Petra

(OK OK, I am way behind. I think this is from two weeks ago.)

As I sit here watching the Suez Canal go by, high sandy stone banks, speckled by long abandoned huts, a short length of green lots, palm trees, primitive basic shelter and a central mosque, followed past that by nothing… a wasteland of dead sand, in the distance sudden steep
slops… I have come to write about Petra.

But instead I am a bit inspired to talk about Egypt. I spent two weeks in Egypt exactly ten years ago at this time. What strikes me most as I watch it travel by again, is the smell. I can only guess that what I smelling is the sand. It is distinctive, and indeed the smell of Egypt.

The middle east is a wasteland of dead land. An infinite, at least mentally, stretch of sand.

Nothing. It is like the moon and equally supportive of life.



The Egyptian Civilization that built the pyramids, is not an indication of what this land’s people is capable of. It is an indication of what this land’s people is capable of assuming water is available.

It is beyond me how the Bedouins survive. They must know of hidden water sources. The stories of biblical times are so much more inspiring when the hardship of this land is taken into account.

It is amazing to me that the Middle East exists at all. But of course, they exist because of the black gold beneath their feet. Without it, they would be little more than the roaming nomads from which they descend. The land does not really provide for anything, and survival itself is an
outstanding feat, forget innovation and artistic creation.

Artistic creation with what?

But the black gold at their feet has allowed them to enter the western world, with perfect streets, and malls, and Cadillac’s, and Starbuck’s… at least in the major lucrative cities. I think that the westernize countries, Jordon, United Arab Emirates, Oman, (these are the ones I have
visited) I think they will all play a growing influence in our culture. Not because they control oil, Jordon actually has no oil at all. They will enter our culture because their people finally, freed by the wealth of oil, can spend time on the arts and engineering that they never had time for before.

I look forward to seeing their creations. I think Dubai is a stunning example of what’s possible. Its architecture is a dazzling illustration of what the future holds.

But let me revert to the concept, artistic creation out of what? Surrounded by sand and small rocks, the rare tree, artistic creation out of what. Perhaps the people were simply not innovative enough to create from what they had. I mean after all the ancient Egyptians managed to create out of just rocks, right?

Artistic creation out of what.

And that there is the magic of Petra. In a land where all that existed was sand, rocks, and the walls of the hills, the people of ancient Jordon created functional works that catered to their need for shelter from the heat, and they created them from the walls of the hills.

OK, that sounds like they found some caves.

But no, they carved elaborate buildings into the soft sandstone of the rock like hills to form a city unlike any other in the world.



Can you believe it? Carved from the landscapes stoney walls, an elaborate building of colonnades and figures.



I think that this is proof, wherever man is found, if mere survival is supported, art will sprout, as if from a thaw.

The word “building” actually wrong. What is found in Petra is really quite the opposite. It is a deconstruction. To build is to create by assemble of parts. This is to create by disassembly of parts. So far as I can recall, it is unique in the world for this. It is a structure of shelter
by disassembly. There are a few other works by disassembly, Mount Rushmore comes to mind. But I cannot think of another elaborate work of disassembly for shelter and functional use.

This “building” is called the treasury. It is known by the western world for its cameo in one of the Indiana Jones films. (Notice the obligatory presence of a camel.)



It stands, or rather is immersed in rose-colored walls carved by annual ages of flooding rainfall, followed by eleven months of drought.

(Me in the ravine leading to the treasury.)



What shocked and thrilled me, was this building, The Treasury, was not a lone marvel in the Jordanian desert. It is one structure of an entire city carved into the gorgeous veined walls of the hills.



A city, each building ornate.

This people, with nothing, sand, rock, and dead land flourished into artistic geniuses despite only having only the walls of the hills at hand.

I think this is an apartment complex.





This, by far, is on my list of places to see. I often say, I am glad I went, but I would not make an effort to go back.

I would definitely make an effort to see Petra.

I will see Petra again. If ever you find yourself in the Middle East, see the Pyramids and see Petra. I put it above Jerusalem. I have seen many of the ancient cities, Pompeii, Herculeum, Ephasis… and I say again, see Petra. Pompeii, Herculeum and Ephasis are built cities.

Petra is a carved city.

The landscape is actually quite like Zion, in Utah. Tall, iron reddened walls, organically threaded by variations in time, shaped by rare rains.

The rock itself is awe inspiring beauty. My pictures do not do it justice.



My time is running short, and my blog is running long.

In short, unbelievably, knock-your-socks-off, strike you dead, earth shatteringly cool, the ancient city of Petra.

Absolutely nothing stupid about it.


Some more pictures...

The manditory ancient city amphitheater. (I have been to a lot of ancient cities and an amphitheater is a given.)

Name That City

I am going to describe a city and I want you to guess what city I am talking about.

There are miles of high-end shops, like LaCosta and Coach, and of course who can live without Starbucks, in malls with marble floors. On the streets there are Bentley’s, Rolls Royce’s and Hummers with dark tinted windows.

Do you have a city in mind?

I will continue.

The city is defined by the competition between developers to out do one another. Each building is bigger, grander, taller than the next, each offering one more high end item of special appeal. The city is growing so fast it is mind boggling. It is in the middle of a desert where water is a considerable issue, yet there are often accents of beautiful water intensive landscaping. Air conditioning exists in EVERY building.

Do you have a better idea what city I am talking about?

There are amazing hotels with suites for as much as $15,000 a night. Of course one of those hotel’s has a revolving restaurant on top featuring a buffet which views beyond the spectacle, miles of single family homes which have been build in just the last ten years.

Are you sure you know which city I am talking about?

All the street signs are in English.

Still think you know what city I am talking about?

All street signs are also in Arabic.



Suddenly stumped? I will give you another hint.

I have been there recently.

Now do you know?

My last hint is I mentioned it in my last entry.

Dubai is such a fascinating place I hardly know where to start.

I suppose I will start with the basics. (Imagine me taking on the drone, monotone voice of instructional movies of the past, complete with the ticking sound of the projector.) Dubai is a city of 1.4 million in the United Arab Emirates on the Saudi Arabian Peninsula.

OK, basics done.

The similarities between Las Vegas and Dubai are surprising, aren’t they?

Are they building enough?



Dubai is a lot like Las Vegas, which is ironic, because in a lot of ways it is the antithesis of Las Vegas.

Dubai, overwhelmingly Muslim, limits the sale of alcohol making it only available in very exclusive locations. I seriously doubt any gambling is allowed. There are far more burqas seen than mid-rifts. And there are no sex-appeal ads. (Well… of course there are. It is just that they dare to show women’s forearms. How Risque!)

I love Dubai. It is so culturally rich and fascinating you can taste it, come to think of it, literally. Like any wealthy city there is not shortage of high-end worldly restaurants, but I don’t think you will find any pork dishes.

The one aspect of Dubai that really reminds me of Vegas is the fast, aggressive, competitive building projects constantly in the works. It is notoriously referred to as a construction zone, no area specifically, the entire city. Dubai is currently building, what for some period of time, will be the world’s tallest building, 190 stories. It boasts the world’s only indoor ski slope. (I thought this would be a little bunny hill. It is not. It is many stories high… and a delightful break from the shopping available at that mall. It is that big gray projection out of the side of that mall.)





Its crowning architectural achievement is the Burj al Arab (or Arab Tower). The Burj, a mere 27 stories high, is designed in the shape of a wind-full sail. In the mast area, the entire atrium is open the entire 27 stories. You have seen this building, but perhaps for only seconds as Tiger Woods struck a golf ball off the helipad in some ad, or Agasie played tennis on that same helipad.





The suites in the Burj start at $1700 per night, with the penthouse suite a mere $15,000 per night. It is entirely booked most of the year. To enter the hotel, you need an appointment, usually booked a month in advance. (Hence no interior pictures from me.) And by appointment, I mean reservation, for at very least high tea, which starts at $70.

But all this grandeur must be fueled by something. In Vegas it is gambling. In Dubai, it is oil.
(This is one of the reasons why I like Dubai better. There is no seedy element.)

But it is a strange city made up of almost entirely foreigners. The natives found black gold beneath their feet, you don’t think they were going to pick up a hammer themselves do you?

The city is strikingly India, from all parts, and Pakistanis. There are also noticeable communities from various African countries and many areas of Asia.

Dubai is a promise land for many foreigners. It boasts jobs at all levels and educational possibilities less available elsewhere.

But as a working promiseland, it has a noticeable feature. The men out number the women, significantly. (I don’t know the numbers… but just walking around, you notice more men than women by far.)

And lets talk about the women and their burqas. (If anyone can find out for me why burqa are black… I will be forever grateful. This intrigues me and yet I cannot find the answer.) Dubai, as the most progressive, multicultural apex of the Muslim world, had women in all forms of what I would call, Muslim dress. I have been corrected though. A Muslim man argued that this is not Muslim dress, it is cultural dress. No where in the Koran does it dictate this particular extent of covering. It is Muslim cultural practice (or so was his argument.) I disagree slightly. I think is a Muslim sect practice. Specific garb is also important to the Mennonite Christian sect and the Jewish Hassidic sect.

I think it is naïve for us to want women to abandon this garb. We are imposing our culture on them. Many of them do not want to dress like westerners. They do not see it as freeing. They feel overly revealed. (I am 100% against the eye covering. I think that is just ridiculous, unpractical and makes women subservient.)

I was given the example of going to a nude beach. Everyone there may be nude. But I would not be comfortable wearing nothing. It is not something I am used to. So even though it is perfectly acceptable to be nude, I may choose to stay clothed. If women are more comfortable in their traditional garb, who am I to protest.

As the Middle East moves culturally more to the west, women are gaining the choice. As long as women are free to make their own choice, I don’t care what that choice is.

So let’s say you need a burqa. I walked into something which resembled a WalMart called Carreflours. One of the funnier things, but natural I suppose, is the fact you can by burqas off the rack at this superstore. I guess they have to buy them somewhere. (There were high end burqa stores too.)

In the Carreflours you could pay with at least five different currencies at the checkout counter. (I wish now I had made a note of which currencies.) I naturally paid in dollars. I paid in dollars everywhere I shopped in Dubai, the bookstore, the pharmacy, the department store, etc. No one ever hesitated to accept US dollars. And consider this, how many American’s do you think visit Dubai? Yet they readily, like most of the rest of the world, accept dollars. It is odd.

I spoke English to everyone I encountered and found each person fluent.

I suppose they have to order their Tall Mocha Latte’s at Starbucks too.

Or burgers and donuts.