One of the "must see" highlights of the middle east is Petra, and given the close proximity to Dubai Jenn and I were eager to visit. After last Christmas when Jenn and I had many adventures with Amy in South East Asia, we thought she would be up for some adventures in the Middle East.
Arriving in Jordan, you immediately feel the difference from Dubai. This feels more like the "real" Middle East, where Arabic is heard and seen everywhere and unlike the Gulf region, highrise buildings are a rarity. Jordan is filled with so many historical sites, it's somewhat difficult to choose what you'd like to see. Petra however, is one that can't be missed.
On our first night in Amman, we were checking out the Roman ruins in the late afternoon and were met by a very interesting character, Steve. Steve was a wacky tour guide with the ability to talk for hours uninterrupted. He gabbed on until eventually we decided that we'd agree to let him show us the town and then take us to his favorite dinner spot. It was a very interesting evening which ended with a very nice local dinner. After telling him about 10 times I was a vegetarian he still insisted on piling meat kebabs on my plate. Around us, groups of men were perched at their tables smoking cigarettes, cigars, and sheesha. It looked like the Jordian mafia's hangout.
The next day we headed out for the 3.5 hour journey south to Petra. Petra was built around 2000+ years ago by the Nabataean people who set up in this narrow valley for protection from the elements and outside invaders. The main stone temples were built as tombs to the wealthy rulers of this kingdom that once ruled a large swath of the middle east. The key to their success was their geographic location along the caravan routes that were trading spice, salt, and all sorts of goods across the region. The entire visit was fascinating. It's crazy to think that in ancient times they had the ability to carve these intricate statues and rock walls. It was the Romans who eventually conquered the region and Petra soon became less important as the caravan routes shifted. The Romans left their mark on the area by adding several large monuments and temples.
Here are some pictures from our time in Petra...
Our final destination of the trip took us south to the town of Aqaba which sits on the Red Sea. From there you can stand on the beach in Jordan and also see Israel and Egypt who all share part of the coast line a the top of the Red Sea. From there we headed north following the Jordan River Valley. After an hour or so of seeing nothing but desert and rocky hillsides we began to see various types of agriculture. It was tomato picking season so we got stuck behind many tomato trucks that were spilling their tomatoes out the top of the trucks. Then, after another 45 minutes or so we arrived at the Dead Sea which glimmered in the afternoon light. We stopped and saw the coastline that is caked in white salt. The dead sea is 4 or 5 times more salty than a regular ocean and forms the border between Jordan and Israel. We stayed at a resort along the Dead Sea which turned out to be quite nice.
Finally, on our last day we visited Bethany beyond the Jordan, the site of Jesus's baptism. We finished our tour of Jordan back in the city of Amman where we feasted on fallafel at one of the oldest restaurants in Amman followed by a special sweet dish at another famous spot in the city.
Overall, we really enjoyed the journey to Jordan. It's a really fascinating place with lots of interesting things to see. It was great to see another part of the Middle East that felt so authentic and real. And also nice to show Amy another part of the region during her visit.
until next time.... Robbie and Jenn
Arriving in Jordan, you immediately feel the difference from Dubai. This feels more like the "real" Middle East, where Arabic is heard and seen everywhere and unlike the Gulf region, highrise buildings are a rarity. Jordan is filled with so many historical sites, it's somewhat difficult to choose what you'd like to see. Petra however, is one that can't be missed.
On our first night in Amman, we were checking out the Roman ruins in the late afternoon and were met by a very interesting character, Steve. Steve was a wacky tour guide with the ability to talk for hours uninterrupted. He gabbed on until eventually we decided that we'd agree to let him show us the town and then take us to his favorite dinner spot. It was a very interesting evening which ended with a very nice local dinner. After telling him about 10 times I was a vegetarian he still insisted on piling meat kebabs on my plate. Around us, groups of men were perched at their tables smoking cigarettes, cigars, and sheesha. It looked like the Jordian mafia's hangout.
The next day we headed out for the 3.5 hour journey south to Petra. Petra was built around 2000+ years ago by the Nabataean people who set up in this narrow valley for protection from the elements and outside invaders. The main stone temples were built as tombs to the wealthy rulers of this kingdom that once ruled a large swath of the middle east. The key to their success was their geographic location along the caravan routes that were trading spice, salt, and all sorts of goods across the region. The entire visit was fascinating. It's crazy to think that in ancient times they had the ability to carve these intricate statues and rock walls. It was the Romans who eventually conquered the region and Petra soon became less important as the caravan routes shifted. The Romans left their mark on the area by adding several large monuments and temples.
Here are some pictures from our time in Petra...
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| My Beautiful Wife! in Jordan |
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| Night Time at the Roman Ruins Amphitheater in central Amman |
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| Night time view of the city |
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| Looking from the hill side to the Roman steps. |
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| Dinner with our wacky tour guide, Steve. |
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| Very Barren on the way to Petra |
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| Our first glimpse of the homes around Petra near the entrance to the site. |
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| You can hitch a ride down and back in a carriage. |
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| When entering Petra you go through a narrow canyon called the "Siq" which served as the entry way since ancient times. It reminded me of the slot canyons of Utah. It was about 2km of walking through the canyon before you arrive dramatically at the "Treasury" |
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| Jenn and I on our first afternoon arriving at the Treasury |
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| Amy at the Treasury |
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| After a long journey we had made it to Petra! |
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| We opted to do the evening walk to Petra which was lit by candles the entire way down. It was also a full moon which made it really cool with the moonlight filtering through the canyon. Once at the treasury we were given tea and heard some local music. |
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| The amphitheater appears once you come through the canyon. An incredible feat in engineering given the time in which it was carved out of the mountain. |
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| The main road where the Romans placed columns and several temples |
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| This was walking up through another canyon towards the Monastery |
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| Amy and Jenn checking out the rock wall with cool color variations |
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| The Monastery- worth the 800 steps up the canyon to see. |
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| Inside one of the former homes on the way down the hill from the Monastery |
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| Amy's first horse ride! |
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| Jenn was a natural on the horse- slow going though. |
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| Hiking home after a long walk. Amy was a trooper once again! |
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| The view from atop the mountain when leaving Petra. |
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| Our guide in Wadi Rum. Wadi Rum is a large open area that is reminiscent of Arizona or New Mexico with huge sweeping views of desert and rock outcroppings. After only 20 minutes of driving we were in the middle of nowhere. Our trusty guide let me drive the 1989 Toyota land cruiser for a short stint. |
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| Getting Artsy in the desert. |
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| Go Bombers. |
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| Atop the huge arch |
Our final destination of the trip took us south to the town of Aqaba which sits on the Red Sea. From there you can stand on the beach in Jordan and also see Israel and Egypt who all share part of the coast line a the top of the Red Sea. From there we headed north following the Jordan River Valley. After an hour or so of seeing nothing but desert and rocky hillsides we began to see various types of agriculture. It was tomato picking season so we got stuck behind many tomato trucks that were spilling their tomatoes out the top of the trucks. Then, after another 45 minutes or so we arrived at the Dead Sea which glimmered in the afternoon light. We stopped and saw the coastline that is caked in white salt. The dead sea is 4 or 5 times more salty than a regular ocean and forms the border between Jordan and Israel. We stayed at a resort along the Dead Sea which turned out to be quite nice.
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| Uhhh... you guys are real dirty. Supposed to be good for the skin to smear the Dead Sea mud on yourself before getting in. |
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| The white salt crystals built up on the shore |
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| Muddy |
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| Floating in the Dead Sea.. so cool |
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| The site of the baptism of Jesus |
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| Seeing the River Jordan, which is more like a muddy stream. |
Finally, on our last day we visited Bethany beyond the Jordan, the site of Jesus's baptism. We finished our tour of Jordan back in the city of Amman where we feasted on fallafel at one of the oldest restaurants in Amman followed by a special sweet dish at another famous spot in the city.
Overall, we really enjoyed the journey to Jordan. It's a really fascinating place with lots of interesting things to see. It was great to see another part of the Middle East that felt so authentic and real. And also nice to show Amy another part of the region during her visit.
until next time.... Robbie and Jenn
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