Jordan: Good Looking Kingdom in Need of a Hydrologist

Immediately upon stepping foot on Jordanian soil after crossing the Red Sea by ferry from the Sinai Peninsula to Aqaba, it becomes apparent the difference between the two countries. The most obvious is wealth. Jordan does not have the geographical size, population or natural resources of Egypt, yet manages to have a strong currency and a middle class majority. The resort city of Aqaba and the capital city Amman are cleaner, well maintained and more modern than any Egyptian city. However, travel into the rural communities and a different story emerges.

Jordan is both a historical and newly minted nation which starts to explain the differences seen on the ground. The demography is comprised of a number of people groups which settled in the country at different points in time. The Bedouin have the longest connection with the lands and live a confusing existence between urban wealth and nomadic impoverishment by driving pimped out Toyota Hyluxes and living in tents. The other people groups emigrated from various countries in the general vicinity meaning that the skin tones are significantly more diverse; although luscious, long, blonde hair still attracts self-esteem boosters and photo queries.

The Kingdom of Jordan is very much a modern day monarchy, with photos of the ruling family gracing the walls of restaurants, hotels, government buildings and humble souvenir shops. The streets on the other hand are dominated by political posters vying for prominence and competing with road safety signs. These posters proudly display the portraits of a collection of colourful candidates making a stroll down the road a veritable game of Guess-Who. Some drivers also adorn their vehicles with these posters making their cars both unroadworthy and hard to clean when the elections wrap up. Interestingly, the range of characters presented reveal the diversity in the Jordanian political landscape even if the legislative system is only a faux-democracy.

The geography changes rapidly from one section of the country to the other. Amman sits 1400m above sea level, yet within an hour drive, one can reach the lowest place on Earth at the Dead Sea (-400m). The area around Wadi Rum is reminiscent of the red soil and rocky outcrops of Monument Valley, while Petra is a fascinating ancient city set in a Grand Canyon-esque landscape. In this country where Laurence of Arabia is a national hero, the rugged natural beauty is complimented by the pleasing sight of completed buildings. Pay attention Egypt!

Jordan has issues with water; in terms of both the lack of it and how to handle large quantities of it. In addition to having large swaths of desert, apparently the region has been in drought for some time meaning water restrictions are a way of life. However at the time of visiting, the country had been hit with 24 hours of continuous rain - nothing outrageous - yet the roads quickly turned to rivers, revealing one serious lack of drainage. Maybe this could also explain the reason why toilet paper is to be placed in a waste basket rather than part of the regular flushing regime.

Next stop: Israel.

Egypt: In Search of Toilet Paper

The Arab Spring has proven to be a mixed blessing for the average Egyptian on the street. While oppressive regimes require democratic overthrow, the lack of political stability and the intensive media scrutiny has significantly hurt the local economy that relies heavily on Western tourism. The 30 second clip on the 6pm news of angry demonstrators in Tahrir Square does not give an accurate picture of this beautiful, expansive country that is marked more by friendly locals than riotous mobs in tiny quarters of the capital.

The landscape is dramatic and the scale of the country belies the radical changes in the environment that can only be truly appreciated from the air. The Nile is the life source of the Egyptian economy and almost all of the population depend on this precious water as it cuts through the harsh desert towards the Mediterranean. In the Sinai, the rugged, red granite mountains on the right contrast strongly with the gorgeous aqua blue ocean on the left. Dust and dirt cover everything, which combined with the copious smog, make the cities and buildings appear straight out of a degraded '80s documentary.

In many cases, it would seem that the Egyptian economy went through a massive boom and bust, with a vast majority of buildings incomplete. Rubble, exposed iron reinforcement and giant excavations in the road point to stronger financial times or a highly speculative market. One theory is that buildings are never completed due to an excessive tax that is applied once finished. Another theory is that Egyptians construct buildings based on future possibilities with the capacity to easily expand at a moment's notice. However, neither theory explains the sheer number of buildings which should be labelled a construction site rather than a place of residence. Suffice to say that OH&S is not in the public consciousness.

It takes time adjusting to Egyptian life. Initially, the road appears to be a seething, heaving mess where an accident is one wayward glance at a blonde Western girl away. On closer inspection, the rules of the road are simple: fill the gap. Lanes and indicators are useless, whereas a savvy interpretation sees drivers jostling their cars into positions that increase the road efficiency
far beyond the initial design specs. Traffic lights are an infrequent roadside decoration, however the car horn is the most important safety feature on any vehicle: car, truck, minivan, taxi, donkey, horse drawn carriage, camels on the back of a ute, etc.

Crossing the street is akin to an Indiana Jones leap of faith. At first it is a confronting experience, but with necessity, the confidence of simply stepping out into the path of oncoming traffic becomes second nature, knowing that the average local probably has better dexterity behind the wheel with a blaring Arabic soundtrack than most formula one drivers on a wet track at Albert Park. It probably helps that most traffic rarely achieves more than 30 km/hr before yet another unnecessary blast of the horn is emitted.

Shopping is a variable experience. Variable, because prices are as flexible as a sheisha pipe, and depend more on the summation of the prospective buyer by the shopkeeper more than traditional supply-and-demand economic principles. There exists two basic pricing structures: Egyptian prices and Westerner prices. The only way to close the gap is to haggle. The art of the haggle is a time honoured tradition that means that a quick, duck-down-to-the-shops should not be expected. A somewhat reasonable price is 50% below the initial ask and this requires frequent expression of emotion, fake walk-aways, and visible resignation that the final shaking price was more goodwill than inherent product value. Of course, the exchange rate means that the last stages of the haggle invariably mean the difference in loose change than anything significant for the Australian, even if the numbers involved could conceivably be reasonable back home.

A somewhat surprising aspect to Egyptian life is the prevalence of 3G reception and the ubiquitous mobile phone in the hand of the locals. Whether sailing on the Nile, in the sandy desert, cutting sugarcane in the field, or riding a donkey carrying too much produce, every Egyptian carries an old school mobile with the stock standard Nokia ringtone. Very 2004, yet bafflingly more advanced in mobile tech than basic amenities.

Hygiene requires an adjustment to Western, Pine-o-clean standards. Toilet paper is a highly valuable resource and is not stocked in most bathrooms as the traditional way is more "water-based". Public restrooms are purely for the adventurous, and hand sanitizer is a requisite rather than a luxury. Bottled water is for drinking and long bus journeys mean sand/palm-tree stops when nature calls.

On face value, the average Egyptian is super friendly and overly complimentary to the run of the mill tourist; although white skin and blonde hair probably adds to the curiosity factor. Randoms will wave, say hello and welcome you to their country. In the highly competitive bazars, shop keepers prefect the art of the one-liner, with a clever mix of complements, rhymes and humorous attention grabbers. A sure cure for poor self esteem should be for a girl to stroll down a retail section of any Egyptian street.

On the religious front, Egypt is unmistakably Islamic, yet has a clearly secular influence that is evident culturally and commercially. The street-level fashion is indicative of this, with a fusion of traditional dress and Western clothing in a manner that is more akin to Footscray, rather than a radically different culture. Whereas the UAE is exclusively Muslim, Egypt has a small, yet obvious Coptic sector and the politics of the country reveal a desire for church-state separation, although recent events may override this. Of course, the calls to prayer broadcast through the loudspeakers at the top of the minstrels remind the visitor of the religious landscape; and deny sleep-ins.

Next stop: Jordan

Dubai: Halal Sausage-fest ;)

Dubai is a city that defies expectations. Built in a manner similar to SimCity on easy mode with soaring skyscrapers jostling for prominence alongside seven lane freeways. The Burj Khalifa pierces the cityscape as an active demonstration of the power, wealth and imagination that the UAE has at its disposal. Yet at the street level, less affluent suburbs house vibrant (albeit sanitised) communities that reveal a broader diversity to Dubai compared to the portrayal of epic shopping malls, opulent accommodation and contrived villages.

Queuing up in passport control, it quickly became apparent that the UAE has a distinct class system that views statehood as an important delineator of wealth, education, safety and health. Australians and other similar Western passengers barely raised an eyebrow of the Emiriati, while travellers from Asia and the subcontinent enjoyed the full treatment of interrogation, retinal scans and facial recognition.

In the city itself, the demography reveals much about the Emirate's history, culture and future. The indigenous Emiriati only constitute about 10-20% of the population, yet clearly have a stranglehold on the vast wealth and political clout in the country. In the last 10 years, the UAE has experienced very high waves of migration as it has imported significant quantities of workers from India and Asia to fulfil most service jobs. These workers consider themselves lucky to be in Dubai, yet are lowly paid (~ $200 pm), live 8 to a two bed apartment, and only see their wives and children in their native countries once every two years.

Most striking about the demography is the significant amount of men compared to women. Travelling on the impressive metro system, it can be difficult to notice a single female in the carriage - of course, this could be exacerbated by the ladies only carriage that is provided at the front of the autonomously driven train. On the street, particularly in the old Dubai region, the men congregate in groups of 3-4 and are seemingly quite affectionate, which is surprising considering the lack of tolerance for the extension of such activity in this highly religious country.

The UAE is unapologetically Islamic, yet does so in a modern and progressive manner that retains much of its Arabic heritage. Beautiful mosques scatter the landscape and the calls to prayer are played inside the expansive shopping centres. The working week is Sunday to Thursday, while Friday is the day of worship. Men and women walk around in traditional dress, however this was explained in terms of pragmatic fashion and cultural heritage rather than religion; which in practical terms reveals the true interplay between secular vision and religious belief, where the expectation of wearing a burqa is as equally expected as driving a Porsche.

Next stop: Cairo.

The Itinerary

It is simultaneously exciting and daunting standing of the precipice of a new travel adventure. Of the three major overseas trips we have conducted, this one seems to evoke the most raising of eyebrows and a mixture of bewilderment and envy from those we have told.

When we booked the trip 6 months ago, the situation in Egypt and Israel was relatively calm, however in the last few months as the Western media has taken interest in the region, most informed citizens can rattle off the name of the Egyptian President and the Israeli anti-missile defense system without realising that the conflict in the area continues even if it doesn't appear in the 6pm Melbourne news. That's not to downplay the situation or undervalue the recent political realities, but rather place them in context of what is "normal". Interestingly, the Smart Traveler website has not significantly changed the travel status of either country as the trouble is isolated to small sections of both countries. Therefore, am I worried? No.

For those interested in the itinerary, here is the overview of where we are going:

1. Dubai (Dec 21 - Dec 24)
2. Egypt (Dec 24 - Jan 3)
3. Jordan (Jan 3 - Jan 8)
4. Israel (Jan 8 - Jan 18)
5. Rome (Jan 18 - Jan 22)
6. Arrive back in Melbourne early on Jan 24.

For Egypt, Jordan and part of the Israel leg, we are going on a tour with Gecko's Adventures. More information: http://www.geckosadventures.com/middle-east-north-africa/egypt/pharaohs-crusaders-kings-2012

I'll be posting intermittently on this blog with updates on the adventure for those interested in following.

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By the way, I've been super impressed with an app called TripIt. Simply forward all the confirmation emails for flights, hotels, tours etc and it extracts out all the information and puts it into an itinerary for you! I can then access that itinerary from my phone, iPad, computer and see all sorts of associated travel information with it.

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