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Day 5 in Jordan
Day 5
It took me around 2 hours to get to sleep last night. For those of you who might not have been following, we slept in the desert last night in a Bedouin camp in Jordan.
I awoke first, with the odd feeling of a cool breeze across my face. I got up to find Tim and Clem still asleep, only Sultan was up by this time (6:30) and had started on breakfast.
I went outside, the early morning sun piercing through the holes in the fabric of the tent. It was nice to properly see the sun again after yesterdays heavy rain. Now, what I didn’t tell the others is that I had arranged a surprise camel trip through the desert before breakfast. No long after I’d started snapping away at the vista with my camera did I see the camels appear from the sandy dunes and head towards us being lead by two young Bedouin boys. They could only have been 8 or 9 years old, but certainly had a mastery over the animals.
The guys’ first response wasn’t a positive one, getting them up early for a trek before breakfast on an unpredicatable camel (!) but this quickly changed to enjoyment. The sunrise meeting us from a distance, we quickly left behind the camp.
As always, Tim seemed to draw the shorter straw, being so tall his feet not far from the floor on the smallest of the camels we had. We were amazed at how the light was illuminating the scenes for us, the mountains appeared to be heavily layered across the plains.
After about an hour and a half we arrived back at camp where the camels were tied up and the kids joined us all for a little breakfast: flatbread and hummus with ‘fuul’ – a traditional dish made from beans and onions. It tasted much nicer than it looked (and described!) and set us up nicely for the morning.
Afterwards, we grabbed our stuff and said our goodbyes as Alan took us on towards Petra. The car was stopped at numerous points before we hit the main road, most notably a rock with a dangerously curved front that we climbed to reveal a spectacular view across the desert.
We stopped for gas shortly after getting on the highway and stocked up on supplies. One great point about the Jordanians is they seem to know each other wherever they stop. We grabbed some water and coffee for the long ride ahead, but managed to play football with the locals by the roadside first! Some things just would never happen in England without great awkwardness and suspicion!
Then we embarked along our trip – Alan regularly saying hellos to people on the two hour trek. The road to Petra took us through the mountains, little villages and beside grand hilltops. When we eventually arrived in the town you could see everything geared up for the tourism – shops and restaurants called things like Seven Wonder Souvenirs and the like.
We enter, and after buying a £3 Twix bar, we walk our way down the Siq – the main walkway leading to the Treasury, Petra’s most recognisable feature. The ancient city is set in a canyon, the whole place seemingly protected by the rocks the buildings are carved into. There’s also a warming pink glow radiating from the front. We explore tombs and palaces, and with each place you see you wonder whether anyone else sees it like you do. Intrigued by this one particular set of stairs, we make our way upwards and joined a mountain trekking route to the High Sacrifice spot. All the way along the route the Bedouin people try to sell coloured rocks and jewellry made by them. As greater salesmen they are we only pick up a necklace for Clem, but all are friendly and are happy enough to give directions and offer tea. The view from the top looks down over the whole city and show us just how far it is to the end – the Monastery – built high up in a mountainside in the distance.
The walk down is considerbly easier, and we then refrain from taking lunch to ensure we get to the Monastery. At one point we get as far as the main restaurant, but get put off by the only option of a £17 buffet. Unfortunately for us, the boy trying to get us to hire his donkey won’t take no for an answer, picking up that we’re too polite for our own good we eventually decide it might be a good option. How wrong we were! Panic set in when I saw the rickety, slippery, narrow walkway this donkey was supposed to navigate through, with an army of people walking down in the opposite direction and mine in particular having a strange need to veer towards the edges, I have to get off. Feeling like a bit of a wimp I make as much out if it as possible, but I was genuinely fearful of my life. Judging by the sheer drops later on the route I’m so glad I jumped off when I did.
The Monastery was incredible. It was huge and dwarfed everything around it. The sun drenched it in a golden glow as we walked past. We had just enough energy to walk past before having to make our way back down. It was painful and we were exhausted, but knowing that Alan was waiting for us in the car at least allowed us to take our time and not worry about having to find our own way back to Aqaba.
It was dark by the time we reached the car, and with a two hour drive back to Aqaba it signalled a sleep. Only after Alan struggled to get to grips with an Airwaves chewing gum!
On the way back we stopped in Aqaba town. We visited a shop behind the main road, invited in for tea and then shown the array of spices, teas and coffees along the counter. The owner seemed to have a memory like a dictionary of what spices cure what ailments and help with improvements. I came out with a healthy supply of coffee, tea and pots.
The day was complete when we dropped back off at the Movenpick reception. After a hearty hug from Alan we went back to our 5 star room.
As much as I feel we’ve cheated and been so spoilt for our time in a 5 star place, the shower and comfy bed was certainly a welcome luxury.
Until out next adventure…
Steven
www.screensaver.uk.com
Day 4 in Jordan
Day 4
I’m up at 6 with our clients to see them off after breakfast. I film a quick testimonial for our website by the pool before grabbing a tea with them to discuss yesterday and plan for the edit.
I can’t keep going for too long, opting to return to bed rather than fill up on the buffet.
After a brief doze, the Screensaver team free to play. As soon as the kit is safely stored we start looking at trips.
Mohammed now calls me Mr Steve, which is fine. More interesting that ALL of the staff seem to know me and are all calling me Mr Steve! It’s great, makes me feel important.
Making our booking for Wadi Rum, a desert spot out in the middle of nowhere. Neither of us has seen the desert before, but we’re going all out and find a guide with a camp site so we can stat overnight. Slightly daunted but excited.
On waiting for the arrival of our cab to take us to the meeting point, we get drenched walking around the Tala Bay area. It seems to be a completely new development of housing and commercial outlets surrounding an exclusive-looking marina. Unluckily we get caught in the last of the storms, coming out of nowhere, and duck in somewhere for lunch. Clemence’s giant calamari stuffed with little calimari and prawns doesn’t spark an appetite, and with the protection of 5 star cuisine over the last two days, this comes as a bit of a shock!
At 3pm our driver takes us out of Aqaba, the sea disappearing as we head for the mountains and the urban town setting blends into sand. We’re on our way.
The sights are incredible as we make our way along the highway, before pulling in to a hut by the side of the main road. We’re in the middle of nowhere but the location reeks of promise. We’re greeted by Audh (although we misheard this as Alan, and this is how we continued!) – a traditional looking man in a sheepskin coat and a large grin! After a quick cup of tea (always black with sugar and sage) we jump into the awaiting jeep. We get a knowing smile when we get asked where all our stuff is, and on producing a couple of small bags we get a hearty laugh! Basil, Alan’s son joins us for the trip.
Crossing the railroad tracks in our white 4×4, we head straight for the desert. With the camera at the ready, it’s suggested i sit at the back outside. The vista is wonderful – stark and open, being bathed in light from the diminishing sun. I’m getting some great shots, but hanging on for dear life especially when we go almost vertical over the dunes with me dangling off the back!
After a couple of stops, Clemence gets to drive while I go to explore and take some photos. We don’t have too long before the skies open, but it’s all the more dramatic.
A further spin in the car and we arrive at a large camp tent. Walking into the smoky opening, we’re greeted by a Swedish couple sitting nervously by the fire. Tea and coffee is quickly served in very small glass cups: black tea with sage and sugar goes down a treat at any time. Getting used to our surroundings, we realise this was our home for the night. Dinner is prepared as we venture out in the car one last time before it goes completely dark. Alan shows us an old castle set once used in a film, the ruins still standing. Its amazing how he effortly fund his way back to camp in the pitch plack with almost no recognisable landmarks.
As we try to get warm back in the tent, tea is repeatedly served. Very distinct taste, as is the incense. It doesn’t take too long to get to know the other members of the group. The Swedish couple didn’t stay for the night so it was just the three of us as guests. In addition to Alan, his two sons Sultan and Basil accompanied us, as did Hamed the cousin. It’s interesting that neither of us really know what to make of each other. Oh, there was also their cat Maya – a gorgeous litle thing always purring by your side rather than begging for food. She seemed the most comfortable!
A couple of hours talking and everyone is more at ease, we were asking lots of questions, and Basil was interested by the photos on my phone of London and previous adventures to Europe.
We spent the evening aroud the fireplace, playing games, singing and drinking tea. Neither Tim not I could catch on withvthe dancing, as some soon to be released mobile video clips wil prove! The stars outside filled the sky, thankfully the rain was gone but there was little relief from the cold.
At a very respectable hour we bed down for the night. It took full 5 layers of clothing, a sleeping bag and a blanket to get close to warmth, but that was all part of the experience really. The last hope was that we wouldn’t get bitten through the night, but with Maya sleeping beside I hoped she might ward anything nasty off, although there was nothing she could do about the 2 centimetre long ants!
Steven
www.screensaver.uk.com
Filming in Aqaba, Jordan – Day 3
Day 3
Greeted by the mother of all breakfast buffets! Tomorrow we’ll be able to sample everything but for now it’s just a quick fill-up and filming meeting with our clients. We seem to have a solid plan, but know in this game that if you plan too well you can cause yourself problems later by not being flexible enough, so there’s a limit.
Next, meeting the resort staff and mapping out the filming events of the day and a tour of the full facilities to ascertain the finer points of our itinery.
Great to see the Jordanian hositality is as excellent as the guidebooks say it is – you don’t walk more than a few feet before getting another “good morning”. This really helps, and with the staff only too happy to get involved this makes our project much easier and very pleasurable. We get some great initial shots, working well and have sweets and drinks offered! We are filming in a kitchen, but even so, very much appreciated.
As expected, our timetable changed and we split ourselves in two – Tim and I covering the interviews while Clemence gathering the remaining setups and GVs of the resort.
The first challenge for us is the sun. There’s a slight haze here today that wasn’t present yesterday, which means the sunlight is beautifully diffused, but the moment it pops into direct view we’re having to contend with harsh shadows and varying exposure. It’s a challenge, but underexposing to maintain a level of sky detail is the best response. I’m having to adjust exposure by around 3 stops after almost every question.
Audio is great, the radio mics are behaving well with little or no interference, and the new new Rode NTG3 shotgun with blimp sounds awesome. Very happy there.
Clemence is working away herself, the new videolight coming in handy in the kitchen and dining areas, although a bit more fun filming the man on skates by the pool!
Eventually we finish around 5 – no time for a lunchbreak, so we relpace this with some snacks and a bottle or two of Prosecco in the al fresco lounge in Bakara overlooking the sea.
We have a lovely chat with our clients, both business and otherwise, to reflect on the day. There’s always so much to talk about, and so important to debrief after a shoot. It’s a personal pleasure of mine being able to build solid relationships with the people you work with.
Swapping rooms around is an unfortunate necessity, but our clients head back to the UK early on Wednesday morning leaving us to stay and play until Friday.
Fortunately for us (at least I hope!) Mohamad on the front desk has offered to guide us to Wadi Rum tomorrow night, as we fancy a trip and overnight stay in the desert tomorrow. Camels and camping are both mentioned, but we’ll see how it goes, and might just play it by ear and make our own way instead.
We finish the night with a nice meal and a couple of drinks and a shisha. Arak, a regional alcohol, goes down well (ish!) before bed.
A successful day all round, but the last job very early tomorrow means I’m up at 6am. It’s a client testimonial, but they all count!
Tomorrow we spend the night under the stars, so we’ll have to see if they have wifi out in the sand before I promise an update by this time tomorrow! Also depends on us dodging the scorpions…
Steven
www.screensaver.uk.com
Filming in Jordan – Day 2
Day 2
Well, we made our connecting flight after a fleeting cup of tea at the hotel before zooming to the airport. The flight was smooth despite the heavy weather, and very fast on our little jet into Aqaba’s gem of an airport almost in the middle of nowhere just above the tip of the Red Sea.
It was obvious really quickly how much rain had fallen overnight with many of the roads completely under water when our shuttlebus drove us towards Tala Bay for our slightly more permanent hotel for the next few days.
First impressions were incredible, second impression was even better – the room is stunning, the view over the pool and the seafront with both Israel and Egypt presented to us from across the sea. All of this with the reddish mountains surrounding us.
The lack of sleep forced our hand into making this one a chill-out day before the rigours of filming tomorrow, but i think we deserve it so far!
So after a bit of kip on the beach and an explore, I went into recce mode with Tim to find us two locations for Tuesday. We wont know exacty what our clients want until the morning, but we’ve picked a great spot indoors facing out towards the sea and even shows the length of the first few pools in the complex(!). The second looks up at the hotel from the outside, which gives us a great angle but I’m a little concerned by the possible audio distraction of the water jets from the other pools (!again!). We’ve got both radio mics and our new boom mic with blimp support and full softie so it’ll be interesting to see how much of the background noise we can reject. Until then, we’ll just have to wait.
As the afternoon progresses the storm clouds roll in once again, you can spot the pattern of scortching hot days but paying for it overnight with storm and rain. So this gives me a bit of time to catch up on some emails – good news that we have some more work enquiries to come back to at the beginning of next week. It’s been a successful start to 2010 so far for sure.
It’s now almost midnight as I finish the blog for this evening. We’ve eaten well, and prepared all we can over dinner. I had my first ever Turkish coffee but made the mistake of drinking the sludge at the bottom, so that may be my last for a little while! I also have a nasty habit of making bad cocktail choices. Never go by the name alone, never!
Breakfast is at 9am so we have time to make last equipment checks before we kick off and have final briefings with the clients. We also have to check out of one room and into another, so a busy day it will surely be. Wish us luck!
Goodnight!
Steven
www.screensaver.uk.com
Jordan Filming Adventure Blog – Day 1
Day 1
Well, a relatively uneventful trip to heathrow this morning, the only thing out of the ordinary was me arriving early for a change! (2010 good for timekeeping so far!) The only event out of the ordinary was checking our baggage in for the whole outbound trip despite having tonight in a hotel before our connecting flight to Aqaba (meaning that we have no access to our bags overnight tonight).
So, for those of you who don’t know, we’ve been employed by a lovely regular client of ours to film a case study video at a 5 star resort in Aqaba in Jordan, right on the Red Sea. As priviliges as we are to get to travel to wonderful places for work, we’ve decided to stay for longer to take in as much of what Jordan has to offer as we can. So we film on Tuesday but don’t return to the UK until Friday.
Today we boarded a flight destined for Jordan’s capital Amman. We arrived little over a couple of hours ago and are tucked up in bed nicely for 4 hours until we have to get back to the airport for our connection to Aqaba in the south of the country.
Accompanying me on this trip is Clemence and Tim, my faithful team, in addition to our two clients who came with us on the same flight. Whenever we go away together we inevitably come away with stories. As utmost professional we are when we are working, we also love to enjoy ourselves and genuinely enjoy our work so we have cameras aplenty ready to capture Jordan’s delights after we complete our main objective.
And we have our first story already, not moments after stepping into our taxi from the airport to our overnight hotel do we witness the most incredible storm – lightning strikes acorss the sky in perfect definition, the rain hammering down. It was almost enough to distract you from the heavily armed guards at the airport perimeter fence. After a good 10 minutes we realise the cab is taking us to the wrong hotel, the team split across two cars and the drivers speak as good English as we do Arabic! Perfect! I then found out the hard way that we actually share the 07 mobile code with the Amman telephone code. I unfortunately woke up some poor Jordanian man when thinking I was calling Tim to tell him the correct directions! I’m now in the process of adding a +44 to the main numbers in my mobile address book!
So, tonight I leave you. We’re up again in 3 hours before we’re due back at the airport. Let’s hope our little plane survives the storm!
I’m intending to add more across the week including videos and photos so keep checking back.
Goodnight for now.
Steven
www.screensaver.uk.com
