One of the jewels of the Middle East, it’s known officially as the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. A country with a rich and long history, this should be on your must see list if you plan to visit this region. Actually, it should be on your Bucket List. Famed British Officer T.E. Lawrence aka Lawrence of Arabia described the desert landscapes and valleys as “vast, echoing and God-like”. The colors and patterns of the rocks will definitely bring our your inner geology nerd and captivate you.
Out of all the countries I’ve traveled to, I regret not spending more time here of all. I was on a 4 country, 22 days adventure and had to set aside many travel days to make it happen. I only ended up staying 3 days in here. Flying into Amman, the capital was very easy to get around. Many people speak English so communication wasn’t that difficult. Tourism is vital to their economy and they are trying to increase it.
The main purpose of my trip was to see the Petra, a Wonder of the World and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Like most of you, I saw the Petra in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade and was amazed by it too. Due to its strategic position along historical trade routes, the Nabateans were able to accumulate their wealth through trade and able to finance the construction of the Petra. Created some time in the 3rd century B.C.E. the Petra aka “rose city or the lost city” remained relatively hidden from the western world until the early 19th century. To reach the Petra, you just have to drive past the small town of Wadi Mousa.
As you enter, you must walk through a snake-like narrow corridor of geological time. Besides you are tiny canals carved into the rock to transport water and every so often you will see carved icons and statues too. Every curve you make builds in anticipation as you keep expecting to see the opening only to see more rock when finally the light gets brighter and brighter and you’re able to hear the oohs and ahhs of the other tourists. As you exit the mouth of the corridor, the first structure you see is The Monastery, this was the section of the Petra that was in the Indiana Jones movie. Immediately, you see that color is dramatically different than the corridor you walked through and depending on the time of day has a pinkish tone to it. The size and attention to detail is what demands your attention. If you look to the right you notice a pattern of grooves carved into the stone like a ladder. This is gives you a glimpse to how they began construction. They began from the top and worked their way down and not vice versa!
Once the excitement and joy subside you go down another corridor to see the rest of Petra. As you move further into the interior you start to realize the amount of effort it went into carving an entire city into the valley. Large and elaborate tombs with amazing geological patterns will put you in complete sensory overload. You are able to walk pretty much everywhere. Take this opportunity to walk in the outdoor amphitheater or see where the locals lived. Most of interior area of the tombs and homes are not that large. Most of the labor went into building the exterior designs and just minimal amount for the interior. Since the Petra has been under the rule of many different empires you can see their influence in some of its architecture. Many of the accessible ruins still have the Greco-Roman design that still show little damage. The overall size of Petra is amazing and because this is the Middle East, it gets hot in ways most of us are not used to. Luckily, there are numerous camels and donkeys that will take you from various points to conserve your energy. I went during the summer and because I wanted to take my time and appreciate it I opted to walk most of the way. Unfortunately, it tired me out quite quickly and I think I took more time resting in the shade than I wanted.
Nearly a mile or two away over some inclined terrain you eventually reach the highlight of the Petra. Al-Khazneh or The Treasury remains perfectly intact and carved out of solid rock from the side of the mountain. This site will give you chills due to its elegance and outstanding beauty. This two-tiered structure is much larger than The Monastery. The one thing that sets this apart is that if you are feeling brave enough, you can climb to the top. On the left is a carved staircase that will lead you to the top. I didn’t do it because I didn’t notice it until I was heading back for the day and saw a group up there. There are great photo opportunities of the overall valley in this area too.
There are too many other sites inside of the Petra to mention but I would recommend staying at least two days visiting this place. Rather than rushing yourself to see everything in one day spend two and go at an easier pace so you can appreciate the ingenuity and grandness. This is my favorite of all the Wonders of The World I seen because of the degree of difficulty and era they did it in. This is the place that makes you proud to be a human and allows you to think that anything is possible. Just put it in perspective that the people who created this over 2,000 years ago just had a simple hammer, chisel, and an imagination.
The other must see place I visited was The Dead Sea aka the Salt Sea. Just a short drive from the Petra there are numerous resorts and spas to stay at. One of the lowest elevations below sea level on the planet and having 30+% salinity, this body of water is full of minerals and has spurred a remarkable age defying cosmetics industry. Once you take a dip in the sea you’ll notice two things right away. First, due to the high salt content the buoyancy increases and makes it easy to float. If you’re a non swimmer like me it’s easy to enjoy yourself and relax in the water. Second, if you have any open cuts and scrapes you will immediately feel the sting. There are also areas where you can apply the mineral rich mud on yourself and let it dry until it’s caked on you. Afterwards take a dip to wash it off and it will leave your skin feeling completely revitalized.
If you’re thinking about traveling here and concerned about security Jordan is one the most stable countries in the region. Although the citizens want to see political reform, Jordan does not have issues of the after effects of the Arab Spring as other countries in the region had. Since I was on a limited timeline I had to travel with a local guide and did not have time to wander on my own like I usually would.
Happy traveling and if you’re interested in doing volunteer work here there are numerous refugee camps that could use your assistance. Jordan has a long history of opening up its borders to its neighbors who are fleeing conflict.
