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JAYNE WITH A WHY |
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Saturday, April 07, 2007JORDAN - THE DEAD SEA BITOur trip to Jordan was split – we booked 4 nights at a luxury spa resort by the Dead Sea & then a further 2 nights in the capital Amman. The first thing that struck me - once we'd left the airport - was how green the countryside was - such a lovely change from the sand dunes here! The spa resort was pretty much all that it was cracked up to be, going by what we’d seen on the internet. The hotel was of a 5 star standard (I'll slum it in a 4 star if I really really have to) & the gardens/grounds were laid out beautifully, with wonderful splashes of colour from the plants. We did encounter a few problems though…………..namely that half the population of Amman had also decided to stay at the resort at the same time & that half brought their noisy/obnoxious offspring along for the ride. There’s no getting away from the buggers is there? The other thing that pissed on our batteries was that the resort tended to cater primarily for locals. Correct me if I’m wrong, but shouldn’t a major international hotel chain also cater for overseas visitors? Foodwise, it was a bloody disaster. Not everyone wants soggy parboiled/pargrilled/part-dead eggplant, hard boiled eggs & hummus for breakfast every day. I’d love to know just why the chef thought that a mix of kidney beans, baked beans & strips of red & yellow peppers would be appealing? Service by waitrons (silly word) was pathetic & that's being generous. Enough moaning! Just about every swimming pool was taken over by the obnoxiously loud offspring of other visitors, but thankfully, we found quiet refuge down on the man-made beach, next to the sea. Hubs & I whiled away the hours ‘neath a thatch umbrella with a good book each. The weather was smashing – about 25C with a nice breeze. I’ve been as pale as a new immigrant since coming to the UAE, so I decided to catch some rays, cos really, it wasn’t THAT hot. After a few hours, Hubs & I decided it was time we take a dunk in the famous Dead Sea – ahem. What an experience! After we’d waded in to about knee high depth of water, it was as if a magnetic type of force was trying to pull us in! The physical density of the sea water is nothing short of amazing……….it actually looked like someone had filled the sea with millions of gallons of oil, as we could see distinct patterns & swirls in the water. Very weird! When I finally went in completely (and half the sea rushed out in protest) I honestly couldn’t stop laughing! (The waves my laughter created could be akin to a tsunami I s'pose) The whole situation was really comical – trying to fight against the buoyancy of the water! I floated on my front, on my back & in a sitting position, which was hysterical. Trying to flip my rather large frame over onto my back took me into another fit of giggles…………all the time trying not to get a drop of water in either my mouth or eyes. Hubs & I really enjoyed ourselves & I can honestly say that it really is an experience of a lifetime. For anyone who hasn’t floated in the Dead Sea, I say wholeheartedly, put it on your list of things to DO! Apparently the salt content in normal seawater is on average 3%. The salt content in the Dead Sea is officially listed as 31.7%. Having tasted a stray drop that landed on my bottom lip, I can say without a doubt, it is VILE! Sunburn Score: Hubs – Head & feet. Me – Face, neck, shoulders, thighs, chest & shins. I win. No prizes for not listening to Hubs when he said “you’re going VERY pink.” That evening I looked like a lobster, but the pain only followed the following day. The next day, Hubs & I trundled over to the Spa, to book a massage each. Everyman & his friggin camel had the same idea! No appointments were available for at least 2 days. Blinding! After much pleading, the receptionist tapped away at his keyboard & came up with a 12 o’clock appointment for a hot rock massage for Hubs……but absolutely nothing available for me……….sniff………..sob! I was told there were no female masseuses available, so I said fine, I’ll have a male………ooops..…WRONG thing to say! I got the raised eyebrow ‘haram’ look & repeated confirmation that I couldn’t have a massage. Hubs duly went for his & came back glowing, relaxed & his muscles un-knotted. I was jealous………….but then he told me there’d been a cancellation & a female masseuse was available at 6pm if I’d like it? No sooner said than done, he was on the blower confirming the spot for me – yay! So off I went to the Spa, for my much anticipated hot rock massage. On sunburnt shoulders. And a smart arsed masseuse who wanted to know if I tried to catch ‘all the sun’ in one day. The bitch was so tiny a good gust of wind would’ve carried her to Syria, but when she put those hot rocks on my shoulders, she had the strength of Mike Tyson. I said “Owwww………eina!” as discreetly as possible. We didn’t sleep too well that night, because despite the relaxation of the massage, the pain of the sunburn surfaced with a vengeance! Next bit to follow soon :-)  
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