Jordan’s Desert Castles (Toddler Style)

Ever since arriving in Jordan, I have been hearing people talk about exploring the "Desert Castles" loop.  When I checked it out, it looked fabulous, but far more than our family of littles (with potty breaks, diaper needs, snack demands and nap requirements) could handle in a day.  So we've been breaking it up and hitting them at a more toddler-friendly pace.

We've now visited three of the northern/eastern castles in simple little day trips that just last a few hours.  However, if you're not constricted with toddler-needs, then you can definitely do all in a day, but you won’t have the fun of countless roadside potty breaks in the Jordanian countryside.

Our first trip was out to Hallabat (Hallibat) Castle (coordinates: 32°05′34.4″N 36°19′40.8″E), located between Zarqa and Azraq, to the northeast of Amman.  The drive out was uneventful, passing through little villages and towns.  And then suddenly we were there; and it was just us and the guards.  So we did a diaper check, got everyone their fill of crackers, and gathered them up and made the little trek over to the "castle".  

In truth, none of the "Desert Castles" are actually castles.  Some were hunting lodges, some were caravanserai (think travelers lodge and market), some farmhouses; all dating from around the seventh century Umayyad era.  However, as they were being re-discovered in the nineteenth century, archeologists called them "castles" and the term has stuck.  But true castle or not, they're worth the effort for weekend explorations.

The history of Hallabat can be traced back to remains uncovered of a second century Roman fort, on top of which was built a country palace in the sixth century, complete with mosaic floors (some of which you can still see today), a chapel and even a monastery.  These were built using black basalt, in contrast to the white limestone used during continued renovations in the seventh century.  

The site has undergone significant restoration from a Spanish archeological team; and their cranes and vehicles can be seen from miles away.  Despite one guidebook’s claims that it's one of the "most elaborate [and]... most satisfying" castles to explore, I felt it was one of the smaller sites.  But it does have an amazing view of the landscape, and part of the mosaic floor dating from 700AD can easily be seen, plus it's a place for the kids to run around.  And since there's never anyone else visiting these sites, after your explorations, you can have a nice leisurely parking lot picnic with falafel sandwiches from Al Osrah (or your restaurant of choice).  And as a bonus, we saw a lovely lizard sunning himself on the basalt stones, which is always a delight for everyone.

The guidebook also mentions a bathhouse just down the road.  We ventured the 3km and found a structure in rubble surrounded by a fence.  Being that there was no sign, we can't be certain this was the Umayyad "Hammam As-Srah" but we didn't see anything else remotely close.

Next on our toddler-timed explorations, we headed out east on Highway 40, towards Azraq, and checked out Amra Castle (coordinates: 31°48'10"N 36°35'19"E) and Kharana Castle (coordinates: 31°43'36" 036°27'48).  

Definitely note, that these two are practically within eyesight of each other, so combining them seems logical.  And we'll just skip the part about how we failed to do that on our first trip.

Personally, I found these two to be far more interesting that Hallabat.  Note that neither is well marked, but once you see a large square stone building in the middle of nothing on the right, you'll know you've reached Kharana.  Amra will be on your left a little farther on.

Amra (Qusayr Amra), while small, is listed on the World Heritage Site List for its intact colorful frescos decorating the walls. It's just 15km past Kharana on the opposite side.  

Originally a hunting lodge and bathhouse from the early 700s, the evidence of which can be seen in the large reconstructed water wheel outside, the most amazing part is that the detailed frescos depicting naked women, cupids, animals, fruits and vines, survived despite an edict ordering the destruction of all human images only five years after its creation.  Definitely check out all the nooks and crannies here, my favorite was the guitar-playing bear.

Keep in mind, that from the highway, Castle Kharana looks like a large 3-story stone cube.  But if you turn in on the small road just past it, where the sign may or may not be visible, it will lead you to the visitors center.  A few things to note about these visitor centers, they're always staffed, most sites are free, sometimes there's an open museum worth seeing, and typically there are adequate bathroom facilities.

Maybe it's the toddler influence, but Kharana was fun for its layout of rooms leading to more rooms.  

Its second floor was worthy of exploration, too, with fleur-de-lis decorations still visible in the arches and arrow slits peeking out into the desert in all directions.  It’s believed to date back to the late seventh century, with some graffiti dating to November 710AD found in an upper room.  Its purpose was probably as a neutral meeting place for the Umayyad regime and local Bedouins, despite some appearances that it might have been an actual castle.

There are three more castles listed on the "loop", and according to the guidebook, Castle Mushatta is unfinished, and its most interesting find was the intricate carvings that were pried off and given to the Pergamon Museum in Berlin before World War I.  There are also Castles Tuba and Burqu, both of which need to be accessed with a 4x4 and a desert guide.  So, based on those tidbits, we may have completed enough of the Desert Castle loop to satisfy our curiosity.

Are any of these make-or-break sites in Jordan? No, but they're fun destinations outside of the city and a chance to soak up a little history and have a great parking lot picnic on a gorgeous weekend afternoon (with a smattering of scenic Jordanian countryside potty breaks).  What more could you ask for?

La Storia: Just Go

If you’re like me, and you hear “life-size” and “diorama” in the same sentence, your heart starts to flutter, your respiration increases and you just hope against hope that the “zany” will prevail.  Well, have no fear, La Storia Tourism Complex does not disappoint.

First off, I just have to say that we’ve lived here for over two years, and I’m surprised and a little annoyed that we hadn’t heard of La Storia before.  But no matter, we’re over that and subsequently packed up the kids, and trekked out in the direction of Mount Nebo.

Conveniently, La Storia is located just a mile from the Mount Nebo site (it will be on the right as you’re heading to Nebo).  If you still happen to miss it, the coordinates are 31°46'2"N, 35°44'32"E, and their contact information is www.lastoria-nebo.com, ph. 0777288886.

Their brochure states, “The museum offers an unforgettable experience of the religious, historical and cultural heritage of Jordan and the region and take a walk in the streets of a Jordanian village to discover the style of ancient houses and ancient crafts….”  I cannot agree more that it’s truly an unforgettable experience.

You start off walking past life-size dioramas depicting the stories of Noah, Mary and Joseph and the wise men, John the Baptist (getting tortured in jail), the parting of the Red Sea, and even the Last Supper.

This is followed by a really nice display of old photographs and old clothing and some intricate scale models of the Kaaba and the Dome of the Rock.

From here, you enter the animated portion; think "It's a Small World" but life-size and all in Bedouin garb (and without the catchy tune).  You begin the tour through the “village” life with a festive tent full of musicians and happy people grinding grain and churning butter.

From there you move on into the "village" past a variety of scenes, including a khodarji (vegetable seller), a bread seller, a cobbler, a cafe, a school, and even a masseuse.  The expressions on the villagers range from sleepy to bemused to mildly unnerving.

As you walk around, be sure to look all over.  There are villagers staring down at you from balconies, there's a one-legged woman cooking over a fire, and there's even a weaver who looks strangely like Rasputin. 

There's also someone peeking out at you from under a manhole cover.  When we asked about the peeking person our self-appointed guide said, "Oh, that's just to be funny."   Hmmm.

When you've had your fill of "village life", you can exit and walk across the way to a large building where you first see artists working painstakingly on intricate mosaics and then you walk into a very large shop that sells everything from mosaic tables and mirrors, to inlay furniture, clothing, jewelry, toiletries, ceramics, toys, etc.  They also have a cafe, but there wasn't much on offer when we were there.

So, whether you tack it on to your next trip to Mount Nebo, or you make a specific trip just for it, checking out La StoriaTourism Complex is simply too odd, zany, kitschy, and wonderfully weird to miss (in my opinion); and that’s not just because of the person under the manhole cover.

Warning: Sexy Content Ahead

This past Valentine's Day marked our 11th since my husband and I have been together.  While we don't typically go all out, we have done the flowers, chocolates, and dinner thing with fair regularity.  Even after our first child arrived, we still marked the day with some accepted form of acknowledgement.  However, I think things started to go south last year, when my husband, who can't tell a lie to save his life (or marriage), admitted to me that the chocolates he gave me were actually from a friend in the office who bought extra boxes for his wife and daughters.  And since my husband forgot entirely, his friend took pity on him and gave him a box.

So, fearing my husband's friend was going to have to bail him out again this year, I jumped in a few days before the big day and said, "No chocolates or flowers this year, okay?  Let's just go out to dinner or see a movie."  No surprise, my husband agreed.

We were all ready to get a babysitter and grab a movie, but unfortunately we couldn't find anything we were remotely interested in seeing.  So, we planned for just a nice dinner.  But after thinking about it, I said, "You have the day off because of President's Day, so let's go out to lunch instead."  And then I added, "And what I really want to do... is have lunch, and then take an hour to do whatever we want."  My husband's eyebrows did a crazy move, so I quickly added, "... like I can write without kids screaming all around me and you can read the news."  You might think my husband would have been disappointed, but he practically whooped with excitement. Yup, we're a wild bunch.

The big day arrived and my first Valentine's Day gift was my husband offering to take Bean to nursery school so I could take a shower.  But before that, he said, "Can you help me remove the babies' car seats, so I can get the car vacuumed after I drop Bean off?"  (Ooooh, vacuuming the car!  Two gifts and it's barely 8:45!)  Despite my glee at the prospect of getting the car de-crackered, I gave him the face that said, "I'm in a t-shirt, Tigger pajama pants, and pink crocs... And you want me to go outside?!?"  Knowing that face well, his response was, "You look awesome, you smell awesome."  Yeah, romance abounds.  So I threw on a sweatshirt, grabbed my sunglasses and helped him unload the car.

With a nice big pile or car seats, double stroller and misc bits on our front lawn, hubby and Bean headed off to school while I headed for the shower.  Following my lather-rinse-repeat routine, I emerged to find a text from my husband, "They're charging me 4JD for vacuuming.  You must get the 'look awesome, smell awesome' 2JD price."  Awww, a love note, too?  Such a sweetie.

While I was waiting for him to return from being gouged at the gas station, the nanny and I took the babies out for their daily "walkies" around the block.  Just as we were returning to the garden, hubby arrived.  While the babies played in the garden, we re-installed all the car seats and piled all the crap back in the trunk.

Now it was finally time for our date!  To add to the excitement, we opted to walk the mile to the restaurant since it was such a gorgeous day.  So we packed up our iPads, Kindles, phones, reading glasses, and whatever else you need for a sexy Valentine's Day date, and headed out.

At the restaurant, hubby asked, "Are we eating first, or playing first?"  I suggested we eat first.  After finishing our meal, and once there was a lull in the conversation, my husband said haltingly, "So, when does the gadget part of the date begin?"  To which, I replied, "As soon as we can get them to clean the table."  Amazing how the lure of electronic do-dads can make him find a helpful waiter.

Table cleaned, bill paid, iPad out and ready for kid-free writing time, and husband already muttering Spanish verbs to himself as he read "Master Spanish Through Reading" on his Kindle.  At the end of our Valentine's-Day-gadget hour, we packed up our gear and walked home in the sunshine, making sure to take the long way.

Yeah, maybe it falls slightly short of being a bodice-ripper tale, but it was one of the best Valentine's Days we've ever had.  And besides, I look awesome and smell awesome, and I get a discount on car vacuuming, what else could a girl want?

Oh, Crumz!

Folks have been asking, "How did you get Crumz?" (and not just crazy cat people).  So, here's the tale. Almost two weeks ago, Bean was invited to her first Jordanian playdate. The first issue arose when determining the time. The little girl's mother suggested "four or five o'clock." Considering our kids eat dinner at 5:30, I opted for 4:00. (Kids in the Middle East have a muuuuuch more lenient and later life than most Western kids I know.) As is typical, I got horribly lost getting there. Receiving directions in Amman is akin to, "Go down the street and turn left at the circle, then right, and there's the building." Leaving out all the messy details, like which circle, which left, and which building. But after a quick apologetic phone call I was able to get back on track and heading in the right direction.

A few blocks away from our destination, I spotted a teeny tiny kitten running down the middle of the road. This is not unusual; Jordan is overrun by stray cats. Typically when I see them in the road I slow down and honk a lot, trying to scare them back onto the sidewalk or somewhere that isn't road. But this little one didn't respond. She kept running. So I stopped the car and got out, ready to shoo her to the side so other cars wouldn't hurt her. She kept running. In fact, she ran right into my hands. It was then I saw she was completely blind with all the gunk crusted over her eyes. So without a thought (obviously) I climbed back in the car and settled her in my lap.

The next issue arose when I arrived at the playdate. What do I do with her? So, I put her in a recyclable shopping back (yay, Whole Foods!) and carried her in. I first apologized for being late. Then I apologized for bringing nothing but a dirty crusty kitten. The mom was very kind and let me wash the kitten's eyes off in the bathroom while the girls raced off to play.

I then spent the whole 90 minutes chatting with this very nice mom while holding a purring filthy kitten in my hands. And to think that a few hours prior, I was worrying about what to wear. This is not a thought that bothers me for most American play dates; the "casual mom look" is typically fine. But I've seen these moms at nursery school and most are made up to the nines. I'm more in the two to three range. So I gave it a little extra thought before this play date. In hindsight, it was irrelevant. I could have shown up in a muddy potato sack, and it would have immediately been negated by the social faux pas of the crusty kitten accessory.

When it was time to leave, I asked the mom if she happened to have any empty boxes around. It would be far easier driving home in Amman traffic (at night) if I had the kitten securely contained. She didn't. But then she said, "I do have the bakery box from Crumz." So we taped this tiny kitten into the bakery box and I carried her out to the car like she was a strawberry tart.

After insane traffic (never drive at night on a Thursday in Amman, noted), we made it home without incident and with kitten contained. Now what to do with her? We had the vet come to the house the next morning; definitely a great benefit here. She estimated she was about three or four weeks old, but other than the crusty eyes due to an upper respiratory infection, she was perfectly healthy.

Over these last two weeks, she has proven to be the world's best kitten. She plays wildly, she sleeps deeply, she cuddles, she purrs, she uses the litter box perfectly, and she lets the children get far too close. The babies delight in playing "Where's the kitten?", Rocket routinely sings to her, and they both call her "Ball" (just like Koko the gorilla, not sure of the significance there). Bean calls her "the baby kitten" and always wants to pet her (with one finger). Chuckles does his best to ignore her, except when she pounces his tail and he admonishes her with a loud hiss. She perches on my shoulder when I'm at the computer and loves to play on Daddy's laptop when she can. And the final acceptance occurred the other night when she and Louie actually played (a little).

Despite all this feline perfection, when people ask, "Are you going to keep her?" we are noncommittal. Saying out loud, "We have three toddlers and three cats," makes us sound like a new reality show and I'm just not ready for my close-up.

But she is, and she's absolutely perfect.  Oh, Crumz!

Hot Springs Are Calling!

Looking for a weekend getaway, but want to try something different than the Dead Sea? While there are lots of options (desert camping, eco-lodges, etc.), there’s also the relaxing destination of the Ma’in Hot Springs. They are located just about 30 minutes south of the Dead Sea hotel strip; the GPS coordinates for the hotel are 31°36'30.3804", 035°36'27.6876", and trust me, you may need them. In theory, it’s an easy drive; just head towards the Dead Sea, pass all the hotels and resorts, follow the signs to the Panorama, drive up and around and around and around and then turn right at the Ma’in Hot Springs/Spa sign, after the Panorama Complex pull-off, then follow the windy road and at an obscure fork (GPS 31°36'43.9020", 035°36'55.3356"), stay to the right and go through the gates hidden behind the trees. Our issue was a few missing signs and a confused GPS that lead to an extra hour of exploration. But all was good in the end.

As of October 2015, the hotel was in the throes of a name and ownership change (hence some missing signage). Formerly they were the Evason Ma’in Hot Springs, under which you can still find them online and even book them, too. But their new name will be Ma’in Hot Springs (or so we were told). So when driving, keep an eye out for either sign, but basically follow anything that references Ma’in.

After you pass through the gates, keep driving towards the hotel. There are also public hot springs here, so if you’re heading to the hotel, just pass the parking and entrances to the public springs, and keep going towards the hotel; the road will dead-end so you’ll know you’ve arrived.

The hotel itself is nice. The rooms were spacious and comfortable; the service and food was good. Just note that the hotel is not geared towards entertaining children; pictures online depicting a spacious fun-looking toddler playroom and playground are inaccurate, they do not exist (must have been under previous management). But if your kids are interested in the warm pool (many kids were), or hiking trails (some long, some short), bike riding, or even the “library” with big chairs, checker boards and an odd assortment of books, they’ll be fine.

But what you’ve come for is the hot springs, right? There are a few options here. The hotel has two pools, a hot one and a cold one. The cold one shuts down for the winter, so we didn’t get to try it, but the hot one was wonderful! The hotel doesn’t offer direct access to the natural hot spring waterfall, but their hot pool is fed directly from it. Plus, you have a lovely view of the waterfall as you laze about in the pool and from the dining area. And if you’re curious, check out the “cave” under the pool’s man-made waterfall for a natural sauna experience.

There’s also a spa just down the road from the main hotel, and there (for a nominal fee) you can have direct access to a hot spring, as well as many other higher priced spa offerings.

And lastly, there are the public hot springs. We were told by the hotel staff that the public ones were only open from 9am-9pm for the public, but as a hotel guest, we could use them anytime. So early the next morning, we grabbed towels from the pool and took a 10-minute walk back up the road. Access is free to everyone, and when we arrived, we were not surprised to find that we were not alone and the “hotel-only” hours were merely a suggestion.

It took a little coaxing, but we were able to ease our way into the different pools created by the waterfall. All were hot to some degree, but as you got used to it, it was quite lovely. The one suggestion I’d make is, if you’re interested in the public springs, bring water shoes. The ground is a bit rocky and slimy and water shoes would have made it slightly more pleasant. In general, just be careful because of the natural algae growing on the rocks, it can be slippery everywhere.

There are actually two different areas for the public springs. If you’re driving in, the family springs (for everyone) are to the right; the women-only springs are to the left. And on the weekends, they become very popular with families and groups picnicking and splashing about all over.   This is obviously a much cheaper option if you didn’t want to stay overnight at the hotel. However, in addition to the water shoes suggestion, I will just add that the public bathrooms available here are akin to a cavernous American gas station bathroom that you’d only use in dire situations. So, use at your own risk.

But public or private, the Ma’in Hot Springs were a relaxing getaway and one that we are eager to revisit (especially now that we know where to turn). Enjoy!