Last week was Eid al-Adha, or the Islamic holiday that celebrates the sacrifice of Abraham. A difference between Islam and Christianity that I find interesting is that, in Islam, it is believed that Ishmael was to be sacrificed, and in Christianity it was Isaac. Schools and many offices are closed for a week and people visit with family and friends throughout the holiday. It is customary to have a lamb sacrificed in celebration. I remember learning a while ago that it is common for families to send money to have them sacrificed on their behalf, instead of doing it themselves.
The first weekend I went with some friends to Petra and then spent two nights in Aqaba. To my mistake I came back and stayed in Amman the rest of the holiday. Many shops are closed during this time, and most restaurants don't open until much later in the day. While I didn't go out a ton during this Eid did not seem as exciting as during Ramadan or even the first Eid. The vacation was nice and relaxing, but I would rather be traveling and experiencing new things and worry about resting later...
Petra was amazing. We spent several hours there and I could have easily stayed even longer (if my feet and legs could take the walking). Petra was ranked the 8th wonder of the ancient world by archeologists. The ancient Nabataeans occupied the beautiful "rose city" and the area had been ideal for defending against attackers. Giving caravans safe passage for a toll and the strategic location helped the Nabataeans thrive. Water canals were built all along the walls in the canyon passages to help maintain the needed water supply; these were interesting to look at. We walked through the thin canyons and after a nice walk got to the infamous treasury. Afterwards we went to hike up to the Monestary, which I was told is abuot 800 stairs (and probably more, since it you don't only hike up stairs). After the Monestary there are several magnificent look out points which overlook the rest of the canyons and desert. It was a great work out and was well worth it. Unfortunately, as we were approaching the monestary we came across a group trying to recessitate a man, who I later found out, from an article in the Jordan Times, had a fatal heart attack. As many signs are posted, it is a semi-strenuous hike. However, you are able to take an "open air taxi" up (i.e. riding a donkey). We started our hike down at sunset, and ended up hiking through Petra in the dark (save for the beautiful moonlight) which made it even more amazing.
Aqaba was even more enjoyable than the first time. The hotel I stayed at was a cheap and barely "clean enough" hotel. It was in the middle of downtown though which was nice. I went on two scuba dives. The first was a sunken ship (the Cedar Pride) and the second was the "Rainbow Reef." The shipwreck was awesome, but the Rainbow Reef wasn't as exciting as the two dives I did back in October. However, since it was the Red Sea it was still VERY amazing and I saw countless gorgeous fish and other creatures as well as the colorful corals.
So I had this typed and took forever to finally upload pictures and post it. Oh well, late is better than never I suppose. Enjoy the pictures:
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