Get my usual early rise in to get that all important swim in the pool (minus of course the one hand that needs to be kept dry - spend the morning playing up periscope, almost). Join Cheryl and Dr Susan for a leisurely breakfast, before joining the group as we head to the Church of St George (home of the famous mosaic floor map) for their Sunday Morning service. Place is packed, so we're standing up the back. Manage to record a bit of the Greek Orthodox chanting of the priests with the congregation. I noted during the service that they keep the floor map mosaic service covered - understandably so - I'd wondered how they go about protecting it on Sunday mornings.
After the service we're given free time to go for a wander around Madaba, I opt to go it alone and check out some of the markets around the vicinity of the mosque close by. Buy a couple of head scarfs, get some perfume for my sister, and some all important dead sea mud and salt crystals for mum and my darling missus.
Should say a short word regarding the perfume. You'll generally find around Jordan small perfume stores presenting an array of groovy looking bottles, marked W and M, indicating the sex, filled with an array of different coloured liquids. The idea being that you select your cologne of choice, which they'll then take, add a bit to some water, and pour into a pump spray for you to mist yourself whenever the need arises for a bit of a freshen up. Of course I didn't quite know this at the time, so simply walked in and chose what I thought to be a groovy looking bottle filled with a pale blue liquid. What I hadn't appreciated of course was the fact that the solution is exceptionally thick, strong, and oily, and therefore does in fact require dilution.
The gentleman of course prepares to pour it into the water filled pump pack, but I try to explain to him that I wish to purchase the entire bottle. Seems perfectly reasonable to me, but naturally they find the concept of this completely retarded. To make matters more complicated, the bottles aren't secure, with only a glass stopper to seal them. Nevertheless, I manage to convince him that its the entire bottle I want, and then I have to explain that I want it sealed. He manages to find some sticky tape, and we do a bang up job sealing the thing.
As a side note I should mention that the bottle managed to make it safely home without spillage on the flight. Two weeks after I returned, we were flying up to Hamilton island for the family do that would be the celebration of my sisters birthday. I'd failed to seal the thing properly in my luggage, and when I took it out to check it, half its contents spilled onto my pants - really strong smelling oily cologne!! The stain is still there on my crotch!!
On my way back to meet up with the crew I was passing a run of shops, and was called into one store by a young guy that I assumed ran the shop. Sonny was his name, his store was filled with spices, foodstuffs, and various cooking nick knacks. He showed me around the store, and we got chatting. Turns out that he'd only recently arrived in Madaba, having escaped from Syria. He'd been a psychology student in Damascus, but had been forced to flee due to the uprisings. EXACTLY why he'd had to flee was never really established, but nevertheless he now found himself in Madaba working in this here store, working for his friend or relative or whomever had been good enough to give him the job. Sounded like he was just desperate for someone to talk to. Must be awful what he's had to endure. Sadly time was ticking, and I mentioned that I needed to go and rejoin my group. We exchanged the usual farewelling pleasantries, and he gave me a long lingering hug. Naturally to my western sensibilities it seemed a bit too long, but I put this down to him being simply a lonely guy who's had to endure a lot of crap and now finds himself in an alien town/country/culture.
After meeting up with the crew, it was back to the hotel to grab our gear and get on the bus. We'd be heading to the shrine at Mount Nebo, bit of a return trip for me, which was fine, since I'd felt my previous visit had been a bit rushed.
This mountain was the site where early Christians in the fourth century converted an existing structure into a church to commemorate Moses' final resting place, and would become a popular destination for pilgrimages made to the holy lands. This church would later be expanded into the present basillica, though sadly current renovations prevented us from entering it. As mentioned in a previous post, the site came under the custody of a Franciscan order in 1932, who supervised excavation and preservation of the site. It has been graced with two papal visits over the last 12 years, Pope John Paul II in March 2000 and Pope Benedict XVI in May 2009.
Managed to spend a bit more quality time at the museum there, got a shot of this chancel post which of course reminded me of our particular find at Area E.
Situated at the apex of the site, overlooking the valley below is the serpentine cross sculpture (the Brazen Serpent Monument) created by Italian artist Giovanni Fantoni. It is symbolic of the bronze serpent created by Moses in the wilderness (Numbers 21:4–9), and you'll probably recognize it as a significant symbol for the medical profession.
After finishing up at Mt Nebo (with me briefly sitting in on a mass conducted by a Philipino tourist group), we were back on the bus for the three hour trip home. On the bus we were accompanied by a man from Jordanian Tourism, and coming into Irbid we were informed that he insisted that we all have tea at his place. We were absolutely shagged and wasted, but who were we to refuse such hospitality? We arrive at his apartment, with him having raced ahead to get the place all spruced up, whist also arranging to borrow some chairs from the neighbours in the block, in order to accomodate us in his cosy living room.
Look at young Sam Vila lurking behind the door there!!
A group of girls from the apartment across the hall had looked out to see what all the commotion was about - one of them was none other than Noor, a girl whom Luke, Aaron, and myself had met at Yamouk University two weeks previously when we were trying to find the Yamouk Museum. She'd kindly approached us whilst we were looking very Western and lost, offering to take us to the museum and show us around. She was also studying to be an English teacher, so naturally was keen to converse and practice her English with us. She ended up hanging out with us for most of the day.
So Noor joins us for the little party at our new best friend's pad. She even helps make the tea - I never saw his kitchen, but I was told it was very "single male" (Noor's words, not mine). We hang for about an hour or so before we feel its time to go. We're all completely exhausted and desperate to get home. But not before posing for the obligatory group photo, of course!!
