Category: Asia

The Middle Eastern Experience – Jordan and Israel

By Veena Suman

Many of our friends were surprised at our choice of a destination as far as Jordan was concerned. The general impression amongst a lot of people was that it is not very well-off, and a conservative nation. We chose to go there as we were keen to visit a Middle East country that blended tradition with modernity, and I am glad to say that we were not disappointed.

Arrival at Queen Alia International Airport was a pleasant surprise. It is an efficient airport, very clean and user-friendly. We found the Jordanian people to be extremely warm and hospitable, who seem to take pride in the fact that their country is peaceful in these troubled times.

We had an exciting time visiting the Blue Mosque, which besides being very beautiful, required us womenfolk to wear Abayas…. a first and novel experience for us! The abayas are very thoughtfully provided by the shops outside the Mosque, free of charge.

Jerash, Petra and Wadi Rum are awesome experiences, and more than justified our decision to visit Jordan. Everywhere you go to in Jordan, you come across pictures of the present king and his very beautiful Queen Noor and their children, who seem to be very popular.

Floating in the Dead Sea is another great experience, though not as easy as it sounds. For one, the water is highly salty and tends to sting if one has even a minor scratch. It’s a good idea to carry a bottle of fresh tap water from the hotel to rinse out your eyes every time the salt gets in. It takes a couple of tries before you get the hang of lying on your back and relaxing, but once there, the feel is exhilarating!

Visiting the Dead Sea scrolls was a must for me personally, as I was told that Jordan is the only country that has the original and only copper scrolls. Israel is a unique experience, especially Jerusalem. It is a good idea to read up as much as possible about the city, in order to get as enriching an experience as possible.

The whole city comes to a standstill from Friday evening till Saturday evening,which can be a disappointment for most, but very interesting for me personally as I could see how the Sabbath is observed. The huge Rams horns used for announcing Sabbath, being sold in the shops on Via Dolorosa make an interesting sight. We bought some souvenirs for our Christian friends and had them blessed in the churches when we walked for the Stations of the Cross. Jerusalem is full of Indians who have come for a tour of the Holy Land. We saw very few Indian tourists in Jordan.

We were very lucky that our guide in Israel was a member of a Kibbutz, who gave us a lot of information on the functioning of a kibbutz. We were very lucky that we could see a number of bar-mitzvah ceremonies at the Wailing Wall. The Jewish people prefer to call it the Western Wall, and we were careful to call it by that name. My only disappointment was that being non-Muslims, we could not see the truly magnificent Al-Aqsa mosque but had to be content with a distant view. Early risers can however, go near the precinct after early morning prayers are over.

To end-Israel has delicious fruit, one must do full justice to it. The Medjool Dates are the best in the world. We brought back boxes as gifts for friends and family. Olives are another must buy.

And yes- for travelers to both countries it is advisable to carry a headscarf, for visits to holy places. A lot of walking is involved in both countries, so comfortable shoes are a must.

As far as food is concerned, I am not aware if there are any Indian restaurants. We dined in the hotels and were happy to sample the local cuisine!

To Book your Middle Eastern experience. Call The Wanderers  on +91 22 67023377

Climbing Gobi’s highest dune

By Alifiya Calcuttawala

Its 6.30 am on 20th, June 2013.  The alarm goes off but today is a relaxed day. I get up for my morning cuppa and sit outside my ger watching the sand dune at a distance. Thats where I am going shortly. After breakfast and a quick shower we huddle into the car, excited like school kids – on our way to visit the tallest sand dunes in the world. I am in the midst of the Gobi desert in Mongolia, the largest desert in Asia and the 5th largest in the world.

Eventually after a drive of about 40 minutes we were there. Standing at the base of the tallest sand dune in the world!

I check my gear:

water bottle – check
sunglasses – check
hat – check
shoes laces tightened – check

Ok all set – the weather is kind to us today – its overcast, else it would have been a very big challenge to climb up in the heat. It’s not hot and there’s no wind, which is good as its difficult to climb a dune with the sand blowing in your face.

As I start climbing, it dawns on me that its not as easy as it looks – with every two steps forward, I come down one step as the sand keeps sliding down. With my feet buried in the sand, going forward and up gets more and more challenging. The peak of the dune now looks quite elusive. Panting and out of breath I am soon at, what feels like, the half way mark. It has taken me 45 panting minutes to get here and WHAT A VIEW IT IS!! The landscape from the top is simply wow. Sand dunes rolling into the horizon interspersed with semi arid land on one side with patches of green on the other; a small pool of water (at least that’s what it looks like from here) and the blue mountains in the distance. People and cars look so tiny from up here. An incredibly awesome view. I decide to continue the climb but finally give up as its very difficult towards the end as the dune sucks my legs in up to my knees. I sigh! ‘Am almost there.

Coming down is, however, a fun experience – I feel so “free.” I kind of roll and slide down the dune, falling, laughing with the sand in my eyes, hair, mouth, clothes and shoes. By the time I return to the base, my feet feel 2 kg heavier. I take off my shoes and empty all the “gobi” sand out.

We drive out.

Next stop is the herders camp, where we stop to get onto the camels. These camel herders camp here in the summers and raise camels and horses. All of us alight on the camels and go off for a short “spin” – this too is a unique experience – getting freakier in parts as the camels snort and get too close to each other with one of them scratching his face on my legs .. eekss!!!! But every minute on the camel is worth it. It makes my experience of the Gobi complete.

I walk around the camp, taking pictures and trying to chat up with them through my guide and interpreter. Quite strangely, the herders in the middle of this stark wilderness terrain cannot resist the ease that technology brings. I see a washing machine with a generator next to it to power it! They need clean clothes too, I guess.

We return to the camp, take a hot shower followed by lunch – all of us are famished and tired.

Most of us retire to our ger for an afternoon nap. Lying on my bed, I look back at the morning with a sense of achievement.

I think of the days to come. There’s a lot of Mongolia left in the trip. I drift off to sleep with the wind howling around my ger.

(Alifiya Calcuttawala is the Regional Director of The Wanderers based in Kolkata. When she is not busy sending people to distant places on the planet, she is herself at some distant place on the planet. She wandered off to Mongolia this summer with a small band of travellers)

Check out our latest Photography Trip in Mongolia