...The Dead Sea Highway, Resorts, and Religion...

One of the many ventifacts along the Dead See Highway. They are everywhere. Just take a look below at the short video clip...

After a relaxing breakfast, we headed for the Dead Sea via the Wadi Araba. This route follows the “Dead Sea Highway”, which stretches from Aqaba in the south to almost the northern tip of Jordan. It also nearly-parallels the Jordanian-Israeli border. Heading out from Aqaba, the highway is pretty desolate for the first 150km or so. But, as a Geographer, there’s still much to see! Guard towers follow the route, Bedouin herders wander alongside the road with their animals, and the dark-colored desert pavement gives way here and there to deflation hollows and the occasional small erg (dune field). All the while, large alluvial fans and mountains of Jordan tower on your right side and the plains and hills of Israel & Palestine sit to your left. We spent some time looking for Jebel Haroun (Aaron’s tomb—of Old Testament fame) and scoured the desert pavement for ventifacts. They are everywhere. 

Technically/tectonically-speaking, this region is part of Africa’s Great Rift Valley. And a graben, similar to Death Valley, California. Large alluvial fans, triangular facets—it’s all there...Just look at the amazing landscape in this short clip illustrating desert pavement and ventifacts:

A herd of camels. YES, camels. Just grazing along the DSH. My mother-in-law noted that camel herders here probably think we are silly to take pictures...just like in the Rocky Mountains, tourists always take pictures of deer. Makes sense.

Around the border of the Tafilah Governate (instead of states, parishes, or provinces, Jordan has governates), the barren desert pavement landscape gives way to a more verdant setting. There’s the occasional camel herd, just grazing on the desert greenery, irrigated agriculture begins, and small refugee camps become a common sight. By the time you reach the town of Safi, it’s clear agriculture is in full swing: eggplants, cabbage, and so many tomatoes. I have never seen this many tomatoes in one place. They are everywhere…and tasty. The kind you can eat off the vine like I used to do at my Grandma’s house when I was eight years old. Mmmm...

The Dead Sea. It is really that blue! For extra credit, which way is the longshore drift? The plateau in the background is Israel/Palestine.

From the Jordanian side, accessing the Dead Sea is precarious unless you gain access through one of the resorts, and then it’s a little less so. Resorts charge anywhere from $20-$150 for access to the beach (and usually use of their pools and showers too), so finding a resort can be a good choice, mainly for one reason: what little public access there is has no freshwater and, if you’ve been in the Dead Sea, you know that once you get out of the Sea, you have an oily coating on everything (including skin) that is difficult to remove without freshwater. Visiting in the winter is also not a bad strategy since prices are more affordable, and you don’t have to fight the crowds. Plus, as an added bonus, the Dead Sea doesn’t get too cold, as the salinity helps regulate temperature. It was nice floating in the Dead Sea again, and this time, on the Jordanian side (I floated in the Dead Sea from the Israeli side back in the 1990s).

Being from Utah, I have floated in the Great Salt Lake numerous times. And it’s always fun. But the Dead Sea is saltier and so you float almost completely on the water. I also remember going swimming at night in the Great Salt Lake in November back in my undergrad years, and it was warmer in the water than out of it. And that’s how it was at the Dead Sea in February. It’s quite the experience to try and readjust to the extreme buoyancy. Kind of like getting used to zero gravity...your inner ear has to readjust. Crazy!

Splurging on a resort is wonderful, and something that you should experience if you ever have the chance. Don’t resist it. Like the Lonely Planet guidebook says, in the end, you spend the money to have a Dead Sea spa experience and wonder why you didn’t just indulge yourself sooner. It’s worth the cost at least once. Maybe twice.

The following day we headed to Bethany Beyond the Jordan—the most-accepted place of Jesus’ baptism. Don’t be fooled by imitators: while the Jordan river is divided between Jordan and Israel down its thalweg (Google that term), the Baptism site is wholly-situated in Jordan. After a brief tour (totally worth the 12 JD/pp, by the way), you end up at the River Jordan. Since New Testament times, the river has changed course often, as meandering streams do, and its current position has allowed for a nicely-separated present-day baptism area. By “separated”, I mean divided between Jordan and Israel. Literally. On one side there are Jordanian Military standing guard, and on the other side, Israeli Military standing guard—as if they expect someone to cross over the River Jordan to the other side. I suppose that would be considered an illegal border crossing, but it seems so weird in a place so holy and so significance for so much of the World’s population. Historically, this area has always been separated politically, historically, and geologically—literally being ripped apart by the three. Sadly, it’s still that way today. Yet, for me, there was a solemnness about the place. And it was a stirring reminder that people come in all different flavors: Arab Christian, Arab Jew, Arab Muslim, Arab Buddhist, just Arab...American Christian, American Jew, American Muslim, American Buddhist, just American...Italian Christian, Italian Jew, Italian Muslim, Italian Buddhist, just Italian...in the end, we’re all just people, wanting the same basic needs.

View from Mt. Nebo visitor's center, overlooking Moses' Land of Canaan.

With a little time left in our day, we headed to Mt. Nebo, the place Moses (of Old Testament fame) is said to have seen the Promised Land and died. Always windy, the location affords quite an amazing view of the Dead Sea, surrounding countryside, and even northern Amman. The site was bought by the Franciscans, and they have been responsible for its excavation and upkeep. They’ve done a great job with it. While the church itself is usually closed, there is a fine outdoor exhibit and small but informative indoor museum. Plus, we know a girl who was actually baptized there. A VERY rare honor that dates back centuries, but that doesn’t happen often nowadays.