Karak to Petra

Karak was a city of surprises. It seemed exceeding clean and well-organized. I liked many of the smaller streets that allowed for one car at a time to pass. It regulated traffic well enough that people did not try to do all things possible to get in front of another car just for the sake of being in front of them.

I am pretty sure that drivers here do not use their rear-view mirrors. I don't think they want to acknowledge the angry faces of those whose lives they just endangered. If you don't look back, you can't feel badly about your actions.

Back to Karak, I wouldn't mind spending a few days there. It seems orderly, has a few nice historic sights to visit, and has a stunning landscape.

At we moved down towards the plains, I turned on the music to Messiah that we sang with Chorus North Shore in the Boston area. I love the part where the mountains would be laid low and the valleys lifted up providing a level, easy pathway for people to return from their exile. Messiah is a great piece of music to play when in this holy land.

We traveled along the Desert Highway and discussed that we could have been in Kansas or Oklahoma, minus the tornadoes. The Jesuits ought to buy a villa home in this region because it is peaceful and restful.

Once we got off the North-South highway, the evening mist picked up and we headed into the sunset. The yellow and soft peach rays highlighted the mist the made the valley seem mystical. All of a sudden, we were on that absolutely straight road that seemed to lead to Jerusalem. We marveled when we encountered a slight turn. The road was that straight. I expected to see ibexes and gazelle jumping across the valley.

We finally arrived in Petra, which was a welcome relief from the long hours of driving. The city is on a hill and we continued to descend to the village where the entrance of the ancient city was located. We settled into our rooms and headed out for a pizza. I ordered anchovy pizza and then wondered what I was doing as anchovy is a fish and we were nowhere near a place that would produce these tasty critters. I could only eat a few slices because it was quite heavy.

We went out for a walk and this happy-go-lucky bitch (female dog) that was nursing came and walked beside us. The expression on her face seemed so jolly and she walked with us as if she belonged to us. She seemed well-fed and docile. We gave her a slice of pizza and she stuck her nose up at it and asked for something else. After a while, she left us, but she appeared often as if she was wearing a grin.

Many, many dogs were around and all seemed content.

To see photos of our trip, click on the link below:

1. Pics of the Road to Karak