We were lost.
No matter which way we would go or whose directions we would follow, we kept showing up at the same spot over and over and it didn't get frustrating only because we were with good company (Tania & Thorston). We were repeatedly stopped at military checkpoints due to our proximity to the Jordanian border with Israel and the disputed Golan Heights and we had to open both the trunks and our bags countless times to show the solders our stuff.
We finally made it to the Roman and Byzantine ruins of Umm Qais, from where there are great views of the Sea of Galilee in Israel. The theater that could seat up to 3000 people was pretty impressive and made of black basalt.
Off in the distance we could hear the Israelis doing target practice and the sounds of the heavy artillery cannons being fired really ruined the beauty of the location and the ruins for us.
Umm Qais is right on the border with Israel and the Palestinian Territories and very close to the Israeli controlled Golan Heights. After a quick bite in the outskirts of Mafraq we continued our way to the desert.
After a long drive through the desert we arrived to Azraq. We had finally abandoned any hope of seeing the castles on that day and started planning our stay at the Shaumari Wildlife Reserve, but when we arrived there all we got was an amazing sunset as the Reserve was closed for maintenance.
We spent the night at the semi luxurious Al Azraq Hotel, in the oasis town of Azraq which ended up being a good choice since it was just a few kilometers south of Qasr Al Azraq, the first castle we would visit the following day.
Gaby
No matter which way we would go or whose directions we would follow, we kept showing up at the same spot over and over and it didn't get frustrating only because we were with good company (Tania & Thorston). We were repeatedly stopped at military checkpoints due to our proximity to the Jordanian border with Israel and the disputed Golan Heights and we had to open both the trunks and our bags countless times to show the solders our stuff.
We finally made it to the Roman and Byzantine ruins of Umm Qais, from where there are great views of the Sea of Galilee in Israel. The theater that could seat up to 3000 people was pretty impressive and made of black basalt.
Off in the distance we could hear the Israelis doing target practice and the sounds of the heavy artillery cannons being fired really ruined the beauty of the location and the ruins for us.
Umm Qais is right on the border with Israel and the Palestinian Territories and very close to the Israeli controlled Golan Heights. After a quick bite in the outskirts of Mafraq we continued our way to the desert.
After a long drive through the desert we arrived to Azraq. We had finally abandoned any hope of seeing the castles on that day and started planning our stay at the Shaumari Wildlife Reserve, but when we arrived there all we got was an amazing sunset as the Reserve was closed for maintenance.
We spent the night at the semi luxurious Al Azraq Hotel, in the oasis town of Azraq which ended up being a good choice since it was just a few kilometers south of Qasr Al Azraq, the first castle we would visit the following day.
Gaby
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