Jenny Valley & Mount Nebo
A friend told me about Wadi Himara (Jenny Valley) and the beautiful waterfalls there. He told me it would be OK to go with my oldest son but that it would likely prove too difficult for my daughters.
I decided to go with all three children. After going west towards the Dead Sea, we headed south towards Ma'een and up the new highway that veers off to the left. (If you miss the bridge, you won't miss the Panorama, and it's just a short drive back.) We stopped at a parking spot on the way. A wonderful, bright-blue lizard ran about, stopping occasionally and pumping its head up and down. I called someone in Amman, but because I was now under Palestinian cell coverage, I had to call internationally, within Jordan.
We continued upwards, got out of the car and headed up the valley, following the water. Little frogs and tadpoles at various levels of development were everywhere. We heard what sounded like ducks and spotted an eagle soaring above. Less than a kilometre up the valley, we found a 2 metre waterfall, if that's what you want to call it. I let the children play in it while I tried taking a nap. After about 15-30 minutes, we all got restless and headed further up. At one point, I had to pull my youngest daughter up and over a mound of dirt, royally soiling her clothing from top to bottom. We continued walking up the valley until at one point I had to duck under a large palm that was mostly obscuring the path. Suddenly, a bird that probably weighed between 1-2 kg took off from the tree. My oldest daughter said it was a duck, but I didn't see it myself. Finally, we reached a point where the water dried up. (The water gradually seeped out of the ground lower down; there was no clear, gushing hole in the ground.) I asked the children if they wanted to continue up the valley or return and they unanimously decided to return.
On the way back, heading eastwards to Amman, signs pointed to Mount Nebo. I quickly headed south again. The road to Mount Nebo was climbing, winding, and spotted with flocks of sheep and goats, one of which I almost hit. When I finally got to Mount Nebo, I tried to cover up my youngest daughter's muddy attire with a shawl, but it was pointless: she was thoroughly muddied. I decided to wallow in whatever stares ensued. We did our wudu and prayed asr. Mount Nebo is a Christian operated site, and the unfriendliness was palpable. My son asked me why it was a Christian site and not a Jewish one, given that it is the supposed burial spot of Moses (peace be upon him). My reply was, "because they haven't taken over yet."
On the way back, we passed through Madaba, which is green and beautiful. If I ever buy land in Jordan, I just might consider Madaba.
Upon returning to Amman, I found out that I was supposed to have to gone down the valley, not up it. That's where the beautiful waterfalls are. Oh well, next time, insha' Allah.
I decided to go with all three children. After going west towards the Dead Sea, we headed south towards Ma'een and up the new highway that veers off to the left. (If you miss the bridge, you won't miss the Panorama, and it's just a short drive back.) We stopped at a parking spot on the way. A wonderful, bright-blue lizard ran about, stopping occasionally and pumping its head up and down. I called someone in Amman, but because I was now under Palestinian cell coverage, I had to call internationally, within Jordan.
We continued upwards, got out of the car and headed up the valley, following the water. Little frogs and tadpoles at various levels of development were everywhere. We heard what sounded like ducks and spotted an eagle soaring above. Less than a kilometre up the valley, we found a 2 metre waterfall, if that's what you want to call it. I let the children play in it while I tried taking a nap. After about 15-30 minutes, we all got restless and headed further up. At one point, I had to pull my youngest daughter up and over a mound of dirt, royally soiling her clothing from top to bottom. We continued walking up the valley until at one point I had to duck under a large palm that was mostly obscuring the path. Suddenly, a bird that probably weighed between 1-2 kg took off from the tree. My oldest daughter said it was a duck, but I didn't see it myself. Finally, we reached a point where the water dried up. (The water gradually seeped out of the ground lower down; there was no clear, gushing hole in the ground.) I asked the children if they wanted to continue up the valley or return and they unanimously decided to return.
On the way back, heading eastwards to Amman, signs pointed to Mount Nebo. I quickly headed south again. The road to Mount Nebo was climbing, winding, and spotted with flocks of sheep and goats, one of which I almost hit. When I finally got to Mount Nebo, I tried to cover up my youngest daughter's muddy attire with a shawl, but it was pointless: she was thoroughly muddied. I decided to wallow in whatever stares ensued. We did our wudu and prayed asr. Mount Nebo is a Christian operated site, and the unfriendliness was palpable. My son asked me why it was a Christian site and not a Jewish one, given that it is the supposed burial spot of Moses (peace be upon him). My reply was, "because they haven't taken over yet."
On the way back, we passed through Madaba, which is green and beautiful. If I ever buy land in Jordan, I just might consider Madaba.
Upon returning to Amman, I found out that I was supposed to have to gone down the valley, not up it. That's where the beautiful waterfalls are. Oh well, next time, insha' Allah.
posted by Flicken @ 12:27 PM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home