Jordan

Jordan is lovely and our trip the loveliest!

We got one of those pre arranged trips that included dinners, breakfasts and a guide to tour us everywhere!

I must say that Petra is  probably one of the most amazing places I have ever been! It seems that we spent the whole trip climbing and walking everywhere. Each single night of this trip I felt completely exhausted, but so alive and full of energy!

The great thing about this arranged trip (I am not a big fan of arranged trips) is that we got to see not only Petra but almost everything touristic there was to see in Jordan.

Located in the middle east, Jordan is not a very big country and through the years, it has managed to keep out of the massive conflicts happening around. Its mostly a muslim country, though its known for not being as extremist as others. It has no sea connection and it’s situated between deserts so water is very scarce. People are taught from a young age how to preserve and reduce water use. We were told that some villages only have water supply once or twice a week, which it’s quite scary if you think about it.

Safety/the people/ etc…Jordanians are quite friendly, especially those who are in the hospitality business. In the streets it’s a bit different. As we went to explore Amman by ourselves (only girls), you could notice that most woman use either the burka or long vestments that will cover all their bodies and scarfs on their heads. We saw very few woman dressed otherwise. As we passed by and entered the stores and malls you could feel you were being observed by everyone around you, especially by shop owners as we walked in to buy things without a man’s supervision. It was a bit awkward at first but not enough to make you feel uncomfortable, as most man look more surprised than actually dangerous. In my case the trip went totally fine, no one was rude or treated us in a wrong way. I felt perfectly safe. I think that, as in any other country, you need to keep vigilant, and avoid situations that can put you in complicated situations. As you are in country of traditional muslum culture, restrain yourself a bit. For instance don’t go downtown using miniskirts or shorts and take a scarf in case you feel like covering your arms. These recommendations are mostly for Amman which is not very touristical, but anywhere else, such as the areas near Petra and the monuments, everything was more relaxed and with 40ºC it's quite impossible for anyone to wear anything other than shorts and sleeveless shirts.

Sand Castles

Travel blog: From Amman we went to the Sand Castles, other minor attractions and ,of course, the Dead Sea which was very relaxing and therapeutic. It’s said that if you stay there for one week your skin will look ten years younger! You can’t stay in the water for longer than 30 minutes, God forbids the salty water goes into your eyes but after the baths it looked like I had baby skin and my hair was so strong and healthy I didn’t need to wash it for 3 days! I was quite surprised to find that in order to have access to the dead sea, facilities were built that are nothing but true spas. You can easily spend a few days there, trying all the skin treatments made of Dead Sea products and relaxing in the pool. TIP: Buy all Dead Sea products at the airport because its way cheaper!

Desert of Wadi Rum

We spent a night in the desert of Wadi Rum camping, and riding jeeps in the middle of nowhere, seeing the amazing landscapes of rock and sand and even wild camels! The night in the desert is a once in a life experience. Not as wild as you probably would expect but still you are out in the desert hearing no sound at night and watching the stars. For dinner a special stew is served cooked beneath the sand by its warm temperatures. Camel rides and bonfires at sunset in the desert were all magnificent experiences that will last in my memory forever!

Al-Khazneh ( o Tesouro)

Petra finnaly!!!

Petra is Jordan’s main attraction. The Rose City is a 5 hours drive from Amman through desert landscapes and little pastor’s villages. The archeological site is well preserved, you can notice that Jordanians are trying their best but the pollution and erosion are not helping. Its estimated that many of the rock figures and monuments are still underground and that the actual city was much bigger and "taller". To enter Petra you go through the Siq, a 7km rose canyon absolutely astonishing which used to be the old entrance for the caravans and which will lead you to the first and also the most well know temple in Petra – the Treasure. You will be amazed! From then on you have kilometers of sculptured houses, tombs, and temples to appreciate. If possible try to spend more than one day in Petra. There is a lot of climbing to do and it’s a bit exhausting to do it all in just one day, especially if the weather gets too warm. DON’T miss the Monastery climb. It’s over 800 steps but the construction itself and the view you get from above are all worth it! It took us around two hours to climb all to way up, in a slow pace and with many resting stops, but it was one of my favorite things to do! 

Jerash

JERASH 

The roman ruins of Jerash are better preserved than the ones in Rome itself! They are so majestic that you almost forget the garbage you see looking around. Jordanians need to work on that!

Jerash