Last Updated on April 6, 2023 by PowersToTravel
Come along with me as we travel for five days in Jordan in November 2022. Originally we planned the trip as a short, couple-day excursion to see Petra, from Egypt. As happens with most of my trips, the more I learn the more I want to see. The trip to Jordan grew to five days and we might have wanted longer! I chose Jordan Horizons as our agency and was very happy with our choice.
Then there was Jerusalem! Offered by Jordan Horizons as a side trip from Amman, we decided on a more convenient Turkish Airways flight to Tel Aviv and to begin our trip to Jordan from Israel.
I’ll post our extraordinary time in Jaffa, Jerusalem and Bethlehem under Israel, and content myself to show you Jordan here. Just remember that we came over the land crossing of the Jordan River to arrive in Jordan, and did not fly to Amman.
All the text is from my messages home, not edited post-trip!
Day 1 – Amman, Jerash to the Dead Sea
Well, after our wonderful weather day in Jerusalem we thought we had snuck by, but suddenly found the rain had popped over to the next day (today).
Luckily the morning and half the afternoon was splendid, then it did pour buckets.
We went to the Blue Mosque in Amman – check me out in my mosque-attire! Boy was that hot even though the weather wasn’t terribly warm. Then we went to the Citadel of Amman, a Roman ruin on the top of a huge hill – one of the pics is of the city – the views were better than the ruins; the ruins were ok too. Then it was off north to Jerash, a large Roman city. I was tired – haven’t slept well yet on the trip – and didn’t want to hire a guide so that I would have to walk slowly and look like I cared about the lecture. So we thought we’d just pop up to the Roman ruins for a half hour or so and then on to lunch. Wow! We got to the top and saw the huge Hadrian’s arch, a hippodrome, long colonnaded arches, several amphitheaters, a temple to Artemis and another to Zeus. The sun kept popping in and out of the clouds and when it was out, it was breathtaking. A couple of hours later we finally left. We went to Ajloun, an Ottoman castle from the Crusader times. That’s when we really got wet. Then it was a long ride to our exclusive Hilton Resort on the Dead Sea.
As I was writing this email, the power went out – I felt like we were in Puerto Rico. But unlike Puerto Rico, it was only out 10 minutes or so, so you’re getting this email and pics – tonight!
Day 2 – The Dead Sea, Shobak Castle to Petra
Hi all,
It feels like we’ve been here ages, we’ve seen so much. Today the big event of the day was swimming in the Dead Sea.
The Dead Sea was really, really neat. When they say you just float, they don’t mean you just float, you almost bounce on top of the water. Greg couldn’t even push his legs underneath him. When he went into the water he was on his back floating and he couldn’t unfloat to doggie paddle or face me to take my picture. I tried to hold him down somewhat so he could get his legs under him and all we did was flail around. It was soooo funny. Finally he just backstroked back to the shore so he could grab the sand with his feet and knees. I, on the other hand, was graceful and no problems.
We saw some beautiful scenery, dry rocky mountains and vistas, and a castle.
Tomorrow is Petra, at 7am sharp.
Wendy & Greg
Day 3 – Petra, then to Wadi Rum
What a vacation this is. I have had no energy at night to send off an email. I download the pictures, roll over and turn out the lights. This morning is Monday morning and we fly to Cairo Egypt and we have a late pickup for the airport – 11:50am. So we didn’t set an alarm. And I woke up, saw a glimmer of light in the curtains, checked my pump and it was 8am! (Not that we were late or anything, just that we had slept so solidly and long!)
So, last I wrote, we were swimming in the Dead Sea. We were driven south to Petra, the World Heritage site. So, here’s a collage of just 3 pictures of our multi-transport adventure hiking, cameling, mule riding, and golf cart riding, all to see the Petra valley. It is amazing, and the experience was just a breathtaking bucket-list event. Greg wanted to hike to the “monastery”, the end of the valley, which is up 600 rough-hewn steps and I knew I couldn’t do it. So our guide arranged for us to ride mules. When one thinks of riding mules, one thinks of ambling along a desert path. No! These mules bee-bopped up stone staircases, side to side, clump-clump-clump, with me hanging on for dear life. Sometimes there were steep cliffs right next to me. It was like a wild, barely safe Disney ride, heart-stopping and breathtaking! It was awesome as my mule just ran up the hill with me on top!
Once we got to the top, we walked down the 600 stairs (after looking at the view). That was heart-stopping too, as the steps were very uneven, sometimes short sometimes very tall, sometimes just smooth limestone covered in a layer of sand. When we finally got to the bottom I was so happy to be alive and not to have fallen!
We ended up taking the golf cart on the final mile or so out of the canyon, which was bliss.
Next collage is our arrival at Wadi Rum, a national park area. It’s a lunar-like desert. There are little camps on the valley floor tucked up next to the cliffs. I chose a 5 star camp with bubble structures so we could see the stars. They made it up like the Arabian Nights, with fancy fabrics and furniture. It was a wonderfully luxurious experience. There’s pictures of our tent, the outside, the big dining room, and a strange “hookah lounge” built into a cave.
Day 4 – Wadi Rum to Aqaba
The next morning we took a 4×4 bedouin jeep tour around the area. Greg climbed the stone cliff and sat on the natural stone bridge (pic in the collage), but I wouldn’t climb, so I was conveniently at the bottom to take pictures. I was so happy Greg was too scared to stand on the stone bridge, but sat instead. We saw petroglyphs in the cliff walls, and a spring and camels.
Then it was off to Aqaba, which is a seaside resort town on the Red Sea. We went snorkeling for the afternoon. The water was cold, the wind and current strong, but the coral was beautiful.
Day 5 – Drive back to Amman via Karak Castle, Madaba and Mt. Nebo
Last thing, we headed back to Amman, the capital city, stopping at Karak Castle, a Crusader Castle, a huge valley, a monastery with a mosaic of the map of Palestine from the 6th century, Mt Nebo where Moses stood and gazed at the Promised Land, never to enter.
The trip was as busy as it sounds!
I hope you enjoy the pictures!
See you on the other side…in Egypt.
Wendy and Greg
