This weekend I went on a hike through Wadi Mukheires and returned exhausted but rejuvenated. These waters are fed by the streams Moses caused to spring miraculously from rock while the Israelites were wandering in the desert. But Wadi Mukheires isn't desert as I usually imagine desert sands stretching underneath a pale blue sky. But nevertheless, the land is DRY. And we're in this dry valley, with red stone walls stretching high on both sides, and there, miraculously, are springs and small rapids and 20+ meter waterfalls! The colors are breathtaking: blue purple rock, green moss, dusty red, orange clay. We went abseiling down three 20-meter waterfalls, which means we climbed down using rope and harness. There were also 20-30 smaller waterfalls and of course I had to jump into every one. I also found a beautiful cave near one of the waterfalls with tiny pools of water and a smaller waterfall and beautiful stalactites and rich green ferns. The total hike was about 9-km and it took us a total of 7 hrs, ending at the Dead Sea. The creatures on the trip were fantastic including three extremely interesting and eclectic guides and one awkward, sweet, nervous and endearing King's student. The student, Adel, was obviously outside of his comfort zone, but it was great to watch him discover abseiling, at one point from a completely upside down vertical vantage point!
The next day, Saturday, 30-40 faculty members from King's visited a Jordanian vineyard owned by a student's father. The vineyard has succeeded in growing great wine in Jordan (after failed attempts in Israel and Lebanon) and has even won silver and gold medals in the top French competitions. We had countless samples of great wine--some of the best I've ever tasted (not difficult to impress a recent college grad who paid on average $5 for a bottle of wine). My favorite part of the experience was listening to Omar Zumot, the owner, describe his wines and his grapes and his wine-making process in general as dynamic life sources with intelligent minds and desires. My favorites were a white wine he left to sit in oak with a distinctive woody aftertaste and a "storyteller" red wine that changes with the hours it is left to sit and will make one "take one's clothes off" as Omar put it. Omar also served us a delicious Jordanian feast and opened up his swimming pool and fish pond to us!
The next day, Saturday, 30-40 faculty members from King's visited a Jordanian vineyard owned by a student's father. The vineyard has succeeded in growing great wine in Jordan (after failed attempts in Israel and Lebanon) and has even won silver and gold medals in the top French competitions. We had countless samples of great wine--some of the best I've ever tasted (not difficult to impress a recent college grad who paid on average $5 for a bottle of wine). My favorite part of the experience was listening to Omar Zumot, the owner, describe his wines and his grapes and his wine-making process in general as dynamic life sources with intelligent minds and desires. My favorites were a white wine he left to sit in oak with a distinctive woody aftertaste and a "storyteller" red wine that changes with the hours it is left to sit and will make one "take one's clothes off" as Omar put it. Omar also served us a delicious Jordanian feast and opened up his swimming pool and fish pond to us!
Beginning the hike through Wadi Mukheires.
Getting a brief lesson in abseiling, and then...
...over the edge! (Notice my helmet is not on. I forgot to buckle it the first time and on my initial descent over the edge lost balance, swung and hit the side of the rock wall. Luckily, my helmet protected my head from the rock before it fell to the ground below. The guides were constantly giving me a hard time about being "reckless." Apparently I stood too close to too many ledges for them to be very comfortable with my sense of personal safety...Hmm...)
Coming down the second waterfall. This feature was really cool--consisted of two large waterfalls connected by a small swimming hole (to my left) halfway down.
Tiny and in awe, besides majestic nature.
Of course.
Scaling of last abseil.
Initial face upon realization that the cliff wall ends 10 meters above the ground...
The house at the St. George vineyard.
Snapshot of the vineyard and hills beyond.
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