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Jordan Free Wheeling 約旦自駕遊 -
26 May to 13 Jun 2011
一行六人，到約旦觀光旅遊，租了一輛八座私家車，配置了衛星導航，用了十天時間，行車里程差不多共六百公里，走遍境內南北大小景點，巨細無遺，一概盡覽，六人的食住行連景點入場費共花了三千一百五十美元（不含機票）。

Jordan

約旦的建國可以追溯到遠古的納巴特王國，由納巴泰人（Nabataeans）建立。約旦國土大部分地區是高原，海拔650－1000米。西部有約旦河谷，東和東南部是沙漠，被亞巴琳山脈貫穿。旅遊約旦，最為人熟悉的景點是佩拉特（Petra）古城，其實境內的景點非常豐富，歷史遺跡深厚，亦由于地處阿拉伯地區的中心，從陸路往鄰近的國家如以色列、埃及和阿拉伯等很方便經濟。約旦政府一向鼓吹旅遊，故自由度很高，但生活消費絕不便宜。一般接觸的約旦人很友善，雖然英語算不上普及，但很樂於助人，簡單的旅遊查詢，可以溝通達題。

出發前在 Google Map 上鎖定南北多個景點，計劃在十天內遍遊，來一個迷城 Lost City 縱橫行。

Short Video of the Food and Delights during our trip. (HD1080p 6min40sec 24fps 2Kbps 102MB)

View Jordan - where to go in a larger map

約旦食物的烹調方式以燒烤為主，普遍是雞、羊、牛，海產稀少，只能在沿海的 Aqaba 找到。主糧是烤餅及中東飽，米飯是餐單上的一種菜式，菜蔬以蕃茄、青瓜沙律為主，汁料用新鮮檸檬伴碟，偶爾有些生菜提供，不常有。紅茶是日常飲品，配薄荷葉和糖。酒類飲料只能在私人地方飲用，有特賣店提供，屬重稅項目，土產啤酒最平要 JD2-3 多（JD 與 € 匯率差不多）。
大城市和旅遊點可以找到西式的餐館，多數供應漢堡飽、薄餅和義大利麵條。
Amman

Amman, the capital of Jordan, is a fascinating city of contrasts - a unique blend of old and new, ideally situated on a hilly area between the desert and the fertile Jordan Valley.
約旦的首都它有建於西元二世紀的古羅馬露天歌劇場Acient Roman Theatere 市區周邊景點有古城堡 Hashmite廣場 .傳統服飾戰器手飾博物館可以參觀

Scenic Spots:
◆ Roman Amphitheatre 古羅馬露天歌劇場
◆ The Amman Citadel 露天古城遺址
Roman Amphitheatre

Downhill from the Citadel and five minutes walk east from downtown, the Roman Theater is the most obvious and impressive relic of ancient Philadelphia. The theater, which was built during the reign of Antonius Pius (138-161 CE), is cut into the northern side of a hill that once served as a necropolis—or graveyard. It is very similar in design to the amphitheater at Jerash, and can accommodate 6000 spectators. The theater is still used periodically for sporting and cultural events.

The Panorama Views Of Roman Amphitheatre. (use mouse wheel or shift/ctrl keys to zoom-in/out)
The Amman Citadel

The Amman Citadel National Historic Site, referrd to locally as Jabal al Qala'a, is one of Amman's oldest known places, perched on top of one of the city's high hills. This summit has been used as a settlement and a fortress for millennia, dating back 7000 years according to some estimates, to the time of the rise of civilization in Mesopotamia amd the Nile Valley.

Scenic Spots:
◆ The Temple of Hercules,
◆ The Umayyad Mosque

Short Video of the Amman Citadel. (HD1080P 1min23sec 24fps 3Kbps 32.9MB)

露天古城遺址企立在古羅馬露天歌劇場對面的山坡上，可以步行前往。古城只剩下幾根羅馬石柱和一個修復的回教寺，到處是頹垣敗瓦，只能靠購票時贈送的小冊子介紹，推敲7000年前城鎮的本貌。
Madaba

Best known for its spectacular Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics, Madaba is home to the famous 6th century Mosaic Map of Jerusalem and the Holy Land. With two million pieces of vividly coloured local stone, it depicts hills and valleys, villages and towns as far as the Nile Delta.
位於安曼以南，這是拜占庭的故鄉，在這個小城市裡有一個希臘Orthodox教堂，據了解當年要整修教堂地面時，無意間發現於西元六世紀聖經中所說的世界地圖。漫遊在這小城市中可以延街看看周邊的商店搜捕你喜歡的 omiyake，坐在街邊喝喝阿拉伯式的薄荷茶，品一下他們的下午時光。

Scenic Spots:
◆ Archaeological Park and Museum,
◆ St. George's Church (Mosaic Map of the Holy Land),
◆ Church of the Apostles,
◆ Mount Nebo
Archaeological Park and Museum

Madaba’s extensive Archaeological Park and Museum complex encompasses the remains of several Byzantine churches, including the outstanding mosaics of the Church of the Virgin and the Hyppolytus Hall, part of a 6th century mansion.

Short Video of the Archaeological Park and Museum. (HD1080P 3min15sec 24fps 3Kbps 76.3MB)

當參觀完 Archaeological Park and Museum 之後，你會完全明白過來為何 Madaba 被喻為約旦的馬賽克城市。一張通票可以參觀兩個 Park，一個 Museum 和 Church of Apostles。後者矩離城鎮內的 Park 和 Museum 較遠，所以遊客疏落。
St. George's Church

The Madaba Mosaic Map covers the floor of the Greek Orthodox Church of St. George, which is located northwest of the city centre. The church was built in 1896 AD, over the remains of a much earlier 6th century Byzantine church. The mosaic panel enclosing the Map was originally around 15.6 X 6m, 94 sq.m., only about a quarter of which is preserved.

Photosynth of the Ancient Mosaic Map inside of St. George's Church.

The Redrawn Ancient Mosaic Map.

聖佐治教堂地面上的馬賽克拼圖，是僅存的一幅遠古地圖，拼畫出當代的名城古鎮，說是世界地圖就誇大其詞，只能說得上是阿拉伯地區的宗教歷史地理圖而已，不過歷史參考價值非常之高，能睹得上極是難得。
Church of the Apostles

The Church of the Apostles contains a remarkable mosaic dedicated to the 12 apostles, although it can be difficult to see clearly. The embroidery-like mosaic was created in AD 568 and is one of the few instances where the mosaicist (Salomios) put his name to his work. The central portion shows Thalassa, a woman who represents the sea, surrounded by fish and some slippery marine creatures (check out the comical little octopus).
In the same mosaic are representations of less threatening native animals, birds, flowers and fruits, and cherubic faces in the corners.

Short Video of the Church of the Apostles. (HD1080P 1min46sec 24fps 3Kbps 40.3MB)

The Church of Apostles 是座無柱的建築，整個大廳的地面鋪上馬賽克，雖然有修復後的斧鑿痕跡，但其面積之大，Madaba 其它的馬賽克很難比擬。
Mount Nebo

Mount Nebo is one of the most revered holy sites of Jordan and the place where Moses was buried. A small Byzantine church was built there by early Christians, which has been expanded into a vast complex. During his visit to Jordan in 2000, the Late Pope John Paul II held a sermon here that was attended by some 20,000 faithful.
According to the final chapter of Deuteronomy, Mount Nebo is where the Hebrew prophet Moses was given a view of the Promised Land that God was giving to the Hebrews.
朝馬達巴市的山路上去就可以到達 Mt.Nebo 有730尺高，這裡是Christian 朝聖的地方，因據說是摩西死在這裡，在空氣清稀點的時後可以遠遠的看到臨國以色列、約旦河、死海，還有一片綠地，聽說那就是摩西所指的"Promising Land"。此處還有摩西的蛇杖，一個小教堂，教堂內地上的馬賽克圖案也相當有名。下山的路上有一小間馬賽克工廠，裡面所賣的馬賽克產品都是由殘障人士一顆顆黏製出來的，還有些當地的特產。

Short Video of Mount Nebo. (HD1080p 1min52sec 24fps 3Kbps 41.5MB)

Mount Nebo 是新約和舊約信徒的一個朝聖點，在 Madaba 到死海的途中。參觀的時候，聖殿正在復修，只能向隅。
Dead Sea

Scenic Spots:
◆ Bethany Beyond the Jordan
◆ Wadi Mujib
◆ Karak
One of the most spectacular natural and spiritual landscapes in the world, the Jordanian east coast of the Dead Sea is a major hub for both religious and leisure tourism.
低於海平面417公尺的死海是世界最低點的地方，長65公里，寬6~18公里，水中的鹽份及礦物質含量高達30¼是一般海水的七倍。因一般生物無法在比鹽份高而且超低氧的環境下生長，死海海底無任何生物生存。因超高的鹽份造成強烈的浮力，進入死海光是到膝蓋的高度整個人就重心不穩，要想沉下去根本就不可能，輕而易舉的就可以平躺於水面上，正因如此而造成一種獨一無二的景觀而引來大批的觀光客，不過就因它的浮力超強想要平躺在水面上則要注意身體的平衡感，且因海水過鹹千萬要要注意不要濺到眼睛或不小心進入口中，有傷口的不建議入水，會有如一把鹽灑在傷口上，可想而知。此外海底的礦物質豐富，是養顏的最佳美容產品，可以在岸邊挖點海泥往身上涂抹一層，再進死海享受一下，自死海起身後你會馬上感覺到皮膚的滑潤，離開之前別忘了到就近的商店帶點養顏潤膚的產品回國。

Short Video of the Dead Sea. (HD1080p 1min46sec 24fps 3Kbps 39.4MB)

到死海的旅遊區觀光，就要本著本死無大礙的心態，這裡是富貴旅遊區，四大酒店在此各據一灘，收費約 US$200 一晚房間（包兩人的早晚餐）。附近並未有廉價住宿，只能找到民居的 Apartment，約四分一價錢（不包餐）。要到死海泡海浴，市立的公眾泳灘收費是每位 JD 10，好不唬人！如果要免費海浴，就要往遠離富貴區的海岸，到處是 poor man's beach，隨便享用。
Bethany Beyond the Jordan

The site of John the Baptist's settlement at Bethany Beyond the Jordan, where Jesus was baptized, has long been known from the Bible (John 1:28 and 10:40) and from the Byzantine and medieval texts.
The site has now been identified on the east bank of the Jordan River, in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and is being systematically surveyed, excavated, restored, and prepared to receive pilgrims and visitors. Bethany Beyond the Jordan is located half an hour by car from Amman.
The Bethany area sites formed part of the early Christian pilgrimage route between Jerusalem, the Jordan River, and Mount Nebo.
The area is also associated with the biblical account of how the Prophet Elijah (Mar Elias in Arabic) ascended to heaven in a whirlwind on a chariot of fire.

Short Video of Bethany Beyond the Jordan. (HD1080p 2min7sec 24fps 3Kbps 48.1MB)

Bethany Beyond the Jordan 是耶穌受洗的地方。跟 Mount Nebo 一樣，是教徒的朝聖地，入場費較一般的景點高，Bethany Beyond the Jordan 設班際定時觀光，只能跟大隊走，可能因為一河之隔的彼岸，是以色列國土，相距只有 3 公尺。
Wadi Mujib

The Mujib Nature Reserve is the lowest-altitude nature reserve in the world, with its spectacular array of scenery and challenging hiking trails it is a favourite for nature and adventure lovers.

Slide show of Mujib Nature Reserve

Mujib 只是路過，並未有進入峽谷。前來這裡的遊客，主要是進行攀石、行山等活動。由于 Mujib 附近沒有住宿，要到這處作戶外活動，祇能露營或即日返回 Madaba 或 Karak。
Karak

An ancient Crusader stronghold, Karak sits 900m above sea level and lies inside the walls of the old city. The town is built on a triangular plateau, with the castle at its narrow southern tip. The castle is some 220m long, 125m wide at the north end, and 40m wide at the southern end where a narrow valley deepened by a ditch separates it from the adjoining and much higher hill – once Saladin's favourite artillery position. Throughout the castle, dark and roughly-shaped Crusader masonry is easy to discern from the finely-crafted blocks of lighter and softer limestone used in later Arab work.
As you approach Karak the striking silhouette of this fortified town and castle will instantly make you understand why the fates of kings and nations were decided here for millennia.
這是12世紀的克拉克古堡於海拔900m高，古十字軍曾在此駐防。Ridley Scot的好萊塢電影"The Kingdom of Heaven" 就是在此實地拍攝。

Short Video of Karak. (HD1080p 2min13sec 24fps 3Kbps 50.9MB)

Karak 城堡建築在山上，面積相當之大，氣勢磅礡，但廢堆處處，正在修復整理。在城堡打一個轉，要用上差不多二至三個小時。
Wadi Musa

Scenic Spots:
◆ Petra 佩特拉
◆ Wadi Rum 月之谷

The Panorama Views Of The Sacrifice. (use mouse wheel or shift/ctrl keys to zoom-in/out)

The Panorama Views Of Petra. (use mouse wheel or shift/ctrl keys to zoom-in/out)

The Sacrifice 是 Petra 古城的最高點之一，是古時候宰殺、奉獻及祭祀的地方，在這裡可以俯瞰整個古城，想象一下全盛時期 Petra 的繁榮景象。

Petra 古城內靠山的建築物大多數仍能聳立，但單幢的城堡和房屋，就不能倖免於天災和自然侵蝕，故尚有很多廢堆等待開發和修復。
Petra

Short Video of Karak. (HD1080p 2min13sec 24fps 3Kbps 50.9MB)

Petra, the world wonder, is without a doubt Jordan’s most valuable treasure and greatest tourist attraction. It is a vast, unique city, carved into the sheer rock face by the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who settled here more than 2000 years ago, turning it into an important junction for the silk, spice and other trade routes that linked China, India and southern Arabia with Egypt, Syria, Greece and Rome.
Entrance to the city is through the Siq, a narrow gorge, over 1km in length, which is flanked on either side by soaring, 80m high cliffs. Just walking through the Siq is an experience in itself. The colours and formations of the rocks are dazzling. As you reach the end of the Siq you will catch your first glimpse of Al-Khazneh (Treasury).
This is an awe-inspiring experience. A massive façade, 30m wide and 43m high, carved out of the sheer, dusky pink rock-face and dwarfing everything around it. It was carved in the early 1st century as the tomb of an important Nabataean king and represents the engineering genius of these ancient people.
約旦國境內最著名的觀光景點，也是賣座電影"法櫃奇兵"的實地拍攝地點，傳說中的阿里巴巴就是把寶藏藏匿在此，這又稱之"遺失的城市"-"Lost City"，於1812年無意間被瑞典旅遊者Johann Ludwig Burckhardt發現。
自售票口出發，要經過大約徒步20~30分鐘的蛇道-Sig，約寬2~5公尺，高80尺，曲道蜿蜒約1,200尺的天然通道，蛇道盡頭等待你的是著名的阿爾卡茲尼神殿 Al-Khazneh，整座神殿是依岩壁開盤而成的，精美的雕工在陽光照射之下成玫瑰色澤才得名"玫瑰城"-Rose-Red City。1985年進入世界文化遺產名錄。

Petra 是這次到約旦旅遊的重頭戲，由早上七時開始從遊客中心起步，穿過蛇道，到達眼前一亮的 The Treasury，然後登山至石碑柱 Obelisque，再繼續登上祭壇山 The Sacrifice 瀏覽。
回走石碑柱，沿山徑下谷，繞過 Museum，再攀山抵達 the Monastery，算是完成整個 Petra 之旅的多個核心景點。
往來處回走至遊客餐廳，經 The Treasury 再一次穿越蛇道返回售票口。全程長達二十多公里，全日旅程約十多個小時。
Wadi Rum

This is a stupendous, timeless place, virtually untouched by humanity. Wind and weather have carved the imposing, towering skyscrapers, elegantly described by T.E. Lawrence as "vast, echoing and god-like".
紅色的沙漠，可乘吉普車前往谷底，在那裡會發現數千年前希臘及阿拉伯人住在那裡的遺跡。

Short Video of Wadi Rum. (HD1080p 1min41sec 24fps 3Kbps 39.5MB)

Wadi Rum 是沙漠區，到遊客中心後，要轉當地的四驅，收費按人頭計，又大、小沙漠不同價錢。
我們只前往小沙漠，包括有 Lawrence Spring，Small Dune，Canyon 和 Small Bridge。需時約兩個多小時。
Aqaba

Jordan's splendid Red Sea resort is often overlooked by modern-day visitors. But apart from being a delightful place for discerning holidaymakers, this is actually a great base from which to explore southern Jordan..

Slide show of Aqaba.

Aqaba 是約旦在南部紅海的海港，亦是約旦唯一的港口，地理上緊接阿拉伯和以色列。到 Aqaba 主要是看紅海，亦借此作中途的休閒加油站，在水質清沏的紅海暢泳，淺嘗當地寥勝于無的海產，夫復何求！。
Northern Areas

約旦的北部緊靠著戰亂多多的以色列和鈙利亞，從山頭眺望，田野翠綠，河道迴繞，你會明白為何紛爭不斷。
約旦北部這一帶的古建築及堡壘等仍保存得很好，數量之多，面積和體積之大，較南部過之而無不及（Petra 除外）。

Scenic Spots:
◆ As-salt
◆ Jerash
◆ Irbid
◆ Ajlun
As-Salt

As-Salt is just a half hour drive from the city of Amman, it was once the most important settlement in the area between the Jordan Valley and the Eastern Desert. Because of its history as an important trading link between the Eastern Desert and the west, it was a significant place for the region’s many rulers.
The Romans, Byzantines and Mameluks all contributed to the growth of the town but it was at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, during Ottoman rule, when As-Salt enjoyed its most prosperous period.
It was at that time that the Ottomans established a regional administrative base in As-Salt and encouraged settlement from other parts of their empire. As the town’s status increased, many merchants arrived and, with their newly acquired wealth, built the fine houses that can still be admired in As-Salt today.
Jerash

The ancient city of Jerash boasts an unbroken chain of human occupation dating back more than 6,500 years.
Jerash lies on a plain surrounded by hilly wooded areas and fertile basins. Conquered by General Pompey in 63 BC, it came under Roman rule and was one of the ten great Roman cities, the Decapolis League.
Jerash reveals a fine example of the grand, formal provincial Roman urbanism that is found throughout the Middle East, comprising paved and colonnaded streets, soaring hilltop temples, handsome theatres, spacious public squares and plazas, baths, fountains and city walls pierced by towers and gates.

Short Video of Jerash. (HD1080p 3min25sec 24fps 3Kbps 79.0MB)

Jerash 是整個約旦旅遊的最終站。面積宏廣，具超級城市的風範，來這裡遊覽，最小要三至四個小時。假如首站在這裡參觀過後繼而往其它景點，約旦的其它廢堡會顯得乏味。
Irbid

Irbid houses two very worthwhile museums, and forms a good base from which to explore the northern Jordan Valley or to start a trip to Syria.
In addition to Jarash and Amman, Umm Qays (modern Gadara) and Pella (known locally as Tabaqit Fahl) were once Decapolis cities, and each has unique appeal.

Short Video of Pelle & Umm Qays. (HD1080p 3min20sec 24fps 3Kbps 78.3MB)

Scenic Spots:
◆ Umm Qays
Graeco-Roman columns stand amidst the lush green countryside around Umm Qays.
Site of the famous miracle of the Gadarene swine, Gadara was renowned in its time as a cultural centre. It was the home of several classical poets and philosophers, including Theodorus, founder of a rhetorical school in Rome, and was once called “a new Athens” by a poet. Perched on a splendid hilltop overlooking the Jordan Valley and the Sea of Galilee, Gadara is known today as Umm Qays, and boasts an impressive colonnaded street, a vaulted terrace, and the ruins of two theatres.
◆ Pella (Tabaqit Fahl)
Pella is a favourite of archaeologists as it is exceptionally rich in antiquities, some of which are exceedingly old. Besides the excavated ruins from the Graeco-Roman period, including an Odeon (theatre), Pella offers visitors the opportunity to see the remains of a Chalcolithic settlement from the 4th millennium BC, the remains of Bronze and Iron Age walled cities, Byzantine churches and houses, an Early Islamic residential quarter, and a small medieval mosque.

Pelle 與 Umm Qays 在約旦北部的 Irbid。Pelle 正圍起來待修復中，並沒有對外開放，守衛們好心，開了 Western Church 的遺址給我們入內參觀。

Umm Qays 座落在與敍利亞接壤的山頭上。抵達時有自稱是導遊的推薦到禁區內參觀 Jesus Cave 和近距離接觸敍利亞，最後介紹午飯的餐廳。結束時當然索取收費，錢可以解決的問題自然不大，但也不能放縱！
Ajlun

The marvels of nature and the genius of medieval Arab military architecture have given northern Jordan two of the most important ecological and historical attractions in the Middle East: the sprawling pine forests of the Ajlun-Dibbine area, and the towering Ayyubid castle at Ajlun, which helped defeat the Crusaders eight centuries ago.
Ajlun Castle (Qal'at Ar-Rabad) was built by one of Saladin's generals in 1184 AD to control the iron mines of Ajlun, and to deter the Franks from invading Ajlun. Ajlun Castle dominated the three main routes leading to the Jordan Valley and protected the trade and commercial routes between Jordan and Syria; it became an important link in the defensive chain against the Crusaders, who, unsuccessfully spent decades trying to capture the castle and the nearby village.

Short Video of Ajlun. (HD1080p 2min44sec 24fps 3Kbps 39.5MB)

Ajlun 是一座軍事城堡，特色是它的亞拉伯回教式建築，整個城堡聳立山頭，守據在要塞上，好不威武。