Countdown

[chani]

25 days before I go to Jordan on holiday...

I must see at least 4 movies before leaving. I may see Swades, an Indian movie, tomorrow but I wanna see a French flick called La Moustache that will be released on Wednesday and I'm probably going to see War of Worlds...Any other suggestions?

Juillet sera cinématographique ou ne sera pas!

 

Comments

[kazzy-cee.livejournal.com]

Jordan - an unusual choice for a holiday, what made you decided to go there?

[frenchani.livejournal.com]

Well actually Plan A was Tanzania and Plan B Indonesia but they both have fallen through...Jordan is Plan C! The airlines tickets have been purchased only yesterday. Now we have to plan our 20 days stay...

But I've been wanting to go to Jordan for years, especially to see Petra and all the archaeological sites. Jordan isn't an unusual choice for a Historian you know!

And of course there's the desert...I've been in several deserts but never over there.

[kazzy-cee.livejournal.com]

I'd love to go to Petra! 20 days - you should see a lot of interesting places in that time. I hope you come back with lots of photographs!! We are off to Norway on 29th - can't wait!

[frenchani.livejournal.com]

Oh I wanna eat your icon!

Of course when it's James I always want to eat it too... ;- )

[pjzallday.livejournal.com]

Oh Chani! You just take the most interesting trips. Hope to hear more.

[candlelightfrot.livejournal.com]

Petra! Now I am jealous! Say if you're down around the southern reaches of the Dead Sea, see if you can go to the archaeological sites of Bab edh-Dhra and Numeira (possibly, respectively, Sodom and Gomorrah). They were destroyed by a natural event, a massive earthquake which may have caused as much as 90 to 160 feet or more of relative movement in the fault zone of the eastern edge of the rift valley of the Dead Sea. Both cities were situated not on the plain (it was farmed) but eastward in the hills which are precisely the location of the fault zone. Geologists working in the area have found shallow natural gas, sulfur, bitumin and petroleum deposits in the area. It is thought that the earthquake may have forced some of these deposits out under pressure and cooking fires or possibly lightning (if the 'cloud' of gas were to become electrically charged) ignited these combustibles. It is also possible that they were ignited simply from the friction of their expulsion during the earthquake.

Bab edh-Dhra being at a higher elevation is much more eroded; however Numeira is lower and better preserved. At Numeira it was found that the inhabitants had shored up the doorways before the event. Additionally, almost no personal artifacts (save large, bulky pottery) were found in the ruins. Thus it is surmised that the population of both had warnings of the event, most likely in the form of prior minor tremors.

Also there is evidence at both Bab edh-Dhra and Numeira that there was occupation after the disaster. However, neither city was returned to it's former level of productivity. Most likely because the plains west of the cities were rendered agriculturally unproductive due to the consequences of the tectonic movements. The Jordan rift valley was evidently tilted downward on the eastern side (movement only on the eastern fault zone) thus the lower sections of the plain might have undergone invasion by saline ground waters if not the Dead Sea itself. The upper portion of the plain would have been undergoing deposition in the form of alluvial fans due to the differences in elevation changes along the fault scarps. Both geological processes would have rendered agriculture in the area difficult at least. It should also be remembered that both cities were besieged and burnt in a war some years prior to their final destruction (and there is archeological evidence for this). So if these are Sodom and Gomorrah as many would like to believe, it would appear that many - perhaps most - of the inhabitants survived; unlike is said in the Bible.

Have fun! ;~)

[frenchani.livejournal.com]

The itinerary isn't done yet, but it's unlikely that we are going there, because basically there isn't much to see.

It's gonna be hot in the desert, but dry at least!