Desert Castles

I must apologize, for it has been a while since I’ve blogged!  I am alive; since Spring Break things have been very busy here in Jordan as the last month of my semester abroad slowly tick down.  Some of my posts will be a bit out of order; I do intend to blog about Spring Break, but I’m not sure when I’ll have time to do the write up.  While you wait for my adventures in Italia…have you ever ridden a bicycle through the desert?  I have.

The Desert Castles trip was my final CIEE arranged trip of the semester.  While we didn’t see quite as many castles as I was expecting, the off-road biking was a completely new experience for me.

Why yes, that person in the white t-shirt with the blue bag IS me!

We started the trip by visiting Qasr Al-Harrana (Qasr means Castle).  It looked small from a distance, but when we stepped through the doors the castle opened into a small courtyard high walls on every side, and windows looking out on the courtyard below.  Several staircases led up and through the hallways of the castle.  We could go into all of the many darkened rooms the hallways led to. Most scholars guess that Qasr al-Harrana used to be an inn; though there is still much debate on what its true function was.

Just imagine! Though barren now, with dust-motes floating through the scant rays of sunlight, I could imagine what this castle used to be.  Music and laughter – perhaps dance – would fill the courtyard at night as the many rooms filled up with guests and patrons.  Tired travelers and weary souls might take pause at this desert refuge for a warm meal and cold drink before continuing on their way at first light in the morning. Or perhaps it was a guardpost, and soldiers make their home inside the castles walls; the courtyard ringing with the clash of metal and thwack of wood as men-at-arms honed their skills in the daytime.

After Qasr al-Harrana, we hopped on the buses and visited another castle, Qasr Amra.  This castle was a hunting lodge and temporary residence royals - basically - a desert getaway.  Only the foundation remains, it used to be larger. As we saw it, this castle was even smaller than the last.  I didn’t think very much of it, then I looked up. The walls.  They were covered in mosaics; some decaying, some in good condition with myriad colors – green, blue, red – still clear on the ceilings and walls.  Though I saw many, many paintings on walls and ceiling in Rome and Florence – and don’t get me wrong, those were amazing and magnificent – the paintings in Qasr Amra excited me more because they surprised me.  Who would have thought to paint such intricate designs on this small castle in the middle of the desert?  The sudden vibrant color and beauty in the otherwise desolate castle was absolutely stunning.

After Qasr Amra, we hopped on the bikes.  It was quite a sight.  There must have been at least 40 of us, trying on helmets, sizing up bikes, hoping on and roaming through the parking lot to get used to cycling before the main event started.  After giving us some time to get aquainted with our bikes, our guide (on a motor scooter…) took off and led the way through the desert.

This ride was off-road.  In the first section of the 25km ride, I thought I was in over my head.  It was all I could do to keep my eyes on the ground and keep pedaling as my bike bounced and jounced in every way conceivable as we rode across rocky terrain.  I kept waiting for my wheel to spin out or my bike to simply fall apart under the rigors of the path but there wasn’t even a path to follow, just the trail of bikes ahead of me and the motor scooter in the distance.  At long last we broke onto smoother ground, and I was able to relax a little bit as I pedaled steadily along.

It's a Trek bike!

We stopped three times throughout our trek to make sure everyone was still alive and to refill on water.  The first section was the hardest by far.  The first time we stopped we rested under the glaring sun, where, apparently, a castle used to stand years ago.  It was absolutely desolate.  In all directions, to the horizon and beyond, all I saw was desert.  Hazy mirages simmered in the distance, making it look like water waited for us in the distance.  It is one thing to be told mirages happen in the desert, it is a completely different experience to look and see them. 

As we rode on, we stretched out in a long caravan of bicycles, whole kilometers separating riders at parts.  With the wind, sun and sand as my only companions through the drifting sands and endless, baked earth, I marveled at the landscape that surrounded me.  The barren, desolate land was beautiful in its own way.  It was peaceful – a powerful reminder that privation is as beautiful as abundance.  How could we enjoy the green forests of the world if there were no deserts?

When we left the last rest stop, I actually took the lead and led the group (behind the motor scooter) for a minute or two before the boys caught up to me.  It was pretty cool to be at the head of our group, even briefly.  In the last stretch we eventually turned onto a paved road (I was never so happy to see one in my life) and we cruised the rest of the way to our waiting buses…but not before finding some cool signs to take pictures by!

Yup, that says Iraq

Our buses took us to a restaurant for a much needed lunch, and afterwards to the Azraq wetlands; or what remains of them.  It was saddening to see  how little of what used to  be wetlands supporting all kinds of wildlife remained.  We strolled and relaxed our sore legs and sunburned limbs as we wandered through the wetlands, then returned to Amman around 6pm.  

That night I went out with my friend Joy and some other non-CIEE friends for dinner and dessert.  It was good to kick back and relax with good food and company after the long day in the desert, and gave the perfect end to what had been an excellent weekend. 

The aftermath of our bike ride, taken by the lovely Ala Hamdan. She is an amazing photographer!