Middle East - Anthony Ham [309]
From the lookout, the views across the valleys to the Dead Sea, Jericho, the Jordan Valley and the spires of Jerusalem are superb, especially on a cold day in winter when it is crystal clear. The new museum is worth a quick look before leaving.
From Madaba, shared taxis run to the village of Fasiliyeh, 3km before Mt Nebo (250 fils a seat). For an extra JD1 or so the driver will drop you at Mt Nebo. A return taxi, with about 30 minutes to look around, shouldn’t cost more than JD5 per vehicle.
Hammamat Ma’in (Zarqa Ma’in)
(
Drive anywhere in the hills above the Dead Sea and you’ll notice occasional livid green belts of vegetation, a curtain of ferns across a disintegrating landscape of sulphurous rock, a puff of steam and the hiss of underground water. In fact, the hills are alive with the sound of thermal springs – there are about 60 of them suppurating below the surface and breaking ground with various degrees of violence.
The most famous of these is Hammamat Ma’in (admission per person JD10; 8am-11pm) in Wadi Zarqa Ma’in. Developed into a hot-springs resort, the water at the bottom of the wadi ranges from a pleasant 45°C to a blistering 60°C and contains potassium, magnesium and calcium, among other minerals. The water tumbles off the hillside in a series of waterfalls and less assuming trickles, and is collected in a variety of pools for public bathing.
The entrance fee permits use of the Roman baths, the family pool at the base of the waterfall closest to the entrance, and the swimming pool. It also includes a sandwich and a cold drink from the complex shop. The valley is overrun by people on Fridays during the spring and autumn seasons.
The Janna Spa & Resort ( 3245500; www.jannaspa.com; half board s/d JD119/129; ) is currently closed for refurbishment. Minimal snacks and soft drinks are for sale in the shop near the entrance.
A taxi from Madaba costs about JD10/20 (one-way/return) including around an hour’s waiting time at the springs.
MACHAERUS (MUKAWIR)
Just beyond the village of Mukawir is the spectacular 700m-high hilltop perch of Machaerus (admission free; daylight hrs), the castle of Herod the Great. The ruins themselves are only of moderate interest but the setting is breathtaking and commands great views out over the surrounding hills and the Dead Sea.
Machaerus is known to the locals as Qala’at al-Meshneq (Gallows Castle). The ruins consist of the palace of Herod Antipas, a huge cistern, the low-lying remains of the baths and defensive walls. Machaerus is renowned as the place where John the Baptist was beheaded by Herod Antipas, the successor to Herod the Great, at the request of the seductive dancer Salome. The castle is about 2km past the village and easy to spot.
In Mukawir village, by the side of the road leading to the castle, is a weaving centre and gallery. This women’s cooperative is run from the Bani Hamida Centre ( 3210155; www.jordanriver.jo; 8am-3pm Sun-Thu), where some of the gorgeous, colourful woven rugs and cushions are on sale. Profits are returned to the cooperative and make a substantial difference to local Bedouin lives.
From Madaba, minibuses (600fils, one hour) go to the village of Mukawir four or five times a day (the last around 5pm). Unless you have chartered a taxi from Madaba, you’ll probably need to walk the remaining 2km (downhill most of the way). However, your minibus driver may, if you ask nicely and sweeten the request with a tip, take you the extra distance.
WADI MUJIB
Stretching across Jordan from the Desert Hwy to the Dead Sea is the vast and beautiful Wadi Mujib, sometimes known as the ‘Grand Canyon of Jordan’. This spectacular valley is about 1km deep and