88 Kpsebo!Pggfst!Dpmpsgvm!Tmjdft!pg!uif!Njeemf!Fbtu! by Randy Mink Tometimes it’s the simple things you remember most. One of the fondest memories of my recent small-group trip to Jordan with Goway Travel was an impromptu picnic lunch at a little clifftop park in Wadi Musa, a scrappy town clinging to hills outside the ruins of Petra, the country’s most famous tourist attraction. On the way to the unassuming roadside park, our driver—named Aladdin—let off our guide, Michel Safar, who ran into Jupiter Falafel while we waited in the mini bus. He brought out grease-stained sacks of pipinghot falafel—those tasty deep-fried balls of ground chickpeas—along with drinks, plastic tubs of hummus and fluffy pita bread straight from the oven. The order also included shawarma, the Middle Eastern street food standby of meat and chopped vegetables wrapped in pita. There we were, enjoying a typical Jordanian lunch while feasting on panoramas of the rumpled, wind-eroded mountains that cloak www.worldtraveler.travel - Already 22 Years!
the ancient city of Petra, where we had spent the morning. Stray cats eager for food scraps kept us company. A peaceful setting indeed. Tourists Feel Safe and Secure in Jordan In a region of the world rife with conflict, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan itself has been an oasis of calm and stability for decades. During our six-night trip, we felt safe and rarely brought up the Israel-Hamas war. Watching reports on my hotel TV in Jordan, I didn’t feel any closer to the fighting in Gaza than I did watching the news at home, despite our obvious proximity to the Israel border. To no one’s surprise, tourism to the Middle East is suffering. In many cases we had hotel and tourist restaurants to ourselves. At highway rest stops, our bus often was alone in the parking lot. Toronto-based Goway Travel and other tour operators are still offering trips to the region, often combining Jordan with Egypt, Saudi Arabia and other countries. In dreaming about your next international trip, don’t automatically dismiss this fascinating part of the world. It’s a captivating mix of Arab culture, mesmerizing desert scenery and world-class archaeological sites. “Jordan is an ideal destination for globetrotters who seek culture, history and hospitality,” says Moira Smith, vice president, Africa and Asia, Goway Travel. “Despite the tourism slowdown, Jordan is safe, open and welcoming. It is a great time to visit with fewer crowds.” Like neighboring Israel, Jordan is compact, so the main tourist sites are not more than a few hours apart. The infrastructure is excellent, hotels are up to Western standards and the Jordanian people are among the most hospitable anywhere. English is widely understood, and many signs are in both English and Arabic. These are some of the trip highlights: Petra: A <strong>World</strong> Wonder Petra, in southern Jordan, ranks among the greatest monuments of antiquity. Hidden for centuries from prying eyes, the “lost city” was known only to nomadic Bedouin tribes until discovered in 1812 by a young Swiss explorer. Carved from reddish sandstone outcroppings tucked within a series of rugged gorges, Petra—particularly the towering Hellenistic facade of the Treasury—commonly appears on travel posters and guidebook covers. The Rose Red City, as it’s called, is the “rock” star of Jordan tourism. Before the Romans took Petra in 106 A.D., it was the capital of the Nabataeans, an industrious Arab people who traded in silk, spices, frankincense and myrrh. Clambering up stony trails or leisurely walking the valley floor, tourists encounter cave-like tombs, an amphitheater, and remains of temples and a Byzantine church. Movie goers recognize the iconic Treasury from the final sequence in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Outside Petra’s gates, shops with names like Indiana Jones Super Market peddle Indiana Jones hats and whips, along with Nabataean-style pottery, colorful caftans and other souvenirs. It’s about a 20-minute walk from Petra’s entrance gate to the Siq, a chasm that leads to the Treasury. Upon your emergence from the shadowy, sheer-sided passageway, the sight of the sun-splashed masterpiece is simply magical. Decorated with Corinthian columns, friezes and figures sculpted from the cliff face, the Treasury (really a tomb) is crowned by a funerary urn, which, according to local legend, contains a pharaoh’s treasure. Wadi Rum: Romancing the Desert Sands South of Petra, another Hollywood classic, Lawrence of Arabia, was partly filmed in Wadi Rum, a vast desert area with rippling expanses of deep-pink sand interrupted by craggy monoliths. British Colonel T.E. Lawrence and King Faisal based their headquarters there during the Arab revolt against the Ottoman Turks in <strong>World</strong> War I. The dreamy, surreal landscape continues to color my best memories of Jordan. Splitting up into 4x4 vehicles with seating in the truck bed, our Goway group enjoyed a two-hour ride through the sand, making stops to examine petroglyphs, see camels, have tea in a Bedouin-style tent and hike up one of the crags. Visitors also can opt for a guided camel trek. At night we bedded down in relative luxury at Sun City, one of several Wadi Rum tourist encampments equipped with modern conveniences. Cabins, built on plank platforms and covered in fabric resembling Bedouin goathair tents, feature a comfortable bed and a bathroom with flush toilet and shower. In the dining hall, a geodesic-domed building, we filled our plates at a dinner buffet offering slow-cooked lamb and chicken, fried fish, roasted potatoes, rice, salads, breads, and a dessert table with Middle Eastern pastries. Life is Good at the Dead Sea 89 After touring archaeological sites and Christian shrines heavy on history, tourists welcome the chance to relax at one of the deluxe resorts fronting the Dead Sea’s eastern shore. At 1,312 feet below sea level, the super-salty body of water (actually a lake) is the lowest spot on earth. Goway accommodated us in the 5-star Movenpick Resort & Spa Dead Sea, perhaps the most beautiful hotel in the whole country. The main building, a stunning example of desert castle-style architecture, is opulently furnished with antiques, artwork and Arabic motifs. Many of the 358 guest rooms are housed in a two-story village complex lushly landscaped with palms, bougainvillea, citrus and olive trees, waterfalls and fountains. Nothing lives in the Dead Sea because it’s 10 times saltier than the ocean. The high mineral content makes it virtually impossible to sink, so you can pose for a picture in the buoyant water while effortlessly floating on your back. Just don’t get water in your eyes—it will be sheer agony. tff!gpmmpxjoh!qbhf <strong>World</strong> Traveler <strong>Spring</strong> <strong>2024</strong>