The Israel part of this trip was cancelled before we left home (just) for obvious reasons. Notwithstanding we’ve almost been there twice so far. The first time was when visiting the place where Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist, just north of the Dead Sea. Nearby where actual baptisms were taking place the Israeli flag was about 20m away just across a rather pathetic section of the Jordan River.
The Dead Sea is dropping a metre a year because too much unregulated water is being taken from the River Jordan, I guess for irrigation, and the Jordan is suffering accordingly. Give our Murray Darling Authority and the South Australian Government (or even the EU) a go at this problem and there would be waterskiing on the Dead Sea and cruises on the Jordan before you know it. And the farmers would be broke and the people would be starving…but not thirsty.
The other time we got close to Israel was in Aqaba where two borders converge – Egypt and Israel and Israel and Jordan. So while the CB and I enjoyed not one but two buckets of ice-cold beer at the bar on our hotel’s private beach (how decadent) we could see three countries. Where else can you do that? A number of places I guess but not necessarily from such a salubrious vantage point.
Apart from those two times, we could also see Israel across the Dead Sea. The glow from the lights of Jerusalem were directly across from us with Jericho just to the north and Hebron to the south. Now without wanting to provoke an argument that could descend into violence, those places, mostly, are in the West Bank. Part of Jerusalem is in Israel but lights don’t discriminate.
Now’s as good a time as any to remark again on the quality of the beer. It is very good apart from the craft beer we had at a reception in Amman. That one tasted like many craft beers the world over – like mouthwash. Someone should tell these amateurs. It shouldn’t be surprising that the locals (generally) know how to make beer in this part of the world. I expect they have had even more practice than the Germans.
We were let out guideless last night in Aqaba because it’s friendly and safe. A teenage girl sitting drinking coffee said “hello and welcome to Aqaba” to the CB and I as we walked past so I guess that proves it. We found our way to an Indian restaurant as we are quite fond of the occasional curry. Their hot and sour soup made my teeth sweat. Unfortunately they didn’t serve beer which seems common practice (malpractice actually) in the restaurants in this country. Shame really because everyone knows that Indian food and beer go together like women and shoes.
Aqaba’s changed a bit and grown a bit since T.E. Lawrence and his sweaty band of brigands rode in, guns blazing and scimitars flashing over a hundred years ago when Ottomans were more than just something to rest your feet on. I’ve never been to Aqaba before but am basing these assumptions on the fact that unlike most other places in this part of the world the dominant architecture is Boomer modern although the ubiquitous archaeological dig was happening near our hotel.