Jordan – The Desert Rose

General Thoughts

Jordan has far too often been beset by the bloody conflicts that have plagued its neighbours, from the Arab-Israeli War in 1948 to the ongoing bloodshed in Iraq and Syria. It has, since its establishment as an independent country in 1946, played a critical role in the Middle East as a place of sanctuary for the influxes of Palestinian, Iraqi, and more recently, Syrian refugees that have settled within its borders and integrated into its society. As a result, Jordan has earned a reputation as an anchor of stability, an oasis of peace, in an oftentimes volatile region. Unfortunately, that reputation has been affected in recent years due to the ongoing conflicts in Jordan’s neighbours. 

As I had learned during my visit to Jordan, tourism has dropped significantly in recent years due to the increasing instability in Jordan’s neighbouring countries. When visiting the spectacular Ancient City of Petra, one of the seven wonders of the world, I was struck by how relatively little tourists there were compared to other world wonders. In the town of Wadi Musa, which serves as the entrance gate to Petra, I saw souvenir shops that were going out of business, and stayed at a hotel where entire floors went unoccupied. This was a heartbreaking sight, because everywhere I went I could feel the great lengths that the Jordanian government and its people have taken to ensure safety and top-notch hospitality for tourists.

While relatively small in size, Jordan is home to a spectacular array of sites and experiences that dazzle the imagination. On top of the Citadel of Amman, one can hear the call to prayer of the muezzin reverberating across the entire city of Amman. The enormous and intricately carved sandstone structures of Petra are awash in a rose-colored tint from the dramatic sunset, appearing like age-old flowers being reborn from the surrounding desert rock. An overnight stay at a Bedouin camp in the Mars-like landscape of the Wadi Rum desert (where many movies set on Mars have been filmed including The Martian) allows one to ruminate in the absolute stillness of the desert night, illuminated by a canopy of stars and the incandescent moon that have witnessed eons of human history. And of course, the Biblical Dead Sea, where floating on the surface of the saline water is a picture-perfect moment. 

While driving towards the Roman ruins of Jerash in Northern Jordan, I observed road signs directing the way to the now-closed Syrian border which was only about 70 km away (before the Syrian Civil War, I understood that it would only take roughly half a day to drive from Amman to Damascus). It was quite sobering to think that only a stone’s throw away from the calm and pacifying vistas of the northern highlands that we were driving through was a war zone of unimaginable brutality. Yet despite the horrors happening next door in Syria, what was clear and indelibly etched in my memories were the warmth, friendliness and genuine hospitality of the Jordanian people. When we had trouble finding our car rental agency, we walked into a nearby convenience store and the young gentlemen working there assisted us for almost two hours communicating with the agency and ensuring that we were properly taken care of. That is the kind of spirit that is essential to countering the cynicism that exist in the world today.

My Journey in Jordan

Amman

Amman is a relatively small city compared to other capital cities in the Middle East. I arrived in Amman on a quiet afternoon, having quickly gone through customs after having paid the required visa-on-arrival fees. An airport bus dropped me off at a bus station, where I tried to get an Uber, not knowing that Ubers are technically not allowed in Amman (although they appear on the app). Once I found an Uber and got on, taxi drivers nearby actually threatened the driver as we drove away.

I met up with my frequent travel buddy Eric later that evening. We booked a nice hotel on the city’s western half, situated next to a large grocery store. The next morning, we toured some of the highlights of Amman, including lunch at popular local eatery Hashem (authentic Jordanian food can be enjoyed here), the 2nd century Roman Theatre (where we met a lot of friendly Jordanians) and the Citadel in the center of Amman featuring buildings from the some of the great civilizations that have inhabited this region. The Citadel is also popular due to its elevated location from where one can enjoy a panoramic view of the city, including the city’s characteristic sandstone buildings and the Jordanian flag hoisted on what was once the world’s tallest flagpole. To hear every single mosque in the city call the faithful to prayer in almost perfect unison was an unforgettable experience.

That evening, we hung out with my Jordanian friend from law school who went back to Jordan to develop a career. From him, I learned a great deal about daily life in Jordan and how, despite a lack of natural resources, the country has enjoyed a certain level of prosperity due to its political stability.

Jordanians are known for a lot of great things, but if I had to pick one thing that made the most impact on me, it has to be their extraordinary sense of hospitality for the weary and lost traveller. That night, we took a cab to the supposed location of our car rental agency. As we were planning to drive to Petra the next day, it was imperative that we get our car. However, the car rental agency was nowhere to be found, having apparently moved to another, undisclosed location. As we were quite desperate for help, I ran to a local corner store and asked the young kids employed there for help. Without hesitation, these friendly locals picked up the phone and helped us contact the car rental agency, telling the rental agency employees to drive the car to the store so that we can pick it up. They waited and socialized with us until the car arrived. This act of generosity and hospitality saved our trip, and it was one of the most memorable moments from my time in Jordan.

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Jerash

With our rental car securely in our hands, we drove towards northward to the city of Jerash, home to a celebrated ancient Roman city whose ruins are extremely well preserved. On the drive towards Jerash, we saw signs indicating the distance towards the Syrian border, which due to the ongoing civil war, has been closed for a long time. It was a sobering thought to realize how close we were geographically to a brutal war that had already destroyed so many lives.

Visiting the ruins of Jerash is like stepping into a time capsule back to the glory of Ancient Rome. The wide Colonnaded Street, the oval forum, the Arch of Hadrian, and the temples of Zeus and Artemis are testament to the incredible architectural prowess of the Ancient Romans. Walking amongst these ruins, I can only imagine what they must have looked and felt like when they were filled with crowds of people going about their daily routines. There is little shade here and the sun in Jordan is very strong, so it is highly advisable to bring lots of water and wear a cap when touring Jerash. I made the mistake of not bringing a cap and had to buy one from one of the local vendors at the site!

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Petra

After our visit to Jerash, we immediately began our almost 4 hour-long drive towards the town of Wadi Musa, the entrance to the magnificent wonder of the world known as Petra. The drive towards Wadi Musa goes through vast expanses of desert, so we wanted to make sure we got to our hotel before nightfall. The highway in Jordan contain many potholes, so we were careful to drive slowly and cautiously. When we finally got to the edges of the town of Wadi Musa by sunset, we were stopped at a military checkpoint and the Jordanian soldiers inspected our passports before we continued on our way.

Wadi Musa’s tourism industry has been through tough times in recent years, most likely due to the regional instability. At the hotel we stayed at, we noticed how entire floors were empty and the dining room was almost empty when we had our breakfast. On the main avenue leading to the entrance of Petra (the aptly named Tourism Street), we saw one or two souvenir shops going out of business. It was a very sad sight to see, for
Jordan takes security very seriously, and at no point did we ever feel unsafe.

The ancient city of Petra was built by the Nabataeans, who settled here due to its strategic location as a center of trade. Petra’s status as the trading hub of the region allowed its economy to prosper for several centuries. To reach Petra, we had to walk through a narrow gorge known as the Siq. On the two sides of the gorge, we could see man-made water channels that once fed water to Petra. Near the end of the Siq, the main highlight of Petra, a mausoleum known as Al-Khazneh or the Treasury, slowly and tantalisingly reveals itself to our eyes. Compared to other world wonders, Petra is surprisingly quiet and has a lot less tourists (again likely due to the decline in tourism in recent years).

From the Treasury, we made our way towards the series of royal tombs that are carved on the side of a large cliff and the ruins of the Theater and the Great Temple of Petra. It must have taken an extraordinary amount of effort and ingenuity to carve these monumental buildings directly into the rock. We decided to make the difficult hike towards the El Deir or the Monastery, which is the largest building in the city of Petra. The hike to the Monastery takes about an hour and requires climbing lots of steps as the route winds through rocky mountains. Be sure to bring lots of water when going on this hike as it is particularly exhausting especially considering the desert heat. When we finally reached the Monastery and gazed upon its splendor, the toil we had to go through to get there suddenly felt like it was worth it. There are plenty of rest areas and shops selling cold drinks around the Monastery, and so we took a break here and enjoyed the view.

The hike back from the Monastery was considerably easier, and by the time we were back at the Treasury, the sun was setting. Sunset is a great time to take pictures of the Treasury as the sandstone turns a light pink, embodying Petra’s nickname of the Rose City. The crowd is considerably less at sunset, and so we spent some quality time enjoying the view of the Treasury and taking photographs. On certain nights of the week, visitors could pay an extra fee and enjoy visiting the Treasury while it is illuminated by candlelight. While the Petra at Night show took place on the evening of our visit, we were pretty tired after a long day and decided not to go.

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Wadi Rum

After our stay in Wadi Musa, we continued southward towards another Jordanian UNESCO World Heritage Site, the desert valley of Wadi Rum. Wadi Rum is largely made of red sandstone rock, which makes the landscape bear a striking resemblance to the surface of Mars. Countless movies set in the desert (or Mars) were filmed here, most notably Lawrence of Arabia, The Martian, Rogue One and the upcoming Aladdin. We booked an overnight stay in a Bedouin tent deep in the Wadi Rum desert. There is a small town at the entrance to Wadi Rum, and we left our car in a parking lot there at no charge. Our Bedouin guide Ali met us near the parking lot and we hopped on his 4×4 truck to begin our desert adventure.

Wadi Rum is truly an otherworldly place, with rocky formations rising out of the desert landscape like a slumbering behemoth. People have lived here for centuries, and that presence can be seen in the Khazali Canyon, where petroglyphs and other drawings of human shapes and figures are carved into the canyon’s rocks. Lawrence of Arabia himself spent a great deal of time at Wadi Rum during his campaigns in the First World War (the ruins of his house is found in Wadi Rum).

Ali really enjoyed spinning around Fast and Furious style in his 4×4 truck. This was my first time visiting a desert, and we thoroughly enjoyed the wide open spaces and peacefulness. Ali also took us to have tea with his friends and relatives in a Bedouin tent, where we rested our tired bones and relaxed in the cool shade. At night, Ali took us to our lodging for the evening, the Bedouin tent we booked underneath the stars. Hanging out in the desert at night was a surrealistic experience due to the absolute silence and lack of artificial light. Instead, the rocky giants of the desert were bathed in the glistening white light of the moon and stars, giving the scenery a serene atmosphere of peace and tranquility. Wadi Rum at night was simply beautiful.

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The Dead Sea

We picked up our car after our overnight stay at Wadi Rum and drove back north towards Amman and our final landmark of Jordan: the Dead Sea. We were heading towards one of the resorts by the Dead Sea as we really wanted to experience floating on this legendary body of water. Due to the low elevation in the areas around the Dead Sea (the Dead Sea itself is the lowest point on Earth at 420 meters below sea level), I could feel my ears popping. The sun is also extremely strong in the areas around the Dead Sea so it is important to bring lots of water and sunscreen on a visit to the Dead Sea.

Once we arrived at the Dead Sea resort, we went for a swim (or rather float) in the hypersaline waters of the lake. Floating on our backs in the waters of the Dead Sea is a relaxing and therapeutic experience. However, I floated a bit too far from shore and because of the scorching heat of the sun, tried to furiously paddle back to shore. While paddling, I inadvertently splashed salty water into my mouth. The feeling was extremely unpleasant of course, and I had to drink lots of fresh water to feel better again. In short, even floating on the Dead Sea can be dangerous when people are not careful!

We drove back to Amman late in the evening and returned our car. I went to meet another Jordanian friend from high school who came back to Jordan for work. We enjoyed an authentic Jordanian meal, complete with an assortment of delicious hummus!

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UNESCO World Heritage Sites visited in Jordan:

• Petra
• Wadi Rum Protected Area

See more pictures from my adventures in Jordan at:
https://storiesofnoah.com/gallery-view/jordan/