Jordan: history, desert and adventure
I want to go
I have to admit that, some time ago, Jordan wasn’t even on my travel wish list; I wasn’t particularly drawn to it. I suppose that this is the reason why it was such a pleasant surprise.
My trip started with a 4-hour direct flight from Barcelona to Amman, and to be honest, I was grateful to be able to travel comfortably without any stop.
As soon as I reached Amman I felt in another world, in an exotic but at the same time very safe place. Moreover, Jordanians are friendly and warm, and they took very good care of me.
One thing that surprised me was the cold weather. I traveled to Jordan in January and the mountain tops were snowy, something I wasn’t expecting to see in the Middle East. However, if you’re planning on bathing in the Dead Sea, you don’t need to worry; in that area the weather is warm all year round. Interestingly, from Amman to the Dead Sea it’s only a 45-minutes drive by car, but there’s always a temperature difference of at least 15ºC.
Although Amman is not a particularly interesting city, I really enjoyed visiting the old quarter, walking around the market, penetrating into the atmosphere of the city and enjoy Jordanian cuisine, which is simply spectacular. In addition, we’re fortunate enough to know the best traditional restaurants in the city, and I can assure you that this is where I tasted the best hummus ever, as well as the best Arab desserts!
To the north of Amman, less than an hour's drive away, you’ll find Jerash, an incredibly well-preserved ancient Roman city. It was amazing to walk around such an ancient city practically alone, enjoying this historical site by myself.
My next stop in Jordan was world-renowned Petra; many people travel to Jordan only to visit this ancient city, and I can understand why!
Thanks to the privileges we have in BRU&BRU, I arrived in Petra at 6 am in the morning and I was the first one to enter the site. Despite the cold weather, it was a spectacular day, the sky was completely blue, not a single cloud in sight. Slowly, I went deep into the archaeological site, completely alone. It was a magical experience.
I was especially excited to see the Treasury (I guess it’s Indiana Jones’s influence). However, there is so much more to see in the old city. It’s a very big site and it takes about two to three days to explore it in depth. Among the wonders that I was able to admire in Petra, there’s an amphitheater which was completely excavated in the rock. It’s really amazing.
The following day we headed to Wadi Rum, a spectacular desert. Once there, I almost forgot that I was on planet Earth. In this Martian landscape I felt like an astronaut visiting the Red Planet, completely isolated, surrounded by dunes and reddish mountains that contrast with the astonishing blue sky.
Besides admiring the beauty of the desert, there are a thousand activities to enjoy: sand-surfing on the dunes, camelback riding, 4x4 or quad driving adventures, meeting the Bedouins, admiring the beauty of the area from the sky, flying on a hot-air balloon…
In Wadi Rum there are many tented camps to stay at, but our camp is located deep into the desert and it’s the most exclusive one without a doubt. It’s made of only 6 tents and you can book it exclusively if you wish so. Upon arriving, I was able to enjoy a magical sunset while savouring a glass of wine. At night they served lamb cooked in the traditional way, on a very slow burn. It was delicious.
On my last day in Jordan I was able to enjoy an unparalleled experience: floating in the Dead Sea. It was the perfect experience to bid farewell to this incredible country.
