Jordan

About Jordan and Petra

Jordan is in the Middle East. It borders Israel and Palestine in the west, Syria in the north, Iraq and Saudi Arabia in the east. Despite being near a known conflicted area in Asia, Jordan is very safe to visit. It does not only have good economic and political stability, but many things to do and see for tourists. The most remarkable are the Roman ruins of Amman, Jerash, the ancient stone city of Petra, the Wadi Rum desert and the Dead Sea. I went to all of them, and here you have my story.

Just one thing before we start: Jordan government has made it really easy for tourists to access all the important areas. All you need to do is buy the JordanPass at the airport when you arrive. You will read below why it is so convenient. Jordan’s currency is the Jordan Dinar.

My Trip to Jordan

Amman and Jerash

I began my trip at Amman International Airport. I learned about the JordanPass and I bought one. In short, buying that card gives you access to most (if not all) the tourist attractions of the country. That is really convenient! After checking in at my hotel, I visited Amman. The city has three important landmarks to see: the Roman theatre, the citadel and the Archaeological Museum. Besides the cultural sites, Amman has many entertainment options and nice restaurants, so rest assured it will be easy to find something pleasant to do if you are willing to relax in the evening.

On my second day I went to Jerash, about an hour north from Amman. Jerash is famous for its ancient Roman architecture, including the Hadrian’s Arch, many Corinth-styled columns, a forum, an hippodrome, Zeus and Artemis temples, two theatres and an aqueduct. I took a tour that lasted for about four hours there and I was able to see all of those Amman tourist attractions. The remains show how prosperous the city was in the old Roman days. Jerash was part of the Decapolis, a group of ten important Roman cities in the area.

In addition, I read that more recent archaeological works have found remains of Hebrew and Arab constructions in Jerash. This means the city had other influences in the past that will probably will be studied in the upcoming years. It was the first time I saw Roman ruins, so let me tell you it was incredible for me.

In the afternoon, I headed back to my hotel to eat something and get ready to go south-east. The trip to Petra is about three hours long, so it will probably take a full afternoon, as it did for me. The good news is that if you arrive to Petra on a Monday, Wednesday or Thursday, you have the option to visit Petra by Night, and take a first look at the ancient sites with a nice artificial lighting.

Petra

Petra is definitely a full-day experience. You get in by entering a long narrow corridor from the east, called ‘the Siq’. It is a natural passage, so that is the first wow you sigh when you see it. Nobody built it! Petra was the capital city of a civilization called Nabataean, and it was an important trade centre for the region in its days. The Nabataean had many caravans, and their main source of income was managing trade routes that joined Egypt and the Red Sea in the south with the Persian Gulf in the east and Siria in the north. To survive the desert, they became experts in managing and storing water. The built aqueducts and reservoirs for that.

When you finish the long corridor, the city of Petra is just unbelievable. It was not built —in the strict sense of the word— but rather carved from the stones. There are at the very least three impressive buildings to see: the Treasure, the tombs of Nabataean kings and the Monastery. You really need to make a decision for the last one. If you are going on foot, it is a fifteen-kilometre walk. Take a deep breath and go, or ask for some other way to get there.

Wadi Rum Red Desert

On the next day, I just took a backpack with the most basic items. I was picked up from my accommodations to visit Wadi Rum, known for its extensive red desert and for historic persons like Lawrence of Arabia. When you arrive, you feel as if you were taken to another planet because of the red colour of its sands. It is something you will probably never see again. Needless to say, sand is not the only thing to see or do in Wadi Rum. There are some ancient stone carvings and paintings around, and if you like adventure, many people come to do mountain climbing in its cliffs. The main attraction in Wadi Rum, however, is spending a night in a Bedouin camp. You eat traditional food there, and you experience their traditions too. That was unforgettable.

The Dead Sea

After going back to Petra to pick up my things from the hotel, I went to the shores of the Dead Sea. Long story short, I spent the last two days of my trip there, but that does not mean I do not have anything else to tell. At the Dead Sea, there are two things to try: floating in it and getting covered in its mud. Let me tell you more about that below:

The first thing I learned about the Dead Sea when I got there is that it is not really a sea but a huge salt lake. Salt is so dense there that you simply cannot sink. Regardless of how much you weight, your body has less density than its water. That is why floating in the Dead Sea is such a unique experience. The second thing I need to tell you is that the Dead sea is so salt that you cannot even try to swim. The salt may hurt your eyes if you try! What you can do instead is to get your body covered in its mud instead. Dead Sea’s waters have medicinal properties, so your skin will love that.