Jordan

                 

From the haunting, primeval starks of Wadi Rum, to the majestic ruins of the bygone civilizations in Petra and to the timeless splendor of the Dead Sea, Jordan has unveiled itself as a unique destination offering breathtaking and mysterious sights, delicious cuisine and numerous experiences which provide you with inspiration, rejuvenation and motivation. I can’t work out which country I liked better in my Highlights of Egypt and Jordan 15 day tour. Just shy of 6 million people inhabiting 89 000 sq km, this country provides an abundance of nature and beautiful scenery. With only three days in Jordan it was such a shame that we couldn’t spend more time here as it is so different to Egypt in many ways and there is nothing negative that I can say about my experiences in Jordan.

We left Dahab at 4:30am and by 6:30am we were in Taba boarding the ferry to make our 18km journey across the Gulf of the Red Sea towards Jordan where our Jordanian guide, Talat met us. By now there was only 19 of us and it felt much more like a desirable tour group size where we got to know each other better and no longer felt like we were on a school trip.  Once we passed passport control (a tiny room with a policeman and a desk) we made our way in to Aqaba where we were given two-hours to change money, grab something to eat and have a look around. In the whole tour we had never been given more than an hour anywhere so this was a big deal to us all and we all of a sudden weren’t too sure what to do. Surprisingly, the Jordanian Dinar is on par with the Great British Pound, which is a little strange because whilst it is much more built up than Egypt, it is clearly not a first world country. I changed 180 pounds and this was sufficient for the three days that we were here. Next was food! Talat told us of a small take away shop where you could get excellent falafel wraps for just 75 dirham (cents) so we all got two as they weren’t very filling as well as another one for our bus ride ahead. Falafel overload! It was here as well that we welcomed hummus to our menu (my favourite of the dips) and we were about to get a lot of it in the next few days.

With full bellies and a bit of sight seeing, talking to very friendly locals that hardly harassed, we were ready to head to our first sight in our Jordanian adventure- Wadi Rum! I loved this place and had such a wonderful time here. In our two-hour drive to Wadi Rum Talat explained a bit of history to us and attempted to explain why their economy was doing so well. To begin, Jordan’s main source of income is not tourism; that comes second. They export potassium from the Dead Sea as well as phosphorus and produce and sell many fruits such as bananas, apples and cucumbers. Surprisingly, like other Arab countries, it does not own any oil, that is Saudi Arabia and Iraq. For hundreds of years other empires have always ruled the Jordan, until the 1960’s when they regained their freedom and created a Kingdom for themselves (now know as the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan).

One King that stood out was King Hussein whom ruled from 1952 until 1999. At the age of 15 he saw his Father get assassinated on a visit to Israel and a little over a year later Hussein was crowned King. You’d think that after witnessing such a brutal murder he would be seeking revenge and start a war but it was quite the opposite. Although he had a constant battle with Israel until 1994 when a peace treaty was signed, Hussein transformed Jordan as he concentrated on building an economic and industrial infrastructure that would improve the quality of life for Jordanians. Highways were built and border crossings were opened. He began at a time when water, sanitation and electricity were only available to 10% of Jordanians, today, these reach 99% of the population.

Education was free and mandatory to all, increasing the literate population from 33% to 85.5%. Farming was of importance and a the knowledge of good eating and hygiene was instilled in many, resulting in the fastest annual rate of decline in infant mortality ever seen in a number of years. King Hussein opened the first University, offering higher education to many and even developed their first airport, opening the gateways to other countries. He died from cancer in February 1999 and even to his final days he fought for peace between the Middle-East and Arab countries. At the time of his death he was one of the world’s longest serving leaders in politics.

After our rather interesting history lesson and mini nap we arrived at Wadi Rum where we then swapped to jeeps, sitting on the back trays of utes again and drove around the desert terrain for 2 hours, stopping at various spots to learn a bit about the place, the people who inhabited it, the uses of such an area and many photo opportunities. Once again, Talat was informant, funny, a great character and full of energy, running and jumping to designated areas and always smiling…he loved a hi-five too! It was at this moment that we knew he would make our stay in Jordan unforgettable and all too much fun.

Wadi Rum, also known as The Valley of the Moon, is a large open valley containing sandstone and granite rocks, set upon hot yellow desert sand, 60km inland from the coast. It is the largest wadi, or dry gully, in Jordan and it is beautiful, such a wide open space to clear your head, taking you away from all of the rush and crazy daily lives that we live. As we reached our camp for the night we could see that this would be an unforgettable experience. In pairs we shared a tent with beds placed in them and made our way to the ever so inviting communal area filled with pillows and places to just laze about reading a book, listening to music and eventually having somersault competitions. This was the first moment where we really felt like a bunch of friends rather than travellers piled up on a bus and carted from place to place like we have been.

Talat made us all climb up a huge rock where we sat and watched the sunset in silence, clearing our minds and taking the time to enjoy such a special moment and view. Once the sun went to sleep behind the rocks and the colours of the sky turned to night we made our way back down for what would be the best dinner of the whole trip (for me). We had so many different kinds of dips and salads, something we had all been craving. It was delicious and to top an already fantastic day off we had marshmallows over the campfire for dessert. YUM! While we let our full stomachs settle Talat entertained us with impressions of the various travellers he has witnessed over time. Whilst Australian’s were the most popular he couldn’t quite get us down pat yet however did an excellent Steve Irwin impression. His best and funniest was most definitely his Japanese impression; this had us all in stiches! What a memorable and relaxing day and night, a great way to begin our stay in Jordan.

The following day we made our way to Petra, home of the famous Treasury and Monestry, as well as Talat’s hometown. It was a 1.5hr drive and we wound around the mountains and past the villages that have set themselves up amongst these mountains, one of the few scenic drives you can encounter on a tour without getting too bored. Once in Petra we checked into our hotels, freshened up, latched on to wifi and managed to make a few calls to home with the right time differences and prepared ourselves for a big day of walking, all stocking up with snacks from the convenience store to avoid the monstrous prices they charge in iconic sights- just because they can! The walk from our hotel to Petra was only 200m and within that I think we met about 12 of Talat’s cousins and many little kids were running up to him. We didn’t realise how big his family was or how well known he was either, finding out that just last week he was sent to Brazil to promote Jordan and is on the tourism committee of Jordan-much more than your average tour guide. His passion for Jordan oozed out of him and this only made our experience better and full of information and memories to take with us.

Petra was spectacular. Hidden behind an almost impenetrable barrier of rugged mountains, the rock-carved city of Petra is full of mysterious charm dating back to 2000 years ago. It is famous for it’s rock-cut archeitecture and water conduit system and is also knows as the “Rose city” due to the colour of the stone out of which it is carved. You follow a long and narrow gorge whose steeply rising sides all but obliterate the sun until you get down near the El-Khazneh (the Treasury) where your first glimpse between the narrow rocks is luminated by the dazzling sun. The way the sun hits it as you move closer is magical and once you exit the gorge you enter into an open square containing the famous monument. After seeing many temples your first impressions aren’t necessarily to be amazed, because I don’t think that you truly appreciate all that Petra has to offer until later. It can happen anywhere, but when it does a smile comes to your face as you imagine this place, or this town, many years ago and wonder, just like the pyramids, how all of this was created. Discovered in 1812 by Swiss explorer Johann Ludwig Burckhardt, Petra has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985.

Petra is an enchanting place that captivates and excites the senses. It’s overwhelming size, rich textures and stunning surroundings create an ambiance almost impossible to describe. The colours of the rocks are ever changing, showing signs of iron throughout. It’s hard to explain but it isn’t just the natural phenomenon that grabs you but more so the man-made contribution of this area. The Nabateans had established an elaborate network of caravan routes (camels, not actual caravans) that brought the trading of spices, incense, myrrh, gold, silver and precious stones from India and Arabia. From this wealth they adorned their city with palaces, temples, arches and even tombs for burial all out of the rocks and gorges. Those carved from rocks still remain but over the years there have been few earthquakes that have destroyed the area. The treasury, monumental tombs and monastery all still remain today in a condition of perfection so staggering that you feel you have entered a time warp and gone back in time. It truly is magical.

Once we had made our way through the gorges we were left out in the open, revealing hundreds of small tombs carved out of the rocks. Being the adventurous man Talat is he ignored the “Do not climb” sign and we followed him up the rocks and entered some of the tombs, all very tiny and spacious for only 1-3 bodies. Unlike the Egyptians these tombs were not adorned with treasures, nor were the bodies mummified so once they found them all bones turned to dust, leaving only memories.

Our final sight in Petra was the famous monastery but to get there you had to brave the 900 steps between the bottom and the top. Excited we all took it on, some even trying (unsuccessfully) to beat Talat’s record of 13mins (we made 25mins) and by the time we got to the top we were all stuffed and took a moment to catch our breaths. I certainly had done quite a bit of hiking these last few days upon reflection- good for the Heathrow injection I guess! What we saw was incredible and definitely worth the trek. This building was huge and as with the rest of Petra, no photos did it justice. Again, Jordan was able to deliver and blow me away. We all took photos and climbed into the monastery, looking around. As we stood and watched other people we witnessed a crazy Jordanian (Talat said he was a drunk) climbing to the very top and doing hand stands right near the edge. This guy was crazy! We sat and watched however until it was time to go back. The walk back was a little tiring because the entrance was the same as the exit, an hour and a half away so in total by the end of the day we had been walking for 5 and a half hours and by the time we got back to the hotel our feet were throbbing. A warm shower and a little nap fixed it all and we were out for dinner for our last night together in Jordan, another delicious meal and Talat even brought us desserts that his cousin had made especially for us!

No trip to Jordan can be complete without the Dead Sea, which at 400m below sea level is the lowest (and saltiest) body of water on Earth. Surrounded by arid hills with Jordan on one side and Israel on the other, the Dead Sea glistens under a burning sun making the sand a little unbearable to walk on. The rocks meeting the edges of water quickly become covered with a snow-like thick gleaming deposit of white salt. For it is this salt content that gives the Dead Sea it’s renowned therapeutic qualities and buoyancy that allows you to effortlessly float. The salt content is 8 times that of most world’s oceans and trust me, you do not want to get any of it in your mouth let alone eyes. It was obvious who had tasted a bit of salt as their faces turned sour and we somehow managed to dare someone to run and go under water, a little painful for them but rather funny for us to watch.

We also took the opportunity to rub Dead Sea mud all over us, making us look really black and doubts went around between the girls as to our choice of swimwear for the day and how ruined it would get (just don’t wear white/bright and you’ll be fine). We sat in the sun and felt our skin tighten and crack, telling us that it was time to go in and rub/rinse it all off.

All too soon our time at the Dead Sea was up so we washed off and jumped in the chlorinated pool, feeling kind of weird that we now had to make an effort to stay afloat and after another excellent lunch we said our goodbyes to Talat and farewell to Jordan as we drove back to the ferry port. I can’t express how much I loved Jordan, how many wonderful sights are to be seen here, how different it is to Egypt and how much anyone thinking of travelling to Egypt must put Jordan on their itinerary. It truly is beautiful and so are the people.