Canadian World Traveller Spring 2024 Issue

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A therapeutic mud bath is the other must-do.
From pots of oily black mud gathered from the
sea floor, dig in and slather your wet body,
face included, with mud. Wait 15 minutes for
it to dry a bit, then go into the water and wash
it off—but not before having your picture
taken. Afterwards your skin will feel smooth,
tingly and refreshed. Dead Sea resorts offer a
variety of spa treatments and therapies using
products derived from the briny water.
Going Back to Roman Times at Jerash
The extensive archaeological site of Jerash,
less than an hour north of the capital city of
Amman, is one of the best-preserved Greco-
Roman provincial towns in the world.
Landmarks include Hadrian’s Arch, built in
129 A.D. to commemorate the visit of Roman
Emperor Hadrian; the Temples of Zeus and
Artemis; Byzantine churches; two theaters; and
the Hippodrome, an arena that hosted chariot
races and other sports. On the colonnaded
flagstone street, where some of the original
500 columns have been reassembled, we
walked on ruts made by chariot wheels.
Amman Bubbles With Excitement
More than one-third of Jordan’s people live in
this dynamic city of four million, a metropolis
of blocky white limestone buildings sprawled
across 20-some hills. Nicknamed the White
City, it is the best place in Jordan to immerse
yourself in Middle Eastern culture.
Though my favorite experiences were sampling
street life in the Old City’s traditional
souks, I liked being based in the fashionable
Shmeisani district, away from the fray. Our
Goway group stayed at the 66-room Al Qasr
Metropole Hotel on a leafy residential street a
short walk from the Hilton, Westin and other
familiar brands. We could shop in the neighborhood’s
state-of-the-art Carrefours supermarket
and quash any feelings of homesickness
at places like McDonald’s, Starbucks and
KFC.
The congested shopping streets of the Old
City, or downtown, huddle below the Citadel,
an open-air museum that preserves ruins dating
back to Amman’s beginnings. Logically,
our city sightseeing started at this quiet hilltop
sanctuary, which offered great views as we
drifted between the Temple of Hercules,
Byzantine church, Umayyad Palace complex
and Jordan Archaeological Museum. After the
Citadel, we descended the hill and visited the
magnificent Roman Theatre, built in the second
century when Amman was the Roman city
of Philadelphia.
Shopping and Dining in the Old City
Stacked with merchandise from floor to ceiling
and festooned with goods dangling above the
sidewalk, downtown’s hole-in-the-wall shops
deal in everything from cheap shoes to spangled
“belly dancing” outfits.
Merchants purvey mosaic artwork, gold and
silver jewelry, handwoven rugs and cushions,
embroidered folk dresses and the red-andwhite-checkered
headdress (keffiyeh) commonly
worn by men in Jordan and other parts
of the Arab world. There are shiny brass tea
sets, Bedouin robes and daggers, and artistically
designed glass vessels filled with colored
sand depicting desert scenes complete with
camels.
Food vendors attend to mounds of tomatoes,
dates, figs and dried apricots. Open sacks
brim with teas, spices and nuts. Baskets and
crates hold oranges, papayas and pomegranates.
For lunch downtown, the place to go is
Hashem, Amman’s most famous falafel
restaurant. Besides dipping our pita bread and
crispy balls of falafel in a creamy hummus
infused with olive oil and lemon juice, we
enjoyed the french fries and vegetable plate
that come with a standard order.
For dessert, we stopped at Habibah, a tiny
shop turning out fresh hot knafeh, a filo-crusted
sweet cheese soaked in honey and topped
with pistachio bits, eaten with a plastic spoon
from a paper plate. We found space to sit outside
the bakery, mingling with the locals
savoring this Middle Eastern treat.
On the Road
For me, half the fun of visiting Jordan was
looking out the bus window at the passing
parade of Middle Eastern life. One morning
we might see shepherds with a flock of sheep
or boys leading a herd of camels. In godforsaken
desert settings we drove by simple
homes with laundry drying on rooftop clotheslines
and donkeys or goats in the yard. Olive
trees dotted many of the desolate landscapes.
In the fertile Jordan River Valley, near the
Dead Sea, we passed groves of date palms
and citrus trees, banana plantations, and
greenhouses growing tomatoes. Passing
through small villages, I had the urge to hop
out and take pictures of the roadside vendors
hawking potatoes, oranges, and giant cabbages
and cauliflowers from their trucks. In
some towns it seemed as if the businesses
were mainly automotive garages with piles of
tires out front.
Goway Delivers a Quality Experience
I couldn’t have been happier with the
arrangements made by Amman-based
Karma House, Goway Travel’s partner on the
ground in Jordan. Our driver, our guide and
the meet-and-greet staffers who eased us
through the Amman airport were real pros
and obviously enjoyed showing us their country.
Thanks to the seamless arrangements,
everything went smoothly, with no bumps in
the road.
Goway customizes trips to more than 100
destinations around the globe. Suggested
Jordan itineraries include the 5-day “Taste of
Jordan: Dead Sea, Petra, Wadi Rum & More,”
6-day “Authentic Jordan” and new 9-day
“Jordan Odyssey.” Also new: the 12-day “Best
of Jordan and Saudi Arabia.” For those with
three weeks to spare, there is the 20-day
“Ancient Wonders of Egypt, Jordan and Saudi
Arabia.”
www.visitjordan.com
www.goway.com
World Traveler Spring 2024