October 23rd - The sea is dead?
Okay, I’ll spare you the endless and traditional formalities that come before any trip: the drive to the airport, parking, check-in, waiting, the flight, more waiting, another flight... It’s always the same! And I imagine you don’t really care... You want action, the real deal! So I’ll take you straight to October 23rd, four in the morning, when we land in Amman, the capital of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (oh, there’s a new word for you!). As you can imagine, at that hour, we’re as fresh as dead minnows, with our heads where you’d expect... I’m so exhausted I’m getting cramps in my eyelids!
Despite our state, we’re still happy to finally be in Jordan, a country renowned for its ancestral hospitality that everyone raves about: “Welcome in Jordan!” the immigration officer said! To save you from long dictionary searches, I’ll be your interpreter throughout this story. See, for example, the guy just generously showed me some sympathy by saying: “Bienvenue en Jordanie!” But wait—is it true? They’re super welcoming here, it’s not just a legend! “Entry fee, ten dinars!” Now, suddenly, the guy seems a lot less friendly. After welcoming me, he’s asking for ten dinars to enter his country. Not only do *you* make the trip to see him, but *you* also pay the entrance fee! I knew about this before arriving, but I’ve always found it weird that some tourist-friendly countries charge an entry tax, and some even charge an exit tax! So this message is for the King of Jordan: “When you read this travel journal, know that I’m not very happy!” For info, if you ever feel like coming to Jordan, you’ll have to pay this ‘donation’ exclusively in Jordanian dinars. For that, there’s an exchange counter waiting for you as you get off the plane, with—you guessed it—a *super* interesting rate... for them!
So, did we arrive on time? Yes, that’s cool. Did all four of us get our luggage? Okay, that’s cool too. Did everyone pay the ten dinars entry fee? No problem, super cool (sort of). Is our rental car waiting in the parking lot as planned? Yep, really too cool... Now, I’m sure you’re expecting something to go wrong, right? You’re really not cool! Well, since that’s how it is, no—everything’s going as planned! I love it when a plan comes together without a hitch... Alright, Hannibal, load our gear into our Mitsubishi Lancer and off we go on vacation! Well, to be honest, it’s four in the morning... what do we do now?
Arriving at this ungodly hour, we figure there’s no need to finish—or rather, start—our night at the hotel. So we head straight to Mount Nebo. Yeah, I’ve always dreamed of seeing Mount Nebo at night! No, I’m kidding—we’re going there to try and find a quiet spot to take a little nap under the stars, and maybe get a good spot to watch the sunrise... But first, we’ve got to find the road... And at this hour, it’s a real obstacle course: no signs, no lights, crazy dogs attacking our car, a brand-new road we follow for kilometers that leads to... a dead end in the middle of nowhere! What the...?! Finally, we make it to Mount Nebo, twenty kilometers from the airport in... one hour. “If you start mocking me in the first few lines, we’re not going to be friends!”
After a quick nap, comfortably settled among ants, with our faces in the rocks and our butts in the thistles, we take a quick look at the Mount Nebo site. Not much to see—the place is more symbolic. It’s more of a tourist trap than anything else since the official entrance is paid. We mainly come here for the view of the Jordan Valley, the Dead Sea, and Israel. Actually, I imagine the view is exactly the same as where we slept, on the hill next door... So why pay the entrance fee? Mystery... Anyway, from here, we’ve got a view no one can take from us—an unbeatable view! The Dead Sea, the Promised Land, Jerusalem... Magnificent! Except this morning, we can’t see a thing! It’s all foggy, like a preview of Jordanian weather?... Well, the main thing is we’ll be able to brag later to our friends: “Yeah, yeah, I’ve been to Mount Nebo!” Attention, attention—I’m opening a ‘culture’ page here! If you’re only interested in bikini photos and juicy anecdotes, you can skip to the next chapter!
It’s on Mount Nebo that Moses is said to have planted his staff upon seeing the Promised Land. It’s also said he died and was buried here. A legend even says that the day his tomb is found, it’ll be the end of the world... Do you believe in that nonsense? Anyway, weirdly, no excavations have ever been undertaken... Goes to show how effective it is to spread fake rumors to rest in peace!
Alright, that’s enough—we’ve got things to see! The Dead Sea is waiting for us! And we’d better hurry because I heard it’s going to disappear... The Jordan River, which feeds it, is being outrageously pumped to irrigate plantations by the Israelis. Oh, the bad guys!... No, no, no, I didn’t say anything—I won’t get into that debate. Everyone’s beautiful, everyone’s nice! I’m Miss France, I want world peace! Everyone into the Mitsu and off to the Dead Sea! We take the scenic route, which offers some truly... scenic views. And we go down, down, and down some more... Gotta say, the Dead Sea is the lowest point on the planet: 417 meters below sea level... That’s why we’re always going down, right?...
To access the water, we’ve got the choice between luxury hotels or the public beach called Amman Beach. But watch out—public doesn’t mean free! Here, the entrance is paid to access the beach. And just like the sea, the bill is salty—you’ve got to pay fifteen dinars per person to swim. Yeah, I said dinars—that’s fifteen euros. But it’s mainly the access to the showers, which are essential after swimming, that’s charged. The price also includes the rental of flippers, a mask, and a snorkel! I’m kidding... There are no fish, no seaweed, no coral—everything’s dead... hence the Dead Sea! There, I see you’re starting to understand... Actually, where the ocean contains three to four percent salt, the Dead Sea has thirty percent at its best. So watch out for splashes in the eyes because the Dead Sea, though dead, still hurts!
Alright, I’m going for it. Let’s finally check out the phenomenon! Right foot... the water’s fine! Left foot... so far, it doesn’t burn... Maybe I should try with some cuts on my legs to see... Anyway, you walk fine on the bottom, you don’t walk on water! They told me a certain Jesus Christ walked on water around here??? For me, at least, it doesn’t work! But when you lie down, you feel the floating sensation! It’s so easy to float on your back! On the other hand, when I swim breaststroke, I’m really less classy (you noticed the rhyme...). Imagine me swimming with my butt and legs sticking out of the water... No, don’t laugh in the back! Alright, for two minutes, I’ll put on my basic tourist outfit and take some ‘cliché’ photos of the guy reading his newspaper, floating on the water, taken without his knowledge... And then you look at the photos and think: “How does he do it? It’s science fiction!”
But no, it’s physics! Rich in magnesium chloride and sodium chloride, the density of Dead Sea water is 1,240 kg per cubic meter (I calculated that roughly, off the top of my head... And there you go again: “How does he do it?”). Since it’s higher than the density of a human being, you can float without any problem. If Sandrine ever reads this travel journal, she’d say: “Alright, Franck, put away the jam jar and describe what we can actually see! You’re not writing a tourist guide!” So here we go! Don’t expect paradise beaches with white sand, coconut trees, and all that... It’s desert-like, the beach is gravel, there are a few buildings under construction, and Jordanian women swim... fully dressed. We’re far from *Baywatch*! But hey, we mainly come here to say: “I did it!” And the experience is worth the trip! Especially for me because for the girls... After a few moments, their pleasure of being weightless turns into a tingling sensation, especially in a part of the body it’s rather impolite to rub vigorously in public. So they run to the shower to rinse off properly. In the end, we spend a few hours here, going from the sea to the shower, from the shower to a mud bath for the girls who still believe in miracle cures, from a mud bath to the pool...
Since it’s our first day, we’re a bit tired, but we’re not here to laze around, so we head off for an aquatic hike in the Wadi Mujib canyon: the Siq Trail! Aquatic means we’ll be swimming up the riverbed, using the strength of our little muscular arms... Well, to avoid you mocking me when you see the photos, I’ll admit right away there were only thirty centimeters of water... Negative point: here too, we pay the entrance fee—fourteen dinars. In this country, you pay to enter, to swim, and you pay to walk! Worse than France! But with a bit of hindsight, even though they’re milking us like camels (sorry, didn’t see any cows around), it was really worth it! Let me describe the place: a canyon sculpted by the force of water, a little river with super soft water, a few harmless waterfalls, humid temperature... Welcome to Center Parcs, minus the grandmas in floral swimsuits and kids peeing in the pool! Honestly, nothing too complicated about this walk. Even the girls managed it—that’s saying something! Except maybe Chloé, who didn’t listen to my advice: “Chloé, hold the rope tight, bend your legs, you’re two seconds away from getting really hurt!” And *splash*—no more Chloé: “I slipped, boss!” I imagine the other two laughing, but at least she made it to the final waterfall! To conclude, a bucolic and very pleasant walk for me, a canyoning adventure full of adrenaline for the girls... but the same motto: pure happiness... and a few pebbles in the shoes...
So, after a good night’s sleep with my mouth open and my head banging against the plane window, hearty meals of cellophane-wrapped sandwiches graciously offered by the airline, and some physical activity with a swim in the Dead Sea and canyoning in Wadi Mujib, you can imagine the drive to our Bedouin camp in Dana was without the girls! And that’s a shame because the road from the Dead Sea and especially the one from Fifa to Tafila are truly magnificent! But it climbs hard! We finish the hills in first gear! The Mitsu can’t take it anymore, she’s dying... I’m even about to ask the girls to get out and push our ‘cow’! If you ever get the bright idea to take this road, know there’s a little bar at the top out of nowhere where you can grab a bite and maybe let the girls who pushed your Mitsu up the hill catch their breath...
Alright, night is falling, it’s time to arrive at El Nawatef Camp, which has been recommended to me several times online. I get it now, and I’m recommending it to you too: Bedouin tents are lined up along a cliff overlooking the Dana Valley. Yeah, just like in the song! It’s beautiful and peaceful... especially if you’re lucky enough to go on a day that’s not overrun by a group of young English people! They’re noisy, those young English folks!... But no big deal, anyway, we’re exhausted... A little meal, some wormwood tea, and off to bed... Wow, I talked a lot! I promise, tomorrow I’ll keep it shorter! Anyway, tomorrow’s another adventure...
Come along, I'm taking you to this country where it's so nice to wander and slow down...
Roundabouts are particularly interesting because they feature emblems of Turkmen culture, like the dog, a carpet, the Ahal Teke horse, or Muslim symbols, even though the presence of Islamic artifacts is quite limited.
Last October, we landed in Marrakech to spend a few days with family exploring Morocco’s roads.
Transport: a rented Dacia.
Accommodations: small guesthouses.
When it comes to the Caribbean island of Saint-Martin, it's customary to praise its coastline and dreamy beaches—and they certainly deserve it.
But in this story, I’d like to highlight other memories, aspects, and impressions for a slightly different change of scenery.
Enjoy the read—some text and, above all, lots of photos.
« Byenveni sou zile Sen Maten! » (Welcome to the island of Saint-Martin)
The large solidified magma massifs that shape the heart of the island have created a large depression more protected from the sun at its center, allowing the growth of a vast laurel forest, today grouped within the Garajonay National Park, La Gomera’s green lung, which has earned it the status of a World Biosphere Reserve. Its completely European appearance contrasts sharply with the rocky and tropical landscapes of the rest of the island. Thus, the climate varies greatly from one point to another on the island: in summer, you can quickly go from a dry and sunny valley at 35°C to a humid forest area at altitude at 18°C.
A little sneak peek?
I’m inviting you on a stroll through my drawings—a completely subjective, far from exhaustive, and totally personal take, since it’s based on my own sketches. I put this travel journal together after returning in late 2024, mostly using felt-tip pens and pencils, with a few collages thrown in. I worked from our personal photos.
And in Kyoto, Nishiki Market:
2- Around San Pedro
We were trapped, and even our guide looked nervous. After what felt like an eternity (though it was only a few minutes), the herd finally moved on, freeing the track. That afternoon, we did a self-drive safari and—you guessed it—we had zero interest in running into elephants again.
The next day, we headed back to Lilongwe for our flight home. It was a fantastic, varied trip with some intense moments (sometimes *too* intense). Malawi offers amazing opportunities for those who want more than just wildlife reserves.
Vila beach
Sunset behind Santiago
The rocks and sea at Ponta Preta
At the summit of Monte Batalha
Calheta
Calheta de Baixo
The beaches just keep coming...
The dunes
The 3 coconut trees, a landmark to find the track
Boca da Ribeira beach
The hills on our right
Ribeira Dom João
Barreiro
The old track
The church in Vila do Maio
