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Last day of the trip, debriefing. Nothing compares to the desert experience – however much time you plan to spend in this beautiful Arabian country, be sure to include an overnight stay here. But Jordan is not just Wadi Rum. The capital Amman, the archaeological sites of Petra and Gerasa, the Jordan River and the descent to the Dead Sea offer the visitor unique emotions.<\/p>\n\n\n
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- Amman: bustling, chaotic, charming<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Built with the desert stone that gives it color uniformity and nicknamed the White City, Amman fascinates with its disorder and vibrancy. Climb the citadel for the view and look for the imposing remains of the Roman temple of Herakles. Tour the restored Roman theater and continue to Downtown, the central neighborhood with the shops, markets, atmosphere and vibrancy of the Middle East. You will haggle with the passers-by and haggle hard with the sellers, you will be surprised by the number of stalls and small bookstores selling used books, you will sweeten yourself at the Haabibah pastry shop with a chewy kiunefe in hand. And you won’t leave the city without visiting the Jordan Museum, one of the best of its kind in the Middle East. Jordan’s journey through time is presented through an inventive, contemporary narrative and a wealth of exhibits, including the 9,000-year-old statues of Ain Ghazal, among the oldest large-scale depictions of the human form in the world.<\/p>\n\n\n
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- Aspects of the Petra<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
It was on August 22, 1812 when the Swiss traveler Johann Ludwig Burckhardt became the first European to win the trust of the locals and convince them to lead him to the ancient city that the Nabateans had carved into the rocks. Until then it remained terra incognita to Westerners, a secret that the Bedouin kept well hidden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The UNESCO-protected archaeological site of Petra is magnificent, as is the experience of a lifetime and hiking along the winding Siq canyon, among the pink sandstone rocks, which at every turn reveals new shocking images. Most visitors make their way to the Vault, the much-photographed and truly impressive burial monument that old-timers remember from the 1989 blockbuster Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Locals for years believed that it indeed hid some treasure – as evidenced by the bullet marks on the facade, the result of the efforts of scouts and adventurers to locate it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, Petra is much more than perhaps its most famous monument. Take your time – the deeper you go into the archaeological park, the less people you will meet – and reach the tomb of Hydria, the Roman theater, the Nymphaeum, the street of Columns, the Great Temple and, of course, the Monastery. Here, consider a stop at the tourist refreshment bar for a refreshing lemon mint essential, in order to gain strength and continue.<\/p>\n\n\n
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- A day in Jerash<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Also known as the “Pompeii of the Middle East” and one of the best-preserved Roman cities in the wider region, <\/strong>Jerash, whose foundation is attributed to the generals of Alexander the Great (or according to others to him), acts as the undeniable witness of a past that moves to this day. Buried for centuries under the sand, part of its ruins were discovered in 1806 by the persistent German explorer Ulrich Jasper Seetzen (1767-1811). Excavations began in 1925 and continue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
An ideal day trip from Amman, from which it is only 50 minutes by car, <\/strong>Jerash was part of the Decapolis, that is, the federation of Hellenistic cities (but there were more than 10), which enjoyed important privileges in the territories of the Roman empire. You will need several hours to tour the entire archaeological site, which covers an area of 81,000 sq.m. The well-preserved monuments – from the spectacular Hadrian’s Gate, which is also the entry point, to the Hippodrome, the Agora, the North and South Theater, the Nymphaeum, the temples of Zeus and Artemis and the ancient olive press – become the stations of a fascinating journey through time, allowing the visitor to imagine what life might have been like in Jerash 2,000 years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n
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- Jordan River<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Crowds of Christian travelers from every denomination flock every year to the place where Jesus is said to have been baptized, in the Jordan River. The remains of five temples built here between the 5th and 12th centuries testify to the sanctity of the area. The river bed separates Jordan from Israel – at the baptismal site the Israeli outpost can be seen a breath away, with the water forming a natural border between the two countries. Until 1994, when a peace agreement was signed between Jordan and Israel, the area was military. Today, special electric vehicles transport visitors to the site, disembarking at the Orthodox church of Agios Ioannis, donated by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.<\/p>\n\n\n
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- Natural spa at the Dead Sea<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
This is the lowest point on Earth. With a negative altitude of about -400m above the surface of the Mediterranean, you will feel your ears plugging as you drive down Mount Nembo, just like when landing or taking off when traveling by plane. The Jordanian part of the Dead Sea (the opposite side is shared by Israel and the West Bank) is monopolized by hotels and resorts, which usually also have spa facilities. Note that access to the beach is difficult if you are not staying at one of the Dead Sea properties. One day here is enough – the whole experience is basically summed up in one dive, where due to the high buoyancy you won’t be able to swim, but just float without making the slightest effort (which is why you’ll see everyone entering the water with \u2026 reverse). Due to the high salinity, avoid diving if you have open wounds or irritated skin and be careful not to get water in your eyes. On your way out, look for the special containers with the black mud of the Dead Sea on the shore and do a quick spa treatment by anointing your body, face and hair with this natural cosmetic, which is also widely used as an ingredient in cosmetology. Leave it on for 10 minutes and wash off – your skin will feel healthy, renewed and firm, like a baby.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before you leave for Jordan, be sure to get the Jordan Pass in time (available in 3 different versions with a different price each, depending on what is included, the cost starts from 90 euros). It is an advantageous option, which will ensure you free access to the most important attractions in Jordan while also covering the costs of the tourist visa. Information and purchase at jordanpass.jo<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The night has covered everything. Outside, in front of my Sun City Camp tent-dome, the chatter of my fellow travelers who, sitting around the…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3002,2993,2999],"tags":[3306,1713,3214,1602,4354],"class_list":["post-13887","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-destinations","category-life","category-travel","tag-destinations","tag-jordan","tag-life","tag-travel","tag-visits"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13887","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=13887"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13887\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13895,"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13887\/revisions\/13895"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=13887"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=13887"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.liberalglobe.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=13887"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- Natural spa at the Dead Sea<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Jordan River<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- A day in Jerash<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
- Aspects of the Petra<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n