Dana Nature Wildlife Reserve, Jordan - Silence You Can Feel

* Pictures noted are bottom to top - As we enjoyed a leisurely morning we couldn't believe our luck - the sun was shining and the haze from the previous day finally lifted unveiling the blue of the Dead Sea with the white hills and mountains of Israel to the west. Such magnificent color!

The first stop on our way to Wadi Dana was Karak Castle. Built in 1161 AD, this massive castle was a stronghold for the Crusaders. In addition to it's ancient origins, it is located 900 meters above sea level and sits within the walls of the old city of Karak. We enjoyed our walk around taking in not only the impressive rock fortified walls and interiors (picture 1), but also the impressive panoramic views of the valley below (picture 2).

As we left this old city, Ashrif managed to maneuver us through the bottleneck traffic congestion caused by the endless stream of tourist buses and the very narrow old streets. Once out of town we continued on the highway through a series of small, under-developed towns and very arid countryside of rocks, small farms amazingly supporting animals (looked like the goats were grazing on rocks) and agriculture, amid very deep, dramatic valleys and mountains (picture 3).

We began our approach to the Dana Nature Reserve which covered 308 square kilometers and was composed of a chain of valleys and mountains which extended from the top of the Jordan Rift Valley down to the desert lowlands of Wadi Araba. The incredible beauty of the Rummana Mountain and the majestry of the red and white sandstone cliffs of Wadi Dana were a site to behold. The Dana Reserve is home to diverse wildlife - 600 species of plants, 37 species of mammal and 190 species of birds.

When we arrived to the Dana Reserve just before sunset we drove on the rough stone road through the tiny village of Dana (2 hotels, 1 restaurant, 1 market) (picture 4) to the Dana Guest House (picture 5) which was located literally at the edge of the Wadi Dana cliffs (picture 6). Just breathtaking views and very incredible place to just sit and as Eyad said, 'feel the silence'. Our rooms were upscale dormitory-style, nice but with single beds and shared bathrooms. Dinner was served community-style at two large dining tables at one time for all guests (probably about 20 of us and the house was fully booked). Most of the guests were French but we managed to enjoy the company of a German family which was fun.

We made a good night's sleep with our window wide open so we could be hypnotized by the steady sound of the wind pushing through the massive valley (picture 7). While accommodations were a little on the simple side, the site itself was just powerful and yet so peaceful. In the morning before breakfast Richard walked around and Susan worked on the computer as we both just absorbed the silence.

Soon Ashrif arrived to take us to our next stop, the world heritage site of Petra, Jordan.