Jordan
I had never made a real new year’s resolution, aside from the mandatory ones I had to do in elementary school. In general, if I wanted to accomplish something, I just did it. It was also a way of avoiding things I felt I “should” do, which often involved becoming entangled in a web of guilt, justification, and ultimately disregard until the next year. Heading into 2019 felt different. Aspects of my professional life felt out of control and unfulfilling—a somewhat disappointing situation after working hard for so many years. In response, I had taken up hobbies like sewing, running, and pom-pom making, which were all measurable activities that could either be mindless or goal-driven, depending on my therapeutic needs that day. In 2019, resolutions seemed purposeful and appropriate.
In my little red catch-all moleskin journal, I wrote:
1. Sew an item of clothing
2. Break 7:30 pace
3. Petra!
4. Write more
5. Sedona – solo trip
Trying to make Petra become a reality, I kept an eye on flight deal websites. For the past few years, I had been spoiled by Google Flight’s $400-500 roundtrip flights to Japan, Mexico, Hungary, Colombia, and Ecuador. Flights to Jordan were tracking well above $1000 at the beginning of the year. Finally, more than half way through 2019, theflightdeal.com published a deal for $780 on Delta from San Francisco to Amman, with a short layover in Paris. I’m sure this isn’t the best deal in the history of SFO-AMM flights, but it was a fair price to get to Petra. After some harried texts with Jason, we booked and paid for our flight. For all you travel nerds trying to get the cheapest flight, I looked back at the email confirmation and it was around midday on a Wednesday. And, yes, I was at work.
Our typical vacation-planning always starts with dates, then flights (usually a fantastic deal), then itinerary planning. Now that we had our flights set, we could concentrate on the itinerary. Of course, Petra was the motivation for our Jordan trip, but as I settled into Tripadvisor’s Jordan forum, talked to a Palestinian coworker from Jordan, and read through both the Lonely Planet and Rough Guide travel guides, I learned that there were so many other places to see. Suddenly, 10 full days in Jordan was not enough time to do everything we wanted at the pace we preferred. There was the fertile and agricultural north, the ruins of Umm Qais near the Syrian border, the Roman city of Jerash, the mosaics in Madaba, the ancient city of As-Salt, the bustling capital of Amman, the Dead Sea, the Azraq wetlands, Petra, Wadi Rum, the eastern desert castles, the King’s Highway, the Dana Biosphere Reserve and its surrounding impressive Wadis (river canyons), the coral reefs of the Red Sea, and the port city of Aqaba in the South.
We prioritized our destinations based on our interests, geographic feasibility, and seasonality. Since our trip was planned for mid-November, some of the more adventurous hiking trails through wadis (like Wadi Mujib) would already be closed due to the dangerous flash floods at the beginning of the rainy season. A few locales were just too far off the beaten path (Azraq, Umm Qais, As-Salt) and would have to be saved for a future trip. The expense of some points of interest (like the Feynan Ecolodge) did not justify our limited time. Given that we aren’t particularly religious people, we skipped religious pilgrimage sites like Mount Nebo (where Moses saw the Promised Land) and Bethany Beyond the Jordan (where Jesus was baptized), though we did stop to gaze over the same rocky ledge as Moses, straining to see Israel and the land of milk and honey in the thick haze. We aren’t ruins buffs either, so opted to stay on the Desert Highway rather than venturing off to explore the eastern desert castles. Lastly, we researched the moon phases to coincide with our time in Wadi Rum in order to give us the best chance of seeing the stars at night. Considering all of this, we mapped out our itinerary to start in Madaba, followed by the Dead Sea, Dana, Petra, Aqaba, Wadi Rum, and finally Jerash and Amman.
In a country that’s less than a quarter of the size of California, once we mapped our destinations, it made sense to rent a car and drive ourselves. Jordan does not require an international driver’s license, but does, of course, require that you have a valid local driver’s license. At the time of my research on tripadvisor forums, I decided to book with a rental company named Monte Carlo, based in Amman. The destination experts on the forum will tell you to avoid Amman traffic, and after witnessing the driving conditions in Amman for myself, I would heed that advice. Luckily, we were able to do that by receiving the car at our hotel in Madaba (for an extra fee), then dropping it off at the Monte Carlo office in north Amman on our way back to the city from Jerash. Our driving experience was pleasant overall (Jordanians drive on the right side, like the US) and allowed us to be flexible in our itinerary (remember to bring your audio adapter and phone charger!). Be wary, though, of the many speed bumps and speed traps, especially on the Desert Highway. We were fined the lowest-tier speeding ticket (about USD $20) in a construction zone, and fortunately didn’t encounter any of the bribery or passport-confiscation I read about on the forums. We paid the ticket in cash (Jordanian Dinar, or JD) at the car rental office upon return. In terms of way-finding, we were able to do this with a combination of offline Google Maps, Maps.me, and Jason’s cellular service. We didn’t end up paying for a SIM card, and didn’t get upsold on the GPS from Monte Carlo.
For some reason, the thing that stresses me out the most before a trip is getting from the airport to the hotel without any local currency. Unlike more modern cities with excellent public transportation infrastructure, we didn’t have the options of buying transportation with a credit card or cashless payment through ride sharing apps. I had opted not to pick up the rental car at Queen Alia Airport because we arrived at midnight, and wasn’t sure about way-finding to Madaba in the dark. The only option left was to take a taxi. I had read on the forums that “most hotels” would pay the taxi in JD in exchange for your equivalent USD, so I put my faith in that plan. I even emailed the hotel asking if this would be okay. While this is ultimately what happened, the overnight reception/security guy at our hotel tried to protest this exchange, which led to an angry taxi driver. The overnight receptionist subsequently negotiated a highly unfair exchange rate with me, and I was able to pay the irate taxi driver in JD. So, I suppose it worked out in the end, and the exchange rate may have been similar to one you’d get at your home bank prior to departure.
With the stressful taxi situation behind us, and a bit of sleep overnight at the Mosaic City Hotel, we woke up to Madaba drenched in sunlight. Looking out across the balcony into the cityscape, the east-facing cinderblock and stone facades brightly reflected their off-white and sand hues. A minaret, silent for now, pierced the skyline. We hurriedly ate a typical Jordanian hotel buffet breakfast of olives, tomatoes, cucumbers, pickled carrots, fuul, falafel, jibneh (cheese), hummus, zaatar and khubez (flatbread) before collecting our rental car and exchanging USD to JDs (highly recommend exchanging money in a main city like Amman, Madaba or Aqaba over smaller towns or tourist traps like Wadi Musa). Before setting off on our roadtrip to the Dead Sea, we wandered around Madaba for a couple hours before we had to checkout of the hotel.
About 30 minutes from Amman, Madaba is comparatively calmer, older, and way smaller—a perfect town to get one’s bearings at the beginning of a trip. Most tourists visit Madaba to see its mosaics, specifically an ancient mosaic map of the Holy Land in St George’s church. This art form flourished in the 500s AD under Christian rule and many of the mosaics are very well preserved even after the Persians and Muslims gained control of the region. With our tour books on hand to recount the history and significance of Madaba and its touristic highlights, we first saw the mosaic map. We must have arrived before any tour buses because there were relatively few people in St George’s and we had excellent views of the map in its entirety. You can hire a guide to explain the map, but our Rough Guide and Lonely Planet books provided excellent background and interpretation. On the walls of this small Greek Orthodox church, be sure to check out the newer, but very beautiful and intricate mosaics of religious iconography and scenes. In the crypt, we also saw the miraculous third blue hand that suddenly appeared in a picture of the Virgin and Child in 1976!
Heading back into the narrow streets filled with tchotchkes, carpets, and pomegranate juice carts, we also checked out other notable Byzantine mosaics in the Archeological Park and the Burnt Palace. Compared to the map, the mosaics in these attractions were far more vibrant and artistic, depicting decorative motifs, Greek and Roman mythology, and scenes of life in ancient Madaba. While the mosaics have been amazingly restored and preserved in the present day, many depictions of living animals and people were partially or completely disfigured back in the 700s, when Umayyad rule believed that depictions of living beings were blasphemous, under the assumption that Muhammad was the sole creator. Take your time going through these ruins to view the mosaics. Many locals seem to be either wandering the grounds—possibly from the nearby Institute for Mosaic Art—or in charge of managing it. We interacted with an older man who stamped our Jordan Pass and was feeding bits of khubez to a playful kitten.
Our time was up in old Madaba, signaled by the midday call to prayer broadcasted from the striking Hussein bin Talal Mosque. We fired up our red Chevy Aveo sedan, gingerly venturing into the hubbub of modern Madaba traffic. We were headed to our next destination, the Dead Sea, to finally catch a breather after our trans-Atlantic flight and 8-hour layover in Paris. The point of staying at the Dead Sea on the Jordan side is to relax, and that was done in luxurious style at the Kimpinski Hotel Ishtar. Most of the resorts are toward the north end of the Dead Sea in Sweimeh, and you can visit Mt Nebo and Jesus’ Baptism Site on the way, if you’re so inclined. Because our main goal was to float in the Dead Sea, we skipped the religious sites and were able to check in at the Kimpinski slightly early. Awed by the airy, modern space and Babylonian architectural concept, we quickly changed and made our down to the hotel’s private beach.
In the afternoon sun, the beach was pleasantly empty, with only a handful of people enjoying the warmth and reportedly medicinal properties of the Dead Sea. There were gentle laps at the shoreline, but the water was calm enough to float without getting the salty, stinging water in our eyes. We dutifully floated, applied the magic mud (conveniently collected in an urn), took our pictures, waited for the mud to dry, then floated again to wash the mud off. There are lots of interesting tidbits of information about the Dead Sea, such as its cure-all minerals, the time one should spend on a daily basis to get its full healing benefits, and the apparent optional need for sunscreen given its location 400 meters below sea level. Regardless of the mythology, floating in the Dead Sea is an incredible experience and a must do! The water feels heavy and thick, one of the reasons why swimming is forbidden given the high rate of drowning, but is excellent for the purposes of floating. Imagine feeling weightless, bobbing gently in the warm water, looking up at an endless blue sky with a light wind inching sparse wisps of clouds eventually beyond your view.
Behind the luxury and peacefulness of the Dead Sea though, a sad story lies. There are many stories about how the Dead Sea is dying, evaporating at an alarming rate. Some predict that the Dead Sea will be completely dry within this century. Development is unbridled, leaving many unknowns about the ecological impact of an already delicate environment. There are plans to pump sea water from the Red Sea into the Dead Sea, but the construction timeline may not be swift enough to keep up with the evaporation. With these misgivings, we only stayed at the Kimpinski for one night, though in an alternate geo-eco-political universe, one could definitely spend many days at the resort for the ultimate in relaxation and wellness.
After enjoying the Kimpinski’s infinity pool, al fresco dining, and spacious room with an awesome bathroom, we took off the next morning down the well-maintained Dead Sea Highway, which was the fastest way to get to Dana Biosphere, our next destination. Driving south, we stopped at the Dead Sea Museum to learn about the history and industry of the region, and at a random road-side marker to hike down to the salt-ladden shores. Be prepared for lots of flies everywhere there isn’t a breeze! Along the Dead Sea Highway, you can veer off for Wadi Mujib, Ma’in Hot Spings, and Lot’s Sanctuary. You’ll also pass the potash, phosphate, and other chemical factories along the Southern Dead Sea and Israeli border. For lunch, we stopped in the town of Safi at Safi’s Kitchen, home to a very friendly English-speaking gentleman who, along with his family, runs a restaurant, farm and agritourism business. This area is known for its tomatoes, but also produces much of the fruit and produce crops for Jordan.
After our lunchtime feast and very personable experience with the family of Safi’s Kitchen, we didn’t have as much time in Dana to hike as planned. By the time we arrived at the Dana Guesthouse, there was only about 1.5 hours left of sunlight in the mid-November day. We hurriedly set off down the main Wadi Dana path from the top of the canyon and descended for about 45 minutes. From the top, the valley opened to picturesque rifts, stacked like dominoes to frame a dreamy horizon, as if depicted in sfumato. In the fading daylight, filtered sunbeams dramatically hit the striated red and brown rock faces with a golden, rich light. We scrambled along the rocky landscape, passing pomegranate trees, low lying scrub, and the peculiar urginea maritime plants, a type of squill that appeared like green horns hopefully emerging from the arid, rocky floor. Before spotting flocks of goats and sheep led by their respective shepherds and encouraged along by faithful canine companions bringing up the rear, we could hear the brassy rattles of their cow bells as the ambled uphill toward home. Weary of darkness nearing, we headed back the way we came, only hiking a small portion of the 14km path that connects Dana Village with Feynan in the south. Luckily, we made it back to the top just in time for an epic sunset.
The Dana Biosphere Reserve was established in the 1990s by The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature (RSCN), and is touted as a highest example of ecotourism, the crown jewel being the Feynan Ecolodge. We stayed at the relatively economical Dana Guesthouse (be sure to get a room with its own bathroom, as the shower overlooks the Valley!), which turned out to be clean, pleasant lodging for the night. During our stay, the clientele at the Guesthouse was European Decathalon-clad backpackers of all ages and small, quiet groups of younger Americans in their 20s and 30s. During another trip, I would love to hike the full Wadi Dana trail to Feynan Ecolodge and stay there a few nights to take advantage of their “curriculum” featuring star gazing, nature walks, and cultural experiences like cooking, roasting coffee, or collecting herbs with local guides. There are many hikes and campsites that sound fantastic, but many are seasonal trails and require a hired guide, so plan accordingly. Before you leave, check out the Wild Jordan nature shop right next to the Guesthouse to support local women and artisans who make lovely herbal teas, wonderful scented soaps, and other handicrafts. We bought Dana tea (an oregano, sage, and rosemary tea), olive oil soaps, and colorful olive seed prayer beads.
If you’re super adventurous, you could hike all the way to Petra along the Jordan Trail, but of course we drove our trusty Aveo down a small stretch of the King’s Highway to Wadi Musa. This part of the highway is not particularly picturesque, though we enjoyed the moody landscapes punctuated by the occasional collection of turbines. By the time we arrived in Wadi Musa around noon, the dark clouds had disappeared. We checked into La Maison Hotel Petra, which is just a short walk from the main gate. Excited to activate our 2-day Jordan Pass, we breezed through the ticket gates and headed through the Siq, a paved slot canyon that eventually opens up to the Treasury, the most famous façade of Petra. Along the way, there are souvenir stalls in the visitor center offering to wrap a kiffiyeh around your head, snack and drink shacks before the entrance to the Siq, and many horse and carriage drivers promising the best way to see Petra. If you research Wadi Musa and Petra on tripadvisor forums, the impression you’ll get is that Wadi Musa is a tourist trap and prices for common goods and food are grossly inflated compared to prices in Amman or other cities. This was basically true, and we were able to focus on getting into Petra without stopping because we had filled up our water bottles at the Dana Guesthouse and brought a few nonperishable Cliff bars from home.
We knew we were almost at the end of the Siq when the murmuring grew louder. It’s nearly impossible not to make an audible exclamation when the narrow path curves and only a sliver of the two thousand year old Treasury is visible, awash in bright early afternoon light. On that Thursday, the area in front of the Treasury was full, but not packed. The enormity of the façade, with its columns, entablature, pediment, and decorative statuary all directly carved into the rock face, is definitely a wonder to behold. Footholds may be seen to each side of the Treasury, traces of how workers reached the upper storey. The detailed carvings are still exquisite because the orientation of the façade is protected against wind and rain that perennially flows through the wadis. One can imagine Nabatean traders and Roman merchants congregating in Petra before the Treasury, which functioned possibly as a temple or tomb. However, now these figures are replaced by instagrammers in flowy dresses (highly impractical for real hiking in Petra!), Saudi tourists with well-groomed facial hair and reflective aviators, and colorfully-dressed camels patiently awaiting photo ops.
We wanted to see the Treasury just after sunrise, before the hoards of tourists. This is a must-do in Petra.
Eager to maximize our full half-day in Petra, with the end-goal of seeing the Monastery right before sunset, when the lighting is best, we set off on an alternate route up to the High Place of Sacrifice. From here, the views overlooking the street of facades are breathtaking, and the ascent will quite literally leave you breathless as well. Playing with cats along the way, we headed along the Wadi Farasa trail, where you can explore tombs and appreciate views of Umm Al-Biyara. Winding down to the city center, we passed the rest stop and started the uphill journey to the Monastery. This path is flanked by souvenir vendors and studded with the malodorous droppings of mules and donkeys, drearily carrying tourists up and down the narrow graveled path and steep stone stairs. Dodging the obstacles is worthwhile though to glimpse the Monastery in the late afternoon. This façade is much larger and less ornate than the Treasury, but is spectacular nonetheless. There are various trails that you can scramble to get a higher view of the Monastery; these points are nice for cooling off, too, as the winds pick up and the temperature drops just before dusk.
By the time we made it back to the main gate at the visitor center, it was twilight and we were exhausted and sticky. We had plans to see Petra By Night, which is an over-priced nighttime light and music show put on by an association of locals (not by the government), so we showered and headed down the road to finally eat a real meal. Not thrilled with the nearby options, we decided to give Petra Oriental a try, despite its name. We stuck to the Jordanian dishes and ordered two hearty dishes: maqluba (a tasty seasoned rice dish covering juicy chicken, and accented by eggplant, cauliflower, potatoes, and a cucumber-yogurt sauce) and mansaf (tender lamb cooked with jameed, a sour yogurt, and placed atop seasoned rice and shrak, a Bedouin flat bread). To drink, we had a super refreshing lemon mint juice and a warm herbal thyme tea.
After that dinner, it was hard to think about venturing out again and walking nearly a mile back to the Treasury for Petra By Night. There are mixed reviews about this ticketed show, which is only offered on a few days, making the timing of our stay in Petra important. In true FOMO fashion, we decided to bite the bullet on this one, even if it sounded cheesy. We delayed our trek back in so we wouldn’t have to deal with as many tourists. One of the redeeming qualities of this excursion, I suppose, was the nighttime experience of journeying through the Siq, lit only by moonlight and a few candles alongside the pathway. One could imagine being a weary Nabataean coming back from Hegra, or an ancient Roman sneaking through the Siq to wage a surprise attack on Petra. When we arrived back at the Treasury, it was aglow with hundreds of flickering candles placed in the gravelly sand in front of it. If you can ignore the crowd of tourists hopelessly trying to take pictures with their measly camera phone flash (you know, the kind that results in a blurry, washed out dark picture), then it’s actually quite beautiful. Bedouins handed out sweet lukewarm tea for us enjoy, and soon began their show, which consisted of a storyteller (unintelligible among the murmur of middle aged women trying to figure out how to take a non-washed out picture on their ipads), an oud player (I’m no oud-expert, but it sounded like his instrument hadn’t been tuned since the Nabataean times), and a light show that turned the Treasury into a Disney-worthy rainbow of color. After the squeaky oud was put away and the tourists started shuffling out, the instagrammers hung back, waiting for that moment to dramatically put a candle up to their face, or to pretend-walk through the candles with their flowy skirts and outstretched arms with relaxed ballet hands toward the Treasury. Keep in mind that if you want a quality photo, a tripod is necessary but not unfortunately allowed. When the trail of dust out of the Siq cleared, we walked back to our hotel, having completed no less than 20 miles of walking that day alone.
The next day started early, at 5am. We wanted to see the Treasury just after sunrise, before the hoards of tourists. This is a must-do in Petra. We arranged for a pre-packaged lunch box from our hotel the night before, so that we wouldn’t have to worry about food and water once inside the gate. We made it to the gate at 6am, when it opens, and rushed through the Siq for the 5th time. The stillness, save for a gentle cool wind, and the early morning light provide a sacred space to once again appreciate the Treasury’s façade. We also were able to see the Treasury from two additional vantage points, one of which can be accessed just across from the Treasury. The other is accessed by the Al-Khubtha trail, a magnificent but strenuous hike where you’ll pass goats scaling sheer cliffs, impressive stairways that seem to lead to the sky, and finally a charming Bedouin café of sorts perched on a high cliff edge. Here, you’ll be rewarded with pomegranate juice and cardamom coffee to sip on while looking down at the Treasury as the sun slowly illuminates it. Definitely do this hike in the early morning, otherwise you’ll need to pack in a significant amount of water.
The Al-Khubtha trail
A magnificent but strenuous hike where you’ll pass goats scaling sheer cliffs, impressive stairways that seem to lead to the sky, and finally a charming Bedouin café of sorts perched on a high cliff edge.
After coming back down the Al-Khubtha trail, we explored the East Cliff and the Royal Tombs. These are fun because you can go inside many of them. If you continue along the East Cliff, there is an alternate exit out of Petra for those who have time. Even though it was nearly noon, there aren’t too many tourists in this part of Petra. Most tourist groups come with tours, so they stay along the main trail between the Treasury, Street of Facades, and the Monastery. Being mindful of our itinerary and the drive to Aqaba, our last stop was at the Petra Museum, just outside the main gate. Most tour books actually recommend going here before you see Petra, which I probably agree with. At a quick pace, the museum takes about 1.5-2 hours to fully appreciate all the valuable information and artifacts, so plan accordingly.
The drive down to Aqaba from Petra is largely uninteresting on the Desert Highway. We passed the exit to Wadi Rum, which we would be going to following our stay in Aqaba, and were relieved to finally see ocean and trees after so much tan and brown in the rocky desert landscape. Aqaba wasn’t initially on our list of must-sees in Jordan. It is an economic hub in Jordan, a major tourism entry point, a port city, and a beach resort area that locals frequent especially in the summer. In a short stay, the tourist or vacationer can be blissfully unaware of the larger geopolitics in the Sinai Peninsula, as the Gulf of Aqaba’s shores include Jordan, Israel, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. Our main intent was to try scuba diving in the Red Sea and to see what was left of the vibrant coral population before it was too late.
Jason and I had never tried diving, and only one of us was excited for this potentially dangerous sport. We picked an outfitter that had good reviews on tripadvisor, and arranged for 2 “trial dives”, which don’t require any certification. They are short 30-45 minute dives with minimal instruction before piling equipment on and heading into the water. The main take home point was ‘don’t let the regulator out of your mouth’. Armed with this piece of valuable advice, we stuffed ourselves into wetsuits, put on the heavy equipment, awkwardly struggled down the rocky beach and entered the water. Our instructor chose two dive sites based on visibility conditions that day. Aqaba has no shortage of diving choices; there are man-made sites with sunken tankers and planes, and other natural sites known for a diversity of coral species and colorful fish. The first dive was uneventful and exhilarating, if not initially terrifying. Having only snorkled in Hawaii, the diversity of corals and their shapes and colors were breathtaking. The second dive was more relaxing until I had a freak out moment resulting in losing my regulator at about 30 feet down. Panicking, I started swimming in the only direction I knew I would eventually be able to breathe—up. Who knows how my ears felt under the pressure changes. All I could focus on was the sunlight beyond the darker depths of the water. I don’t think I had a near-pass out moment, but it was definitely a scary experience. Once I caught my breath, I was able to go back down, but you can bet I had my hand on the regulator the whole time and I probably left an impression of my bite. Anyway, I guess the point of that story is that despite the scary, I-almost-died moment, the diving experience in the Red Sea was basically worth it even though I probably will never go diving again unless I have a personal guide and actually get certified.
In Aqaba, we stayed at the baller Al Manara hotel. Al Manara is in the Marriott’s Autograph Collection and is located in a quieter area at the edge of a development zone primarily for luxury hotels and residences, yet still within easy walking distance from town. The hotel is beautiful for relaxing, and has it own little waterway and pier for watersports, nice swimming pools, and pretty decent food at hotel prices. We ate dinner in the hotel on our first night (they have a tasty rendition of sayadieh, a Levantine grilled fish atop rice dish), but ventured out for the rest of our meals, which is what I would recommend for you too. We had a fantastic breakfast at Al Mohandes Cafeteria for around 3JD—not even a small fraction of our dinner at the hotel the night before. It’s all the usual Jordanian fare, including hummus, falafel, pickles, salad, khubez, and fried egg, but so tasty and satisfying. I would eat all meals here everyday if I ever went back to Aqaba, which is unlikely.
Following our two night stay at the Al Manara, we set out for Wadi Rum. This protected area is movie-famous as the backdrop for many productions, including Lawrence of Arabia, Star Wars, and The Martian. After The Martian was filmed, “martian” dome accommodations became popular in Wadi Rum, elevating the tourism industry to more luxurious stays compared to Bedouin camps and traditional tents without running water, heat or air conditioning. There is much debate on tripadvisor forums over the authenticity and ethics of these camps, as many of them are not locally owned, but rather backed by money from Amman, Aqaba or international investments. Prior to our knowledge of this debate though, the pictures of the martian dome camps looked awesome! Even Elon Musk had stayed at one, called Sun City Camp. We decided we must stay there, even though the nightly rate was ridiculous. It’s also, we later found out, outside of the protected Wadi Rum area, and instead is accessed off a main road near the small town of Disah. When we arrived at Sun City, we parked our car near some camels and checked in to our martian tent, fortuitously on the outer rim of the camp for a completely unobstructed view of the desert. Since there wasn’t much to do at the camp itself, we drove to the Wadi Rum Visitors Center to see the majestic Jabal Al Mazmar at sunset. Don’t be fooled by the Bedouin men at the entrance to the visitors center demanding an entrance fee or a booking with a jeep tour company; just show them your Jordan Pass, which includes the entry fee into the Wadi Rum protected area.
Dinner at Sun City was somewhat of a cluster. Since it is quite a large camp and accessible by a paved road, many tour buses drop loads of tourists here to dine in the buffet hall. This, obviously, makes for a less-than-relaxing experience. Our second night, without a major tour eating dinner at the camp, was much more civil, but I managed to crack a small part of my tooth on some lamb bones in the zarb. Anyway, a highlight of Sun City is the stargazing. The martian domes have small decks and you can pull out the bean bag chairs, wrap a blanket around you, and gaze into the brilliant nightsky. If I were to return to Wadi Rum, which would be a treat, I would opt to stay in a camp within the protected area, setting my expectations for a rugged, no-frills experience.
“…a highlight of Sun City is the stargazing. The martian domes have small decks and you can pull out the bean bag chairs, wrap a blanket around you, and gaze into the brilliant nightsky.”
Perhaps offsetting our support of non-Bedouin, non-ecofriendly Sun City, Jason had booked a day-long Jeep tour with Wadi Rum Desert Eyes, a tour company established by Khaled, who comes from a multi-generational family in Wadi Rum, and his wife Scotia. Mohammad picked us up from Sun City at 9 AM in his cool Saudi Land Cruiser, and we drove to the desert area north of Disah to see two rock bridges. The timing was excellent because very few tourists were there at that hour, and we could explore the bridges all on our own. At one of the bridges, we also stopped for tea prepared by a very nice Bedouin man in a nearby tent, where I bought a small jar of scented dried Wadi Rum flowers (supposedly picked typically in the Spring) that you rub into your skin or use to scent your clothes.
Crossing back into Wadi Rum, we met Khaled and continued with him in his car. He convinced us to sit on the top of his Jeep for part of the drive, which was a very thrilling experience. Jason wanted to try sandboarding, so we stopped at the vibrant red dunes. Though the dry sand made for a slow ride down, now Jason can say that he has sandboarded in the desert. The hike up to the apex of the dunes also afforded majestic 360° views of the desert. We also saw Khazali Canyon, with its ancient petroglyphs and Thamudic, Nabataean and Islamic inscriptions, walked through a narrow Siq (though it was sadly littered with trash), saw all three rock bridges, scrambled a bit around Lawrence's house, and stopped briefly at Mushroom rock. At Um Fruth, besides walking across the rock bridge, we also enjoyed an oud player in the nearby tent, as well as an impromptu song in which all the local guides joined in--clapping, ululations, and lots of joshing around by the younger participants. For lunch, we stopped in a shady, wind-protected area to eat. Mohammad had cooked a wide spread with delicious tea (Bedouin whiskey, as we were told many times). Here, we were treated to a spontaneous crossing of curious goats. Later, we were also able to stop our car to engage with a friendly herd of camels, which gently nibbled on our hands with their soft lips (keep your fingers curled in!) and sniffed with their cute noses. Playing with random animals is definitely a recurring highlight of our international trips. To end our day, Mohammad drove us deep into the desert where the red and white sands meet. We stopped at a high point, where we witnessed a beautiful sunset over the Saudi Arabian mountains.
Reluctant to leave Wadi Rum the next morning, we started our long drive back up the Desert Highway to Amman. While it’s not a nerve-wracking drive, there is so much construction along the highway with constantly changing speed zones that we inevitably got pulled over for a speeding ticket in a construction zone, as mentioned earlier. Never mind that other local cars were going much faster. Despite this setback, we made pretty good time and decided that we could fit in Jerash before returning our rental car. Jerash is known for its Roman and Byzantine ruins, and was likely inhabited as far back as the Neothilic period 7,000-9,000 years ago. Even though we had to zip through the site, the ruins really are remarkable and beautiful at sunset.
With the clock ticking down on our rental, we made it back to the Monte Carlo office in northern Amman just in time. I had read that some tourists were offered a ride back to their hotel, but no such offer was given to us. So, we hired an Uber and waded through painful rush hour Amman traffic to the Intercontinental. This is one of the hotels that hosts high-profile events, and well-dressed people were arriving in their limos when we arrived dusty and sticky from our long day that had started in the desert. Pretty tired, we got a quick shawarma dinner at Reem’s near second circle and called it a night.
Refreshed after a good night’s sleep, we set out to explore Amman on our last day in Jordan. We were scheduled to fly out after midnight that night, so we basically had the whole day to wander around. We started off on Rainbow street since it was nearby, but most of the shops were still closed in the morning. Lucky for us, Al Quds was open and frying up some fresh falafel. We each got a spicy falafel wrap for 1 or 2 JD as our breakfast. Now that our stomachs were satiated, we wandered around the neighborhood, which had beautiful old houses, creeping vines and bougainvilleas along the walls, colorful hanging umbrellas and street art enlivening side streets, and, of course, street cats galore. A number of art galleries are worth checking out in this area, and we learned that Amman Design Week had recently transpired. One gallery I particularly enjoyed is called Nabad Art Gallery. It was here that I learned about Syrian artist Boutros Al-Maari, whose work is vaguely reminiscent of Marc Chagall in its whimsical perspective and floating, winged subjects.
Having made our way down the hill to downtown Amman, our next destination was Hashem, a favorite of locals and tourists alike. The servers expertly guided us to an open table and brought us dishes without our explicit ordering. The hummus, falafel, moutabel, flat bread and pickles were all excellent. They also serve a black tea that you can sweeten to your desire with the little pot of sugar on everyone’s table. It was here that our dining neighbors struck up a conversation with us. They were brothers, probably in their young 20s. One was still living in Amman and working, and the other worked at the Dead Sea Marriott Hotel. Seemingly eager to practice his English, Abdullah chatted with us throughout our meal and invited us to try his favorite knafeh at Habibah Sweets down the street. Taken by their friendliness, and having read about Habibah in my food research, we trustingly followed them. Abdullah ordered for us, and he was right—this was the best knafeh! We had tried some at the Sun City buffet and in Aqaba, but this one was fresh and warm and utterly delicious. Since next on the agenda for Abdullah and his brother was a hookah session, which they invited us to, we decided to part ways, but not before becoming facebook friends. Jason and I proceeded to check out the nearby gold market before hiking up to the Citadel for some picturesque views of Amman. From here, you can see the huge Jordanian flag flying proudly in the sky, the boxy houses and buildings jam-packed along the hillsides, and the Roman Amphitheater. Coldplay was actually set to perform their Youtube concert here, so their set up prevented us from fully exploring the site beyond the beautiful domed mosque. With mid-afternoon quickly passing, we walked down to check out the Amphitheater and its small museum with some notable textiles and jewelry artifacts. The air was rapidly cooling as we wandered in the nearby souks filled with spices, nuts, produce, electronics, clothing, and anything else you can think of. We tried to not be in the way of the early evening rush outside the nearby Grand Husseini Mosque.
In search of our dinner, we headed back toward the Intercontinental, but first decided to see if we could enter the King Abdullah Mosque as our last sight in Amman. Sadly, it was arbitrarily closed earlier than the stated visitors hours. Super hungry, we set off for the Boulevard, a modern, new, open air mall in Al Abdali, close to the mosque. As our last meal in Jordan, we had hamburgers and the elusive Popeye’s spicy chicken sandwich from The Boulevard’s food court. We ubered back to the hotel, where Jason was actually able to shower in the health club, and briefly rested there before we took off for Queen Alia airport in a fancy black BMW hotel car.
Our trip to Jordan was over too suddenly. What started off as a fascination with Petra had developed into an almost obsessive research and planning endeavor that clearly showed there wasn’t enough time to see and experience all of what Jordan had to offer. There is definitely something for every tourist’s interests in Jordan: history, archeology, religion, culture, politics, gastronomy, architecture, nature, and adventure. To stand on the same land that so many people have tread on—Greeks, Romans, Nabateans, Ottomans, Muslims, Palestinians, Turks, Crusaders, nomadic tribes across ages, to name a few—is awe-inspiring. I had been to countries in Europe with rich histories, but to be at the intersection of the histories of so many peoples, eras, and conflicts was humbling. As an American exposed to American media, it was also impressive be in a currently peaceful country surrounded by Syria, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon, and Egypt. Jordan is not a cheap place to travel, but the price is well worth the investment in life long memories, rich culture and history, and kind-hearted people. Until next time, Jordan.
