It is amazing what a shower will do for your spirits. Without any sleep but having showered and put on fresh clothes, Zandra and I headed to the breakfast buffet. I truly don't think I've ever seen a larger variety of food in a breakfast buffet. There were pastries, cereal, an omelet station, fresh fruit, pancakes, waffles, Chinese noodles, hummus, roasted vegetables, baked beans, Eggs Benedict, oatmeal, salads, and more. After plane food we couldn't get enough. Laurie and Stephanie met us for breakfast. It was so good to catch up on their trip to Egypt and share our experience at the airport.
By 10 a.m. we had met our guide, Wafa, and her driver. They will accompany our travels through our time in Petra. Our first stop today was in Madaba at the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George. In 1884 when the church was clearing things out for a new building they discovered an ancient Mosaic on the floor. It is a map of the Holy Lands created in the mid sixth century. First Wafa took us to a room outside the church which had a replica of the Mosaic. Then she picked up a pointer and became very animated describing the mosaic and giving us her perspective on life in the Middle East. She was delightful to watch but when you've gone without sleep it was too much. Finally, Laurie told her we really wanted to see the actual Mosaic. Much of it is missing. Some is protected under rugs. It truly is amazing.
We found this modem day piece of art on the wall in the medium of Mosaic. It is Jesus, Mary, Anna (the mother of Mary) and Eve.
This isn't the only Mosaic in Madaba. It is an area rich with churches and mosaics. Not far up the hill is Mt. Nebo, the place where Moses looked out on the Promised Land and God told him the Israelites would enter sans Moses. There is a Franciscan church on the spot. It is built on the ruins of a sixth century church built by pilgrims who came to visit this biblically significant location. You walk up a gentle slope to the church. The walkway has the mosaic of a fish.
Pope John Paul visited in 2000 and there is a monument to his visit.
There were tombs discovered on Mt Nebo. This rock that would cover a cave tomb stands as a symbol.
Looking out across the valley from Mt. Nebo was a bit of an emotional experience. We lingered there.
Near the lookout is this bronze sculpture that an Italian artist did to depict the snake that God command Moses to create to save the Israelites from poisonous snake bites. The artist tied the sculpture to Jesus by the use of the Cross and the quote from John 3:13-15.
The inside of the church is both modern and ancient. There are parts where tourists can view mosaics found in the ruins of the ancient church.
When we entered, mass was being said for Korean tourists but pretty soon we had the place to ourselves. The stained glass at the front had three depictions of Moses.
We got back in our minivan and headed to the Dead Sea. We had wondered about lunch but did not want to offend our guide and driver's practice of Ramadan. Wafa encouraged us to join her for a buffet at a restaurant in the Dead Sea and she would get us a good deal. Being Brethren we went for the deal. Just getting out of the car when we arrived we felt the oppressive heat of being at the lowest place on planet Earth.. Over lunch Zandra asked Wafa about her non-practice of Ramadan. It was hard to follow her answer but I think you would describe her as a secular Muslim.
After lunch Zandra and I were completely done in and ready to sleep. We checked into our hotel, the Dead Sea Hilton. Checking in was a bit of a feat. Suffice it to say that Laurie has mad skills and it is great to travel with her. Once in our room I thought I could take a short nap and then float in the Dead Sea before dinner. I woke up in time for dinner. We enjoyed the dinner in the restaurant. That is three meals so far in Jordan, every one of them a buffet. They know how to do it right. We watched the sunset while we ate.
As soon as the sun set the restaurant was filled with people breaking the Ramadan fast. After dinner we spent time outside listening to a musical group composed of a guitarist, violinist and soloist. We checked out Laurie and Steph's digs before heading back to our room to read up on Moses and snakes and get our geographical bearings.
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