My Bonus for Visiting Jordan (J10/10)

 

This trip of my to Jordan not a birding trip, thus I have no proper watching gear with me. Not even a bino but just a compact camera. I am lucky enough to be able to still see and photograph some of them at the tourist attraction area.

Black Redstart  (Phoenicurus ochruros) near my entry spot to the Dead Sea.

Blackstart (Oenanthe melanura) not to be confused with Black Redstart. This was shot in Wadi Rum

Hooded wheatear (Oenanthe monacha) my first time seeing a wheatear.

Pale rockfinch or Pale rock sparrow (Carpospiza brachydactyla)

Tristram's starling (Onychognathus tristramii)

White-spectacled bulbul (Pycnonotus xanthopygos)

White-crowned wheatear aka White-crowned black wheatear (Oenanthe leucopyga) looks very similar to Hooded wheatear. Both are shot at Petra.

Short Visit to Dead Sea at Jordan (J9/10)

 

Hearing so much about how salty the Dead Sea are... sounds just not right. Aren't sea water at else where not salty?😂 

Located along the Jordan Rift Valley and bordering Israel (seen at the background of the photo). There are many resorts setting up along both sides of the sea. You may choose to access the beach by resort (need to pay) or find a public spot (free but no access to changing room or shower facilities). You may use public beach if you have your own vehicle to act as changing room and brough alone some fresh water to wash up.

Salt formation on the beach. The salt/minerals here are much higher compare to other sea that make this place so special and beneficial.

Since salt are heavier than water, that make us more buoyant and able to float on water easily.

No, don't expect a white sandy beach. Instead rock or salt formation is what you will see here.

Do you know that this is also the lowest point on earth? My mobile phone show me that I am -427.5m below sea level. Another sense of achievement for been to the lowest point on earth😊

Mosaic City Hotel of Madaba (J8/10)

 

On my way back to Amman, decided to pay Madaba a visit. A city better known as Mosaic City.

Saw this wind turbine while on my way north to Madaba . Over 90% of Jordan's energy are imported. This made having sustainable energy production locally even more crucial. 

Founded 4,500 years ago, Madaba flourished during the Byzantine era as a regional center of religious life.

Huge mosaic wall greeting visitors to Madaba, City of Mosaic.

Some mosaics as old as 1400 year-old. 

There are a number of churches and private museum to cater for different interests group. You choose what interests you the most and all are in short walking distance.

One of the many private museum in Madaba.

Inside the Church of the Beheading of John the Baptist.

Display of Tent of Ruth

Bell tower of the church.

Panoramic view on top of the bell tower of the church.

Underground structure that open to visitors. 

High Place of Sacrifice in Petra (J7/10)

I spent a whole day exploring Petra and it wasn't even enough to cover half of all that the Petra can offer. It was just too tiring climbing up and down all the slopes and rocks.

I am back for more the next day.

Another plant that grow from the crack.

Rock carving of Camel Caravan is  still visible.

Saw many of this Mitnan plant with small yellow flowers and was told that this is a toxic plant.

Another nature creations, what a beautiful wind carved cave.

After climbing nearly a thousand steep rock steps, finally reached High Place of Sacrifice. This place was once used for important religious ceremonies.

Apart from the pit, the view here is spectacular.

A shallow rectangular pool carved in the rock, perhaps to collect rainwater and to drain blood of the sacrifice.

Saw this rock bridge that very similar to the one at Wadi Rum but this is much smaller.

At the foot of the sacrifice pit, the only theatre in the world that carved into rock. 

Another closer look of the Treasury before making my way out.

Follow the footsteps of Indiana Jones to Petra (J6/10)

 After the satisfying trip to Wadi Rum, our next destination is about 120km away to Petra.

Petra became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985 as well as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in 2007.

Petra also known as the 'Lost City'. 

Believed to have been home to 30,000 people during the first centuries BC and was an important trading city. It became the subject of many attacks, but the mountainous region made it an impenetrable fortress. 

 It then sat uninhabited for over five centuries until rediscovered later in 1812.

The entrance to the city of Petra is by a narrow passage cut through the sandstone as a result of years of rain and wind.

You may not heard of Petra before, but if you are a fan of the movie Indiana Jones, you will not miss it. Appearing during the climax of the 1989 movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, this location - known as The Treasury makes for an impressive backdrop to the mystery and chaos of the film’s final moments. 

Monastery, another structure using rock-cut architecture that were as impressive as The Treasury.

The mark on the lower part of the structure show how deep it were once buried in sands.

Looking from different angle to have a sense of the height of the structure.

There are many stone cut room like this can be seen along the way.  This is another site that need a full day for better experience. There are still many point of interest that I didn't manage to cover and will have to come back again the next day.