The perspective of your Kingdom with which to see the things of this earth.

Much of the day focused on history, and included a stop to see mosaics being made and pots painted in traditional patterns such as the tree of life and the black iris,  but a climb in the morning up to one of the desert fortresses of Herod Antipas at Machaerus – today’s remnants of water cisterns and littering of Roman pot and carved stone do not do justice to the Biblical event which happened here: the order to behead the imprisoned John the Baptist at the request of Salome.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Later on our journey south along the Kings Highway we saw the remains of a massive crusader castle .at Kerak.

How should I feel about a crusader castle described to me by a Muslim guide when on Christian pilgrimage? Just one of those insoluble dilemmas of the Middle East?

Hot sweet mint tea at a hotel along the way eased the 5 hour coach journey, as did the view of the great canyon of Jordan and the well informed commentary on history, archeology, geography, language, commerce, natural mineral resources and the inter-related theology of the Qu’ran and the Bible from our guide Zaid.

Dusk softly cloaked the cream boulders as we approached Taybet Zaman – our next hotel for two nights overlooking Petra.

An extraordinary hotel fashioned from a hillside village, each room a dwelling with sitting area, bed area, wardrobe and tea facilities and bathroom . Each area arched and faced with rock. Our room had a stone seat outside overhung with a well fruited vine. Reception and the restaurant buildings were reached by the main square, as was the shopping street.

Excitement continued as we were greeted in our “house” by a welcoming cockroach and later by a small and very frightened lizard. We clearly disrupted their lives considerably.