Ken and I have been discussing about visiting Jordan in the past months, and finally, we booked our trip there, a postponed Hari Raya holiday for us!
Jordan is a country in Western Asia spanning the southern part of the Syrian Desert down to the Gulf of Aqaba. It shares control of the Dead Sea with Israel. Much of Jordan is covered by desert and rocky grounds, particularly the Arabian Desert. The capital city is Amman.
Places travelled in Jordan
It was a 5D4N trip. There is so much to write about our trip but these are highlights of our trip, so bear with me if this post is too long.
As we flew across Saudi Arabia towards Jordan, we got an aerial view of the circular plant stress genomics. Scientists at KAUST plan to sequence the genomes of “extremophile” plants i.e. species like the mangroves and saltbushes of Saudi Arabia, which naturally tolerate scorching, dry, saline conditions – in the hopes of creating new strains of food crops that display the same resilience. It was amazing to see these! Jordan’s primary natural resource is phosphate deposits which can be found amidst rocky grounds of the country.
Aerial view of grass plots in Saudi Arabia
Closer shot of grass plots
Aerial view of Jordan
We arrived in Amman and spent the first day free and easy. Weather was highest at 27°C during day time and around 16 to 18°C at nights. We walked around the streets during the day and went for coffee at night in this café, Coffee Republic. We met a very friendly waitress there. Her name is Taghreed (which means birds chirping), whom we made friends with very quickly and left our contacts with her before we left. She is so sweet, she bought us coffee the second time we were there!
Coffee in Coffee Republic cafe in Amman city
On the second day, we visited Jerash and the Dead Sea. The ancient city of Jerash is known for the ruins of the Greco-Roman city of Gerasa and is considered one of the best preserved Roman cities in the Middle East. It was a city of the Decapolis.
Arch of Hadrian
The oval plaza - for forums and announcements
Nymphaeum - for fountains and springs
Theatre
Chariot tracks
View from inside theatre
Since 1981, the old city of Jerash has hosted the Jerash Festival, a three week long summer program of dance, music, and theatrical performances. The festival is frequently attended by members of the royal family of Jordan and is hailed as one of the largest cultural activities in the region.
We headed for the Dead Sea after our 2-hour walk in Jerash under the sun. The name “Dead Sea” is a translation from the Hebrew name “Yam ha Maved” which means, “Killer Sea”. It is considered the saltiest water than anywhere in the world, almost 9 times saltier than the ocean! The Dead Sea is completely landlocked and is the lowest point on the earth at 400m below sea level. This salinity makes for a harsh environment where animals cannot flourish. Human bodies are more buoyant in the Dead Sea because of the extremely high concentration of dissolved mineral salts in the water. We bobbed like corks in it! The salt and minerals are good for human skin. So is the mud at the bottom of the Dead Sea!
View of Dead Sea from Dead Sea Spa Resort
The guy who sold us the mud told us to do this and we did!
Dead Sea mud on our faces! Natural mask!
Sunset at the Dead Sea
On the third day, we started off a trip to Mount Nebo, one of the most important Christian sites in Jordan. It is approximately 817m above sea level. This was where Moses stood and looked across the Dead Sea at the Holy Land.
At the summit of Mount Nebo
Faint view of Israel behind Dead Sea (look beyond the trees!)
Next we went to Madaba, a city known for its mosaics. The most complete mosaic map of Jordan and the Holy Land was found here in St George Orthodox Church, marked with the points of interest of some historical stories recorded in the Bible.
Mosaic map of Jordan and the Holy Land
Inside St. George's church
We did not spend much time in St George’s church as the drive to Wadi Rum is approximately 3 hours.
Wadi Rum (Arabic word for “valley) resulted from a great crack in the earth caused by an enormous upheaval. It is very popular with travellers because of the abundance of springs. The local people who stayed in Wadi Rum joined the Arab forces under the leadership of king Faisal and fought along with Lawrence of Arabia during the Arab Revolt (1917/18) to fight the occupying Turkish and German armies. Lawrence himself made many references to Wadi Rum in his book ‘The Seven Pillars of Wisdom’, a title apparently inspired by one of Rum’s imposing mountains.
The local tour guide brought us on a 2-hour jeep ride. The desert was red in the evening sun and it was a spectacular view.
Seven pillars of wonder
The desert is orangy red
Basking in the red desert of Wadi Rum
Natural rock formation. You can see a face on the far right of this picture
Train on nearby railway track. Ken managed to catch this on camera!
Ken and I were exhausted after the jeep ride. It was another hour’s drive to Petra where we spent the night before our tour of Petra the next morning. The local tour booked a room in Beit Zaman resort for us, a 5-star hotel! It was beautiful with breathtaking views!
View from our room in Beit Zaman in the morning
View of Beit Zaman resort in the morning
Finally, on the 4th day, (the last day of our tour) we visited Petra, the highlight of our trip. There were so many tourists gathered at the gate of Petra to begin the 5-hour walk in the ancient city of Petra. We were excited about it as it is one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
Petra achieved its greatest importance under the Nabateans, an ancient people whose original homeland was in northeastern Arabia. They migrated westward in the 6th century BC and eventually settled at Petra. Petra was home to as many as 30,000 people. It was during this period that the most impressive structures of Petra were built, including the Treasury. The only entrance into Petra city is through this narrow gorge, Al Siq.
Narrow gorge entrance into Petra city
Natural rock formation. Looks like a fish doesn't it?
Finally, the Treasury building of Petra. It is a Treasure building not for financial reasons but because this building blocks the city from winds and floods
Just love this Treasury building! Can't get enough pictures of it!
Some Roman structures in Petra
Tombs carved out of stone
Ken and I were exhausted and burnt from the sun! It was an amazing experience! We flew back to Dubai the following day in the afternoon, enriched with memories of beautiful ancient Jordan 
