Petra-You Take the High Road

We met Wafa at the gate into Petra at 7:15 a.m. It was a short night. I took a horse drawn carriage through the siq while the rest of the group walked. It looked so different in the light of day.

When my carriage passed my group, Wafa yelled at the driver. He went slower and stopped whenever I wanted to take photos. At the end of the ride he had me close my eyes for a surprise. This is what I saw when I opened my eyes.

Of course I arrived at the treasury before the rest of the group. There was hardly anybody else there yet and so I was a sitting duck for all the young adult males trying to hawk their wares. Wafa had called them handsome (with their eyeliner and mascara) and charming. It was true. One particular man followed me everywhere, showing me where to take the best photos.

I was glad when my group arrived. Wafa was her animated self describing the eclectic nature of the figures carved into the treasury.  Her contention is that the people who carved the facade buried their dead underneath like the Egyptians and Mayans. She believes the treasury is actually a tomb.

We walked around the corner and she explained that you can recognize a tomb by the "crows steps" at the top. (I didn't see those on the treasury.) 

She took us around the corner to show us the amazing multi-colored rocks that make up Petra. She convinced Stephanie to crawl through a small window in the rock.

The next spectacular thing to see is the Urn Tomb, followed by a series of more tombs. However it requires you to be able to do lots of uneven stairs without a rail. I stayed below. I looked in some stalls. I spent quite a bit of time talking to the men who ran the incense store with a big sign outside that said "We Sell Frankincense". I didn't buy anything but I smelled everything.

When they came back there was a young man waiting for them. He heard they wanted to take donkeys up to the sanctuary. I can't go. It is around 800 steps up. Which means it is around 800  back down. The photos I saw of the sanctuary are beautiful. Stephanie is great at negotiating. She is willing to walk away. We walked a little further and then got the right deal. We said goodbye to Wafa. She is leaving us and heading for Amman. The three of them got on their donkeys.

I watched them go and then looked up the hill to wave goodbye to Wafa.

Everyone left by high roads. I walked a bit further down the colonnade but because I didn't want to climb steps there wasn't much to see. I had a return trip scheduled with my carriage driver. By now it was hot and miserable and so I headed back the way I came.  I shopped along the way but mostly I kept moving. I got back to the siq sooner than expected but my driver was glad to take me early. He took the return trip at such a high speed that the jarring to my knee was intense and it felt like my breasts were hitting my chin. I was glad to give him his tip and be done with him. 

Back in Wadi Musa, I stopped in the Visitor Centre to see the movie inside. But the darkness and cool air was too much of a temptation. I quickly fell asleep. I woke up with a jolt and decided to head back up the hill to our hotel. I ordered lunch for my stomach and ice for my knee. Lunch was good because as Wafa says, "Jordan has the best vegetables". I also ordered a bag of ice and they brought a small trash bag full. I started to feel rejuvenated.

Laurie, Stephanie and Zandra returned to the hotel right at 1:30, our rendezvous time. I was sure they would be late but they are rock stars. (Zandra had another allergic reaction at breakfast. With two Benadryl in her she still conquered the day.) Our driver, Saad, arrived shortly thereafter. We are headed for Wadi Rum (The Valley of the Moon) and the largest Wadi in Jordan. Saad is a talker. He drove and lectured us on Jordanian history, currency and everything else that interested him. 

When we arrived outside Wadi Rum we transferred to the back of a small pickup (they call a Jeep). Getting up and down out of the back of a pickup truck is a challenge for me, but I get by with a little help from my friends. All our luggage was packed inside the cab with our Bedouin driver. Saad is staying with us.

First we checked into the Wadi Rum Luxury Camp. Think, "Glamping in the desert." We have luxury accommodations, which means we have full bathrooms in out tents. 

We hurried to get ready for our camel adventure. I was so excited about this part of the trip that I had my PT help me to think about how I would get on.

Stephanie was on her camel less than a minute when it decided to roll onto it's side. Luckily she is nimble and avoided injury. But watching that happen turned all my excitement into terror. All I could think of was that could happen to me and completely ruin my knee surgery recovery. Our camel guide looked all of 14 years old. He stood the camels up without warning. If you have ever been on a camel you know it throws you forward then backward before it evens out. I shrieked so loud it is a wonder my camel didn't take off at a gallop. We walked straight out into the Wadi Rum desert for one hour before connecting with our Jeep driver again. I was so glad to be off my camel without injury.

Our Jeep driver collected us and off we went for our 3 hour tour of Wadi Rum. It sounded ominously like Gilligan's Island. Stop number one was to a giant sand dune. It reminded me of the Indiana Dunes near Michigan City. The intent was to have us climb to the top and then run down. I can't do that at this point in my rehab but Stephanie was game.

Or next stop was Lawrence's Spring. I surprised myself by crawling back through the rocks to see the hieroglyphics. I didn't go as far in as the actual spring.

The next stop was to the Little Bridge. I couldn't climb up to where Stephanie and Zandra went. Someone has to take photos, right?

Laurie and I stayed with the driver and had Bedouin tea made with cardamom.

When it was time to leave the driver moved the truck near a rock so it wasn't such a struggle for me to crawl into the back. Our last stop was for the sunset. We sat up on a rock and laughed and told stories until it was time to take photos. It will be one of my most pleasant memories of our trip.

When we got back to the camp Saad was waiting on us to break his fast. We were wind blown and dirty but we went right in and joined him. The buffet was just okay. But what do we expect...we are in the middle of the desert. Stephanie headed to bed. The rest of us went to hear music and drink Arabian coffee under the stars. I learned that Arabian coffee tastes horrible. The stars are fabulous though. We headed to bed.

The Jordan River is Neither Deep Nor Wide

It wasn't originally part of our itinerary to go to Bethany-Beyond-the-Jordan but when we realized how close we are we asked that a visit be added into our day. We were in the car with Wafa and Khaled by 10 a.m. It was already hot as hell. Bethany-Beyond-the-Jordan is the site many people believe is where John the Baptist baptized Jesus. Pilgrims have been coming here for years. It was oppressively hot but thank God they went to the trouble to put up a shaded cover. Our first stop was a view of the Jordan River. It appeared to be a muddy trickle.

The next stop is the area where pilgrims believed that John would have baptized Jesus. It is a deep pool that fills with water when the Jordan River overflows. What we saw was a dry hole. There are the ruins of three churches at the site. Twice a church was flooded out and moved to higher ground. We looked at the floor Mosaic still visible from the ruins of the last church built.

Next we walked down to the Jordan River. There was a soldier from the Jordanian army in full combat fatigues holding a semi automatic because directly across from us, just a stone's throw away, was the Israeli side of the Jordan River. We all took our shoes off and got in the water. I only got my toes wet because the steps we so slippery. On the Jordan side it was peaceful and quiet. Dragonflies and butterflies fluttered around us.

Across from us, on the Israeli side, people were singing hymns, collecting Jordan River water and being baptized in white robes. It couldn't have felt more different. We lingered to enjoy the moment.

Just up the bank from the river is a Russian Orthodox Church built in 2000. I looked around but the gold dome, the icons and Monk's skull seemed such an awkward contrast to my Brethren background and the quiet moment I had just had on the banks of the muddy Jordan.

We followed the covered walkway back to the car but the intense heat caused me to get overheated. I started to shiver while it was over 100 degrees outside. I was so relieved to get into an air conditioned car. We headed for  Petra. Our guide said that we would not be taking the King's Highway but a more scenic route. We drove south along the Dead Sea. We stopped once to see a panoramic view of the Dead Sea and the rock formation they call Lot's wife....and so our guide and driver could smoke.

When we turned to head East a herd of camels was near the road and so we pulled over for a photo op. All the adult camels' two front feet were bound to each other to keep them from running away.

The climb up to Petra was steep and windy. We stopped first to see Little Petra, a much scaled down version of Petra. The advantage is that there was no one else there. 

The disadvantage was that it was swarming in flies. Laurie got to experience what it is like to have one fly right up your nostril. Stopping at Little Petra mostly helped us understand how we should dress and prepare for Petra. 

We drove the last few miles into Wadi Musa (the town outside of Petra). We said good-bye to our driver Khaled and checked in to the Petra Moon Hotel, 100 yards from the gate into Petra. We had al little bit of time to rest before our dinner buffet. After dinner we went to the rooftop to see the view. It was windy and chilly so we went back to our rooms to add layers. Wafa was waiting for us outside at 8:20 so we could be at the gate to Petra at 8:30 for the night show at Petra. They host it only a couple nights a week in the summer. You walk through the 2 km siq at night lit only by luminaries. It is a gentle slope downward on uneven ground in the dark, which for my knee is a nightmare. Laurie had a flashlight and Stephanie kept her eye on me and helped me through the rough patches. We were amongst the last to arrive. Since I lost my cane with foldable seat I had practiced getting off the ground (with the help of my friends).  But we were ushered to bench seats. Hallelujah!

We were all seated in front of the treasury at Petra, of which you could only see a slight shadow. Hundreds of luminaries were on the ground between the people and the treasury. A man seated in the middle played a Bedouin pipe and then switched to a stringed instrument. We were brought a sweet warm tea. When the music stopped a man stepped into the middle. He welcomed us and told us to get out our cameras and we would all set off our flash at the same time, thus lighting up the treasury for our photos. We attempted it three times and it didn't work. 

Then he told a story about drinking Arabian coffee together as a way to take try to resolve differences.  At the end he invited us to close our eyes and make our deepest wish. When we opened our eyes the treasury was lit up with a spotlight that changed colors. It was glorious.

That was the end of the show. We sat for awhile enjoying the display of light and people watching. Then we headed back through the siq in the dark. It was uphill all the way back which is easier on my knee but we still had to stop along the way to let me rest. We were at the tail end of the tourists heading out. By the time we got back to our hotel it was 10:45.  My phone reported that I had walked 8 miles, the furthest I have gone in one day since I had surgery. 

Floating in the Dead Sea

We had all planned to meet for the breakfast buffet at 8 a.m. but we overslept. Zandra texted Laurie and Steph to let them know we would be late while they were texting us to let us know they had overslept also. We all got to breakfast at 9.

While Zandra was eating granola and fresh fruit her face began to turn pink and she experienced a tingling sensation and swollen throat. Laurie had Benadryl in her room so we hustled up there.  Eventually, Zandra's symptoms abated but she was tired from the Benadryl. (We still don't know what caused the reaction.) While she rested, Stephanie and I went down to the beach. 

We got into the water and floated on our backs. Then we were treated to a mud bath and massage by a staff member named Yosef.

We let the mud bake a bit and then we went back into the water to wash it off. 

It is amazing how silky your skin feels. Then we washed in the outdoor fresh water showers to try to remove the salt. We reclined under umbrellas and enjoyed the dry heat.

After awhile Laurie and Zandra joined us. They went through the same fabulous experience except Stephanie administered the mud.

We sat in cabanas enjoying the absolute quiet. The water is completely still so it is very peaceful and calm. Pretty soon I realized I was at my limit of heat and dry air. I left the rest of the group and headed for my room. I cleaned up and then took a two hour nap. Jet lag is taking me down! 

We met for dinner and this time ate at the Italian restaurant in the resort. The meal was lovely and relaxing. Zandra and I returned to our room. We prepared for tomorrow by reading up on Bethany-Beyond-the-Jordan and Petra...two things on the agenda for tomorrow.

Jordan — Mosaic and Moses

With the light of day we could finally take in a bit of Amman. This is the view from our hotel room.

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.

Jordan Here We Come

Zandra and I are leaving for Jordan today where we will meet Laurie and Stephanie. We have been planning this trip for almost a year. All kinds of life events made it look as if we might not go. But my knee surgeon gave me the go ahead on May 21 and that is when I finally allowed myself to get excited. I upgraded my seat to Business Class so I didn't have my knee bent for over 11 hours on the first plane flight. I've never flown Business Class before and I'm afraid it might ruin me for all future travels. Plus, I decided to safeguard my trip so I searched for hours and found just the right cane with a foldable seat on it.

Dawna drove Zandra and I to the Claremont Metrolink station.  After Dawna left us Zandra realized she had left her water bottle in Dawna's car. We took the train to Union Station and got the Flyaway bus to LAX. It worked so seamlessly that it felt as if public transportation always runs perfectly. When we got to the international terminal we grabbed our luggage from under the bus and hurried inside to join the mass of humanity also trying to check in. It was after I had my boarding pass in hand that I realized that I had left my cane with foldable seat in the belly of the bus. Part of me was very disappointed and worried that my trip would be harmed. The other part of me was relieved I wouldn't have to lug that awkward thing around. So now we have each left an item behind. We will have to be more vigilant. 

While we were eating dinner in the terminal, Zandra realized that she had been given two boarding passes from LAX to Frankfurt but no boarding pass from Frankfurt to Amman. We hastily finished our meal and headed to the gate so she could get the right boarding passes. Zandra was trying to figure out if we could order a foldable camp stool and have it delivered to one of our Jordan hotels but we struck out. 

Sitting in Business Class is as nice as it sounds. The flight attendants are attentive and never seem frustrated. I had a gourmet dinner served to me on linens, although I wasn't hungry and just picked at it. I watched Ladybird, a movie I have wanted to see. Bose speakers were provided. At 10 pm I took a sleep aid, put on an eye mask, used the ear plugs provided, put my seat completely flat and slept for the next 6 hours. I woke up to the smell of coffee. Even with all this luxury, I am amazed at how exhausting it is to fly to Europe.

We have a six hour layover in Frankfurt. We contemplated taking the bahn into the city. However, by the time we disembarked and each took turns cleaning up in the restroom it was too late to go and get back. We found a restaurant and each ordered tomato soup and apple strudel. Both were better than plane food. Zandra caught up on some work stuff and I read about Jordan. When we felt like we used up or welcome we settled the bill and headed to the B terminal. It was a long jaunt. I got in close to four miles just in the airport.

Near our gate we found some really comfy chairs that allowed us to recline.  I fell asleep  and Zandra worked. When I woke up I took a walk in search of ice tea. I struck out but I did learn that our gate had changed to the opposite end of the terminal. We moved to the new gate and less comfy chairs. Our plane left a full hour late due to thunderstorms in Germany. 

We arrived in Jordan at 3 am, an hour later than scheduled. We hustled to customs and we were met by Muhammad. He already had our Jordanian visas so we got through the passport check very quickly. Then we stood at the luggage carousel for a full hour. Zandra's bag finally arrived but mine never did. Muhammad said that they must have pulled it out because their TSA found something suspicious. He asked me if I brought a weapon. The offending article was a pair of binoculars. They took me into a side room with nine men speaking Arabic, confiscated my passport and took a photo of it. We stood there for quite some time with a man who had walkie talkies for his children in his bag and a student who had a dagger in his suitcase.  I had no idea what was happening.

All of a sudden they walked us to a different room where an official would decide our fate. Eventually they confiscated my binoculars. At that point I could care a less. I wanted a bed and a shower. But it was hard not to let this experience taint my feelings about this country. I brought binoculars because when I go to Mount Nebo I wanted to look out and see the Promised Land that Moses saw when God wouldn't allow him to enter. 

The day before I left my oldest son called. I told him I was nervous about this trip. He gave me a piece of advice: "Live dangerously." I wonder if he was thinking of binoculars.

We made it to the Marriott by 5:30 a.m. The hotel clerk was sure we would need a late check-out. We laughed and said we were leaving at 10 a.m. We are showered and ready to go get breakfast. Day two of our adventure begins.

Wounded Knee

I mainly use this blog to write about trips. Today I feel like writing about the saga of my full knee replacement...now that I am beginning to feel better.  I have been limping around on bad knees for about ten years. My right knee has always been more painful. The surgeon, who agreed it was time for a knee replacement, said they don’t decide what knee to do based on an X-ray but on the patient’s report of pain. Once I was approved for surgery I got put at the bottom of the waiting list. It took 3 1/2 months to get a date. On January 15 I was admitted to the hospital at 6:30 am. I was released at 5 pm.  I was not kept overnight. I was in the hospital for less than 12 hours. This is what my leg looked like after several days at home.

I began in-home PT January 16. It wasn’t too strenuous but it definitely hurt. My youngest son stayed with me the first week and my oldest son took the second week. They made sure that icing and elevating took place, as well as feeding me and getting me to appointments. At the end of week one I went in to have the bandage removed. It was stuck to the glue they used to close the incision. I started to pass out so the nurse laid me back and brought out the smelling salts. My son took pictures.

L

I started outpatient PT during week three. I felt like I was progressing well until week 6. I got permission to drive. My knee was bending to just over 90 degrees. I was off pain meds.  I thought I was going to ace this recovery.  At week 8 I returned to work part time and I stopped moving forward. I sent an email to my surgeon suggesting he might want to see me earlier than our 3 month post-op appointment but he said I should just stick with the PT. So I pushed so hard I got a shin splint on my right leg. At my 3 month appointment it became clear to the surgeon that I needed some intervention so I was scheduled for a manipulation under anesthesia (MUA) on April 30, 3 1/2 months after the total knee replacement. My eldest son came back to help me through the procedure, which went well. The doctor showed him the photo of my knee at a120 degree bend and told him I would need to work hard. What did he think I had been doing?

This time they kept me overnight and got me into a knee bending machine while I was still in the recovery room. For 21 days I was in this machine for 6 hours a day.

I also had PT everyday for the first week. Since they didn't cut me open this time we could keep moving from where we left off. At 2 weeks post MUA I woke up feeling like my swelling had gone down. I got to a 110 degree bend that day by myself without too much trauma. Today it has been three weeks since the MUA and the doctor approved me to return to work. I will stay on the bending machine 2 hours a day.