto the bridge, and then we end up in a traffic jam of trucks. “Where are you from?” everyone asks us. Our license plates do not show where we come from (they are old dark blue Dutch plates), so everyone looks up in surprise. They think the car is beautiful, and the sight of those two crazy Dutch people who take this border crossing is hilarious, apparently. They also find it surprising that we don’t speak Farsi. However, I do hear a hint of Turkish which surprises me.
We have arrived at the next checkpoint. Park the car and want to give our papers, but we are directed to the passenger hall. Three men are standing here talking to each other. They look up when we enter, but that’s about it. We look sheepishly at each other. “Passport, stamp, visa” I say. Sometimes I downgrade my English to a list of words in the hope that someone will understand what I want. It works. One of the men takes my passport, another watches the PCR test and yet another interferes with both. They discuss something and then return all the papers. “Insurance?” says one. I show that too. But it’s not enough. For Iran we need local insurance we are told. I don’t believe any of it, which I tell them. Our ANWB has clearly put “including Iran and Turkmenistan” on our papers. But he doesn’t want to listen, so we just do what we’re told. The insurance we have to buy extra costs €6 per person for one month. We get a nice pass and if I understand it correctly it has 1 million Rial on it. I am probably wrong, but it sounds like we won the lottery.
Surrounded by trucks and men
Ok, PCR test approved, insurance arranged (being double insured is never wrong), now we just need the stamp. We go to the next booth where they again inspect our visa (the same guys who did that 10 minutes ago). The stamp is put on our visa form and not in our passport. Pretty nice! Then we return to Alexine. A man asks for our passport and where we come from. Something that happens very often and I never understand. The passport is not clear enough I guess.
We can go on. But we’re not there yet. Alexine is surrounded by trucks and we almost die of exhaust fumes. Groups of men crowd around Alexine and I sit quietly while Yuri starts a conversation with the only person at this border crossing who speaks English. Finally, we are also asked for the Carnet de Passage, a document that we received 1 day before departure from Germany. Again we are allowed to drive a few meters further, where men start fighting each other because we are not let through. Or at least, that’s how it looks like when you’ve got men with too much testosterone. We drive on and Yuri is asked to go to the office, with the Carnet de Passage. Apparently we must have an Iranian number plate, but of course the workshop is closed. A man rushes to us “I can arrange something” and that’s our first encounter with the Iranian mentality. We have heard and read a lot about it, but in Iran (almost) everything is possible. In the meantime, I’m trying to get used to long sleeves, pants and a headscarf while it’s warm. Fortunately not sunny but still warm.
Two hours later and we are in Iran but not yet through the bureaucracy. Despite the fact that we have all the papers with us, it is still a hassle. Our passports obviously help a lot, despite the fact that we have a lot of stamps which makes them frown at occasionaly. But we are happy that we have arranged everything properly. They didn’t even check the van.
After ten minutes of waiting we are allowed to continue driving, without license plates. Unfortunately we can’t get through another gate again because a stamp is missing. However, we have already made some friends and so after some shouting, laughter and ‘jallah’ we can continue.
2.5 hours later and we are in Iran! Even with the right papers it takes quite a long time. But “welcome to Iran”.
In 2015 Milene bought Alexine from a Frenchman. In the years to come we only fixed little things. Nothing major, nothing big. Going on a big trip overly prepared is boring, right?
Wherever we go I always try to document a local tribe, nomads or people who hold on to their traditions and culture while the world is changing. Pakistan has both.
While the Dutch exuberantly celebrate King’s Day, we have prepared ourselves for the next adventure. And that adventure is called Iran! After many months of waiting and even a return to the Netherlands, the time has finally come. But not today.
Happy Kingsday!
What we also don’t do today is eating an orange tompouce or sell our way too many knick knacks on a rug in a busy city. Although we did think about it for a second. Of course we took way too much stuff with us, partly because we simply didn’t know what we had left in the van when we left her in Armenia. Especially in terms of clothing. And partly because, as always, we packed our bags completely unprepared a day before departure.
Well, the van has more space than you would think. It’s kind of like a Harry Potter tent. From the outside it barely fits two people, but when you step inside you will find five bedrooms, a kitchen, lounge set and dining table with 8 chairs. Alright, our van is still not that luxurious, but we’re still amazed at how much actually fits in her. Then we have to add that we did leave some clothes and unnecessary stuff at a campsite because we didn’t need it.
Okay, back to the trip.
Koningsdag
King’s Day is a national holiday in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Celebrated on 27 April, the date marks the birth of King Willem-Alexander. The holiday was initially observed on 31 August 1885 as Prinsessedag or Princess’s Day, the fifth birthday of Princess Wilhelmina, then heir presumptive to the Dutch throne. On her accession in November 1890 the holiday acquired the name Koninginnedag, first celebrated on 31 August 1891.
Alexine struggles
So, no tompouce but we did eat some biscuits on the road this morning because they have delicious cookies and bread and other sweets here. So instead of a tompouce we ate another nice ponchik, we are big fans! That is also why we are happy that we are driving to Iran because they are not very healthy and good for our slim figures 😉
What is good for our figure is Alexine. We have to shake her occasionally, push her and of course wash her many times. She doesn’t always cooperate, but that is almost never her fault. Where my curls go limp when I use the wrong shampoo and our stomach empties with the wrong food, Alexine does the same with the wrong petrol. And the wrong petrol can often be found here. Most Armenian cars run on LPG (gas), so petrol is sometimes mixed with water. Which makes Alexine sputter, and that’s her right. We would do the same if there was a little gasoline in our water. But, we have found a solution! (we think!)
No more filling up an entirely empty tank, instead filling her up half way through, because of the dirt that can clog her and add some supplements after a refueling. She seems to be doing well again. We also replaced her fuel filter and flushed the pipes.
She drives like a charm, or well like a lady of 45. With patience and time we chug through the Armenian mountains. Not a big deal because the roads are not made for driving 120 km/h, sometimes even 80 km/h is too fast to avoid the potholes in the road. And when we don’t see the holes, we bounce like Pieter Post through the rough and barren landscape of this Christian country.
It’s time for a new adventure
And we do that now. Although we have left the rocky landscape behind us and we now drive through a high mountain range influenced by Scotland it seems. All around us white peaks and dark clouds, here and there a raindrop and sunbeam, and everywhere Iranian trucks that don’t chug but race. Home in time for the iftar. Ramadan will last a few more days and we are curious if we will experience some of it. First; get to the border. At the time of writing this is going well.
The mountains are high, but Alexine defies them with the mentality of a young mountain goat. Maybe a little less quickly, but certainly not with less enthusiasm. The cold wind from the plateau does her good, the motor remains nice and cool and the dry sunny weather ensures a good mood within ourselves.
We still have a long way to go, more than 100km, which takes us two hours according to Google Maps. Oh where would we be without Google Maps? Although, thanks to Google Maps, we sometimes end up on roads where you wipe the sweat from your forehead even with a 4×4. Well, two more hours and then we are still not in Iran, but a long way down. We will be doing a PCR test tomorrow morning and then hopefully at the end of the day enter the next country. Another step further. And we are so curious!
The culture, history, nature. The people, the food, the roads. Finally a country where Volkswagen vans form a club and parts can be found. We have been traveling in countries where Soviet cars are still leading the market for so long, it is a relief to see no Ladas but Opels and no Bukhanka but Volkswagen vans. Not because they aren’t fun, those Soviet cars are great looking. But it’s nice for Alexine and our wallet to see some recognizable German cars again.
Again I digress. A new country, new adventure, new story. From a Christian country where my hair is allowed to blow in the wind to an Islamic country where everything but my face should be covered. From a country at war with its neighbor and Russia keeping the peace to a country that has hardly any friends but does have nuclear weapons. It’s going to be interesting, awesome, and maybe a little exciting at times.
The stomachs will be filled with more delicious food, the hearts with the unprecedented kindness of the people and the eyes with all the beautiful mosques and historic buildings. We can’t wait! But yes, as said, at least two more hours, and add one more full day to that.
So much for our Armenian adventures. Time for some news!
In 2015 Milene bought Alexine from a Frenchman. In the years to come we only fixed little things. Nothing major, nothing big. Going on a big trip overly prepared is boring, right?
Wherever we go I always try to document a local tribe, nomads or people who hold on to their traditions and culture while the world is changing. Pakistan has both.
After being sick for four days, not eating at all, and having to go to the garage with Alexine we are finally ready for part two of the Silk Road Advanture. A good start is half the beginning, but so is a bad start, innit?
The abandoned textile factory
While I park the van, Yuri is on the phone with a guy called Karen. His father owns a textile factory in the village we are and we would like to visit it. You might think, why would you want to visit a textile factory? Well, this factory opened in 1976 (the year Alexine got built) and closed after the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Ever since it has been abandoned. And as most, we love untouched things. So we made a deal with Karen and not long after we met his father Hayk in Yeghegnadzor.
The factory has never been opened again after closing. It didn’t have anything to do with the quality of clothes they were producing here but mostly with the wars (like Nagorno-Karabach) following the fall of the Soviet. Money was used to buy weapons not clothes. In the factory things have been left as if no years have passed since then, except for the dust and spider threads. Pictures of naked women adorn the insides of closets, books about Lenin are filling otherwise empty bookshelves and the hammer and sickle is drawn on one of the machines. The ground floor is filled with machines that once produced very cute children’s clothes, while the first floor is less packed. Here women clothes, like gloves, were made. They also produced protective clothing for a possible nuclear war in this factory. Thirty plus years ago they prepared for a nuclear war, we might need those clothes in the near future.
After a small tour by Hayk we had coffee and ponchik (delicious Armenian deep-fried piece of dough shaped into a flattened sphere and filled with confiture or other sweet filling) and talked about his children and grandchildren, talking different languages and good music (he plays Led Zeppelin, the Beatles, Rolling Stones on piano!). We had a wonderful time together and recommend everyone to do this “tour”.
Soviet Armenia
In late 1920, local communists came to power following an invasion of Armenia by the Soviet Red Army, and in 1922, Armenia became part of the Trans-Caucasian Soviet Socialist Republic. In 1936, it became the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic. Russia to this day stays an important ally to Armenia.
From Yeghegnadzor we drive about half an hour to Vernashen, not because it is so far away but because the road is in a bad shape.
Holes in the road made us zigzagging to the next village but Alexine doesn’t seem to mind, she’s found her power back, and so did I.
Let’s hike, cause when life gives you mountains you put on your boots and hike.
Hiking to Spitakavor church
I am here at a super cute church after walking for 1.5 hours and climbing quite a few meters. The view from here is magnificent, although the mountains hide behind a somewhat hazy weather, it is no less beautiful. The little church behind me is lucky with its view. Perhaps the reason that the monks once built it here. The birds are chirping and the bees are buzzing, unfortunately the sun has just disappeared behind the mountain and so I am shrouded in shadow. But it does not matter because after about 8 km of walking, of which the majority was quite steep up, it is nice to relax here.
And how lucky I am that I can go to places like this. That I have the ability and the heart to embark on an adventure like this.
After days of not moving it is so nice to walk again.Pumping my heart rate up, feeling the pain in my legs and shortness of breath from the exertion. It is wonderful to exhaust my body again, to be active and to switch off my thoughts. What a wealth this is. And it went very well, even after four days of not eating anything, almost not knowing where to look from dehydration and having slept for hours.I went like a mountain goat so quick, and felt almost as light as a feather. Once again my condition did not let me down.
At the end of the route we were invited to a farmer for some coffee. There was also food and of course a much too strong alcoholic drink. My throat was immediately on fire. It looked like the farmer himself already drank a few of them. The calves and bulls looked at us curiously while we ate the delicious cheese with bread and honey. A welcome feast after that big climb. It was a pleasant stop, but we decided to continue anyway, because we still have to reach the church.
And so we got there. Super cute, very small, old, with very nice details, like most Armenian churches. The view is the cherry on top of the cake. Although the mountains are somewhat poorly visible, the contours leave room for imagination.
It’s half past seven and we still have to go back. So after Yuri has recovered from hitting his head (nothing new) we start our way back. It is said that it takes us along a river and waterfalls. We still have 1.5 hours before dark. A race against the clock? Or a beautiful relaxing walk back? This time we are prepared: we did bring lights for the way back, we didn’t bring enough water for the way up. But we are getting there, slowly slowly 😉
The way back
From the church we decided to head another way back. One through the valley and gorge. We made the right choice. The route took us alongside the small river and it was so incredibly beautiful! All was green with little trees filled with white blossom, the rippling water, birds singing. No humans, just nature, views and a setting sun. As it was all downhill we went quite fast and even though the hiking route should be about 6 hours we did it a lot quicker. Though we took our time taking photos, video’s and enjoy the scenery.
Normally my knees would tell me to slow down but again, I felt as light as a feather. I guess the foodpoisening did me some good 😉 We walked through the gorge like we never stopped exploring, like we didn’t spend the last six months in the Netherlands. There is one difference, we do appreciate everything a lot more now. The fact that we can do this, that we can explore areas like this, that we are able to live like this. Even if it’s just for six months.
And so, we inhale the fresh air, take a deep breath and realise no one can take this away from us. Like mountain goats we jumped up and down the river stream, hiked past the deep gorge, over stones back to Alexine. Where we celebrate our first long (15km) hike with a beer and some snacks. Ready for more!
Check the slider below for some impressions of the hike.
Love, Milene & Yuri
Information
Where
Yeghegnadzor & Vernashen
The abandoned factory is in Yeghegnadzor and the hike to Spitakavor starts in Vernashen.
When
Not in winter
The factory you can actually visit in any time but best on a sunny day for the light. The hike is best from spring to fall.
Who
Karen & Hayk
To visit the factory contact Karen (send message for contactdetails) he is the son of Hayk and speaks English. Hayk only speaks Armenian, Russing and a bit of German.
In 2015 Milene bought Alexine from a Frenchman. In the years to come we only fixed little things. Nothing major, nothing big. Going on a big trip overly prepared is boring, right?
Wherever we go I always try to document a local tribe, nomads or people who hold on to their traditions and culture while the world is changing. Pakistan has both.
For a couple of days we’ve been reunited with each other and Alexine but things don’t go as planned, neither do they go so smoothly.
Foodpoisoning
While I sit here after five days of struggling with food poisoning (thanks to Royal Jordanian Airways), Yuri is cutting some lovely old cheese. Cheese that I can’t eat, but the smell.. It’s probably one of the best scents in the world; the smell of good ol’ cheese. But, like I wrote; food poisoning. Not a great way to start the second leg of our Silk Road trip with but, at least it can’t get any worse than this.
We have been sleeping in Alexine for a couple of nights already and it feels like we never left her. She thought a bit different about it though. Alright, it wasn’t all bad, even only looking at her made her almost start the engine right away. But afterwards we had to climb a steep, very steep hill and that she didn’t think was a great idea. But with some pushes, really, she made it up to the top and on to the campsite of Camping 3Gs.
Things never go as planned
Marco Polo had to diverse from his route many times due to disruptions or otherwise obstacles on the road, we have the same. We were actually planning on going to Iran this week but something came in between. Not only my food poisoning but also something else. Our dear friends Kevo and Tamara, who we met last time we were in Armenia, are getting married at the end of this month and invited us to celebrate with them. Well, how we can say no to that?
So, Iran has to wait! Again.. but this time by our own choosing.
And, me not feeling very well, I’m alright with postponing travels a little bit. Hopefully I feel better soon and we can continue exploring the rest of Armenia.
We do however have a great time being back. Camping 3Gs, especially Sandra – the owner, is a gem and we’ve been glad to start our journey here. The last couple of days mainly consisted of sleeping, working (a bit), eating (Yuri) and doing absolutely nothing. Yesterday we were invited to a birthday bash, which was quite nice. Yuri got to drink with the local men who weren’t as easily beaten in the drinking game. We didn’t get to see who would first fall under the spell of alcohol and be called drunk as I really needed to get back to my bed. Unfortunately I couldn’t eat as much as I wanted to but tried some bits and pieces. Which of course I regretted later on, but let’s not zoom into that!
For now, that’s about it. We are planning on exploring different parts of Armenia soon. We’re quite curious to see in what state Alexine is. Is she as in a state like mine? Or ready for a new adventure like Yuri is? We will see and keep you up to date of course.
In 2015 Milene bought Alexine from a Frenchman. In the years to come we only fixed little things. Nothing major, nothing big. Going on a big trip overly prepared is boring, right?
Wherever we go I always try to document a local tribe, nomads or people who hold on to their traditions and culture while the world is changing. Pakistan has both.
After visiting Petra it was time to visit one of the most beautiful areas of Jordan: Wadi Rum! It’s also called ‘Valley of the Moon’. We first drive for a long while through more and more empty landscape until we arrive in Rum village. We have to register ourselves before we can actually start the tour. The tour you ask? Well, we are normally not really fan of tours but in Wadi Rum there is no other option if you want to explore the desert. Still, we have a car and driver of our own, so it’s alright. In the back of the 4×4 we sit with a little roof above our heads and really feel like tourists. Which we of course are but we rather not call ourselves that 😉
In the desert one comes across camels, sand and these kind of jeeps. It looks a bit silly but it’s really fun. The wind rushes through our hair (Yuri’s beard hair that be) which makes us feel not too hot and the shadow thanks to the silly roof keeps us from burning alive.
Alright, enough about our vehicle. More about the trip. Our driver is Suleyman, a Bedouin local from around. He’s born in the desert he says and wears a beautiful white djellaba. That makes for beautiful photos! But he also has his iPhone ready, so a Bedouin with a touch of technology. Totally understandable. He drives, we watch and take photos. Good deal!
Our first stop is at a spring which isn’t visible from where we stand. Thus, the original inhabitants of this region wrote on a rock, not sure exactly what but it must be something like “dear fellow traveller, you are in luck because here, near that tree on the left side behind this rock is a little spring where you can wash yourself, have a drink and take care of your animals. Take good care of the place. Leave nothing but footprints.” Ok, maybe the last part wasn’t truly written there but should’ve been, because even in the desert we see lots of plastic bottles which makes our hearts cry.
The next stop is a viewpoint. Nothing interesting but a nice view and when walking down we run down on a sand dune which is a lot of fun. Also quite hot under the feet. When we arrive at the bottom of the dune, we have a tea, of course. As soon as our tea is finished we’re going to our next spot. A canyon with more writings on the walls. We see animal drawings, men and feet (maybe we were right after all ‘leave nothing but footprints’) and some letters which probably meant something like “Lawrence of Arabia was here 1916”.
We continued the tour to watch a tiny arch, which apparently some tourists find interesting. Not us though. What we do find interesting is the incredible landscape. The red and yellow sand, the equally coloured rocky mountains and here and there a camel. Oh and not to forget the many camps scattered around. Truly! So many tourist camps here. Once this was the place for the Bedouin people who roamed the sandy hills of the desert. They are called ‘desert dwellers’ for a reason. Now there are only 15 families left who live like this, the rest of the area is occupied by travellers. About 30 camps can be found in this little part of the desert. It’s hard to really feel lost and alone when you see luxury round shaped tents. Also, at every stop we find many jeeps with tourists. When the tourists explore the attraction, the guides/drivers are chilling and drinking tea in a tent.
The tea drinking hasn’t changed. Bedouin people do not drink much else, except for camel milk. Which we didn’t try, this time. We did drink a lot of tea though.
Anyway, lunch we spend with a Bedouin family. Well, that was the plan but with all nomads they come and go whenever they want. So the father of the family wasn’t there. The women of the camp will not show themselves when there are men around not belonging to their family. So Yuri had to stay with the kids and Suleyman, while I had small talk with the women. The mother and daughter, both very beautiful, were drinking tea with me. Luckily for me the daughter spoke some English. She told me she learns it in school. I was happily surprised that she goes to school. She loves it actually and wants to become a doctor. And when she’s a doctor she wants to move to Aqaba. Her favourite city! And she’s been to all over Jordan. So why she couldn’t show herself here is a mystery to me but let’s say it’s a tradition that hopefully will change one day.
We do respect traditions, cultures and religions but one where men can do whatever they want (marry up to 4 women, be around tourists, go wherever and whenever they want to go) and women have to stay in a closed part of the camp where men can’t see them (even when they cover their hair) is something else to me. Especially because they have mobile phones, they do go to cities if they need a doctor and they do study. Let’s just hope it will change with this new generation. Cause this young lady (17 years old) was so bright, so smart, so beautiful and kind. It’s a sin to keep her stuck in the desert forever.
After lunch and tea we continued our trip to more tourist attractions. We visit more arches, a mushroom rock, some beautiful canyons and had a lot of fun with Suleyman. We wanted to see and photograph some camels so Suleyman cuddled one and even gave one a kiss. He’s the best guide, though also very traditional in some aspects. He thinks women should cover themselves fully, that women shouldn’t be as free as I am and that it’s alright to kill Jews because Israel kills Palestinians. Different worlds of course (also a bit more nuances than in this post). He even has a photo of Sadam Hussein in his car. But that’s maybe for a later story. Or not?
Ok in short. In Jordan you’ll find many cars with a bumper sticker of Sadam Hussein. The person we know as a leader of Iraq and in the same time dictator, murderer, torturer. So we asked some people why they support Sadam Hussein. Some do because he fought against Israel, helping his Muslim brothers and sisters of Palestina. Then there is the reason that immigrants and Iraqis were treated the same way. And also because Jordanian students were able to study cheap in Iraq which was good for the students and the country. Some know that Sadam did bad things but they focus on the good. “I know he did bad things, but 95% of what he did was good”. Others probably know but don’t want to know, they point fingers at Western leaders doing bad; Bush, Trump, Obama. They are right about the later though.
We finally end the day at the sunset spot. With other, but not too many, tourists we sit on a rock watching the sun set behind the incredible scenery of Wadi Rum. Totally understandable that they filmed Star Wars, the Martian and Dunes here. Also, Lawrence of Arabia lived here! Fun fact 😁
After the sunset we went to our camp, had some nice talks with the other drivers and owner of the company, delicious diner, campfire, almost full moon and silence! Beautiful.
The Bedouin
At 6 o’clock in the morning, while everyone was still asleep, we woke up to visit the Bedouin family of which we didn’t get to meet the father. You can imagine we were a bit disappointed, thus we went back. The sun was rising while we sat across the man of the family drinking tea and something they call Bedouin coffee. Which is more like a strong tea. We got to photograph him and ask some questions. The light was amazing, the family so kind, the tea and dates delicious. We were so happy that we went back to this place.
After one hour and a half we returned to the camp where breakfast was served. The other people just woke up while we felt like we’ve already passed half a day.
Anyway, we had breakfast, woke Suleyman and left the desert behind. A pity because we could spend more time here but we’ll leave it for a next time.
Time for a dive!
In one hour we drove to Aqaba, the Red Sea. The road wasn’t that great, neither was the Red Sea. Well, yeah it’s a sea, has some nice beaches and beautiful coral but the surroundings were horrible. Anyway, we came here so Yuri could dive. Diving is not for me so I enjoyed my time in the airco of the apartment editing some photos. Yuri on the other hand went for two dives. One near some old military vehicles; a helicopter, car and tank! He also saw many fish like his favourite the puffer fish. But also clown fish and a snake eel. The military vehicles were placed here btw.
In the evening we went to a restaurant in Aqaba city. A recommendation by the dive instructor and wow was it good! Traditional food with a modern twist. Yum! No photos of course cause we eat faster than our camera’s click.
The way back
A week flies by. We are already on our way back to the airport and with that to Armenia. But on the way back we scheduled some stops. The first one is Dana. A nice old village where several hikes through the gorges are offered. We heard they are nice but didn’t have the time to hike ourselves, also it’s very very hot!
The next day we would drive the famous Kings Highway. Everyone told us it’s a beautiful road and a must drive when in Jordan. You can read our disappointment. The road wasn’t that great at all and there was garbage everywhere. Truly! It was hard to watch the beauty of the scenery through the garbage that lies everywhere. Insane and quite sad. Also, the road itself isn’t interesting. It’s just a road going through a very dry area, not much to see so we won’t recommend it.
The last night we stay in Madaba, known for its mosaic. We had our PCR test done here and ate at a very nice restaurant. The meze was quite good, not as good as in Lebanon or Turkey but the Jordan food so far was a tiny bit of a disappointment, so this was a welcoming end to our trip.
We were tested negative (hurray!) and headed out to check the mosaic in the St George church. The mosaic is the first known map of the Middle East and especially detailed about Jerusalem. It’s on the ground and quite big, pretty could to see. It dates back to the 6th century!
After the visit we drove a very nice road from Madaba to the Dead Sea. Half way we visited a hot spring with a cool waterfall. However, it being almost 40 degrees outside we found it way too hot to chill in the even hotter water. We then continued to have lunch at the Dead Sea for one last time and afterwards headed to the airport.
That was it. Our trip to Jordan came to an end. We enjoyed it, had a lot of fun but were also disappointed. Disappointed about the amount of trash we saw everywhere, of the roads that weren’t as beautiful as people told us and the amount of tourists and tourist focused shops and prices. Petra is one big open air souvenir market, in the desert the Bedouin sell soap made in Pakistan and visiting a gorge costs 25 Euros per person.
But let’s focus on the good. Petra was amazing, Wadi Rum spectacular and the people very kind and friendly.
Time flies when you’re having fun. It really does. One week in Lebanon was over within what felt like a second. The flight to Jordan (1.5 hour) felt longer than the whole week in Lebanon and we guess that’s a good sign.
Arrival in Jordan
Up to now crossing borders went rather easy. In the van it’s quite relaxed as we just sit in the van wait until it’s our turn. But flying somewhere is always a bit of a hassle. Well, Jordan is something else.
We immediately feel we are in a totally different country. Men in djellaba’s standing in line, people shouting, chaos, women in burqa cutting the line. So, there are several lines to enter Jordan. The first one being the PCR test line. We have paid for it before arrival so we just have to wait until there is someone available. It goes rather smoothly, also the test itself. Maybe our noses getting used to it, maybe it’s the kind woman.
Then there is the second line. To enter Jordan we need a visa, but we have paid for it already via the Jordan pass. This pass includes our visa and some tourist attractions like Petra and Jerash. It takes quite long to get through and again is very chaotic. Some women are given special treatment as they cut the line, some men say something about it and the custom man doesn’t like it so tells the group of men to get at the back of the line. They of course get more angry and while it involves a lot of raising voices in the end they do what the man with power tells them to.
It’s our turn and after five minutes we get to the third line; customs. As always we think we choose the shortest line but we don’t and we end up waiting and waiting. Many men in front of us seem to come from another country; Saudi, Yemen, Dubai maybe? They look like migrants, coming here to work and to be honest they are treated as such. Actually they are treated as brainless sheep. A rather big man tells them where to go and what to do and shouts at them when they do it wrong. It makes us feel sad for those men, but they seem not to care too much and just do what the man shouts towards them.
However, it takes very long for the customs to check all their papers. Finally, after two hours (this took longer than the whole flight) we are outside, finding our way to the rental cars. We get a not very interesting nor colourful Kia but it has four wheels so it will get us where we want to go.
We head to our first hotel not far from the airport. It’s midnight already and we can use some sleep. The next day our adventure really start.
Jerash
We skip Amman, just another big city, and drive north to Jerash. It’s famous for being an important and well preserved archeological site and even though we’ve seen so many already we are quite curious. One of the highlights is the old souk way from one entrance of the city to the temple in the middle. Alongside the road many columns can be found and behind it the old souk. It’s beautiful! One can imagine the many people that once walked here, buying stuff in the souk, talking with each other. It must have been crowded and noisy. A bit further up is a beautiful amfitheater – truly amazing. And there is a nice hippodrome (an ancient Greek stadium for horse racing and chariot racing) and some temples. The temples have been destroyed, only a few columns are still standing. We’ve seen better ones.
We walked here for hours, but at some point it gets too hot so we decide to move on. To the Dead Sea!
The Dead Sea
Here we arrived at the end of the day. Which was good because we got to see the sunset while floating on top of the salty water. The Dead Sea is about 10 times more salty than the ocean and it’s bordering Israel. That’s also the reason that it’s not allowed to swim after sunset. Apparently the government is afraid of illegal border crossings at night. Anyway we got to drift a bit, see the sunset and enjoy the magic of the Dead Sea. It’s quite nice to just float on the sea and relax. A wonderful experience. Just don’t get any of the water in your mouth or eyes, it hurts. We found out the hard way…
Flat tire and strange border
We were planning a nice route along the Dead Sea to the South, stopping at worthy places and end up in Petra today. Instead we got a flat tire not far from our hotel. Immediately a group of Jordanians stopped and helped us fixing the tire. We had to go to our rental company to change the tire and found one not too far away. 25km’s, so we were hopeful. Until we got nearby and the road looked a bit shabby. At the end we ended up at a check point where the police didn’t let us through. Of course they didn’t know any English and we know no Arabic. We had to go back and circle around them. Which we did. Only to find ourselves in a strange abandoned area, which looked like a modern Wild West. Most shops were empty and left behind to rot. Windows were broken, company names only half visible and bored border patrol flicking their cigarettes.
Of course the location of our rental company was abandoned just like all the others. As there was no one who spoke English, we decided to get to the airport.
Little and big Petra
We changed the tire at the airport and moved quickly towards little Petra. The road we took wasn’t very interesting it was quick though. It’s called the desert road and that’s just what it is. A highway through the desert with villages scattered around it. Some sand twisters followed us and bumps in the road made us test our breaks every now and then.
At some point Google took us off the highway and into more desert area. Suddenly we found ourselves in an incredible landscape and soon we arrived at Little Petra. Little Petra isn’t very touristy because there is not much to see, except for one amazing temple cut in the rocks. We were alone except for the Bedouin living here trying to sell some souvenirs.
We enjoyed our short time here, until we headed towards Wadi Mousa. This is the village on top of the ancient Petra, it’s quite touristy but still has something left of the local culture. Like; no alcohol! Well, there is a cave bar where you can find alcohol so not surprisingly we went there to have a Petra beer and food. Now with 50% discount due to Covid-19: nice!
Petra by night
In the evening we went to check out Petra by Night. A bit too touristy for us. With many tourists we walked in line through the siq (a rock canal that leads to the city) to the treasury. Even though we were walking in line people were trying to rush towards the front of the line, which of course annoyed the hell out of us.
At the treasury it looked spectacular, beautiful. With all the candles and the Bedouin music, very magical. However, people (tourists and locals alike) talking through the Bedouin fluit concert makes it impossible to really enjoy the scenery and the magic of the area. Petra by night costs about Eur.20,- per person and is definitely not worth it.
Petra
At 6 o’clock we walked through the gates of of Petra with only a few other tourists. Such a relief compared to Petra by Night. At the treasury we were all alone. Except for some locals who offered their guiding services. After taking some photos we walked through the park, cause Petra is a lot more than just the treasury. There are many tombes, cave homes, an amfitheater, temple, church with beautiful mosaic and an amazing monastery.
Between all the historical sites you’ll find many souvenir shops and local people offering tea. For free, or happy hour, but of course it’s kind to give something. It feels a bit like a big open air market and again this commercialised souvenir market does something to the magic of the site. We are wondering what the previous inhabitants think when they see their capital being used like this. Of course we will never know but it’s fun to think about.
To go from the treasury to the monastery is a long walk and the end is quite challenging due to the many many stairs we have to climb. But it is so worth it. The monastery is as beautiful as the treasury but bigger. Afterwards we walk through the site, pass many tombes of which some are unfinished. We hike up the mountain to visit the sacrifice, a place where they used to sacrifice cows and goats to offer to the gods. The blood would flow down a small canal and people would drink it together. From this place we got a view over the ancient capital city Petra. Amazing!
From here we walked down to a viewpoint on the treasury. Very touristy and Instagrammable. Many of the girls visiting here wear the prettiest colourful dresses to get the nicest Instagram shot. Not really our scene so we didn’t stay for too long. To get to this spot, we actually needed a guide cause the way is a bit tricky and apparently it’s not allowed to walk here without one. However, not surprisingly, we walked down without a guide and as you are reading this blog we survived! Didn’t even get a fine
Petra was beautiful! We walked 23km’s, have seen a lot of the site but not all and enjoyed our time here. We had tea and bought a scarf to support the locals and had nice talks with some guides. The downside of this world wonder is that it’s very touristy, a bit too much. So many people selling stuff made in China or Pakistan, so many people trying to get your buy their stuff or wanting to guide you. It’s too much to be honest and at a UNESCO sight we expected a lot less. A lot less garbage as well. Everywhere is plastic, also at Petra, which is really a shame.
It’s beautiful though, recommended to visit early. For us this part of our Jordan trip was over, more adventures to come.
Hi there! We are Milene & Yuri. We are travelling the world together since 2015. Our endless curiosity and will to explore has resulted in many cool, and somewhat extreme, adventures. On MYgrations you'll read all about our adventures, you'll find lots of information about the countries we visit you won't find anywhere else and more. Enjoy!
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