12/28/2013

We had an early start today. I woke to find many more aches than I fell asleep with. They must be inflammatory rather than mechanical injuries because they eased with movement. 

We had 23km bike through the desert. I found it much more fun today. There are bits where I got stuck but unlike yesterday, I was easily able to recover and find a new path. Next came the rolling down hills on paved road. I enjoyed them but the guides kept us together so I was really limited on how hard I could push. Our last 15km was on downhill on highway. The guide said go ahead so 3 of us pushed quite hard until we reached Aquaba. When we reached a place that we didn't know where to go we stopped. We waited about 10 minutes at which point the bus found us and took us back to the stoping point that we had blown past. 

We had a delicious hummus lunch at a restaurant in Aquaba. There were choices so I had tahini, egg, tomato sauce, and spinach dip.

The next 2 hours I spent in the Red Sea. When I had planned this trip I was excited about the Dead Sea but in reality the Red Sea is much nicer. I swam laps around the swimming area and saw fish, coral, and sea urchins. The water stung my wounds just a bit but it was definitely worth it. Following the swim I got a shower and an ice cream. This was the first time that I realised just how bad we all smell. Oops. 

Leaving the Red Sea resort we took a 4 hour bus ride back to Madaba on the desert highway. The views were nice for a bit but mostly it was just a relaxing ride of sleeping, cleaning out photos and watching a movie(Heaven's Kingdom, I think. I didn't pay much attention)

12/27/2013

Back to biking today. The trip was mostly off road and downhill for a change. We started with some fantastic descent and then started riding through the dessert. I made it about 30km into the day before taking a tumble. I came off of my bike hard. I only had a few scratches but I knocked the wind out of myself quite hard and I slammed my bike seat into my leg which gave me a huge corky(something footy players get, aka. huge bruise) so I malingered and rode in the support truck for a bit. We stopped for tea at a wise man's house. It was nice and the mid day rest break was appreciated. After that I continued to malinger in the truck for another 10km before lunch. At our lunch stop I got out and walked a bit and found that movement hurt less than sitting.

So after lunch I did about another 30km on the bike. I wasn't going fast and me and another injuries rider got lost several times. We used our highly developed tracking skills to find tire tracks and meet back up with the group. 

The last 15km of the day was on very soft sand. Unfortunately it required more strength than my leg was willing to put in so I jumped back into the support truck.

My ride in the support truck wasn't all bad. The driver and our guide Atif is very knowledgable and helpful. I was well entertained and informed on my ride. 

At the end of the day we were picked up by our Bedouin guides for the evening. We, along with our luggage, were transported in the back of two pickups across the desert until we reached the camp. The camp was a bit commercial but still exciting. We had dinner with some other travelers. They have coal stoves in the ground where they cook meat and vegetables in a stone chamber under the sand. After dinner we all sat around the campfire drinking tea till late( about 8:45) when we all headed to bed. 

12/26/2013

Today we had the day off cycling to spend it in Petra. We started with a fantastic continental breakfast and then went on a tour of Petra. Our tour guide is a world known Jordanian and archeologist. At around 11am he left us to explore on our own. There were Bedouins offering horse, donkey, and camel rides ever few feet. Being as we are on an adventure trip we all got out our maps and said, "right, now let's climb to the top of the mountain, have lunch, and climb up the next mountain." And then we did. It was absolutely spectacular but I think I may have been a bit to excited about the walking and not given enough to one of the 7 wonders of the world. Petra is not one of the original wonders but it is one of the new ones. Only about 20% of it has actually been uncovered. Petra was made of 2 parts those which were carved into the rock and those that were built as free standing structures. All of the free standing structures were destroyed in an earthquake and the city is slowly being recreated by archeologists. 

We got back to the hotel in time to shower before dinner. I think I was a little over excited for dinner. There were so many salads and vegetables that I over ate a bit and was up most of the night with a stomach ache. 

12/25/2013

We left our hotel early in the winds that were still howling. We started on a down hill which made all the difference. I was still feeling a bit sluggish until our morning snack which picked me right up. They have heaps of candybars and junk food. I'm sure that I'll end up weighing a ton by the end of this. We had more uphill and a bit of off road as well today. We finished the 90km into Petra just as the sun was setting on Christmas Eve. It was beautiful. Before dinner I had a Turkish bath which was and hour of steam and massage/exfoliating. I thought it was reasonably priced at 22JD but my travel mates thought it was a bit pricy. Afterward we had a Jordanian Christmas dinner. There was heaps of food and we ate in a cave. I skipped the wine completely tonight and opted for a coke. Then we sat around talking for the next few hours. I must say it is extremely strange to be personally wished Merry Christmas by someone who is Muslim. I really haven't wanted to go through the 'I don't celebrate Christmas' thing here so I just pointedly say, "Thank you, you too!" 

12/24/2013

Day 4 of biking through Jordan. Today we were scheduled to ride 85km in 9 hours. The weather decided not to corporate so we had a very windy ride. They kept us slow and in a pack for the first part of the day on the downhills. We pushed a bit more on the uphill and waited around half an hour to regroup. We went about 12km more before the wind really started to turn violent during lunch. I made it another 14 before giving up at the bottom of the next large uphill. 4 of our group kept going. When they made it 2km in 20minutes the guides called it and we all took the rest of the ride on the bus.  The guide book describes our hotel for the night as "basic but friendly" I would say that both of those items are an understatement it was very basic but the blankets were warm and the staff were amazing they fed us well and afterward played music and danced with us. Because it was Christmas Eve the tour company have us wine. I'm not sure if it was really cheap or I wasn't in the mood for it but I didn't drink much more than a few sips

12/23/2013

We woke up early and had a breakfast of pita, eggs, cucumber, peppers, pickles, cheese and tomato sauce. It was not what I'm used to but sufficient. We were on our bikes and riding just after 7am. We descended steep inclines to the Dead Sea. We rode along the shore for a bit before taking a swim, a mud bath and a shower. The water is saltier than I could possibly have imagined. I dipped my face in for 2 seconds and my eyes, lips and nose burned for about 10 minutes. The process in general-floating, slathering on mud, and washing it off-was great and really refreshing. I felt amazing for the next 22km as we rode along the shore. Then we started to climb. 25km of steep uphill. Very steep uphill. It took forever. Every time I was ready to quit I reached a checkpoint and we regrouped and kept going. It was a hard day of riding but it felt good. I am not the slowest. In fact I'm the fastest on the flats. On the uphills I am top 5 of 14 so I'm not too upset with myself. We reached karak castle as the sun was setting again. It seemed beautiful but I couldn't really hear the guide and all I wanted to do was put warm clothes on so I may have missed a few points. We regrouped again for dinner which was more rice with a bit of vegetables and chicken. I guess it's what the country has. I was really cold so I was snuggled up in my sleeping bag and fast asleep shortly after dinner. 

12/22/2013

I woke up and went to breakfast to find the rest of my tour had arrived over night. We had breakfast and got organised so that we were on the road by 10am. We rode to a mosaic museum and saw Jordan: biblical, historical, and modern. Before leaving we each contributed to the largest mosaic in the world. 

Next we went to mt. Nebo. It is the place where Mosses saw the promised land and died. It now more important to Christians than Jews after a visit by the pope for the millennium. On a clear day you can see past Jersulam, unfortunately it was not a clear day. 

We finished our 60km for the day just before sunset and hiked to the castle where John the Baptist was supposed to be beheaded. It was a beautiful red sunset. 

Tonight we stayed with a local family they fed us tea, coffee, meat, rice, vegetables, salad, and popcorn. They made men and women sleep on the floors in seperate rooms which the couples were not happy about. We had thin mattresses and super heavy blankets. Luckily I brought my sleeping bag so I was completely self contained and comfortable. 

Unfortunately the toilets left a bit to be desired. 

12/21/2013

The majority of my group doesn't get in until late tonight so I have the day to explore. I had considered going to the Dead Sea or Amman but decided instead to stay in Madaba. I started my day with the continental breakfast at the hotel. There was a funny selection of Western and Middle Eastern dishes. Boxed cereal, hummus, pancakes, chickpea curry.

After breakfast I went for a wander. I went to the mosaic map which is one of Madaba's main attractions. It is now housed in the Greek Orothodox church but is an ancient mosaic of biblical sites. If you stand at the bottom it is oriented as if you are standing in the Mediterranean and looking east. 

I wandered further and found street markets in every direction. I walked for a few hours just looking. Somehow on my way I lost my scarf from Tasmania. How sad. 

I took a bit of a break around 1:30 to go back to the hotel and see if I could find anyone from my group. No luck so I headed back out in search of lunch. I got a churro like item, a falafel and a Turkish coffee on my wanders. In case anyone was wondering falafel still makes me sick but not as bad as it used to. Now it's more of a 3 day stomach ache and less respiratory problems. (I tried it in the hospital in Tel Aviv, incase things turned bad) So not wanting to ruin my trip with digestive problems I actually ate my falafel without the actual falafel. 

In Israel I was paying for most everything on card. In Jordan it's all cash. A Jordanian Diner is actually worth about 1:15 USD but the prices are very low. So far(yesterday and today)I have spent $0.90JD on food.

I went back to the hotel and relaxed for a bit and the. Went out to dinner with the tour guide and the one other person from my tour who had arrived. It was lovely. Jordan is really excited about birthdays. I saw 2 today they had a song, a light show, a cake, and sparklers. 

The movies of the night were less exciting than yesterday so I skipped them and went to bed. 

12/20/2013

Bike ride starts today or rather it starts tomorrow I'm just leaving to meet them today. I went a day early because I'm nervous about crossing the border into Jordan and being able to make it in time. I don't actually think that it is open tomorrow anyway. So I got up at 6:30 and finished getting the last things together. I had said goodbye to Estella and was out the door by 8. 

If you are looking for detailed instructions on getting from tel aviv to Amman these are perfect instructions: http://ingulfed.com/2011/01/08/what-to-expect-when-youre-expecting-to-take-buses-from-amman-to-tel-aviv/

My experience was getting a bus from Estella's to the central bus station(20minutes,6.6NIS) 

taking a bus from Tel Aviv to Jersulam. It is pretty simple you just go up to the ticketing level and either ask or look for a bus to jersulam. Knowing Hebrew as helpful as most of the signs are Hebrew only. 

The bus left at 9am and took just under an hour(18NIS) From the central bus station taking the #1 light rail to the Damascus gate(10minutes,6.6NIS) I stopped for cash on the way. The entire trip to Jordan and back is around 300NIS. I took out 400 to be safe.

I arrived and asked/followed signs for sheruit(shared taxi) to Allenby bridge. I found 2 other women looking to do the same thing. The taxi drivers hurried us along as the border crossing was closing early for Shabbat(30mimutes,80NIS) It is normally less expensive but not on Friday. 

I got to the border and they took my bags. I paid the 178NIS exit fee and went to customs to find that I was at the only border crossing where I needed a Jordanian Visa beforehand. There were some phone calls and they warned me about continuing but I went through anyway. I got my luggage back and got on a bus. The driver asked for tips for carrying luggage. I have him 10NIS that has been my standard when I don't know what to do. It's enough but not too much. Generally in Israel you tip 10%. 

Anyway on the bus drove for a minute or two. An inspector came on and got our passports. I didn't have a visa so they made me get off the bus and go into a office. I appogised and they said that they would try to help. I got back on the bus and continued to Jordan customs. I got my luggage scanned again and they sat me in an office while trying to find me a visa. About 15minutes later everything was sorted. I paid 20JD and was on my way. I went to change money and someone offered to trade. I know the exchange rate and he only took 2 for the transaction so a better rate than the bank. 

I took a taxi to my hotel in Madaba. It was 30JD. I was a little worried because it really was just a guy in his car. The ride was about 45 minutes on crazy windy roads that went up and down cliffs. My driver didn't speak much English and I speak no Arabic so it was a quiet but beautiful ride. It has amazed me how similar Hebrew and Arabic sound but I suppose they would. 

I got to my hotel, settled in and took a walk to get food. I came back, took a nap and went to the lobby for some brief internet access. I talked with the hotel staff ad his friend who works at the University of Madaba. I was semi-social in the lobby until about 9:30 when I decided to go upstairs. I watched The Social Network and V for Vendetta on the movie channel. I would feel like I'm missing out on Jordan but the Arabic sub-titles made me feel cultured. 

I won't have much, if any, internet access again until December 29th. Take care until then I will post when I can. 

12/19/2013

Last day of placement! While everyone else has been annoyed and confused by me being in the hospital the past 3 weeks, Kobi(the PT that I met yesterday) was thrilled to show me the Israeli medical system and organised a second day at the hospital for me. I spent today on the internal medical ward, the trama ward, and the orthopedic ward. It was a wonderful last day. The last two days were worth the rest of the placement. 

I left at 2 and finally made it to דיזנגוף house, to see where Israel was declared a state in 1949. I bought a helmet. On my way which was relatively cheap and will work for my bike trip. The tour company rents bikes but not helmets, how weird. 

I stopped for my first Italian experience in Israel and got lunch at 3:45pm. Late lunch is good because it is still inexpensive and there are several solo people to talk to. The bar tender and the owner were friendly but I got the feeling that they were trying to steal my stuff so I didn't stick around too long.

When I got home Estella gave me more food which I didn't need but ate anyway. I was tired and took a bit of a nap. I was planning on sleeping all night but Estella threw me out and made me celebrate my last night in tel aviv. I met a girl from Hobart and several other people from all over the world. We went on a pub crawl that showed the dynamic tel aviv night life. I had fun but I think 1 night out at the clubs in Tel Aviv was plenty. There is way too much smoking in tel aviv and the clubs are the worst. 

12/18/2013

Today I was in the hospital. The actual hospital not the rehabilitation hospital. It was great. I was with a PT named Kobi who did a wonderful job of showing me around. Best day of placement so far. He is mainly located in the cardiac surgery ward which has elevators that look like a heart. You can see the arch of the aorta coming out of the top of the building. 

I tried to go to independence hall on my way home but ran into traffic and missed it by 3 minutes. Again! So I went to Carmel market. I gave them $3 and got enough delicious baklava to give me a stomach ache. I took the long walk home along the beach. It was lovely. I did the majority of my packing and looked again at my travel plans for Friday. I'm getting excited and nervous. Before I leave I still need a helmet, a sports bra, and possibly some pants.