First there is Petra, the wonderful city carved in the mountainside and featuring some incredible buildings like the Treasury, which is emblematic of the site. You arrive at the site after walking half an hour through a narrow gorge called the Siq. Then you see this :
When you arrive at the site you are stunned by the sheer size of this building, carved in the rock of the mountain by the Nabateans in 100 BC. The exact purpose of the building has still not been discovered so far. But I was surprised to see that there are so many other buildings in the area. This was actually not an isolated temple, but a city with an open-air theater, houses, temples, tombs and even a church (although this was a more recent addition). Just to give an idea of the sheer size of the site, here is a view of the southern part of the area. It's one of the most astonishing man-made sites I have seen, and it certainly deserves to be on the list of the New Seven Wonders of the World
Another interesting place to visit is the Dead Sea. You read all sorts of stories about how you can float without having to swim. And yes, you do float effortlessly, but the 31% salt content of the water has several side effects. First it gives a very 'oily' feeling and you have the impression to float in some kind of goo, which not everyone will like. Second, the smell is not exactly what you would expect, and I have to admit that I smelled like a garbage can for a few hours after floating in the Dead Sea. Some say it is due to all the minerals in the water and the mud, but I don't really care - I smelled like I was farting non-stop...
Finally, if you have any cut or skin problem, you will clearly feel the burning effect of the salty water. I discovered a few cuts I did not know I had...
But honestly, it is something you have to try once in your lifetime
Another visit you should not miss - and actually you should spend more than a day to visit this place - is the desert of Wadi Rum. Lawrence of Arabia made the place famous, and the legend (or the true story) tells us that he lived there with his Bedouin friend(s) for many years. The shapes of the granite mountains, the colors of the sands and the vegetation (yes, there are flowers in the desert) are awesome.
It had been raining a few days before our arrival and there were lots of little purple flowers. So the story of the flowering desert is actually true :
There are no roads and all the tracks left by cars or camels are quickly erased by the wind and the ensuing movements of the sand dunes. So you either need a GPS or you need to know all the mountainshapes to find your way around...
Vegetation is not something you expect to find in a desert, but mammals and birds are not something you expect to find either. However, if you are quiet and if you look around, you will see lots of them. The most impressive thing is obviously the camouflage of the little birds. The one below is simply incredible : it really carries the colors of the rocks and the sand in its surroundings
After a day or two in the desert, the Red Sea is a welcome break. Aqaba features more than 10 dive sites which feature a rich sea life, with plenty of corals, hard and soft, and the usual Red Sea neigbours : bannerfish, butterflyfish and the ever-present anemone fish, Captain nemo. The waters are incredibly clear and the visibility is absolutely perfect. Have a look :
All in all, Jordan is clearly a hidden Gem, and there is everything you need for a good holiday : sand (lots of it in the desert), a generous sun, lots of cultural visits and the Red Sea with its warm waters.
A view from Aqaba and the Red Sea to conclude this post
Goodbye Jordan, I'll probably be back
